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a servant love his master ever so well, how is it possible, that he should serve him to advantage or acceptance, without knowing his will? And since men are the servants of God, it is equally impossible for them to serve him in the most useful and acceptable manner, without divine precepts and prohibitions. Thus one end to be answered by God's giving commands to men is, to inform them of their duty, or teach them what is right. And this leads me to observe,

2. That another purpose to be answered by God's commanding men is, to lay them under obligation to do their duty when they know it. There is no necessary connection between men's knowing and doing their duty. They may know God, and yet not glorify him as God. They may know to do good to one another, and yet not do it. But the commands of God not only point out duty to men, but lay them under obligation to do wbat is commanded. Every divine precept and prohibition is clothed with all the authority of God; which is the highest authority in the universe, and lays the highest moral obligation upon every subject of the divine government. Supposing, therefore, that all mankind knew their duty perfectly, still there would be a necessity of God's laying his commands upon them in order to bind their wills to a conformity to his own. There always was, and always will be a propriety in God's giving commands to his rational and accountable creatures. There is no reason, therefore, to consider the commands of God as unnecessary, or unkind or grievous. I now proceed to show, II. That those who love God. take pleasure in obeying his commands. This will appear, if we consider,

So

1. That love to God is the essence of true obedience. the apostle says in the text, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not grievous." Our Saviour taught us that love is all the law requires. When a certain man asked him, "which is the great commandment in the law?" he replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first, and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Again we read, that "love is the fulfilling of the laws." Obedience to God is nothing but expressing love in the manner he has required. And those who feel love, always take pleasure in expressing it. A servant, who loves his

master, takes satisfaction in expressing his love by obedience. A child who loves his parents, feels a pleasure in obeying them, or in doing whatever he knows is agreeable to their will. A subject who loves his ruler, delights in obeying his authority. And a soldier who loves his commander, will go and come with pleasure at his bidding, or even at his desire. When David only wished for water from a distant well, three of his men put their lives in their hands, and burst through the hosts of their enemies, and drew him water from the well of Bethlehem. So those who have love to God, take pleasure in expressing it by acts of obedience and self-denial. Love is, in its own nature, a pleasing exercise; but the external expression of it, is more delightful, than the internal affection. And since expressing love to God is agreeable, it is evident that the most arduous and difficult, and self-denying acts of obedience, aflord the greatest satisfaction and enjoyment. Those commands which are the most grievous to nature, are the most agreeable to the dutiful and benevolent heart. Those who love God, love to give the highest expression of it.

2. The Scriptures represent obedience to God as affording peculiar satisfaction to the soul. The Psalmist says, "Great peace have they that love thy law and nothing shall offend them." Solomon says, "A good man shall be satisfied from himself." And again he says, "The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." Of the godly man it is said, "His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night." We read, "Blessed are they who walk in the law of the Lord, that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with their whole heart." These declarations come from God, who knows the feelings of every human heart; and he makes these representations concerning the happiness which flows from obedience, to convince the world of the folly as well as guilt of disobeying his commands. It is the uniform tenor of scripture, that there is great present, as well as future reward, in keeping the commands of God.— And I may now add,

3. That the friends of God have always found these divine declarations true, by their own experience. By whomsoever God has been loved, he has been cheerfully and joyfully obeyed. He has always been loved by the angels of light, who have always taken pleasure in obeying his will. They have served him not only in heaven, but on earth. They have in a

vast variety of ways, ministered to the heirs of salvation. And their love to God, and love to their inferior fellow creatures, has made them like a flame of fire, all activity, zeal, and joy, in the most arduous acts of obedience. Our blessed Saviour loved his Father supremely. The Spirit of God descended upon him in the form of a dove; and God gave him the spir-` it without measure. This spirit of love was the spirit of u niversal and delightful obedience. He says he came into the world, not to do his own will, but the will of his Father. And he found the highest pleasure in doing the will of God. He says, "I delight to do thy will, O God, yea, thy law is in my heart." And again he says, "It is my meat to do the will of him that sent me, and finish his work." And when the most dificult and self-denying acts of obedience were in view, even when he was called to be obedient even unto death, he said, "Father, not my will but thine be done." Abraham loved God, and his love led him to delight in obeying his will. He found a pleasure in following God, whithersoever he led him. And when he was commanded to offer up his son Isaac as a burntoffering, the command was not grievous; but he immmediately, without the least hesitation, went out and obeyed the will of God. This act of cheerful obedience, God imputed to his love to him, and pronounced him his friend. Moses loved God, and found a peculiar pleasure in obeying every intimation of his will. He chose the pleasures of obedience, rather than all the sinful pleasures of Egypt. David often speaks of the great delight he enjoyed in obeying the divine commands. He says unto God, "Make me to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do I delight." And again, "I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved." This is his general language throughout the 119th Psalm, in which he expresses his love to God, to his precepts, and the pleasure he found in doing his will. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego, found a peculiar satisfaction in obeying the will of God at the risk of their lives. Paul said, "He delighted in the law of God, after the inward man." The primitive christians obeyed the self-denying precepts of the gospel, with great joy; "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing, that they were worthy to suffer for the name of Christ." These examples were recorded for the learning and admonition of all future ages, that love to God and obedience to his commands, are connected with peculiar satisfaction and enjoyment. Indeed, it is difficult to open the

