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on the other, he should not fuffer thefe things to have the least effect towards inducing him to yield, but with manly fortitude, in a dependence on the infinite power and all-fufficient grace of the Captain of falvation, reject the bribes and face the dangers prefented before him. And if the enemy proceed to execute their threatenings, and he begins to feel the smart of cruel inftruments of torture, he muft still stand fast in the faith, and perfevere to the laft, like the foldier determined to conquer and obtain the end for which he engaged in the war, although it costs him his life.

threatnings of terrible fufferings | tion, yet, at beft, as of little moment in comparison with those which we owe mankind. If they are but externally moral, honeft, and kind to their fellow-creatures, they imagine, that they have all, which is effential in religion, and neceflary to fecure heaven, however they may difbelieve and oppofe doctrines of the gofpel, or neglect divine worship and thofe duties, which they owe more immediately to God, their Creator and conftant benefactor. Thus they fet up their duty and obligations to men, above their duty and obligations to their Maker. But is this agreeable, either to fcripture or reafon? The Lord Jefus certainly taught a different fentiment in his answer to the question, "Which is the great commandment in the law? Thou fhalt," faid he, "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, foul, and mind. This is the firft and great commandment."

Thus did the apostles and many primitive Chriftians, who, having endured to the end, fealed their teftimony to the truth with their blood, and were more than conquerors through him that loved

them.

(To be continued.)

That fupreme love to God is

Supreme love to God the first and our firft and higheft duty, is evi

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highest duty.

ANY in the Chriftian world fuppofe, that religion confifts chiefly in the practice of thofe duties, which we owe our fellow-creatures, and that justice, honefty, faithfulnefs, truth and kindness, in our intercourfe with mankind, include the whole of christianity, which is of any great importance. They therefore conclude, that it is of little confequence, whether perfons believe and reverence the doctrines of feripture, worship God in public, in the family and clofet, feriously obferve the fabbath, or the other duties, which more immediately refpect God and divine things. Thefe duties, they confider, if not as needlefs fuperfti

dent from various confiderations.

ift. We ought to exercife a benevolent love or regard for the exiftence and happiness of every being, in proportion to his greatnefs and importance in the scale of exiftence, other things being equal. Thus the life and happiness of a man ought to be more regarded than those of a fly, because they are more important; as the man is capable of much more usefulness and enjoyment than the fly. if, of two perfons of the fame moral character, one is capable of doing and enjoying twice the good, as the other; in this cafe, the life and happinefs of the one are of twice the worth and importance of the other, and therefore deferving of a proportionably greater

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regard. It is then a dictate of reafon and benevolence, that we fhould regard beings, other things being equal, according to their greatnefs and importance. The more important they are, or the greater their capacity to do and enjoy good; the greater ought to be our benevolent regard for them, and the more ought we to value their existence and happiness. But God is infinitely greater and more important than all other beings; as he is capacitated to communicate and to enjoy infinitely more happinefs than all creatures; yea, they are as nothing, or as the light duft of the balance in comparifon with him; and all the happinefs in the univerfe depends upon him. As therefore God is infinitely greater and more important than all other beings, fo he deferves our highest love or be nevolent regard. This love to him is our first and highest duty. And if we poffefs a spark of true benevolence, it will regard the infinite Jehovah as its first object.

zd. We ought to love all beings, not only with the love of benevolence in proportion to their greatnefs and capacity for happinefs, but also with the love of complacency, as far as their moral characters are holy and excellent. The more holy and lovely any being is; the more we ought to efteem and delight in him with the love of complacency. But God is the great inexhauftible fource of holinefs and moral excellence,-is infinitely the most glorious, worthy and amiable of all beings. We ought therefore to love him fupremely with this love of efteem and complacency. It ought to now forth towards God, the infinite fource of all moral excellence, as its first object. And this will be the certain effect, if

we poffefs any degree of true ho linefs or benevolence.

3d. God is not only the greateft and beft of all beings, but we are under infinitely greater obligations of gratitude to him, than to all others. To him we are indebted for life, every favor and comfort. He hath created us, continually preferves us, and gives us every good we enjoy. He hath alfo made provifion for our eternal felicity by giving his Son to die for fuch finful rebels, that whofoever believeth on him might not perish, but have everlafting life.

On thefe accounts we are under the higheft obligations of gratitude and love to our Almighty benefactor, and if we poffefs any true gratitude, it will flow out in the highest degree towards him, to whom we are under unspeakably greater obligations, than to all other beings.

