foundation of the world." He was a voluntary, but not self-appointed victim. He was "set forth,"-fore-appointed "a propitiation in his blood." When "Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together against God's holy child Jesus, they but did what his hand and counsel had before determined to be done." He was "set up from everlasting." And shall we, by disregarding or counteracting the design of Christ's death as a sacrifice for sin, to secure holiness, show that we lightly esteem what has employed the thoughts of the uncreated mind from all eternity?

The third circumstance noticed by the apostle is, that this sacrifice has been actually offered. This wondrous scheme is not now mere plan. The spotless, inestimable price has been paid; the amazing expiation has been made; the Lamb of God has been manifested in these last times, bearing, and bearing away, the sins of the world. And shall all this have been done in vain, so far as we are concerned? for it is done in vain if we continue still in our sins.

The fourth and last circumstance noticed by the apostle, respecting the death of Christ as a sacrifice for sin, designed for securing holiness to man, calculated to increase its efficacy as a motive to avoid sin and perform duty, is the abundant evidence that it has answered the purpose for which it was intended. The sacrifice has been offered, and it has not been offered in vain. Had not the death of Christ served its purpose, it could not have been followed by his resurrection. If he had not risen again, then would we have had reason to conclude, "we are yet in our sins," guilt is unexpiated, and the fetters of depravity are unbroken. But we have abundant ground for concluding that "Messiah cut off, but not for himself," has "finished transgression, made an end of sin." If he died "for our offences," he has been "raised again for our justification." "God has raised him from the dead, and given him glory." "It is finished," said the dying Saviour on the cross; and from the throne of his glory, when he broke the bands of death, the Father responded, It is finished. In the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, we have a sure foundation laid for our "faith and hope in God," as "the God of peace," the pacified divinity, "who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant." In this we have a proof that he is well pleased with Christ, well pleased with sinners in Christ, and disposed, as "the God of peace, to sanctify them wholly, and preserve their whole spirit, soul and body, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."5 And shall we, notwithstanding these proofs of God's approbation of the sacrifice of his Son-shall we, by not improving it for the purpose of our own sanctification, treat this "blood of the covenant, by which alone men can be sanctified, as if it were a common thing," destitute of all power to "purge the conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?"

6

Rom. iii. 25. Пpolcro. There is no doubt of the fact; but it may be doubted whether poébero refers to appointment or to exhibition.

2 Acts iv. 27, 28. Prov. viii. 23.

• Heb. xiii. 20.

Dan. ix. Rom. iv. 25.

1 Thess. v. 23.

Heb. x. 29. 'Ev & hyιáron. Heb. ix. 14.

Such, then, is the Christian's duty, such are the means of performing it, and such are the motives to its performance.

The whole of this discourse has been practical, and stands little in need of what is ordinarily termed application or improvement. May the Holy Spirit give efficacy to the word of his grace, and may we all learn habitually, through the truth by the Spirit, to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God;" "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, living soberly, righteously, and godly, in this world; and looking for that blessed hope, the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works!" 1

1 2 Cor. vii. 1. Titus ii. 12-14.

DISCOURSE V1.

CHRISTIAN BROTHERLY LOVE, ILLUSTRATED AND

RECOMMENDED.

1 PET. i. 22-25.-Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

THE sentence now read as the theme of discourse, though long and somewhat complicated, will be found, when carefully examined, to be entirely occupied with one subject, the great Christian duty of brotherly love. That duty is at once explicitly enjoined, and powerfully recommended. The injunction is contained in these words, "See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." The motives by which compliance with this injunction is enforced, are brought forward in the clauses which precede and follow this injunction: "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren," and "being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.'

The duty enjoined, then, and the motives which urge to its performance, are the two great topics to which our attention must be successively directed in the illustration of this passage. The duty is brought before our minds in its nature,-mutual love, "love one another, the love of the brethren ;" and in two of its distinctive characters, love "with a pure heart," " fervent love." The motives to the cultivation and expression of this christian affection are two, which we shall find it convenient to consider in an order the reverse of that in which they are stated in the text. First, Christians are distinguished by a mutual relation extremely intimate and altogether indissoluble. By their "being born again," they are all of them "the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus," and therefore brethren; and the tie of that brotherhood is not, like that of all natural relations, liable to dissolution, its bond being the infallibly true word of the ever-living, immutable God, lodged, by being understood and believed, in the mind of immortal man, v. 23. And, secondly, Chris

tians are possessed of a common character corresponding to this relation, to which they have been formed by the Holy Spirit, through the operation of truth believed under his influence, v. 22. This mutual relation, and this common character, equally call on Christians to cultivate and exercise brotherly love. Such, then, is the outline of thought which I shall endeavor to fill up in the remaining part of the discourse.

