must be animated by the same principle; for the most splendid services avail nothing without affection.

It is acknowledged that our advantages are greatly inferior to those of angelic beings; that our love to God cannot be kindled, like their's, at the foot of the throne: still, we enjoy a perfect revelation of his character, and consequently are supplied with ample inducements to love him with all our hearts, and to manifest our love by a cheerful submission to his will. Nor is this all; for, in addition to those reasons which we have in common with angels, to offer our cordial obedience to the Supreme Being, we are laid under obligations of infinite extent by the condescension and love of his dear Son, 66 who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." Oh, that animating expression, "He loved me, and gave himself for me!" How happily is it calculated to awaken in the Christian who is able with humble confidence to adopt it, a surpassing energy, and an inextinguishable zeal! He feels, that, in obeying the Divine precepts, he is actuated, not by a mere regard to decency and propriety, but by all that is ingenuous and elevated in gratitude to his Heavenly Benefactor. If you have obtained mercy, my Christian

friends, with what powerful motives are you furnished to present yourselves "a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God!" Those motives arise not from the terrors of Sinai, but from the love of Jesus; -not from the "fearful looking for of judgment," but from a delightful sense of obligation to the most amiable and beneficent of all beings. "Ye are not come unto the mount that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, . . . . . but unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." Go, then, my brethren,-go in imagination to the gloom of Gethsemane; - contemplate the dismay and horror that filled the soul of the Redeemer when the mysterious tempest burst upon his head. Trace his steps to the hall of judgment, where the hands of an impious soldiery surrounded his temples with a wreath of thorns; follow him to Calvary, and behold him stretched on a cross, weeping, and bleeding,

1

and fainting, and expiring. For what purpose? To atone for your sins; to reconcile you to God; and to give you the peace which passeth understanding! Where will you find a motive to affectionate obedience, if you find it not here? What voice speaks in accents so persuasive as the voice of love? And what love is so tender and impressive as the love of Jesus? Let it this day penetrate your hearts; let it awaken your pious ardour; let it constrain you, henceforth, to live, not to yourselves, but "to him who died for you and rose again.".

While we are urged by these considerations to devote ourselves to God, let us earnestly pray that the whole human race may be recovered from their apostasy, and be led to do the Divine will, as it is done in heaven.

Our love to God will induce us to offer this petition; for, if we possess a suitable regard for him, we shall desire that he may engross the esteem, and receive the homage, of all his creatures. It will be a source of grief to us, that a Being whom we love supremely,Being worthy to be honoured, worshipped, and obeyed, by the whole intelligent creation, should have a single enemy. In proportion as we love and esteem him, we shall fervently desire, that the criminal and unnatural alienation of the human heart may be eradicated,

and that all the tribes of our species may acknowledge his authority, and yield unreserved obedience to his commands.

A proper regard to our fellow-creatures will also induce us to offer this prayer. If we love not the whole human race, we cannot be Christians; for, while strangers to this amiable expression of the heart, we violate the royal law, which requires us to love our neighbour as ourselves, and oppose the essential spirit of the gospel. He who is destitute of tenderness, compassion, and benevolence, to his fellowmen, is unworthy of being denominated a follower of Jesus.

The gospel presents to us a religion of love. The august Being from whom it emanated, is the God of love. The great Deliverer, who carried its designs into effect, is the Agent of love. The Sacred Spirit, who applies the blessings of redemption to the hearts of sinners, is the Spirit of love. The grand theme on which the inspired Apostles insisted in their ministrations, was, love. It is love that has glowed in the bosoms of Christian Reformers and Missionaries, and constrained them to hazard their lives for the salvation of men. Are we, my hearers, à part of the family of God? Let us endeavour to exhibit its most amiable and distinguishing feature. Let us evince our regard

to the human race, by praying that the law of God may be written in every heart, and that the whole world, which, for the most part, has proudly disputed and opposed the authority of the Most High, may shortly submit to his control, and become obedient to his will. Our sincere and fervent petitions for these blessings, while they discover a truly christian solicitude for the happiness of mankind, may be justly classed among the best evidences of christian piety.

To conclude. Let us remember, that prayer is expressive, not only of desire, but also of reliance on the power of God; and, that when we unite in offering to his throne the petition contained in the text, we virtually acknowledge the necessity of Divine agency to subdue the stubbornness of sinful man, and to engage his affections in the service of God. This consideration, so far from rendering us indifferent to the renovation of men, ought to excite us to pray with ardour and perseverance, that the Holy Spirit may accompany with his gracious influence every effort employed on their behalf; and ought likewise to strengthen our faith in those Divine promises which relate to the diffusion of truth, and the triumph of pure and undefiled religion among all the nations and families of the earth.