break the bones of his leg, and render him lame for life; a random blow may bruise his eye-balls, and deprive him of all the entertainments of vision; he may be stretched for many long years on the bed of languishing; his country may either be ravaged and laid waste by destroying armies, or rains and inundations may sweep away the produce of his fields. But under all such calamities, he bows with submission to the will of Him" who rules in the whirlwind and directs the storm;" not because he has fortified his mind with a stoical apathy and indifference towards the evils of life; not because he is incapable of feeling the evils he is doomed to suffer; for he may feel them in the acutest degree, even while he exercises full resignation; but he is resigned, because he feels assured that they are the appointment of his Almighty Friend-that they are parts of the plan of unerring wisdom-that they are intimately connected with the whole chain of providence that runs through his present existence that they are intended, in the scheme of infinite benevolence, to promote his happiness in a way which his limited faculties are unable at present to comprehend-and that they have a bearing on the scenes and enjoy ments of the eternal world. And therefore, under the pressure of his most painful feelings, he is enabled to adopt the triumphant language of the prophet, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither fruit be in the vine; the labour of the olive fail, and the fields yield no meat; the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stall; yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will be glad in the God of my salvation." While others murmur and rage, and toss themselves like a wild bull in a net, and curse the supposed authors of their calamities, he is enabled to "possess his soul in patience," convinced of the rectitude of the divine dispensations; and thus displays a nobleness of mind, and a heroism which is" above all Greek, above all Roman fame."

Again, Love to God comprehends Gratitude for the benefits he bestows. Gratitude is that particular modification of love which flows out towards God, considered as the Author and Bestower of all felicity: it is love excited by kindness communicated from benevolent motives. It is one of the most natural and obvious manifestations of that general principle which I have been hitherto illustrating; for ingratitude is altogether inconsistent with love to a benefactor. In order to kindle this amiable affection into a lively flame, the person in whose bosom it glows endeavours to take a minute and expansive survey of the "loving-kindness of God," and of the countless variety of benefits he is continually receiving. He feels grateful to God for his existence, for the powers and capacities with which he is endowed, for the rank which he holds in the scale of .errestrial existence; in being raised above the ciods of the valley, and furnished with faculties

superior to the beasts of the forest and the fowis of heaven. He feels grateful that he was brought into existence in a Christian land, and in civilized society; that the "glad tidings of salvation" have reached his ears; that "God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlasting life," and that every enjoyment requisite for his present and future happiness is secured through this plan of divine benevolence. But he does not rest satisfied with vague and general views of these important benefits; he contemplates the degradation into which sin had plunged him, the greatness of the misery from which the love of God has delivered him, the moral perfection of his nature to which he is now training, the serenity of mind he experiences in the practice of the divine precepts, the security he feels for his present and future safety under the protection of Omnipotence, the

strong consolation" under the evils of life which the promises of God lead him to expect, the victory over death of which he is secured "through Christ Jesus his Lord," the resurrection of his body at the close of time, the "new heavens and the new earth" to which he is destined at the dissolution of this sublunary system, the alliance into which he is brought to the angelic tribes and other pure intelligences, his moral capacity for associating with every holy being in the universe, and the endless succession of transporting scences which will burst upon his view through the ages of eternity. While contemplating these high privileges, in all their bearings and varied ramifications, emotions of affection and gratitude arise in his breast which can only be expressed in the language of elevated devotion.

"Bless the Lord, O my soul! and all that is within me bless his holy name. Give thanks to the Lord, and forget not all his benefits; who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mercies.”

Nor does he feel less grateful to God for his kindness as displayed in the material world, and in the ordinary course of his providence. He feels grateful for these scenes of sublimity and beauty with which the visible universe is adorned-for the sun when he ascends the vault of heaven, and diffuses his radiance over the mountains and the vales-for the moon, when she "walks in brightness" through the heavens, and cheers the shades of night-for the planets, while they run their ample rounds, and evince, by their magnitude and motions, the eternal omnipotence of their Maker-for the innumera

