SÉR1iMON XXXVI. S1I God had no richer gift than his Son, andhe bestowed his Son uponus. Christ .Jesus himself made his fleshand soul an offering for our sins. It wat a spring of divine love that arose from the bosomof God, and runs through all this sacred transaction in many blessed streams : It runs through all the length of time into a long eternity. How should this melt and soften' our hearts, into returns of love to the great God, and to his Son Jesus Christ. We love him, saith the beloved apostle, because he first loved us; 1 John iv. 19. Reflection." And what shall I do to raise my love to God myFather, and my blessed Redeemer ? When I was a stranger and an enemy, God reconciled me tohimself, by sendinghis Son to die for me. How hard is this wretchedheart of mine, that it feels no more powerful impressions from this amazing love and compassion of God to a rebel creature ?.'What sorrows, what indignities, what bitter scoffs, what loads of reproach, what in- ward and unknown agonies of soul, what a shameful and painful and cursed death, did the blessed Son of God endure for my sake : And can I forbear to love him ? Alas ! how cold are my affections! How feeble and languid is my zeal ! What poor sorry returns do I make forthese infinite condescensionsof divine love ! Warm my heart, O Jesus with this love, and inflame all my affections. Omay all the powers of my sonl exert their utmost diligence in the service of the Son of God, that has redeemed me ! His love was stronger than death: and shall it not constrain me to love him ? Did he lay down his life for my sake, and shall I not lay out and employ my life with all my talents and capaci- ties to his honour ? Blessed Jesus, I grieve, I mourn, t am con- founded that I feel no more of the constraining influencesof thy dying love, to make all my duty and obedience easy and delightful." VII. This doctrine carries in it a strongpersuasive to that love and pity which we should shew on all occasions to our fel- low-creatures. When the apostle John had magnified the love of God, in that hehad sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins : He makes this inference, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another ; 1 John iv. 11. And in the fore- going chapter, iii. 16. he raises this inference of love to a sub- lime degree : Because God hath laid dorem his We for us, we ought to lay dawn our livesfor the brethren. But how can any person make a pretence to christianity, who hath the goads of this world, and seeth his brother have need, and shútteth up his bowels of compassion from him? verse 17. How can such an hardened and cruel heart pretend that the love of God dwell* there ? VOL is Ir i
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