course of your feelings and habits declares the contrary ? You cannot deceive God ; nor can you prevail on him to give in your favour a judgment contrary to truth. Bring the matter to a trial. Be not content to leave it in suspense. Indeed, if you can be content to leave it in doubt whether you love God or not, you can have no clearer proof that you are altogether des- titute of his love: for the smallest sense of love to him that could exist in your soul, would make you uneasy, till you had placed the existence of it beyond a doubt.]
2. Let us not be satisfied till we can appeal to God, and say, " Thou knowest that I do love thee" —
[Thus St. Peter was enabled to reply, in answer to the question thrice put to him by our blessed Lordf: and we also should be able to make a similar appeal to the heart- searching God respecting our love to him. And why should we not ? Of defects, every one of us must be conscious ; yea, of such defects, that, if God were to enter into judgment with us according to them, we must perish. But of our desires after God, and our supreme delight in him, and our determination of heart, through grace, to please him, we may be conscious; and this consciousness may well abide in us, as a source of most exalted joy. I pray God that this joy may be ever yours, my beloved brethren ; and that when we shall stand at the judg- ment-seat of Christ, God himself may bear testimony to us all, as having borne a distinguished place amongst his faithful, loving, and obedient servants.]
f John xxi. 15 — 17.