have tasted its first fruits; it extends to all who confess that Jesus is the Son of God. And all may have the proof of this in themselves, the same proof as we apostles have-by partaking of his nature. It was the purpose of Christ's coming, to make us "partakers of the divine nature." 5 That nature is love. God is love: and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Thus the apostle raises Christians to the highest eminence; but by steps which all can perceive and judge of. Brotherly kindness and charity is their prevailing temper, if they are indeed "of God;" and in this sense they may say, Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. He has not given the power of healing diseases, or of speaking in various tongues, or of seeing into the hearts of men. But he does give of his Spirit to the disciples of Christ, and one chief quality of that Spirit is love. It is not the natural disposition of man, which is inclined to self-seeking, rivalry, jealousy, strife, malice; but it is the renewed spirit, the heaven-born disposition, to have that charity which "suffereth long, and is kind: which envieth not, vaunteth not itself, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.” 6

Therefore, he that dwelleth in love has a proof within him that he dwelleth in God, and God in him. For we are taught by our great example, what it is to dwell in love. He dwelt in love, who "went about doing good:" who used his divine power

5 2 Pet. i. 4.

61 Cor. xiii. 5, 6.

most chiefly in showing mercy and pity. He dwelt in love, who wept with those who wept at the tomb of Lazarus; and called back from the grave the widow's only son. He dwelt in love, who, when little children were brought to him, did not disdain the interruption, but took them up in his arms, and laid his hands upon them, and blessed them. He dwelt in love, who rebuked the spirit of his disciples, when they would have called down fire from heaven upon his enemies. He dwelt in love, who prayed for them that were torturing and reviling him, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Such is love-the love of God. Such is the love which we are taught to imitate. For he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. But we are not one with him, or he with us, unless he has given us of that Spirit: unless we have been "taught of him" to "live peaceably with all men :" to "be of the same mind one towards another, rejoicing with them that do rejoice, and weeping with them that weep ;" to "be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another;" not to be "overcome of evil, but to overcome evil with good." For this is that excellent gift of charity, without which we may indeed "have a name to live," but nevertheless be counted as dead before God.

7 Rom. xii. 10-21.

LECTURE LXXI.

THE EFFECT OF PERFECT LOVE IN PRODUCING PERFECT CONFIDENCE.

1 JOHN iv. 17, 18.

17. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

St. John here states the effect of the love of God and man, of that state of mind to which the Gospel leads, when it is made perfect; when it is completely inwrought in the heart by the power of the Holy Ghost. The full effect of such love is this: that we may look forward to the day of judgment, that day when we shall see God face to face without fear. Because as he is, so we are in the world. Because that is removed which caused a difference and a distance between us and God, and therefore made us contemplate the season of meeting him with terror.

By nature we are alienated from God. It was the first consequence of sin. Adam was conscious. of sin, and hid himself from the presence of God among the trees of the garden. Whilst he was yet

1 Gen. iii. 8.

innocent, the

presence

of God would be his delight and joy; with sin came fear, the fear of meeting him whom he had offended.

And this is an example of the case of mankind in general. Their natural impulse is to hide themselves from the presence of God. They invent a multitude of devices to exclude God from their thoughts and memory. The mention of him is avoided. The anticipation of that season which must bring them before him is shunned and derided. Few are the companies which would like to be suddenly reminded, "Thou, God, seest us." It is not written up in our places of concourse, our assemblies of business or of pleasure, "We must all appear before the judgment seat of God.” To have boldness in the day of judgment, or in the expectation of that day, is not the usual state of men.

But the apostle says, Herein is our love2 made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. The Gospel has fulfilled its purpose, when God and man are reconciled. It restores to a state of love, those who were before in a state of enmity.

The connexion of parent and child on earth may furnish an example. Properly, the parent ought to love the child, and the child the parent. But the disobedient child has no such love: and regards the parent with terror, or perhaps aversion. His feeling is like that of Adam. He would hide himself from the presence which he knows that he has reason to fear.

In such a case, the first effect of change of heart in the offending child would bring back the affection towards the father: would carry him into his

4 τετελείωται ἡ ἀγαπη μεθ' ἡμων.

presence, saying, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants."

The Gospel does the same. It attracts us to love God, because he has first loved us. And when that object is effected, herein is love made perfect, and there is no more fear. We are enabled to keep the first and great commandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy mind, and all thy soul, and all thy strength." The ground of fear is removed, which is a consciousness of difference, of unlikeness. When as he is, so we are in the world, there is no unlikeness, and therefore no servile fear. For that fear arises out of our knowing that we ought to "be holy, as he is holy;" but that, on the contrary, we are not cleansed from all pollution of flesh and spirit, and therefore are little fitted to appear before God. We have the mind by which St. Peter was affected, when he was suddenly made conscious of the divine person in whose presence he was standing, and exclaimed, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." s

66

But can this be? That as he is, we should be? How far can this likeness extend?

We

In one respect alone can man resemble God. When he approves what God approves, and strives to conform his character to what he knows to be God's will. Naturally, the case is just otherwise. desire what God forbids, we dislike what he commands. In this consists that struggle of the flesh against the spirit, which is the perpetual distress and

3 Luke v. 8.