He loved them, and set his heart upon them, from eternity-] He did it also openly, when he called them by his grace [These two periods of their separation are mentioned by St. Paul' In conversion, God sets apart sinners for himself— He inclines and enables them to come out from the world"— He causes them to devote themselves entirely to his service"-] He has set them apart too " for himself" [He makes their souls his own habitation°— He sheds abroad his love in their hearts by his holy Spirit He preserves them as living monuments of his power and grace He regards them as his own peculiar treasureP-] This being a point wherein all are deeply interested, we shall III. Commend the subject to your solemn attention [In every period of the world, God has had a peculiar people These have been distinguished with special tokens of his love And though they were not set apart for their holiness, they have invariably been made holy Moreover, when they were holy, God delighted in them as holy-] Nor is it a matter of trifling concern [The Psalmist evidently speaks of it as deserving deep attention And if it related only to this present state, it were worthy of notice But the present separation of God's people for himself is a pledge and earnest of a future separation In the day of judgment, God will complete what he here began3 What distinguished honour will he then confer upon the godly! 1 Then he will be their joy, and they his glory for ever"—] Let the ungodly therefore know this to their shame [The Psalmist suggests the thought peculiarly in this view And well may they be ashamed who despise what God loves In vain do any hope to be God's hereafter, who are not his now Let the ungodly therefore be ashamed of their false confidences Let them set themselves apart for God, if they would have God set them apart for himself Let them learn to live the life of the righteous, if they would die his death-] But let the godly know it, to their unspeakable conso lation [They, who are beloved of God, have little reason to regard the contempt of men God would have them assured of his superintending careHe would have them know their security, who take him for their God Let the godly then rejoice in the honour conferred upon them Let them look forward with joy to the final completion of God's gracious purposes towards them And let them devote themselves more than ever to his service-] u Rev. xxii. 3, 4. x Rom. viii. 31. XXI. THE DUTY AND OFFICE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE. 1 Pet. iv. 8. Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. THE divine authority of our religion is fully established Its external evidences demonstrate God to be its author Nor are its internal evidences less convincing The tendency of Christianity is to assimilate us to God— All other religions have countenanced a vindictive spirit But the religion of Jesus inculcates universal loveThe New Testament lays the greatest stress upon this duty The injunction in the text proposes to our view I. The duty inculcated The term "charity" is to be understood of Christian love [Many confine the sense of this term to almsgivingBut almsgiving is a very small part of what is implied in. it Charity includes the whole of our duty towards our neighbours-] This charity or love is our indispensable duty oneb [Though an old commandment, it is enjoined as a new Obedience to it is a sure test of our conversion— It is a good evidence of conversion to ourselvesd It is a satisfactory proof to others also— A want of love manifests us to be in an unregenerate state-] It ought to be cordial and "fervent" [Worldly courtesy is but a faint image of Christian loveLove, if pure, and subordinate to God, cannot be too fervent Our love of ourselves is the rule of love to others- If we attain to it, we fulfil the law of Christ But if we be destitute of it, nothing else will profit usk-] The children of God should maintain it "among themselves" [Benevolence is due even to our enemies But there is an especial obligation in the saints to love each other1 Their union with Christ, and with each other, demands. it-] Rom. xiii. 9. b 1 John ii. 7, 8. 41 John iii. 14. former part. 1 John. iii. 14. latter part. 1 Gal. vi. 10, ¡ Rom. xiii. 8, 10. c 1 John iv. 7, 8. To promote a more uniform attention to this duty, we will consider II. The argument with which it is enforced The Apostle's words may be considered as relating to 1. The sins of others [To" cover the sins" of others (extenuating what we cannot approve; concealing what we cannot but condemn; and throwing a veil over, not errors only, but "sins,” yea, even "a multitude" of sins;) is the proper office of love”— From this office we should not depart, unless (as in the exercise of the ministerial or magisterial office) the honour of God, and the good of society, require it— A just regard to the great duty of love is of incalculable importance; First, to ourselves; for how can we expect to have forbearance exercised towards us, if we refuse it to others? Next, to the church; for how can the church be edified, if its members do not walk together in love? And lastly, to the enemies of the church, who will not fail to harden themselves in their iniquities, if evil reports in the church, and consequent dissentions and animosities, afford them any occasion But mutual forbearance will never be exercised as it ought, without a deeply-rooted principle of love°— Therefore we should cultivate this principle, in order to maintain a becoming conduct"] 2. Our own sins [We must not, for one moment, think that our love, however fervent, can merit the pardon of our sins Yet our pardon may be, and certainly is, suspended on the exercise of this divine principle 1 Cor. xiii. 7. The duty of love does not, however, preclude ministers from censuring, or magistrates from punishing, the sins of men: they perform those acts officially; and in performing them, they obey, instead of violating, the law of love. But to men in their individual capacity, the text prescribes an invariable rule of duty. See Matt. xviii. 22. When we hate a person, we are ready on all occasions to speak of his faults: but this is not the way in which we treat those whom we tenderly love. P Prov. x. 12. in our translation seems to countenance, and almost to establish, this sense of the text; because it appears to have been cited by St. Peter. But the Apostles generally cited rather the Septuagint translation of the scriptures: and in that the two passages do not at all correspond. The LXX translate it thus; Μῖσος ἐγείρει νεῖκος· πάντας δὲ τοὺς μη φιλονεικώντας καλύψει φιλία. So that the apparent parallelism will not enable us to determine, with certainty, the sense of the text. To this the whole scriptures bear witness And the words in the original most naturally bear this sense This sense of them also exactly accords with our Lord's description of the day of judgments— Moreover, in this view the Apostle's argument is far stronger than on the other construction of his words Let it then operate as a strong incentive to mutual love; for "with what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again"-] INFER 1. How justly reprehensible are the generality of Christians! [There is a proneness in all to receive and propagate reports But none are willing to have their own reputation blasted— Yet there are few who do not scatter defamationLet us all be ashamed of and resist this sinful propensityLetus watch against every temptation or desire to indulge itLet us regulate our conduct by the law of loveLet us study the Apostle's description of charity"— And let us attend to the exhortation of St. Johns-] 2. How worthy of acceptation is the gospel of Christ! [A sense of Christ's love to us produces love to him— When we love Christ aright, we shall love all his membersThis is the invariable effect wherever the gospel prevailsThe knowledge of our own sins will make us tender towards others The forgiveness we have received will incline us to forgive others Matt v. 7. and vi. 14, 15. and Prov. xvi. 6. See also Gal. vi. 7, 8. and I Tim. vi. 18, 19. contrasted with Jam. ii. 13. Daniel even goes so far as to counsel Nebuchadbezzar λυτρώσαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐν ἐλεημοσύναις. • Kudú↓es àμagría means to cover sins from the sight of God, so that they shall not be noticed in the final judgment. See Ps. xxxii. 1, 2. and Neh. iv. 5. In Jam. v 20, they will also bear that sense: and if we could divest ourselves of prejudice, we should more readily put that construction upon them in that passage; since it is not the converting of souls merely, but the love exercised in seeking to convert them, that entails this blessing on us. If we put a different construction upon them, we make them a mere tautology: but in the sense here affixed to them, they afford a strong additional motive for exertion. Matt xxv. 34-46. " Come, &c. FOR"-" Depart, &c. FOR, &c." Matt. vii. 2. u 1 Cor. xiii. 4-7. y 1 John v. 1 * 1 John iii. 18. VOL. I. Rr |