522 THE LOVE OF GOD. 'thus it appears that our everlasting thanks and praisesare due to the blessed Jesus, who has laid the foundation of love between an offended God and his guilty creature, man. He has revealed the great God to us, has told us what he is, and has set hint before us, in his most amiable glories : He has taught us what wonders of mercy God hats wrought for us already, and what blessings he will bestow on us through the future ages of eternity : And thus he hails opened all the springs of love to allure our hearts to God. What christian can withholdhis love and praise from so worthy, so divine a benefactor ? IV. I may therefore well add, in the last place, that no per- son in heaven òr earth was so proper to recommend to us this divine virtue, the love of God, as Christ Jesus, our Saviour, who speaks the words of my text : He who who was himself the be- loved Son of God, thefirst favourite of heaven, the highest object of his Father's love, and the best and most perfect lover of his Father : He who was the great peace-maker between God and sinners, the chief minister and messenger of his Father's love to men. Ifhe hadnot underteok to make peace, we had still con- tinued children ofwrath, and in the same state with fallen angels, who are never invited to return to the love of God. There is no prophet, no messenger sent to require or charge them to love God, for there is no priest or peace-maker appointed for them. t Who is so fit a person to urgeupon ourconsciences this bless- ed command of love to God, as he who came to redeem us from our state of rebellion and enmity to deliver us from the anger of Cod, and the curse of the law, and everlasting death ? Who can give us such pathetic motives, and so powerful a charge to love the Lord our God With our whole heart, as he who came to write his Father's love to us in lines of blood, even his own blood ? He whose heart was pierced for the sake of sinful men ; he who Came to seal the covenant of love between God and man with the an- guish of his soul, and the blood of his heart ! How all-glorious and well chosen is thismessenger of the love and precepts of God! This blessed prophet, who is sent from God to recommend to us eternal duty of divine love ; who is also our great high-priest to reconcile us o God ! Yet how little success has the message had on the hearts of men ! What a sad and just occasion of shame. and holy mourning ! Forbid it, O God, that such a messenger and such a message should be sent from heaven in vain ! Meditation. -"What shall I do to become a true lover of God ? Since I know there is but one God, I would give up my wholeheart to him alone ; I would fain have him reign in my affections supreme and without a rival. But let me recollect my- selfa little, and let me not deny what God and his grace have
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