ble host of stars, which unite their splendours to adorn the canopy of the sky, and display the riches, and grandeur, and boundless extent of God's universal kingdom-for the light, which darts with unconceivable rapidity from the celestial luminaries, and diffuses a thousand shades of colour on the terrestrial landscape-for the surrounding atmosphere, which supports the element of fire, conveys the clouds over every region, and sustains and invigorates the functions of animal life-for the variety of beautiful and majestic scenery which diversifies our terrestrial system-for the towering cliffs, the lofty mountains, and the expansive vales-for the meandering river, gliding through the fields, and diffusing health and fertility wherever it flows-for the riches which abound in the gardens, the forests, and the fields, and the mineral treasures contained in the bowels of the mountains-for the harmony of musical sounds, the mellifluous notes of the nightingale and the lark, and the melodious warblings which resound from the vales, the mountains, and the groves for the flowers which enamel the meadows, the trees, the shrubs, and the waving grain which adorn the earth with picturesque beauty-for the animated beings which contribute to our comfort, the bee which collects for us honey from every opening flower, the sheep which yields its fleeces for our clothing, and thousands of other creatures which contribute to supply us with food, raiment, furniture, and innumerable enjoyments. In all these, and similar objects, he perceives ample reasons for elevating his soul in lively. gratitude to his bountiful Benefactor.

When he turns his eyes upon himself, and considers the wonderful machinery which gives life and motion to his frame, he perceives the strongest reason for the exercise of incessant admiration and gratitude. He feels grateful for every joint of his fingers, and for every mɩvement of his wrist, by which he is enabled with the utmost ease to perform a countless variety of manual operations essential to his comfortfor the hundreds of bones which support his animal system, with their various articulations, and the hundreds of muscles and tendons which are interwoven with every part of the machine, which enable it to perform without the least obstruction, a thousand varied movements subservient to his health, convenience, and pleasure. He cannot walk through his apartment, nor lift his eyes to the heavens, nor move a joint of his finger, nor draw a single breath, without perceiving an evidence of the wisdom and intelligence of his Almighty Maker. He perceives, that if only one joint were wanting, or one muscle out of action, or one movement out of a thousand interrupted, he would instantly be subjected to a thousand painful sensations which would throw a gloom on every earthly enjoyment. But especially, when he reflects on the wonders

of vision-the thousands of millions of rays that are every moment darting from the objects around him, crossing each other in an infinity of directions, and yet conveying to every eye a distinct perception of their colours, motions, and diversified aspects; when he reflects on the facility with which he can turn his eye in every direction, upwards and downwards, to the right hand and to the left, and in a moment take in the landscape of the earth and the heavens at a small inlet which a grain might close;" when he considers the numerous and complicated movements continually going on within himthe heart, like a powerful engine in perpetual motion, impelling, with prodigious force, streams of blood through a thousand different tubes-the numerous lacteal and lymphatic vessels absorbing nutriment from the food, and conveying it through every part of this wonderful machine when he considers that these incessant motions are, as it were, the immediate hand of the Divinity within him, over which he can exercise no control, and which are all intended to preserve his existence and minister to his enjoyment, he cannot forbear exclaiming, in the language of grateful admiration, "How precious are thy wonderful contrivances concerning me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made !”

He does not overlook such instances of "the loving-kindness of God," because, to some, they may appear minute and trivial. He does not contrast them with what are reckoned spiritual and more important blessings; nor attempt to institute comparisons between the beneficent operations of Omnipotence, in order to throw a certain portion of them into the shade. He considers all the operations of God from the plan. of redemption for guilty men, and the mission of his Son into our world, to the minutest muscle that moves the joint of a finger, or the ray of light that darts from a flower of the field, as parts of one vast system of boundless benevo lence, as essentially connected together as the links of a chain; and, in regard to himself, he views all the variety of blessings now alluded to, as one undivided stream of unbounded beneficence, commencing with the first moment of his existence, running through all the scenes and circumstances of his terrestrial existence, and expanding into the unfathomable ocean of eternity. In the whole series of contrivances and events which relate to his present and future existence, both in what we consider the minutest and the most magnificent works of the Deity, he perceives the stamp of infinite perfection, and a connexion of plan and of operation, which excludes all attempts at comparisons and contrasts. Under such impressions, and with such views of the concatenation of every

part of the scheme of divine benevolence, he is led to contemplate the kindness of God at every step, and in every object, and is ever ready to exclaim, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me?"