Bible without meeting with some striking evidence of the happiness which flows from a sincere and universal obedience to the divine will.

HEADS OF IMPEOVEMENT.

1. It appears from the propriety of God's giving laws to men, that there is reason to believe, that there will always be laws in heaven for the government of the inhabitants of that holy and happy place. Heaven is called a kingdom-the kingdom of God, which supposes laws. Besides, we find laws have been necessary for men in innocence, as well as depravity—for Christ himself. Indeed, it is extremely difficult to conceive, how any society of intelligent creatures can be completely happy, without laws.

2. If those who love God, take pleasure in obeying his commands; then they sincerely desire to know all the commands of God, in their full extent and meaning. Paul desired this, as soon as his heart was changed; "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" David prays for divine teaching in duty, in many of his Psalms, but especially in the 119th. In all these places, he speaks the language of all the friends of God. They want to know what God has required; they will search the scriptures to know, they will hear the word preached to know.

3. If those who love God take pleasure in obeying his will; then they are willing to obey all his commands. They are all expressive of his will and if they love to please him, they will love to please him in every thing; in doing whatsoever he commands, in respect to his subjects, in respect to his cause, in respect to themselves.

4. It appears from what has been said, that those who love God, love to be bound to obey him, because they dread to displease him.

5. We learn from what has been said, that cheerful obedience to the will of God, affords an infallible evidence of true love to him. "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous."

6. We learn from what has been said, that none can obey the commands of God, while they appear grievous; true obedience is cheerful.

7. Is there a peculiar pleasure in obeying the commands of God? hence we learn that a holy and obedient life, is the most happy. Let all inquire whether they are walking in the

Are they gov

SENEX.

path to heaven, or in the way to destruction.
erned by the commands of God? habitually cheerful?

From the Christian Index.

A CURRENT OPINION EXAMINED.

Few men have done more for the Church, both in public and in private, and yet few have preserved so high a degree of faith in their own hearts.'

This sentence occurs in that interesting volume, The Memoirs of Francke; published by the American Sunday School Union. It appears as the remark of the compiler of the volume, if the writer understands the manner in which the compilation was made. It involves a sentiment that seems to me very wide of the truth, viz. That activity in the open service of God, is unfavorable to the growth of the private christian graces. This sentiment too, is extensively current among American Christians; and hence if its truth be at all questionable, deserves serious consideration. Let it be noted then that the private christian graces are all embraced in a right state of feeling towards God and our fellow men. This question now arises; will those who are most active in the service of God here upon earth, and consequently most devoted to the true interests of their fellow men, have more or less correct feeling toward their Maker and fellow creatures, than christians of more retired habits? Here we are led to remark as a general truth of human experience, that our affections follow the labors of our hands. This is illustrated in every department of life: but we may derive illustrations best suited to this subject, from the case of those who devote themselves to the interests of any particular class among their fellow men. Follow the christian missionary to any station among the heathen. Why does his love become so ardent for those who have nothing lovely in their present character? Evidently because his thoughts become intensely busied with the welfare of those degraded creatures, while this disposition of his thoughts could only result from the kind of labor in which he is engaged. The same truth is illustrated by the case of the man, who devotes himself to the interests of the poor in any of our large cities. In a little time, his affections are more upon this class than upon any other class in community; at least this is true of those benevolent feelings that seem most to deserve the name of love to our neighbor. But every reflecting reader (and such alone are invited to examine this subject) will see illustrations of my position in each department of human activity; and in view of these illustrations may well ask why should religion itself be supposed exempt from the operation of this general law of our nature? Christian experience says it is not

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