Thefe feveral confiderations clearly manifeft, that it is our first duty to love God fupremely with the love of benevolence, compla cency, and gratitude. Therefore the firft of the ten commands of the moral law is, "Thou fhalt have no other God before me," which is the fame, as that we fhall love him more than any other object. As this is the first command in the decalogue, it naturally teaches, that it is the firft and most important duty. It may alfo be obferved, that four of the ten commands refpect our duty towards God, and the other fix our duty towards mankind. But the four that respect our duty to God, are placed first in order, which feems plainly to fhew, that the duties we owe to God are of | fuperior obligation to our duty towards our fellow creatures, and claim our firft and higheft regard. The Lord Jefus therefore declar

company and intercourse of those, whom we love and efteem. Our defires will be after God, and our thoughts and affections will be upon him and divine things. Thus our fellowship, "will be with the Father, and with his Son Jefus Chrift."

ed, that to love God with all the | juft as we take pleasure in the heart, is the firft and great command. And this truth he exemplified in his conduct while on carth. For his chief object, as he declared, was to glorify his heavenly Father, and do his will. The feelings alfo of the people of God, as expreffed in the facred fcriptures, are, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none on earth that I defire befides thee. As the hart panteth after the water brook, fo panteth my foul after thee O God." Such paffages fhew, that they regarded the infinitely great and glorious Jehovah above all other objects, and that they felt this to be their higheft duty.

Having thus fhewn, from these various confiderations, that fupreme love to God is our firft or highest duty, it is proposed

II. To fhew what influence this love will have upon thofe who poffefs it.

If we really love God, we fhall certainly love and reverence his word, in which his character and will are most clearly revealedfhall be pleafed with its truths, and take fatisfaction in reading and meditating upon it. Our feelings will, in fome degree, correfpond with thofe of the Pfalmift; "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. How fweet are thy words unto my tafte! I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil."

Supreme love to God will alfo certainly influence us to take pleafure in his worship and service, in public and fecret prayer, in religious reading, converfation and meditation, in ferious obfervance of the fabbath, and other duties of religion. If we love God, we fhall take delight in holding communion with him in fuch duties

;

Thofe who have a fupreme regard for Jehovah, will, as the fcriptures declare, keep his commands. They will not live in the practice of any known fin, or in the neglect of any known duty. They will therefore remember and keep holy the fabbath-will not forfake the affembling of themfelves together for public worship, as the manner of many is-will pray with all prayer and fupplication-will enter into their closets, and pray to their heavenly Father in fecret, and will live in a careful obfervance of all the duties, which are enjoined upon them, in the facred fcriptures, towards both God and man.

If we truly love the character of Jehovah, we fhall feel a peculiar regard for his caufe and honor-fhall feek and rejoice in their promotion-fhall be pleafed with thofe, who appear to be friends to God and religion; fhall difapprove of the profane, wicked, and irreligious, and be difpleafed with every thing, which tends to difhonor and injure the cause of Chrift. This will be the certain effect of divine love in the hearts of all who poffefs it.

It will alfo difpofe them to rejoice, that the most High is at the head of the univerfe, and will direct all events, as he in infinite wisdom fees beft. This muft afford great joy and confolation to all, who are friendly to his character, and they will make him their hope and trust.

We fhall, if under the influence | itude, and that this love will exprefs itself in a careful obfervance of thofe duties which we owe

of fupreme love to God, treat his name and attributes with reverence-fhall carefully avoid pro-more immediately to our Creator fanenefs, ridiculing or making light of divine things, and fhall repent of and forfake all finful practices. And it will be painful and disagreeable to us to fee others, by fuch things, difhonoring and injuring religion.

This love to God will likewise render us honeft, faithful and benevolent in our dealings with mankind; and will difpofe us to feek their peace and happinefs, and especially their eternal happinefs. We fhall therefore feek and pray for the fpread and promotion of religion, which will conduce both to the honor and glory of God, and to the falvation of immortal fouls.

These are some of the effects, which fupreme love to God will certainly produce in the feelings and conduct of all, who poffefs it. The subject naturally fuggefts fome important reflections.

and Saviour. These duties are certainly as binding, as those we Owe our fellow-creatures-yea, more fo, as we are under greater obligation to him, than to them. How unreasonable and unfcriptural then the fentiment, that religion confifts chiefly in the moral duties we owe mankind; and that a careful obfervance of those duties, which more immediately ref pect God, or that loving and worshipping him, are not effential to true religion and falvation? Thofe, who adopt fuch fentiments, manifeft, that they pay little regard to the word of God-are ignorant of the first duties and principles of the gospel religion, and are yet in the gall of bitterness.

