be miferable still; he would carry hell along with him in his fin; he would have no capacity for the services, no relish for the enjoyments of heaven. God himself cannot do that which contradicts the essential perfections of his nature, and he cannot make us happy with himself till he has made us holy like himself. "For " what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteouf"ness? and what communion hath light with dark"ness?" Thus the very nature of things, as well as the word of God, necessarily limits this hope to the regenerate and fanctified. And therefore the grand inquiry should be, what evidence you have of this change, and what reason you are able to give of the hope that is in you? A more convincing and fatisfactory one it is impossible to assign, than the apostle furnishes,

PART II. When he tells us, "Hope maketh not "ashamed, BECAUSE THE LOVE OF GOD IS SHED "ABROAD IN OUR HEATRS BY THE HOLY-Ghost, "WHICH IS GIVEN UNTO US." Let us examine the connection there is between this love, and the accomplishment of our hope. The following confiderations will render it obvious.

First. This love is the blessed proof of the divine regard; for the affection is mutual: "I love them "that love me," yea our love to him is the confequence of his love to us: "I have loved thee with an " everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have "I drawn thee: we love him because he first loved "us." And what can we defire more than to know, we are beloved of God? What does not his friend

ship insure? With him there is no variableness or shadow of turning. He is able to do for us exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. He knoweth all things. He is very pitiful and of tender mercy.

Secondly. This love characterizes the persons for whom this happiness is referved. Search the scriptures and fee, who are authorised to claim the promife of eternal life. Not those who are enemies to God by wicked works, not those who live without God in the world. No; but those and those only, who defire and strive to please and to serve him" We know "that all things work together for good to them that "love God." "Blessed is the man that endureth " temptation, for when he is tried he shall receive the "crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to "them that love him." "Hath not God chosen the "poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the "kingdom which he hath promised to them that love " him?"

Thirdly. This love qualifies us for the glory which shall be revealed. Take a proper view of this happiness; is it not divine ? does it not flow from the prefence of God? from the display of his perfections? from the adorations and praises which he will eternally receive? What then can prepare you for it but the love of God? If you do not love a person, it would be a torment rather than a delight to be continually with him, and to hear him extolled. But the stronger the love is which you bear to another, the more pleasure you feel in his company and conversation, the more fatisfaction you derive from the share you have

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in his regards, and from the confidence which enables you to fay, he is mine. By loving God you are prepared for a happiness which is found only in him. And has he made you meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the faints in light ? and will he fail to give you poffeffion? Has he qualified you for a fituation which you shall never fill? and prepared you for a blessedness which he never designed you to experience ?

Fourthly. This love is indeed the beginning, and the foretaste of this happiness. We are always the fame with the object of our affection. The image dwelling in the mind, leaves its impression. We take the likeness of the excellency we contemplate, and are exalted into the perfection we adore. If our love be fixed upon any thing mean and fordid, it will debase us. If it be fixed upon creatures, we shall partake of their changes and miseries. If it be fixed on the ever-blessed God, we shall become divine and heavenly; it will dignify, and refine, and tranquilize, and fill, and fatisfy the foul. With this love we cannot be miferable. It renders difficult things easy, and bitter ones sweet. It makes the duties of religion to be "ways of pleasantness." We call "the fabbath "a delight." We are glad when they say to us, "let "us go into the house of the Lord." It is good for us "to draw near to God." O, "the comforts of "this love!" They are heaven come down to earth. Heaven is the world of love. There it breathes; there it reigns; there it triumphs. It is all love, and only love" And he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth " in God, and God in him." Hence it fully appears,

that a hope connected with the love of God, may be fafely indulged, and can never make us ashamed. For this love is the proof of the divine favour; the character of the heirs of promife; the preparation for fu

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ture glory; the commencement of heaven, the dawning of the day, the first fruits of the Spirit, the earnest

of our inheritance.

Men and Brethren, attend to a few reflections, which naturally arife from this important subject. The first is awful and distressing. We have reason to fear that the hope cherished by the greater part of mankind, and by too many profeffors of religion, is such as will cover them "with everlasting shame and con"tempt." Perhaps there are some of this deluded number in this assembly. You are ready to say, "our " minds are easy; we feel no forebodings; we hope " to be faved, and are not inclined to question the "propriety of our conclufion." Even this circumstance looks fufpicious. This reluctance to examine your state betrays apprehenfion of its goodness. And who in a cafe of fuch moment, would leave things doubtful and uncertain? Suffer me then to ask you what your hope is? Will it bear investigation? Is it fanctioned by the word of Truth? Has it been formed in the light of conviction, or is it the offspring of darkness? Is there no danger of its proving false and fatal? Such the hope must prove, that is accompanied with no fuitable influence, productive of no proper effects; in other words, that is not in alliance with the love of God. But alas! if the love of God was in you, it would be impossible for you to live as you now do. You could not banish him from your re

meinbrance; your meditation of him would be sweet, and your thoughts of him would be precious. You could not love the world; " for if any man love the "world, the love of the Father is not in him." You could not tranfgrefs the divine laws; "for this is the "love of God, that we keep his commandments." You could not be regardless of the welfare of your fellow creatures; for "if a man say, I love God, and "hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth "not his brother whom he hath feen, how can he love "God whom he hath not feen." "Whofo hath this "world's good, and feeth his brother have need, and "shutteth up his bowels of compaffion from him, how "dwelleth the love of God in him? Destitute of the love of God, it matters not what you are. If this be not the grand influencing principle of your lives, your orthodoxy is only a December's night, equally clear and cold; your religion is vain; your hope prefumption, delufion, destruction.

Secondly. You may learn from hence, how to attain "the full assurance of hope unto the end." It is not by dreams and visions, fudden suggestions, mysterious impressions, and an inexplicable confciousness; but by keeping yourselves in the love of God, and abounding therein more and more. It is absurd to imagine that your hope of Heaven will be lively, if your love of God be weak and languid. Every worldly conformity will impede the exercise, and darken the profpect of this hope; every fin will give Satan an advantage over you, and rob you of much evidence and confolation. Though the blessings of falvation are all of grace, they are to be enjoyed only in the way of abe