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ensnaring and hurtful. A true believer is, for the most part, rather shocked than seduced by temptations to gross evils: his heart recoils at the proposal. He thinks, with Joseph, "How can I do this wick"edness, and sin against God?" Perimus in licitisHis chief danger lies in the abuse of lawful things. The relation we stand in to God, as his intelligent creatures, from whom we derive all that we have or are, and on whom we depend for every breath we draw, makes it our indispensable duty to love him with all our heart, and mind, and soul, and strength. And as we have broken this law of our creation, he has in mercy been pleased to claim us for his own by a new and more endearing title. He has redeemed us to himself by his blood. He has bought us with a price, and paid his life as a ransom for our souls. When a sinner is enabled to feel the force of this argument, he needs no more: the love of Christ constrains him. From that moment he is made willing to devote himself, and his all, to him who died for him. But the flesh striveth against the Spirit: he is still a poor creature. He cannot do the things that he would, nor as he would: otherwise every thought of his heart should be in absolute subjection to his Lord and Saviour.

The Lord, who knows our frame, and whereof we are made, is unspeakably merciful to our infirmities, but he will not admit a rival. The believer knows and acknowledges, that whatever he possesses, which is not held and improved in subordination and subserviency to the will and glory of him from whom he received it, is so far an idol; and the consciousness of his proneness to afford these intruders an undue share in his affections, often makes him confess to the Lord with Job, "Behold, I am vile," though his outward conduct in the sight of men may be unblameable and exemplary.

Yet perhaps some persons may be overburdened with this apprehension. The Gospel is not designed to make us stoics: it allows full room for those social feelings which are so necessary and beneficial in our present state, though it teaches and enjoins their due regulations. It is the duty, no less than the privilege of husbands, to love their wives, even as their ownselves, yea, even as Christ loved the Church, who gave himself for it. These expressions are very strong; they imply great love, tenderness, and sympathy. When the Lord said to Abraham, "Take now thy son, thine only son, "Isaac, whom thou lovest," he did not reprove him for loving his child; and Abraham's prompt obedience, when commanded to offer up his beloved son, was a proof that though his love to Isaac was strong, it was not inordinate. And the apostle declares, " that if any man provide not for those of "his own house (his kindred, his more distant re"latives by blood or affinity), he hath denied the "faith, and is worse than an infidel." He is to provide for them, if in his power, in preference to others, which plainly intimates that they are preferably entitled to his love. Friendship, likewise, between those who are joint partakers of grace, is very consistent with true religion. Such was the friendship between David and Jonathan. And though our Lord loved all his disciples, one of them is honoured with a peculiar distinction, as the disciple whom Jesus loved.

God formed us originally for himself, and endued the human mind with a capacity which he alone can fill. But when he dwells in the heart, there is still room for innumerable objects of complacence, in their proper subordinate order. When a woman marries, she may continue to love her own parents and relatives as formerly, she may extend her affection and regard to the parents and friends of her husband: in a course of years the number of those whom she loves and values may be greatly increased, without interfering with each other, or with what she owes to her husband; but there is a different and special regard due to him, which if she should transfer to another person, she would be criminal. Thus we may love, and we ought to love, our husbands, wives, children, parents, and friends; and if we consider them as the Lord's gifts if we seek his blessing in them and upon them if we hold them at his disposal if we employ all our influence with them to engage them to seek and love him supremely if, when they are removed from us, we are disposed to yield a cheerful submission to his holy will-and if, when things are brought into competition, we rather choose to venture displeasing our dearest friends, than to sin against the Lordwith these restrictions we cannot easily love them too much.

But who can come up to this standard? I suppose no person can completely. But we may aim at it; we may lament our deficiency; we may pray for more grace; and by grace we may approximate more and more to it. It is not necessary to distress ourselves with what may happen; as, how should I behave, if the Lord were to take the desire of my eyes from me suddenly? We are to live to-day, and to leave to-morrow with him. If we presume that we could support such a stroke, we should probably find it too heavy for us. But this we may say, The Lord is all-sufficient, and he is faithful. He has promised strength according to the day. He permits me to call upon him in the time of trouble: and I trust, when the time of trouble shall come, he will enable me to pray for that help from him, without which I know I must sink; for in myself I am weak

er than a bruised reed. In the mean time I endeavor to cast all my care upon him who careth for me.

For the rest, we are in the Lord's school-the school of the cross. His daily providential dispensations are suited to wean our attachment from every thing here, and to convince us that this cannot be our rest-it is polluted. Our roses grow on thorns, our honey wears a sting. Frequently our sharpest trials spring from our choicest comforts. Perhaps, while we are admiring our gourd, a worm is secretly preying upon its root. As every bitter thing is sweetened to a believer, so there is some bitter thing mingled with the sweet. This is wisely and mercifully ordered. It is necessary. And if things were not so bad with us, as in the language of sense they sometimes are, they would probably be soon much worse. With such hearts as we have, and in such a world as we live in, much discipline is needful to keep us from sleeping upon the enchanted ground. But the time is short. It will not be thus always. We hope soon to be out of the reach of sin and temptation. Happy hour, when sorrow and mourning, hitherto our inseparable companions, shall flee away, to return no more! when joy and gladness shall come forth to meet us, and conduct us home! Then those who have loved each other in the Lord upon earth, shall rejoice together before him, shall drink of the rivers of pleasure that are at his right hand, and their happiness shall be unspeakable, uninterrupted, without abatement, and without end.

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