I in thee, that they also may be one in us. This earnest supplication was fully answered upon our Lord's early followers: in proof of which, we find one of them shortly afterwards expressing himself thus-These things write we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Let us, then, perseveringly seek after a free and constant intercourse with that High and Holy One, who inhabiteth eternity; who himself expressly invites us to the enjoyment of this high privilege, and whose condescension and grace are no less strikingly manifest than his majesty and his power. Endeavour, my brethren, in your humble degree, to form yourselves upon the sublime model of his adorable perfections, and count it a peculiar honour to carry about you all the distinguishing marks and evidences of being counted among the children of your Father in heaven. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and aim at his glory in all your undertakings; walking in the light as He is in the light, and earnestly striving to

keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace knowing that there is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

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SERMON XX.

DEUT VI. 5.

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.

WHEN a certain scribe once inquired of our Lord, Which is the first and great commandment? our gracious Master returned him the following answer, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: this is the first and great commandment.

Love is that high and ruling principle, which can be considered as nothing less than the great master-spring of all the motions of the soul. If this spring be set with a bias to the present world, all the tempers and tendencies of the heart will be evil, and the whole man out of order. But if it be set right, directly pointing to the Fountain of good; then the whole man, with all his numerous faculties and powers, external and internal, will be preserved in a state of righteousness, peace, and joy. This as

suredly was the original intention of God in our creation. Such has ever been, and such will ever be, without variableness or shadow of turning, his good, and acceptable, and perfect will, respecting the human

race.

The command of my text is addressed, not only to the church in general, but to every member of it in particular. Whoever thou art; whatever be thy name, station, or connexions in the world; whatever be thy hopes, thy employments, or thy prospects in it; whatever be thy talents or endowments, the description of thy character, or the peculiarities of thy condition-Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.

Thou

shalt love the Lord thy God, not merely in word and profession, but in deed and in truth; not in a cold and formal manner, but with all the warmth of thine heart, with all the energy of thy soul, and with all the application of thy mind.

But before any man can truly love God, he must necessarily obtain some clear apprehensions of his nature, together with the relation in which he himself stands to this infinitely great and glorious Being. Till

such views are obtained, there can exist no reasonable ground of devout and affectionate feeling towards God: but, in the same proportion as our views of him are rectified, our feelings towards him will be refined and exalted.

Our love to God, then, must be founded upon the following solid grounds-first, what He is in Himself-secondly, what He hath done for us-thirdly, what He hath promised

to us.

First Our love to God must take its rise from an acquaintance with his excellencies. To describe Him as He is, would be a task infinitely beyond the united powers of men and angels. But this we know, that He is the centre and sum of all perfection. We can form no conception of anything pure or lovely, great or good, which is not to be found in Him without defect or limit. Every thing beautiful, amiable, or excellent, in the creation; every thing that calls forth our wonder, our gratitude, or our desire; all are the work of his hands. He made them what they are, and appointed them to appear in this lower world as so