In fine, supreme love to God includes in its exercise, a delight in the public and private exercises of his worship, a constant endeavour to yield a willing and unreserved obedience to all the institutions he has appointed, and to all the laws he has issued forth for counteracting the depravity of our natures, and for raising us to a state of moral perfection; an active and enlightened zeal for the honour of his name, and for promoting those institutions which have a tendency to advance his kingdom in the earth; a sincere and disinterested affection to all our fellow-men, and particularly to every class of holy intelligences; a cordial approbation of all his plans and movements in creation and providence; and devout aspirations after that higher state of existence, where the glories of his nature and "the kindness of his love" shall be more clearly unfolded, and where love shall glow in one uninterrupted and perpetual emotion.

Thus, it appears that love to God consists in complacency in his character and administration, and is inseparably connected with admiration of his wonderful works, with humility, resignation, and gratitude.

I cannot conclude my remarks on this topic without adverting, for a little, to the nobleness and sublimity of this first and fundamental spring of all moral action. From what has been already stated, it appears that love to God is the most reasonable and amiable affection that can animate the human mind; for that Being who is the object of it is the sum of all perfection, the standard of all moral and physical excellence, and the source of all the felicity enjoyed by every rank of existence throughout the boundless universe. It is also the most sublime and expansive affection that can pervade the mind of any created intelligence. It excites the most rapturous emotions when we contemplate the harmonies, the beauties, and the sublimities of the universe; for it recognizes them as the displays of boundless wisdom and boundless goodness; as the production of that Almighty Being who stands in the relation of our Father and our Friend; and leads us to conclude, that that power and intelligence which gave birth to all that is grand and beautiful in heaven and on earth, will be for ever exercised in contributing to our eternal enjoyment. Without such a recognition, creation appears only like an immense desert, and is apt to fill the mind with apprehension and terror; for it can feel no pleasurable emotions in contemplating the operations of a Being for whom it entertains no affectionate regard. But, in our solitary walks in the fields and the gardens, amidst the emanations of divine munificence;

in our journeys through the fertile plains: in ow excursions through the Alpine scenes of nature. in our investigations into the structure of the animal and vegetable tribes; and in our contemplations on the wonders of the starry sky-love throws a radiance on all these objects, and excites an interest which cannot be appreciate l by that mind which has never felt the force of this sacred emotion.

It renders us superior to the ills of life, while, under its influence, we bow, in cordial submission, to the divine dispensations, as the result of perfect wisdom, rectitude, and benevolence. It enables us to recognize the hand of a Divine Benefactor in every enjoyment, and the rod of an affectionate Father, in every trial and affliction to which we are subjected. It raises the soul above the carking cares and degrading pursuits of the world, and enables it to look down with heroic indifference on all those trivial incidents and fancied insults which irritate, and inflame, and torment "the children of pride." It preserves the mind in calm serenity amidst the raging of the tempest, the rolling thunders, the whirlwind, and the hurricane, the eruptions of the volcano, and the convulsions of the earthquke; while it recognizes the Ruler of the storm, who presides amidst the crash of warring elements, as its omnipotent Protector and its eternal refuge.* It enables the man in whose bosom it resides, to contemplate with composure the downfall of kings and the revolutions of nations, to anticipate the hour of his dissolution without dismay, and to look forward with fortitude to the ruins of dissolving nature, when "the elements shall melt with fervent heat,' " and the earth, with all its magnificence, shall be wrapt in flames; confident that, under "the shadow of the wings of the Almighty," he shall remain in perfect security, amidst "the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds."

This divine principle assimilates us to angels, and to every other class of holy intelligences. It renders us qualified for associating with these superior intellectual natures-for entering into their vast and comprehensive views-for conversing with them on the sublime topics which occupy their attention-for bearing a part in their extensive schemes of universal benevo

• The celebrated Kircher, in his relation of the dreadful earthquake in Calabria, in 1638, which overthrew the city of Euphemia, of which he was a spectator, expresses his feelings on that occasion in the following words:-"The universal ruin around me, the crash of falling houses, the tottering of towers, and the groans of the dying, all contributed to raise terror and despair. On every side of me, I saw nothing but a scene of ruin and danger threatening wherever I should fly. I commended myself to God, as my last great refuge At that hour, O how vain was every sublunary happiness . wealth, honour, empire, wisdom, all mere useless sounds, and as empty as the bubbles of the deep Just standing on the threshold of eternity, nothing but God was my pleasure; and the nearer I ap proached, I only loved him the more.'

