disposed to those that are in need, and supply them according to your ability, and as you have opportunity; and more especially if they be saints. Christ professeth himself still to be naked, hungry, sick, and in prison, and to stand in need of our visits and supplies. If thou hadst a whole wardrobe of costly apparel, Christ hath more nakedness than all that can cover; if whole barns full of corn, Christ hath more empty bowels that all these can fill. Take heed, then, of an hard unrelenting heart towards them that are in misery, and of a narrow penurious hand; both are inconsistent with the love of God.

OBJECTION. But some will say, I am much under the power of slavish fears, and the scripture says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear," 1 John iv. 18. And this darkens all my evidences. Ans. You must distinguish betwixt fear in the love of God, and fear in the lovers of God. The apostle says, "there is no fear in love," but not, that there is no fear in the lovers of God. So I say, there is no unbelief in faith; but if I should say there is no unbelief in believers, they would jointly give me the lie. Again, the apostle says, "Perfect love casteth out fear:" but whose love is perfect in this world? No doubt, the more that any is perfected in love, there will be so much the less of slavish fear: but they may be both together in the same soul. If therefore these fears are your burden, and you desire and endeavour to cast them out, then the love of God is in you of a truth, though not to such a degree as it is in some others. Those fears argue the weakness of love, not the want of it. God made the ant as well as the elephant, the worm as well as the eagle. Cesar's image is upon a silver penny, as well as on the broadest piece of gold: therefore be not too much discouraged.

Fourthly, This doctrine may be improven by way of exhortation, and that in the words of the text. "Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength."

1st, For motives, consider, It is God who planted the

affection of love in your hearts, therefore hath he a most just title unto your love; and you are guilty of the most horrid ingratitude if you deny it unto him. Who plants a vineyard, and looks not to drink of the wine thereof? God calls our corn and wine his; and much more may he claim our love and joy as his. Should a valuable friend give you notice he was coming to visit you, and send you before hand a vessel of rich wine, would you grudge to broach it for his entertainment when he came? but would it not be monstrous, if with this gift of your valuable friend, you should entertain his declared enemy, and have nothing reserved for him when he came? It is just so here: God your best friend, has implanted the affection of love in you, which is like a rich vessel for his entertainment when he comes; but behold this vessel is broached for Satan and the world, the declared enemies of God: and when God himself comes, you have nothing for him but the stale dregs and sediments which his enemies have left. Be astonished at this, O ye heavens!

2dly, The love of God is the first and great commandment, the end of the law, and the fulfilling of the law; therefore, without it no other duties will be acceptable unto God. The call and commandment from heaven is, "My son, give me thine heart." If you should give all your time to religious duties, all your substance to feed the poor, yea, if you should give your body to be burned, and have not charity, that is to say, the love of God, it will profit you nothing, 1 Cor. xiii. 3. Faith is the king among the graces, and love is the queen that sits at his right hand.

3dly, Love is one of the graces which passes over unto eternity, and shall be exercised there, when faith shall be turned into sight, and hope into enjoyment. Therefore, says the apostle, "Charity never faileth," 1 Cor. xiii. 8. and last verse, "And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." Will you not then begin that on earth, which is to be carried on through eternity in heaven?

4thly, If you love God, all things shall work together for your good, Rom. viii. 28. Prosperity or adversity, sickness or health, poverty or riches, death or life, all things shall work together for your good, if you are lovers of God. On the contrary, if you are haters of God, all things shall work for your ruin; your prosperity shall destroy; your table shall be a snare to you; your basket and store shall be cursed; Christ himself shall be a stumbling block to you, and the word of the gospel shall be the savour of death unto death unto your souls.

5thly, Consider the great things which God has prepared for them that love him, 1 Cor. ii. 9, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Heaven, with all its joys, is prepared for the lovers of God, even as hell, with all its torments, is prepared for his enemies. The white robes, the palms, and the crown of glory, are prepared for them that love him.

Lastly, Consider what a heavy curse is denounced against those who love him not, 1 Cor. xvi. 22, "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema Maranatha." The word " Maranatha" is a compound of two words, which signify, "the Lord cometh:" and so the meaning is,

that obstinate enemies of Jesus Christ shall be cursed from henceforth, even unto the coming of the Lord to judge the world at the last day.

I shall now conclude with giving some short directions how to obtain the love of God.

(1.) Be deeply sensible of your enmity against God, and bewail it before him, Rom. viii. 7. (2.) Flee to Jesus Christ by faith for the removal of this enmity, and securing your peace and friendship with God: for he is our peace. (3.) Cry to God earnestly, that he would implant in your hearts, by his holy Spirit, a principle of love to God: "For he that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (4.) Make much use of the word and ordinances; in them the beauty, glory and excellency of Jesus Christ are let

forth into the soul. As kings and princes send their pictures to those whom they espouse; so God has, in his word and ordinances, presented you with an image and representation of himself, that he may engage your hearts thereby. (5.) Meditate much on the love of God and of Christ. (6.) Watch carefully against the prevalence of earthly affections. (7.) Live much in the view of the unseen world, and learn to die daily.

SERMON IX.

THE DUTY OF LOVING OUR NEIGHBOUR ILLUSTRATED.

MARK Xii. 31.-"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: there is none other commandment greater than these."

You have already been instructed in the first and great commandment, which is the love of God. The second is like unto it, and falls now to be considered: "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Our Saviour reduces the ten commandments into two, viz., the love of God, and the love of our neighbour; and Paul reduces them all into one, which is love, Rom. xiii. 10, "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." Gal. v. 14, "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, which is this, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." If any say, how can the law be fulfilled in the love of our neighbour? is not the love of God the first and great commandment? I answer, the love of our neighbour here is not to be taken as separate from the love of God, but as included in it, or flowing from it; even as the effect flows from the cause. God, whom we see not, will be loved in our neighbour whom we see; he will have us manifest our love to him, by loving our neighbour for his sake. In the words we have, 1st, The duty enjoined, which is loving our neighbour. 2dly, The manner of this love, or how we are to love our neighbour, viz. as ourselves. 3dly, The resemblance betwixt this and the first and great commandment; "And the second is like," &c. What is further necessary