holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. In our homes, in our tempers, in all integrity and humility and good will, we are to shew forth. the power of true religion. Our hearts must be given to God in holy obedience to His word. We must never suppose we are as perfect in holiness as we might be. Nay, it is hard to imagine we can be holy at all, if we do not seek to become holier. How much more full of love our hearts might be! How much more good might we do! How much brighter might be our example! Oh! my brethren, we must not stand still. We must not slacken our diligence or think of repose. We must not be satisfied with what we are. If we are really saints, we shall long to grow in grace, and study to become more like our Blessed Lord day by day. We have an evil nature to overcome; an ensnaring world to conquer; a subtle enemy to resist; we have evil hearts, careless habits, and adverse influences to get the better of; we must therefore draw nigh unto God, we must feel that our only place of safety is underneath the shadow of His wings. We must expect trials and difficulties as long as we continue here. But if we are really holy we shall not be without hope; if we live the life of saints, we shall share their joy; if we follow them in the way of righteousness, we shall follow them also to their crown of glory.

May then God of His great mercy so vouchsafe to direct sanctify and govern both our hearts and bodies in the ways of His laws and in the works of His commandments, that as a holy people we may live in this world to His glory, and at the last come to His eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord! Amen.

SERMON VIII.

KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOVE OF GOD.

1 St. JOHN iv. 16.

"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us."

care.

WE can conceive of nothing that would more rejoice the heart of any thoughtful and rightminded person, than the assurance that God loves him. The purely selfish might covet nothing more, than that He should pour out His benefits upon them. Their own well-being would be their only So that they were happy, they would be indifferent from whom their happiness was derived. Engrossed with the enjoyment of the gifts, they would think nothing of the goodness of the Giver. And this perhaps may be one reason why there is so much trouble in the world. More of good than is enjoyed might, with man's present feelings, only serve to gratify his selfishness, without in the least bringing back his heart to God. Whereas nothing is done for our permanent good until this restoration has been first effected.

Every right-minded Christian will desire to be at peace with God, not merely because otherwise all hope of security is vain, but also because his soul longeth after God. The fruition of the glorious Godhead is the object of his anxious desire. He delights indeed in the law of God. He finds pleasure in creation. He rejoices in God's gifts. But he looks beyond all secondary blessings, and fixes his heart on nothing less than on God Himself. It is not that he looks to Him only to help him in time of trouble, but it is in Him his soul finds rest when all is peace. The angels would not be holy, if, content with the enjoyment of their happy state, they never thought of God. But we are taught to regard them as delighting in His presence, standing before Him to execute His will, and continually offering Him the joyful tribute of their thanksgiving and praise. And thus it is that our hearts must be raised above what we love and enjoy on earth, in order to rejoice in Him who is in heaven. Nor is it enough that we remember God; besides remembrance there is love, and as the fruits of love-joyful adoration, devout obedience.

But to attain this high and happy state of feeling, it is necessary we should possess the assurance spoken of in the text, "We know and have believed the love which God hath to us;" for the

way in which our hearts are recovered to God is this, "We love Him because He first loved us." It is absolutely necessary to have the assurance of God's love to us, if our religion is to be cheerful as well as devout; if our remembrance of His Name is to be peaceful; our worship of Him, the joy of our life; our obedience to Him a service of love. Without possessing this assurance we may indeed be conscientious, and diligent in the formation of our character, afraid to do evil and anxious to do right. Many a one is endeavouring to walk with God, and is careful about keeping His commandments, who yet advances no further in his religious experience than to be strict and severe in his manner of life. Many a one is vainly anxious to find gladness of heart in the service of God, and the duties of religion, and the privileges of faith, and the gracious promises of scripture. He sees these things spoken of, as if others had hence derived their joy. But in his own case he cannot but feel it to be otherwise. He may have been awakened, by some strong and overpowering conviction of the misery of sin, to a sense of the necessity of making provision for his salvation; he may, from a sincere desire of doing his duty, set himself to keep the commandments of God; he may look serious because he feels in earnest, and grave