DISCGUI3.SE ITI. 551 23. He that loves God nazest love his brother also ; 1 John iv. 21. But how can we fulfil the several duties of help and relief, de- fence and consolation to our brethren, if we do not indulge the warm and tender affections of pity, and sympathy and love? The bounty of the hands, even to the most distressed object, will be but scanty and small, if there be no compassion in the heart : But when we love our brethren for God's sake, and ex- cite in our hearts all the friendly and compassionate affections towards the poor and the miserable, then covetousness and self- love lie down vanquished, and have no power to withhold the hand front a liberal distribution of blessings to those that are in peed. Compassion melts the heart, and makes the hands flow with bounty and relief. I might give other instances also of the same happy effect of holy passions, in the more difficult duties of religion, in mor- tification of most beloved sins, as well as in denying our most darling interests for the sake of Christ. " How sweet is it, saith St. Austin, under the power of divine love, how sweet is it to abstain from all the old, sweet and sinful delights of the flesh ?" Herein is our love to God manifested, that we keep his command,esents; and none of his commands are grievous ; 1 John v. 3. And as the duties of religion are fulfilled with unusual de- light, so every sin becomes more painful to the heart, when the passions are divinely tinctured. The -very dwelling of sinful principles in the heart, the working of unruly appetites and unholy inclinations, and the first motions of pride, and wanton- ness, and malice, and envy, and love of the world, are all very grievous to a soul whose affections are renewed and sanctified. Every compliance with temptation breaks in upon the sweet serenity and peace of the spirit, and gives it great disquietude. Read the case of the.holy Psalmist and of St. Peter, after their folly. Thus it is in some measure with every sincere and lively Christian ; nor is the spirit . ever at rest after any remarkable sin, till that sin bath been made bitter to the soul, and till the soul has made fresh and warm application to the throne of grace, by humble repentance and faith in-the blood of sprinkling. It is a, known doctrine, both in the Jewishand Christian church, that not only the pleasant,. but the painful and uneasy passions of the heart are consecrated to divine purposes. Sor- row for sin, and deep mourning, teach us powerfully that it is an evil and bitter thiìzg to forsake the.:Lord. our God; and u' this manner one wickedness is appointed tocorrect us, and our back- sliding to reprove us ; Jer. ti. 19'. Bygriefof the soul, and by the sadness of the countenance arising front it, Solomon tells us, theheart is made better ; Ec. vii. 3. When holyDavid began to be sgerpfor., his sin, when he weteredhiscouch with hi; teàra. , äm
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