SERM.can be, or as the frailty of our nature in VIII. this ftate will allow. It is faid in the verse

immediately preceding the text, he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, for God is love; that's the greatest intimacy of fellowship we can have with the fupreme being, and the nearest resemblance to his glorious character. I took notice before, from the words of our Saviour, that to be merciful is to be perfect, as our heavenly father is; or to make the nearest approach that finite frail beings can make to the original fountain and pattern of all moral excellence. But because the divine perfection is too high for us thoroughly to comprehend, though we should always be followers of him, as dear children, it has pleafed God to bring virtue nearer to the level of our capacity in the exemplary life of our Lord Jefus Christ, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and feparate from finners, and who in the days of his flesh went continually about doing good. Since, then, we profefs to abide in him, let us walk as he did. I fuppofe it will not be thought any violence to the text, to comprehend in its meaning, that we have boldness in the judgment or confidence towards Jefus Chrift himself the judge, because the like mind is

in

in us which was alfo in him, and we imi- SER M. tate his example of holiness and charity. VIII. Now furely it will be acknowledged a just' ground of hope towards God, that we are like him, are made partakers of a divine nature, and conformed to the image of his fon. It will appear at first view the high dignity of our nature, that it is capable of resembling its author, and the greatest glory we can poffefs, to imitate his purity and goodness without any finful defect. This is what our hopes ultimately terminate upon, as the very effence of that glory which shall be revealed in us, Now, indeed, we come far fhort of it; and it does not appear what we fhall be, but when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall fee him as he is. Our hopes therefore must be more lively and strong, or we must have the greater boldnefs the liker we are to him now, or the more we are in this world as he is.

*

In the last place, the apostle farther illuftrates the great advantage of perfection in love, by its cafting out tormenting and difquieting fear. There is indeed a religious principle commonly in fcripture called the fear of God, which is not here intended,

SERM, and the defcription of the text does not VIII. at all belong to it; it is a dutiful affection to 'the deity, that reverence and honour we have, and ought to have for him as our gracious heavenly father, whereby we are inclined to keep all his commandments, and with the utmost caution to avoid offending him; far from being caft out by perfect love, as inconfiftent with it, it is infeparable from it. The very object of it is the divine goodness, as the prophet * Hofea speaks, they fhall fear the Lord and his goodness, and it hath no torment, but diffuses ferenity and joy thro' the foul. But the fear here spoken of, and which love cafts out, is the fervile dread of punishment, the diftracting terror of divine vengeance, that fearfulness which, as the prophet Ifaiah fays, Jurprizes the hypocrites, and wherewith unreformed finners are afraid; the language of which is, who can dwell with devouring flames and everlafting burnings? And tho' even this confideration is set before impenitent finners very reasonably, if poffible, to alarm them and bring them to ferious thoughtfulness about their condition, yet is it not a principle of itself fufficient to produce religious virtue

*Hofea iii. 5:

virtue; and when the more ingenuous affec- SER M. tion of love thoroughly poffeffes the heart, VIII. it is caft out; not all at once, but by degrees. These principles, directly oppofite, may, low and imperfect measures of them, meet in the fame mind; but ftill as the one increaseth, the other will abate. He that feareth may have some small beginnings, and weak degrees of love, but when love becomes perfect, that fear is cast out.

I fhall now conclude this difcourfe with the following reflections.

First, by what has been faid, we are led to confider the genius, and admire the excellence of the chriftian religion. What can recommend any institution more than that it has provided a fufficient confolation against the fear of death and judgment? Death would not be so terrible as it generally is to mankind, if it were not for the judgment which is expected to follow; but 'tis this which holds them in bondage, from a fecret consciousness of guilt, and therefore dread of the divine difpleasure. But, now the gospel has brought us comfortable tidings concerning those most important points; death is abolished, and it has brought life

SERM. and immorality to clear light; it affures us Vill. indeed of judgment to come, but teaches

us to meet it with boldness; not only in general there is a glorious foundation laid for our hope, God is propitious to finners, and his favour may be obtain'd upon the gracious and practicable conditions of fincere repentance and the amendment of our ways; but we know how to apply this comfort to our own minds, and thereby fortify them against the terror which is otherwife natural to them. What can be more rational than the doctrine of christianity, particularly, of my text upon this head? Surely it is not the worse, but fo much the more excellent for approving itself to our reafon. What man, attending deliberately to the principles of natural religion, could place his hope towards God on any other bottom than the perfection of love to the fupreme being himself, to goodnefs, and to mankind? Or can we have a furer claim to acceptance with God than a consciousness of our conformity to his glorious moral character, and our being in the world, as he is.

Secondly, let us therefore, give all diligence to make our calling and election fure,

to