DISCOIMSE II. 529 and love, of our holydesire and delight. Has God condescended to give us his word, to write a book of knowledge and grace for the use of men ? IIowmuch delight will the holy soul take in reading and hearing theblessed words of this book ! A flame of heavenly love kindled in the heart, will engage us to converse often with those divine notices of himself, which God bath sent us from heaven. Our delight will be placed in the law, and gos- pel of our God, and thereinshall we meditate day and night; Ps. i. 2. 0 how I love thy law, says David, it is my meditation all the day ; and in the night he remembers the name of God ; Ps. cxtx. 55, 97. Has the great God built a temple for himself on earth, even the assemblies of the saints ? Has he appointed methods of wor ship in which men shall address his majesty, and whereby he will make them partakers of his love ? How desirous is the lively christian to attend on all these methods of divide appointment, to abide in the sanctuary, to frequent the house of prayer; and wait for the manifestations of the power and glory of God ? I have loved the habitation of thy house, says David, and the place where thy honour dwelleth: Ps. xxvi. 8. How amiable are thy tuber- , nacles, 0 Lord of hosts! lxxxiv. P. Has -God raised up children for himself, out of the sons and daughters of fallen Adam ? Then every one that loves God, will love his offspring too ; 1 John v. 1. This is one of the chief evidences of a sincere love to God, when we love his people, and those who bear his image, without the narrow view of á sect or party, or particular tribe of. such a name. The saint loves all the saints, and the christian loves all christians ; those who are most like to God are the excellent of the earth, in whom is all his delight ; Ps. xvi. 2. And therefore he pities them under all their sorrows, and he relieves their wants according to his power, be- couse they stand in so near a relation to the Godwhom he loves, and bear his lovely image ; 1 John iii. 16,17. Has the great and glorious God one peculiar Son, hisfirst- born, his only begotten, who bears his perfect image, and whom lie loves above all the rest ? This also is the chief object of a chris- tian's love. Not father nor mother, son nor (laughter, nor the wife of the bosom, lie so near the heart of a christian, as the Son of God cloth. He not only bears the nearest resemblance to God, but he is one with God ; in him dwellsall the fidness of the God- head bodily ; Col. ii. 9. He is Emanuel, Godwith us; Mat. i. 21. Godmisttested in the flesh; 1 Tim. iii. 16. There is more of the power and wisdom ; there is more of the majesty and mercy of God shines through the human nature of his Son Jesus, than in all the millions of men and angels, and all the worlds of un- known creatures that God ever made: And therefore the sancti- fied affections of the soul go forth in the strongest manner Vol,. U. L L
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