Imatges de pàgina
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because such was not their general character. When it is said, "There is—no condemnation to them-who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit-if ye live after the flesh ye shall die," reference must be had to general character, or we may well exclaim, "Who then can be saved ?" By analogy, then, the declaration that "no-covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ," must import that no Christian is covetous or idolatrous in his general character. That is, no Christian habitually loves "the creature more than the Creator."+

All then who are not enemies to God, and of course utterly destitute of holiness, are habitu

*Rom. viii. 1, 13.

To this conclusion the author has conceived himself driven by the Word of God. Any question connected with the subject which is not decided by that arbiter he dares not touch: for instance, whether the term love, as it is used in the Bible, includes both the dispositions and the exercise,-how much of the time the Christian exercises direct love to God,-how far his exercises, when God is not the immediate object of attention, may still be regarded as love to Him. Other affections may hourly rise in the Christian's heart, other passions may occasionally take possession of his mind, other objects may frequently engross his attention; his views may often be obscure when his attention is direeted to God; through the insensible influence of selfish passions he may neglect to rouse himself to discern the will of God, and by that means may omit many selfdenying duties which a realizing sense of divine authority would have enforced; by the same means his attention may be drawn away from the interests of others, and leave his mind to sleep over a perishing world. But in almost all these seasons, let God present Himself before him, and fix the attention upon Himself, and there is found a temper to prefer Him and His interest to all other objects; there is found a heart that in the trying hour would die for the name of Jesus.

ally governed by supreme love to Him. Or to reverse the proposition, all who are not habitually governed by supreme love to God are His enemies, and utterly destitute of holiness.

II. With this standard let us now compare the world.

If all are destitute of holiness who do not love God supremely, who are not habitually governed by this affection, will any affirm that the mass of mankind possess a holy principle? Instead of supreme, habitual love, I shall show that they do not love God at all, but are His enemies.

(1.) The mass of mankind do not love God at all. I have already shown that they who love God in the least degree are heirs of all the promises, and will inherit eternal glory; of course all who are not entitled to heaven are utterly destitute of that affection. In the last Lecture I cited texts to prove that natural men do not desire God, do not seek God, do not fear God, do not know God, and have no desires after Christ. I am now to present you with several classes of men who are expressly said not to love God. They who hate any of their fellow-men do not love God: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" This reasoning proves that without universal love to man there is no love to God; for if a single individual is excluded from our good will, the reasoning lies full against us. Again, they who with

hold alms do not love God:

"Whoso hath this

brother have need,

world's goods, and seeth his and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ?" Again, they who reject the Gospel do not love God. It was on this account that our Saviour said to the Jews, "I know you that ye have not the love of God in you." "If God were your Father ye would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but He sent me." Again, they who disobey God do not love Him: "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.-If a man love me he will keep my words.-He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.-Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you." Again, none of the wicked whom God will destroy have any love for him: "The Lord preserveth all them that love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy."*

All, then, who either hate any of their fellow men, (in other words, lack universal love to mankind,) or withhold alms from the needy, or reject the Gospel, or habitually disobey the divine commands, or are of the class that will finally perish, or are not at present heirs of salvation, are utterly destitute of love to God. And pray will not these classes include every natural man on earth?

That natural men possess no love to God is further evident from this, that the love of God is

* Ps. cxlv. 20. John v. 42. and viii. 42. and xiv. 21, 23, 24. and xv. 14. 1 John iii. 17. and iv. 20.

"the fruit of the Spirit:" "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."* It is evident also from the consideration that the unregenerate do not love the image of God in His children. "We know that

we have passed from death unto life because we "Every one that loveth [the

love the brethren."
brethren,] is born of God, and knoweth God."+

(2.) All natural men are the enemies of God. I have already shown that there are no neutrals, that they who are not for God are against Him. This joined with the last particular, makes out full proof that the whole body of natural men are His enemies. Again, it has been proved that all who serve mammon, who are friends of the world, who love another object supremely, are the enemies of God. And can it be doubted that these descriptions are applicable to all natural men? But I have further evidence to offer.

Let us in the first place dispose of the heathen world. This great portion of the human race are expressly set down by the apostle, in the first chapter of Romans, as "haters of God." Nor did they obtain this character by being heathen, but they became idolators because "they did not like to retain God in their knowledge." In the second place let us settle the question as it respects the Jewish world. Of this second great division of mankind our Saviour says, "They have both seen and hated both

* Rom. v. 5.

1 John iii. 14. and iv. 7.

me and my Father." We now come to the question as it relates to the whole world. And what says our Saviour to this? "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.-He that hateth me hateth my Father also." On no other principle can you account for the rancorous opposition which the world have made to the Gospel and disciples of Christ. "Marvel not—if the

world hate you.' "If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of His household.-Think not that I am come to send peace on earth; I came not to send peace but a sword. For I am come to`set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother;—and a man's foes shall be they of his own household." "And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake."

If you still doubt who are meant by the world, you will see in a moment that all are included who do not sincerely love God. In one of the ten commandments, intended for all ages and nations, the whole human race are divided into two classes, those who love God, and those who hate Him: "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me." Indeed the apostle has put

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