"the man * !" who rendereth not to the Lord according to his goodness. In faying that a man is ungrateful, you say every thing of him that is bad. How we defpife the man, who hath received favours from a worthy perfon, and hath no regard in what manner he is affected, or behaves to him! Perhaps he hath importuned and teafed him, till he obtain what he asked; and the moment after, hath no feeling but of the gift, and fhuns the giver :- we turn from the wretch with fcorn, as bereft of the spirit of a man, and abhor the thought of having any connection with one in whom the human character is fo much degraded. The feeling of gratitude, the most pleasing that belongs to our frame, is intimately mixed with fear; and it is ingenuous fear that beftows upon it activity and excellence. The ho. neft heart labours with thoughts of his benefactor; cautiously fhuns every thing that would offend, and anxiously purfues every thing that can ferve him. And in proportion to the favour being greater, and the pleasure arifing from it more ravifhing, this caution and anxiety will increase. But, what favour can equal that which the prophet calls "the goodness of "the latter days?" The gofpel is God's unfpeakable gift and as it is more than a dif penfation of goodnefs, in the general fenfe of goodnefs, even a difpenfation of mercy to the miferable; a facred ordination of heaven, "to : • Hab. ii. 11. G 2 " preach "preach glad tidings to the poor, to bind up, "the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to. "the captives, and the opening of the prifon "to them that are bound * :" and as the Son. of God, to accomplish this purpose, took upon him our nature, appeared" in the form of a fervant," underwent many hardships, and. bare all manner of injuries, and at last, "hum"bled himself, and became obedient to death,, " even the death of the cross +:"- think how our fouls fhould be affected? If a " love that "is stronger than death ‡," must conquer the heart; then, Chriftians, behold the love of your Saviour, fuperior to all the horrors of the most ignominious, cruel, and accurfed, death! έ "Depart from me, for I am a finful man, O Lord!" was the exclamation of Peter,, upon the miraculous draught of fishes. He fpake the language of aftonishment: but, furely, the calmeft fenfe, if it be at all a true fenfe, of the mercy of God in the gofpel, must fill us with the highest reverence of the divine majefty, the deepest felf-abafement, ingenuous forrow and fhame for having offended him, fear to offend, and care to obey him, for the future. The apoftle confiders this as natural and unavoidable; and he puts it to men themfelves, whether a contrary behaviour can bear any other conftruction than that of defpifing his + Phil. ii. 7. 8. • If. lxi. r. Luke, iv. 18. Luke v. 8. goodnefs.. goodness. "Defpifeft thou the riches of his "goodness, and forbearance, and long-fuffer"ing; not knowing that the goodness of God "leadeth thee to repentance * ?”. « What shall "I render unto the Lord for his goodness +?” will be the anxious inquiry of every fincere heart, when he reflects upon the goodness of God, in the ordinary courfe of his providence. -But the Lord hath redeemed our fouls from deftruction! Is it poffible for the ingenuous Christian ever to forget fuch a gift and fuch a giver, or to be carelefs about his behaviour before him? Will not an honeft heart within him concur with the Pfalmift, and fay, "There is "forgivenefs with God; that he may be fear"ed?" Yes: he will look up to his benefactor with eager eyes, mark well the aspect of his providence, and the declarations of his word; receive, with glad fubmiffion, every notification of his will; and carefully ftudy to imitate his example. Tenderly affected with the fenfe of fo much goodnefs, the thought of neglect or disobedience will fill his foul with horror. So fitly doth fear, including reverence, and care to please, correfpond to the view of the divine goodness. So nearly is this allied to love; and fo efficacious a principle of all that is good and excellent in the conduct of life. Reverence, on one hand, guarding it against prefumption, and care to pleafe, on the other, • Rom. ii. 4. t Pfal. cxvi. 14. G 3 + Pfal. cxxx. 4 against against supineness and negligence, make love to iffue in a zeal to obey. Than this fear, therefore, what worthier principle can poffefs the human breaft? Who will be careful of his duty, and attentive to the whole will of God? The man who fears the divine goodness. Who will poffefs purity of intention? who will join humility with zeal? who will act naturally, freely, and with vigour? who will perfevere, and abound in every good work? who will have fobriety of temper, and equality of conduct? who can appeal to a calm and enlightened confcience ? in fine, whofe religious principles may be at all times depended on ? Whofe, but the man's that "feareth the Lord "and his goodness?" Much vain controverfy hath been held about fear and love, confidered as principles of religious conduct; which could proceed only from mens mistaking both the fpirit of the gospel, and the nature of the human mind. The true Chriftian principle is neither love feparated from fear, nor fear feparated from love; but it is the one undivided affection which refults from their perfect union. In the former cafe, fear and love may divide the empire of the mind between them, but have different objects, power and juftice merely being the object of one, and goodnefs merely the object of the other. In the latter cafe, they coalefce, and mutually interchange their objects. The good man loves God's righteoufnefs, and fears his goodness. Indeed, their very nature when u nited, is different from what it is when they are feparated: and the confequences are fuitable. Fear of God's power or justice, may induce a constrained, niggardly, inconftant obedience; but fear of his goodnefs, an obedience cheerful, liberal, and uniform. On the other hand, love, implying mere delight, may be highly impaffioned; love coupled with fear is enlightened, and ferene. The former may be brisk and daring, but is irregular, and tranfient, and burns, like the lightning of heaven, only to confume: the other is mild, regular, and. fteady, and glows, like the genial warmth of the fun, to refresh and ftrengthen. The confequences of feparating fear and love are indeed more pernicious than many are aware of. How often hath it been feen, that when either of them prevails apart, it enervates the mind, misleads mens apprehenfions of truth and duty, and lays wafte the confcience. Particularly, how often hath that prefumption and felf-complacency, which fome men falfely dignify with the name of love, exalted enthufiafts, in their own imaginations, aabove the neceffity of regarding the divine law. Sometimes they have been known to fay fo; but, much oftner, what they dare not utter with their lips, they will fpeak, however, inwardly to their own hearts. And fo fruitful in refources is a felf-deceived heart, that they can hide this prefumption from their own view, even under the guife of humility. They look as if they were afraid, left the notion of obedience |