tained your leave to invert the order, I will now deliver my thoughts on the subject in the following manner.

1. I will treat of the love of God.

2. Of the length of this divine love.

3. Offer my opinion on the breadth of it.

4. On the depth of this love.

5. On the height.

And conclude the whole with a word of application.

"for

Where shall I begin in delivering my opinion on this subject? I must begin with God, God is love," 1 John iv. 8. This is clearly revealed in the scriptures of truth, that the nature of God is love. But is this divine affection fixed on all the human race, so as to save them in Christ with an everlasting salvation? That cannot be proved; for God says that multitudes are in hell already; as you read in the 31st and 32d chapters of Ezekiel: "God loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment," Deut. x. 18. But the elect are not strangers; I know my sheep, says Christ, and I lay down my life for them, and they shall never perish. It was self-moving love in God to choose his own elect, and is the first cause of all our happiness. His own will was his counsellor; as it is written, "Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." That his wisdom drew up the plan of our salvation is plain from the word of truth; the gospel is the wisdom of God in a

mystery. And by his omnipotent power God performs what self-moving love secretly purposed in himself.

This love of God to his elect cannot be traced by us from its first rise. We can only go by the light of scripture, and affirm what God's witnesses have done before, viz. that God loved his elect with an everlasting love. But the idea of eternity will drown every thought that a mortal is capable of, in launching forth into that unfathomable abyss. We may trace his word and works, and conclude as Job did, "Lo these are parts of his ways;" but how little of him is understood!

In these profound depths of everlasting love we can find no bottom; like the dove, we must settle on the ark of the covenant, and then we shall be able to look about us.

First, then, God's love to his people is unutterable; we cannot express it, but can only furnish imperfect hints of its parts, as the scriptures do. For instance, "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son," &c. John iii. 16. And again, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what we shall be," 1 John iii. 1, 2.

The love of God to his elect is not only unutterable, but it is likewise inconceivable, and therefore called, in the last clause of my text, a love that passeth knowledge. It is a love that has been

enjoyed by thousands, but cannot be fully described by any.

This unutterable and inconceivable love is entirely sovereign. It lay entirely in the absolute and uncontroulable will and mind of God, whether he would create creatures out of the earth or not; and whether he would raise them to heaven, out of sin, when fallen, as the objects of his eternal love, or not.

It is sovereign, because fallen angels are excluded. And many of the human race are also excluded; as it is written, "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? yet I loved Jacob, and I hated Esau." But when did this love and hatred take place; after Esau had sold his birth-right? No,' says God; "For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of him that calleth; it was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated," Rom. ix. 11—13.

God's elect are said to be loved with an everlasting love. And there is a people that are to be called "The border of wickedness, and the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever," Mal. i. 4. As this love of God is sovereign, so it appears to be entirely free in its fountain; as it is written, "But God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died

for us," Rom. v. 8. If God commended his love towards us while we were yet sinners, and reconciled us to himself when we were enemies and without strength, his love must be free and unmerited, unless we can suppose that sin, enmity, and sinful infirmities, are meritorious in the sight of God.

As this love of God appears free in its fountain, so also it appears to be free in its administration. It cannot be purchased by human merit, falsely so called. "If a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned," Song viii. 7. Simon Magus bid high for the Spirit of love; but the bidder and the price were both to perish together, for thinking that the gift of God was to be bought with money. So we conclude that Simon Magus, who wanted to buy, and the Pope of Rome, who offers to sell, the gifts of God, are both in the gall of bitterness, and in the bonds of iniquity. If that man is condemned who offers to buy the gifts of God, and if all the substance that a man offers for this love is to be utterly contemned, this love must be free; free in its fountain, and free also in its administrations.

This will appear still plainer if we consider the many work-mongers that have laboured in vain to obtain it. Some have strived for it; but none are crowned except they strive lawfully, 2 Tim. ii. 5. And none can strive lawfully till that love that fulfils the law be in their hearts. Some have run for it; but the race is not to the swift, Eccl. ix.

11. No,' says the Saviour, "Many that are first shall be last." Others have fought for it in heavy persecutions; but the battle is not to the strong, Eccl. ix. 11. The victory of faith is no where promised to the strength of free-will or the power of the human arm. No, "Let the weak say, I am strong," Joel iii. 10. Herod did many things, but never got the gifts of God for his labour. The Pharisees fasted often; they made many prayers, and long ones too, and honoured God with thei lips, and yet were rewarded with the greater damnation for their pains, Matt. xxiii. 14. The young man in the gospel told the Saviour that he had kept the law from his youth up, and was sent away with the sorrow of the world, that worketh death, in his heart. Esau wept for it; but got it not, though he sought it carefully with tears. Thus appears then not to be of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, nor of him that fighteth, nor of him that worketh, nor of him that striveth, nor of him that weepeth, nor of him that buys, nor of him that sells; but of God that sheweth mercy. "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely," Hosea xiv. 4. This will appear still plainer if we consider what those had to recom

it

mend them who obtained it.

Let us see what God's elect have done to merit this love of God. Pray what merit was there in Mary Magdalen? How had she improved her supposed talent, will, power, or light within, or stock in hand, or by whatever other name you are