" Behold then, what manner of love is this wherewith the Father hath loved us!" Vei'ily, if David was quite over- whelmed with the favours conferred on him, much more may we, whose obligations are so infinitely higher, and more per- manent than his.]
2. How faint and cold is our love to him !
[See David coming into the presence of his God, and sitting in the temple before him. His mind is quite oppressed with a sense of gratitude, and words seem altogether inade- quate to express his feelings. Yet, notwithstanding our obli- gations to God so infinitely exceed his, how rarely has God ever seen us in the posture of David ! Many of us, it is to be feared, have never spent so much as one hour in our whole
lives, in his contemplations, and in his exercises
Do you ask. How shall I attain his frame? Beg of God to work it in you by his good Spirit. And especially do as he did. He determined to promote to the very utmost of his power the honour and glory of his heavenly Benefactor : and THEN it was that God revealed to him all the purposes of his grace respecting the raising up of a son from his loins to execute the work which he had contemplated, and to make that son of his the progenitor of the Messiah himself. Improve ye in like manner for God all the faculties and powers that ye possess ; and in honouring God ye yourselves shall be honoured. Only exert yourselves for God, and every thing which you do, or only devise, for him, shall return in blessings into your own bosom.]
cccxv.