glory," poised against his light and momentary trials, and against "the spoiling of his goods," enables him to take joyfully every trial that meets him. By and by, all the sorrows of time will be sunk in an ocean of delights," as a drop of vinegar is lost in a sea of honey."

The hope of the prosperous soul stirs him up in every duty, and renders him diligent in the great business of his salvation, avoiding those dangerous extremes, presumption and despair. Gently he glides along, while hope is in exercise, till wafted, at last, into the haven of immortal repose. Even death itself with all its frightful powers, cannot stare him out of countenance; nor needs he to dread the awful judgment; for though, like Josiah, he should die in battle, yet he lies down in his grave in peace.

LOVE TO GOD.

The prosperous soul has the love of God shed abroad through every power and faculty of his mind. He loves God because God first loved him. He fixes on Jehovah by faith, in and through the Mediator, as the sum and centre of all that is excellent, and lovely. It was God that first pitied man in his low estate, and sent his Son "to be a witness for the people, a leader and commander for the people,” and to bleed and die for sinners. It is God also that applies divine truths to our minds, and sheds abroad his love in our hearts, or we should still remain his inveterate enemies. "For the carnal mind is enmity against God, and is not subject to the law of Gody Love to God is commanded by

nor indeed can be,"

the law, and secured by the gospel; nor can the

gospel be experimentally known and embraced, without our being at the same time more or less sensible, that we love that God "who loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." Love to God is a divine principle implanted in the soul by the Holy Spirit. This, when its operations are felt, brings the soul to desire God and to delight in Him as the chief good. Some, indeed, have treated love to God in so refined a way, and carried it to such heights of seraphic ecstasy and rapture, as to confound the minds of ordinary christians, who are not able to follow and understand them. On the other hand, some have debased it, till it has worn a resemblance to earthly passions, rather than to the purity of celestial affection. But what is still worse, the love of God has sometimes been made the scourge of men, as if to persecute our fellow creatures were the best proof of love to God, and the only way to please him. Let it be well observed that love to God is solid and rational, scriptural and pure; and not extravagant or enthusiastic. It manifests itself by exciting a desire to be like God, to seek his glory as our chief end in all we do and say, and to desire communion with him. It teaches us to hate and avoid what is displeasing to God, or stands in opposition to his will.

The soul that prospers, then, must know something of this love; and can say, "I know whom I have believed." My fellowship " is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." "Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee." True indeed, a soul may be in a safe state, and on the whole may prosper, and still may be very timid and doubt

ful as to an interest in the love of God, and the blood of the Lamb. The existence of doubts does not prove that we are not the children of God; for even when we love him fervently, we shall be jealous of our own hearts, and reprove ourselves because we love him no more. God is love, and we must give him love for love, or we give him nothing. If we think of giving God any thing but love, (any thing not flowing from faith, and love, and fervent affection,) it cannot be accepted by him. Prayer may be scriptural in its language, the manner devout, and the voice loud; but if there be no love to God in the exercise, it will be disdained and rejected. The christian believer comes up to the spirit of the law, in his holy affections, though he must always fall far short in actual obedience, in the present world. The law says, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength." This the christian desires, and it is his sorrow that he loves so very imperfectly. This shows that he does love God sincerely, and would gladly love him more. God gives himself to his people, and has a right to demand their hearts, and their supreme regard and attachment in return.

Hope is strengthened by love, and has a secret and powerful influence upon it. It casts out slavish fear; and, as he that plucks up the weeds in the corn-field, benefits the crop, so love clears the heart, and by removing fear, strengthens and invigorates our hopes. If we feel that God loves us, that very feeling inflames our hearts with love to him. There is a great beauty in Paul's words, (2 Thess. iii. 5.)

"The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into a patient waiting for Christ." The more we love him, the more we shall wait for him. O that we may, by divine grace, be enabled to "keep ourselves in the love of God;" constantly cherishing that holy principle, "looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus unto eternal life."

Love to God, in the prosperous soul, often rises into real delight. To delight in God is a sweet frame of heart by which the humble believer finds his afflictions to be lightened, his comforts sweetened, and his sins rendered more odious and hateful. It draws his soul along in the several duties of religion, and renders those duties doubly sweet and refreshing to the mind. Love to, and delight in, God, are "the marrow of all the sacrifices which he offers;" and are that commandment, in keeping of which "he finds a great reward." Where love to God predo minates, it fills the soul with holy thoughts of him, whether we be at home or abroad. The pious be➡ liever" remembers God on his bed, and meditates upon him in the night watches;" while with holy confidence he reposes under the shadow of his wing. O how sweet is it to retire and converse with God, and to leave all the vanities of this world behind! May these thoughts rise as naturally in my heart, as the blossoms and the fruit spring from the fruitbearing tree, as spontaneously as the fountain sendeth forth her waters! May religious duties be my ele ment; and may I "rejoice when they say unto me, Let us go up to the house of the Lord;" not that I may "meet" with human applause, but "with him

whom my soul loveth." May I welcome all the delights and joys that are connected with a living union to my precious Redeemer.

Hail, ye everlasting joys of eternity! I long to taste your sweetness.

"Make haste my days to reach the goal,

And bring my heart to rest

On the dear centre of my soul,

My God, my Saviour's breast."

These are the joys that cannot be destroyed by sickness, or nipped by the winter's blast. These joys shall live when all things else decay, when "mortality shall be swallowed up in life;" and shall pass into eternity, and be co-existent with it.

Think, O my soul! Dost thou love the Lord Jesus Christ? Altogether lovely in himself, is he lovely to me? Do I embrace him in all his offices and characters? Do I glory in his cross, and count all things but dross, and dust, and vanity, in comparison with him? Lord, I desire to love thee,—

"Yet it is my chief complaint,

That my love is weak and faint."

Thou that art altogether lovely, engage my roving affections, and give me such love to thee, as the waters of affliction cannot quench, nor the floods of distress and sorrow ever be able to drown. Fan the languid spark to a brighter flame, and fit me for that world, where "faith and hope are known no more but saints for ever love."