I-BROTHERLY LOVE ILLUSTRATED.

§ 1.-The objects and elements of this love.

1

The duty enjoined is Love. There is a love which every man owes to every other man, without reference to his spiritual state or character, merely because he is a man,-a sincere desire to promote his true welfare. This is the love which the apostle, with obvious propriety, represents as "the fulfilling of the law," so far as it refers to our duties to our fellow-men; for he who is under its influence can "do no ill" to any man; he cannot intentionally injure his person, property, or reputation; but, on the contrary, must, " as he has opportunity, do good to all men." Good will is the essence, the sole component element, of this love. The love enjoined in our text is obviously much more limited in its range, and much more comprehensive in its elementary principles.

(1.) It is called "the love of the brethren," "brotherly kindness," as contradistinguished from that "charity" which has for its object the whole race of man; who, though all brethren, inasmuch as "they have one Father, one God has created them," are not all brethren in the sense in which this appellation is here used. This appellation is limited to what was then, to what is still, a comparatively small class of mankind,-genuine Christians. It can be exercised only by them; it can be exercised only to them. A man who is unchristian, who is antichristian in his opinions and temper and conduct, may highly esteem, may tenderly love, a true Christian, but he cannot cherish towards him "brotherly kindness;" he loves him not because, but notwithstanding, he is a Christian. A christian man may, he does, cordially love all mankind; he desires the happiness of every being capable of happiness; he esteems what is estimable; he loves what is amiable; he admires what is admirable; he pities what is suffering, wherever he meets with it; but he cannot regard with "brotherly kindness" any one but a christian brother. None but a Christian can either be the object or the subject of this benevolent affection. None but a Christian can either be the agent or the recipient of the kind offices in which it finds expression.

This limitation is a matter, not of choice, but of necessity. Most gladly would the Christian regard all his fellow-men as fellow-Christians, if they would put it in his power, by becoming Christians; but till they do so, it is, in the nature of things, impossible that he should feel towards them as if they were what they are not. This affection originates in the possession of a peculiar mode of thinking and feel

1 Rom. xiii. 8-10.

ing produced in the mind by the Holy Spirit, through the knowledge and belief of christian truth, which naturally leads those who are thus distinguished to a sympathy of mind and feeling, of thought and affection, with all who, under the same influence, have been led to entertain the same views, and to cherish the same dispositions. They love one another "in the truth; for the truth's sake, that dwelleth in them, and shall be with them forever." 1

(2.) This circumstance, which necessarily limits this principle as to its range, gives it greater comprehension of elementary principles, and greater intensity of influence and activity of operation. It includes good will in its highest degree; but to this it adds moral esteem, complacential delight, tender sympathy. This it does in every instance; but the degree, in which these elementary principles are to be found in individual cases of christian brotherly kindness, depends on a variety of circumstances, and chiefly on the approach that is made to completeness and perfection in the christian character, on the part of him who exercises it, and of him towards whom it is exercised. Every Christian loves every other Christian when he knows him; but the more accomplished the Christian is, whether the subject or object of christian love, the more does he put forth, or draw forth, its holy, benignant influence.

The end of all love is the good or the happiness of its object, as that happiness is conceived of by its subject. The great end which christian brotherly love contemplates, is the happiness of its object, viewed as a christian man; his deliverance from ignorance and error and sin, in all their forms and in all their degrees; his progressive, and ultimately his complete happiness, in entire conformity to the mind and will of God; the unclouded sense of the divine favor, the uninterrupted enjoyment of the divine fellowship, the being like the everblessed "holy, holy, holy One." It does not overlook any of the interests of its object, but it views them all in reference, in subordination, to the enjoyment of "the salvation that is in Christ, with eternal glory." Such is the general nature of the brotherly love here enjoined.

§ 2. The distinctive characters of christian love.

Let us now look a little at the characters by which it is required to be distinguished. (1.) Christians are required to love one another "with a pure heart." The leading idea here has generally been supposed to be genuineness-sincerity. It must be real love, not affected or put on. It must be what the apostle Paul calls, "love without dissimulation;"" what the apostle John calls, "loving not in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth." " It is an affection, of which the internal feeling and practical effects fully correspond to, rather outrun than fall short of, the verbal expression. While the "law of kindness is on the lips," kindness itself is in the heart, and the fruits of kindness, substantial benefits, make their appearance in the conduct. But while there can be no doubt that hypocrisy is one species of "filthiness of the spirit," of the impurity of the heart, it is not the

1 2 John 2.

"Rom. xii. 9.

1 John iii. 18.