2d. The fubject teaches, that thofe, who are negligent of the duties, which refpect God and divine things, are deftitute of all true benevolence or religion. Had they any real benevolence, it would neceffarily exprefs itself in love to God and divine things-in cordial obedience to his commands, and in a careful obfervance of the duties and inftitutions of religion. What a delusion then for perfons, who live in the neglect of prayer, public worship, fabbath,

1ft. It teaches the great error of thofe, who make religion to confift chiefly in being honeft, juft, kind, and faithful in our dealings with our fellow-creatures, and fuppofe, that it is of little importance, whether we believe the fcriptures and doctrines of the gofpel, worfhip God in public, family and fecret, feriously obferve the fab-reading the fcriptures, and other bath, and other fimilar duties, religious duties, to flatter themwhich more immediately refpect felves, that they have any true beGod and divine things; provid- nevolence, and fhall obtain heaven; ed we are but moral in our con- because they are moral, honest and duct towards mankind. It has kind towards mankind? Such are been fhewn, that love to God is, as great hypocrites and felf-dein every point of view, the firft ceivers, and give as much eviand highest duty-that if we pof- dence, that they are deftitute of all fefs any holiness or true benevo- real holiness and benevolence, as lence, it will flow out towards do thofe, who neglect the duhim fupremely, in the love of be- ties they owe their fellow-creanevolence, complacency and grattures by living in dishonesty, falfeVOL. III. No. 4.

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olence-will with them well, and feek their prefent and future good. They will carefully avoid wrong

hood, injuftice and theft. For the duties, which we owe immediately to God, are certainly as binding, as those we owe to man-ing and injuring others, and faithkind, and true benevolence, or re- fully perform the various duties ligion, will regard the moft High they owe their fellow-creatures. as its first object. Did we fee For thofe that love God, will perfons indulging in knavery, keep his cominands, and thefe falfehood, injuftice, and other fim- enjoin their duty toward man, as ilar vices, and yet flattering them- well as toward God. If any felves, that they were truly pious therefore are knavish, unjust, opand benevolent, and in the way preffive, revengeful, contentious to heaven, because they punctual- or neglectful of the duties which ly obferved the external forms refpect mankind; it is manifeft, and duties of religion towards that they have no true piety or God, fhould we not confider love to God, whatever may be them as very unreasonable and hy- their profeffion or fhew of religion. pocritical? But are they not quite as unreafonable and hypocritical, who live in neglect of daily prayer, public worship, ferious obfervance of the fabbath and other fimilar duties, and perhaps even make light of divine things, and yet pretend to real religion and benevolence; because they are moral and honeft in their dealings with mankind? The religion, which thus leads perfons to difregard God and the duties we owe him, and affects to regard our fellow creatures above our Creator, we may know, is not the religion of the Lord Jefus, who taught, that the firft and great command, is to love God with all the heart, and that except we love him above father, mother, wife, or children, we cannot be his difciples. And thofe, who embrace fuch a religion, cannot be far from total infidelity.

3d. It may be obferved, that although true piety or benevolence will neceffarily flow out in fupreme love to God as its firft object; yet it will always be accompanied with a benevolent regard to mankind. Thofe, who love Jehovah, will alfo love all mankind with the love of benev

Finally, let us all be excited to the exercife of fupreme love to Jehovah. It is the firft and higheft duty of each one of us. We are urged to it by the most weighty motives and obligations. God is infinitely glorious and lovely, and therefore deferving of our highest affection and regard. We are also under the higheft obligations of gratitude to him for his innumerable favors, and efpecially for his unfpeakable gift of the Saviour. We live every moment upon his goodness, and it is of his mere mercy, that we are out of hell. How vile then our ingratitude and wickedness, if we have no love for our Almighty Benefactor, and live in difobedience to his righteous commands? We fhall juftly deferve to be frowned from his glorious prefence into outer darknefs, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Yea, this cordial affection and reconciliation to the divine character are abfolutely neceffary to our peace and happiness in the prefent and future world. For God is the only fource of real good. His prefence and fmiles conftitute the felicity of heaven. Unlefs therefore we are cordially

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