lence and for contributing, along with them, to the order and prosperity of God's everlasting kingdom. It secures to us the friendship and affection of all the virtuous inhabitants of the universe, and renders us fit for affectionate intercourse with them, wherever we may afterwards exist, throughout the boundless expanse of creation. Should we ever be permitted, during the lapse of eternal duration, to wing our flight from world to world, in order to enlarge our views of God's unbounded empire, the exercise of this holy affection would secure to us a friendly reception and an affectionate intercourse among all the pure intelligences within the range of his moral administration: for, as this principle is founded on the nature of God, who is eternal and unchangeable, it must pervade the minds of the inhabitants of all worlds that have retained their primitive integrity. It is this divine affection which excites the rapturous flame that glows in the breasts of the angelic tribes, which enlivens the songs and the adorations of the and the adorations of the cherubim and the seraphim, which inspires them with a noble ardour in executing the commands of their Creator, and which animates them in their flight from the celestial regions to this obscure corner of creation, when they minister to the heirs of salvation. It was this noble principle which impelled the angel Gabriel in his rapid flight through the celestial spaces, when he descended to announce to Daniel the answer to his supplications, and to Zacharias and Mary the birth of the Saviour; which animated the angels who unbarred the prison doors to Peter, and gave assurance to Paul of the divine protection, while he was tossing on the tempestuous billows of the Adriatic sea; and which fanned the flame of devotion in the heavenly host, when they sung, in the plains of Bethlehem, "Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, and good will towards men.

In fine, this sublime affection assimilates us to God, who is benevolence itself, who supremely loves his own character, and who is incessantly displaying his benevolence, in all its infinitely diversified effects, throughout the intelligent universe. It assimilates us to Jesus the Son of the Highest, who is "the brightness of the Father's glory,and the express image of his person," and who is for ever actuated with fervent zeal for the honour of God, and for the happiness of man. It constitutes the foundation of all felicity; it opens the gates to perpetual enjoyment; it secures its possessor of eternal happiness, as its natural and necessary result, and prepares him for mingling in the employments of the "innumerable company of angels and the spirits of just men made perfect:" for all the transporting scenes of glory, and all the avenues to felicity, which will be opened to the immortal spirit, while ages, numerous as the sand, are rolling on,

while mighty worlds are emerging out of nothing, and innumerable orders of beings are starting into existence, may be considered as se many infinitely diversified streams flowing from supreme affection to the blessed God, as the spring of every rapturous enjoyment. Possessed of this divine principle, we secure the most honourable connexions, become benefactors to the intelligent universe, participators of the enjoyments of seraphic natures, agents for carrying forward the plans of Infinite Benevolence, and "workers together with God," in accomplishing his eternal designs. Without it, we become nuisances in the kingdom of God, rebels agains、 his government, pests to fellow intelligences, destitute of the noblest of all affections, deprived of substantial enjoyment in the present world, and exposed to misery, without interruption, in the world to come.

If such be the native effects of supreme love to God, and if this principle lie at the foundation of all genuine morality, how foolish and preposterous is it for Christian moralists to wander through the dark labyrinths of Greek and Romar literature, and the intricate mazes of modern skeptical philosophy, in search of any other principles of moral action? It is like groping for the light of the sun in the windings of a subterraneous grotto, and preferring the glimmering of a tape· to the full blaze of the orb of day. It is, to forsake "the fountain of living waters, and to hew out to themselves broken and empty cisterns, that can hold no water.

In order to invigorate and expand this affection in the mind, it is requisite that we take a comprehensive view of all the manifestations of that Being towards whom it is directed, as exhibited in the history of his operations recorded in the volume of inspiration; in the details of his moral government among the nations, both in ancient and in modern times, which may be collected from the writings of historians, voyagers, travellers, and missionaries; in the economy of the inferior tribes of animated beings; in the diversified scenery of nature around us in our terrestrial system; and in the sublime movements that are going forward, among distant worlds, in the firmament of his power; for, the more we know of the manifestations of the Creator, the more acquaintance shall we have of the Creator himself; and, in proportion as our knowledge of his character is enlarged, in a similar proportion will our love be ardent and expansive. Such extensive views and contemplations are indispensably requisite, in order to a full recognition of the divine injunction “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, and with all thine understanding." This is the first and the great commandment.