should not perish, but have everlasting life." Our Redeemer's love also is displayed in his dying for us: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." This is the real fountain of charity; and the Mediator and his mediation is the only channel through which charity flows to men; and the Holy Spirit, with his grace, is the river of life in which charity flows; and it is one of the streams of the river of pleasure which makes glad the city of God. "Hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us."

But then it may be asked, If this charity be the love of God to us, and the love of God in us, why does it bear two names, first, charity, and then, love? That matter has puzzled a good many. And, as charity seems to be peculiar to the New Testament, it may be asked, Was there no love under the old dispensation: for we read of God's shewing mercy to thousands of them that love him, even in the law itself? All this is true. There is much said about the love of God in the Old Testament: and many under that dispensation did know it, enjoy it, exercised it, and confessed it; but it ever was, and ever will be, a gift, a grace, a blessing, of the new and better covenant; and all the ancient saints that enjoyed it, enjoyed it by being in covenant with God, and by virtue of union with the covenant Head; it never came

from the law, nor by the law; for the law worketh wrath, not love.

Charity, as considered in God, and in the fullest sense, never was clearly revealed till the Son of God appeared in human nature. In the fulness of time, and at the manifestation of Christ in the flesh, God's charity appeared in all its glory: He so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son. This love was promised long before, but the manifestation of it was at the appearing of Christ: In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him," 1 John iv. 9. Nor was the charity of Christ fully manifested till his death took place: "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us." Here is the charity of the Father and the Son both made manifest, and that in the fullest sense.

Moreover, the Messiah was to be king mediator; but he was to obtain his kingdom by conquest; he was to vanquish and spoil principalities and powers, and to lead captivity captive, before he was to ascend his mediatorial throne. Upon his resurrection from the dead all power in heaven and earth was given to him; and upon his ascension he was crowned with glory and honour. This Christ calls going into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, Luke xix. 12. Upon this exaltation of our king Messiah new laws were given

and great alterations made, as is generally the case when new sovereigns invade and take a kingdom. The divine oracles inform us that upon the ascension of Christ a law was to proceed from him: "Hearken unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Charity is a branch of this law which was to be given forth by the Son of God when he was exalted and glorified in human nature. Milton perceived something of this, but he does not describe it so as the scriptures do; but what he says upon it is right:

Only add

Deeds to thy knowledge answerable; add faith,
Add virtue, patience, temperance, add love,
By name to come called charity, the soul
Of all the rest; then wilt thou not be loath
To leave this paradise, but shall possess

A paradise within thee, happier far.

The law which came forth from Christ hath two branches :

1. Faith. Christ is the author and finisher of faith, Heb. xii. 2. This is one branch of his law.

2. The other branch is charity. "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." This is called a new commandment, which makes that of the former covenant old. The old com,

mandment respects the neighbour, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" but this respects the children of God; it is, that ye love one another. The old commandment is, "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;" but this new commandment goes further, Thou shalt love one another, as I have loved you; which John explains, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." Now Christ displayed his greatest love in dying for us: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends;" and greater charity hath no saint than this, to lay down, as Paul did, his life for the brethren, when he said, "Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all."

I observed before that the law of Christ hath two branches, faith and love; and to this John agrees: "And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him." Paul says the same: "For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." This is the law that came by Christ, and this the Spirit writes in the hearts of all believers; and this work of the Spirit includes every law in the book of God; and this is the law that Paul means, and no other, when he

says, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."

When Christ gave commandment that his gospel should be preached to all nations for the obedience of faith, the end that Christ aimed at in that command is accomplished in every soul where this law of faith, which worketh by love, comes: "Now the end of the commandment is charity, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."

Having discovered the fountain of charity, which is God, and the channel of charity in which it flows, namely, Christ the mediator; and that it belongs to the law of the Messiah, and is inscribed in the hearts of all the saints by the Holy Ghost; I shall now treat of the objects of it;

That is, I shall inquire who are the proper objects of this charity, as exercised either by God, by Christ, or by the saints. And this is a truth, that not every individual of mankind is the object of charity, nor yet my neighbour; for there is no mention made of these by our Lawgiver at the giving of this new commandment; had the neighbour been mentioned it had not been a new com

mandment, but the old one. But it is a new commandment, Love one another; love the saints, love the brethren. The elected children of God are the only objects of it, whether we consider it as exercised by God the Father, by Christ, by the Holy Spirit, or by the saints. And in