Page images
PDF
EPUB

eir esteem for their virtuous members.

The more

e child is strengthened in his moral principles, the ore he will love the parent in whose conduct those inciples are displayed.

From these premises, it plainly follows, that preisely in proportion to the Christian's improvement in oliness, will be the increase of his love to a holy God and Saviour. Let the work of sanctification go orward in our souls, and what will be the blessed conequence? Our sense of the glory and excellence of he divine character will be refined and exalted; our hatred for sin, and our reverence for righteousness, will become determined; and the love which leads us to imitate the Saviour, will grow stronger and stronger as the process of assimilation advances. The more we resemble him and partake of his mind and character, the warmer will be our regard for him, and the closer that bond of union, in which we can say, with the church of old, "my beloved is mine, and I am his."9 And in being thus brought nearer to the Son, we are brought nearer to the Father also. Every element of discord and separation between God and his children, is gradually removed; and as sin disappears, love triumphs over all.

It is therefore through the gradual conformation of the character to the moral attributes of the Deity,

[ocr errors][ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors][merged small]

Jasured and perfected. But myy be rearied as the main De invments or a better world, tin that i actual resemblance Dems in itself indispensable Never can we take

[ocr errors]

termai nitentance which Christ

va as biocd, unless we be

keness of Jehovah, in which our vere resi Without holiness "no

There shall in no wise

that lefileth, neither whatso

ver wraca Junina or maketh a lie, but they will tre written a me Lamb's book of life.”2 Mange an te what heart conceive the > reservei n heaven for those who have

2. vers of gres, been assimilated to Jesus

3coved, how are ve the sons of God, und flow res nt wrear what we shall be; but we know that when he sail appear, we shall be like him, for we still see him is le s" If even in this! word, we have been aut to love God because of hhis morai perticcions, md four love for him has ever been wound to increase, as we ourselves have been enabled to advance in holiness, what will be the measure of our love what, therefore, the fulness of

1 Heb. xi, 1t.

2 Rev. xxi, 27.

3 1 Juhn, 2.

our happiness—when the moral beauty of the Deity shall be revealed to us in all its radiance, while our own capacity for appreciating it is unutterably enlarged! For ever likened to their Saviour, the risen and glorified children of the Lord will experience, in heaven, the perfect blending of love and holiness; and both these will be for ever associated with unclouded joy.

0

SECTION IX.

O LOTI TOWARDS MAN.

[ocr errors]

ziezas many proofs that men, being

IW & give good gifts” unto their ed a family provides food

I be ones. br the labour of his 411 4- constrained to do so by the gentle yet

Ius di natura affection. The mother * TL arastres can over the couch of her sick My feelings of a most tender

stock is sufferings, even at the cost of mas eu memfar.. Brothers and sisters, reELAN IN HOA paretualy seen enjoying each ALLEN AFTER an assisting one another by a thouIng sa ames. In some of these in- | n that of the watchful mother,

he naved or the account of natural

INING, KI We can dry, that benevolence has is stay a niane i marasing these effects; and this quit becomes sl mare conspicuous when mon are found the willing, as they very generally ara te relieve the distresses of their fellow-men, with

whom they have little or no connexion, but that of a common nature. A heathen could say, Homo sum, et nihil humani a me alienum puto.- "I am a man; and I consider nothing belonging to my fellowmen, foreign to my care."

It is impossible to deny the existence of these kindly dispositions in man; and it would be ungrateful to our gracious Creator, to underrate their value. Yet I conceive, that were they analysed under the light of truth, they would be found to yield but little credit to corrupt human nature. No small proportion of selfishness might, after all, be discovered in their basis; and whatsoever was found in the combination of a lovelier character, might, perhaps, be traced to the secret working of an influence from above. In the meantime, it is affecting to observe, how soon, under the sway of prejudice, ambition, and covetousness, these amiable tendencies are exchanged, even for desperate cruelty. What became of natural affection during the persecutions of the early Christians, when brother delivered up his brother, and father his child, to the most barbarous deaths? Where was the benevolence of our species, when whole nations were wasted, and rivers of blood shed, by the sword of Zengis Khan, or of Napoleon? Of what force

is that benevolence in comparison with filthy lucre, among the wretches who tear the unoffending Africans from their homes-press them in multitudes.

« PreviousContinue »