make" us "free."* We shall be interested, in the present state, in all the promises which the gospel gives us against our enemies, infirmities, and temptations; Christ will sustain us by the power of his Spirit; and from the kingdom of grace we shall rise to the kingdom of glory. To Jesus Christ whose merits have procured it, to that Divine Mediator of the new covenant, who will lead us up from the wilderness and introduce us into the heavenly Canaan, as to the Father and the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

John viii, 32.

SERMON IX.

TRUE LOVE TO JESUS CHRIST,

II CORINTHIANS V. 14, 15.

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then are all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

THE praises of friendship have long been celebrated the effects which it can sometimes produce, have long attracted the admiration of mankind. A solid and virtuous friendship is one of the greatest blessings of life: it alleviates afflictions, and often diffuses pleasure over days which, without it, would be gloomy and tedious: it forms a defence against external reproaches, an assistance against inward weakness, a valuable support amidst varying fortunes. It must be acknowledged that nothing is more beautiful than the sight of two intelligent persons, conspiring with mutual emulation to promote the welfare of each other, and by a happy sympathy choosing and refusing the same objects. This union, more prudent and regular than what is denominated love, less fortuitous and more voluntary than mere consanguinity, and founded entirely on personal choice

We have followed the reading of the French Bible in this passage,

and reciprocal esteem, is, without doubt, capable of producing effects as excellent and surprizing as any other connection whatever. Is it not this, which introduces a community of interests, which causes an interchange of blessings and calamities, of pains and pleasures? Do not we owe to it those astonishing events celebrated in history, those instances of friends faithful in adversity, who have accompanied their friends into exile, have submitted to voluntary imprisonment in their stead, have consented to die in their place, and sometimes have actually sacrificed all their interests, their fortunes, and their lives, to their friendship? Almost every one has heard of some of those pairs of perfect friends, whose names have come down to us covered with the praises of antiquity.

My brethen, however beautiful these unions are, however surprizing their effects, I have to exhibit to you to-day something more perfect and divine, a union still more excellent and necessary, and whose effects are far more deserving of admiration. It is the union of Jesus Christ and the faithful; it is that love with which the true Christian feels. himself inflamed towards his Saviour. I mean not at present to search the world for a pair of those perfect friends, who are scarcely any longer to be found, except in the page of history. I have no design to invite you to attempt the formation of one of those strict and sublime friendships. Every one perhaps has experienced, with some disgust, that there is little opportunity of forming such in the present age. But my design is to inquire, whether you have not, or do not

desire to have, another friend who shall console you for the loss of those of the world, and who is infinitely preferable to them all? Do not you

know another friendship which produces a community of interests and possessions, an entire conformity of desires and wills, a sacrifice of all things, a union, an imitation, a transmutation, if I may venture to use the expression, between you and the object of your love? Are you not acquainted with that spiritual connection which causes us to die, and reanimates us to live unto him, who once died and is now living for us? Ah! St. Paul well knew that intimate union which forms us after the image of him whom we love, and all true believers know it too. To-day therefore, when Jesus Christ vouchsafes to visit us, to embrace us, to favour us with new testimonies of his love toward us, and to excite and inflame ours toward him; to-day when he comes, once more to present all the benefits of his death and resurrection, provided we, on our part, are rightly disposed to receive him; I am about to examine what passes in your hearts, whether you feel what you ought to feel, whether you are prepared to say with the apostle: "The love of Christ con"straineth us; because we thus judge, that if one "died for all, then are all dead: and that he "died for all, that they which live should not "henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him "which died for them, and rose again."

In this text St. Paul speaks of what Christ has done, and of what we ought to do. He speaks of the death and resurrection of the

Saviour, of

our dying to sin and living to God. What more appropriate to this day, and to the holy exercise for which we are now assembled? which naturally invite us to contemplate both the death and resurrection of our Mediator. Come then, believers, take Jesus, dead and risen again, as the model of your regeneration. Come and learn what are the effects of sincere and perfect love to Christ, and what ought to be the extent of ours. Woe unto them who shall now be cold and insensible! They can neither truly enjoy nor understand our text. "If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema, Maranatha."* But But ye who, already prepared for the communion, want only to have your piety more and more excited, and to surrender yourselves wholly to the Lord, come and behold in the text three effects which the love of Christ produces in true Christians.

-First, THIS LOVE CONSTRAIN ETH US; IT CAPTIVATES OUR HEARTS; IT ELEVATES US ABOVE

THE WORLD.-Secondly, IT CAUSES US TO CONCLUDE, THAT IF ONE DIED FOR ALL, THEN ALL OUGHT TO CONSIDER THEMSELVES AS DEAD TO

THE WORLD FOR HIM.-Thirdly, IT LEADS US

FURTHER TO CONCLUDE, THAT EVEN WHILE WE LIVE IN THIS WORLD, WE OUGHT NO LONGER TO LIVE UNTO OURSELVES, BUT UNTO HIM WHO DIED FOR US AND ROSE AGAIN.-These will be the three heads of our discourse, which require us to feel much and to do much, to form the requisite resolution and steadily to fulfil it. May it please God to grant us this grace, both on

I Corinth. xvi. 22.