can eftablish a righteoufnefs of their own to recommend them to God; they are not thoroughly touched with an apprehenfion of the * value of a Saviour; but either imagine themfelves whole, and to have no need of a phyfician, or that they can be their own physician.: or that they can find out some other expedient for relief, befides that propofed to finners in the Gofpel. But a true Chriftian fees, that in himself he is a neceffitous miferable creature; that nothing can restore him to happinefs, fhort of God as his portion; and that he has no other way of coming at God, but by Chrift. He efteems Chrift therefore the moft neceffary means to his chief good, the only fuitable phyfician to his dying foul; and upon that account values him as his all in all.

In him he has righteoufnefs and ftrength." However others make a fhift to pafs eafy hours without a pardon, he cannot for he knows, that all his guilt must remain upon him, unless he has an intereft in Chrift's propitiation. He wants many bleffings at the hand of God, but he has no merit of his own to plead for obtaining them; and therefore he prizes Chrift, in whofe name God has promifed to hear all his proper requefts. He is fenfible, that he needs conftant fupplies of grace for the various parts of the chriftian life; and believes, "that it hath pleased the Father that in Chrift all fulness should dwell," as in a trea-, fury, from which his children are to receive all their fupplies. He perceives himself to be frail, and ftill liable to break the peace by new offences, and therefore prizes Chrift as

He is

This conftant advocate with the Father. looking for his principal happiness in a world to come and Chrift's entrance thither is the main fecurity for it: he has that eternal right to give, and from him he waits to receive the inheritance. Upon fuch accounts as thefe, he loves and efteems the Redeemer, as worth infinitely more to him than all the world; as the perfon by whom alone he comes to God, through whom God is favourable to him, and by whom his final expectations are to be accomplished.

Secondly, I proceed to offer fome foripture-characters of a true Chriftian's love to Chrift upon fuch grounds as thefe.

In the general, they may all be summed up in this, that it is fincere and unfeigned. "Grace be with all them that love the Lord Jefus Chrift in fincerity," Eph. vi. 24. Which, on the one hand, diftinguifhes it from abfo lute perfection; no Chriftian in this world loves Chrift in the degree that he ought to do, or that he would do, or that the faints in glory arrive at but on the other hand, every acceptable Chriftian loves him truly, i. e.

It is the temper of his foul, and not a mere outward appearance. We read of fome Ezek. xxxiii. 31. who "with their mouth fhewed much love, but their heart went after their covetoufnefs." So it may be with reference to the Lord Jefus. Men may fpeak honourably of him, his perfon, his offices, his laws; and fo they ought to do: but yet all this may be without any fincere affection to him; his enemies may ftill be on the throne in the heart. VOL. I T

A true

pro

A true Chriftian fatisfies not himself with feffions of respect, without correspondent affections of foul.

He loves Chrift in his whole character. If Christ could be divided, ungodly men might entertain fome liking of him : If they could be excufed from wrath to come by virtue of his fufferings without forfaking their fins, they might be content fo far to be beholden to him; but they have a fixed enmity to the main defign of his coming, to fave them from their fins. Now here is an effential difference in the character of a real Chriftian from that of others; Chrift entirely is amiable and acceptable to fuch a man. He values Chrift as his teacher and lawgiver; and not only the atonement for his fins, and his advocate with the Father. He efteems "his yoke eafy," as well as his "promises precious;" and fees a glory in his pattern, as well as his propitiation. He loves him, because a conqueft over the body of death is begun, and fhall be completed through Jefus Chrift, as well as because he will deliver him from the wrath to come.

He loves Chrift more than any thing elfe. Great ftrefs is laid upon this in Scripture. "He that loveth," faith Chrift, "father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth fon or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me," Matt. x. 37. And therefore, when Chrift would fet Peter upon the examination of his fincere affection to his Lord, he expreffes the queftion thus, John xxi. 15. "Loveft thou me more than thefe ?" either than these thy friends and companions,

or

or these thy nets, (for he was then fishing) î. e. thy fecular gains and advantages?

And, laftly, genuine love to Chrift is productive of proper fruit. As faith produces love, fo it works by love," Gal. v. 6. Thence we read of "the work of faith, and labour of love," 1 Theff. i. 3. A Chriftian expreffes his high esteem and fincere affection, in the natural effects of fuch a temper of mind. And this leads me to the third general head I propofed, viz.

Thirdly, To fhew the ways in which a Chrif tian is to exprefs his affection to Chrift.

"

Now the circumftance obferved in the text, of the present ftate of our cafe, that now we see him not," naturally leads us to fuch expreffions of affection as are fuitable to that ftate, wherein we know him not after the flesh. Those who lived in the time of his abode upon earth, had opportunities to 'fhew their love to him in fome ways of perfonal refpect and outward civilities, wherein we can bear no part with them: but indeed fuch marks of affection were not of fo great account with Chrift then, as many of those, wherein we in this ftate of feparation may evidence our love to him, as well as his difciples at that time could do. Some principal inftances of that kind I would now mention. Our love to an unfeen Saviour fhould exprefs itself,

1. In frequent thoughts of him. Our thoughts will often prefent a dear friend to our remembrance, when he is absent in body. So they should frequently bring to our minds. our peculiar friend, the Lord Jefus ; and fo

they

they will, if we truly value him as our be friend. If our "delight be in the law of God," we fhall "meditate therein day and night," Pfal. i. 2. And fo the Son of God will be a chofen, pleafing theme of frequent meditation, if he is really the object of our affection. We fhall often think with enlarged hearts what he is, what he has done for us, what his present ftate is.. We shall desire to "know nothing so much as him,” 1 Cor. ii. 2. to "grow in the knowledge of him," 2 Pet. iii. 18. as a fubject of which we can never. have too much..

2. In a careful obfervance of what he has left us in charge. Love will make a friend's. defires as binding as commands; and we shall not forget, when he is out of fight, any inti mations he has given of his mind. Indeed, this is the principal way. wherein Chrift ex-. pects his difciples to teftify their love to him:: fo he fignified to thofe who attended him on: earth; "If ye love me, keep my command-. ments," John xiv. 15; "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatfoever I command you," John, XV. 14. The Gofpel comprehends the chargehe has left behind him; and the laft words. we find of his, when he was leaving the world, contain a general admonition to obferve his inftructions. His parting charge to his apoftles was, that they, fhould "teach men to obferve all, things, whatsoever he had command-. ed them," Matth. xxviii. 20. Love to him will enforce all this, will sweeten his yoke, and write his laws in our hearts with an indelible character,