r>.' l JOHN, in. n. [2449.
calls us to set our love ou him. What then shall I say of the man who complies not with this reasonable demand? I appeal to you, my brethren, whether such a man, supposing such an one could be found, can have any true religion?
Perhaps you will say, It is impossible that such a monster should exist. Then let us submit the matter to a test, the test proposed to us by the Apostle himself.]
To do this, we affirm,
II. That he can have no true love to God, who is destitute of love to man —
Love to God must of necessity comprehend in it these three things : a regard for his authority ; gra- titude for his mercies ; and zeal for his glory. Let us see then whether the man who " shuts up his bowels of compassion from his fellow-creatures," has any one of these ? Has he,
1 . Any regard for God's authority ?
[God most solemnly enjoins under the Old Testament compassion for our indigent brother, and a willingness to
relieve himc He requires the same under the New
Testament d He informs us who the person is to
whom we are to manifest this love, even every child of mane
He tells us from whom he expects this grace, even
from the poor, who are constrained to get their own living by
manual labour, as well as from the rich and great f He
has enforced this duty by every kind of argument: by promises the most engaging5 and by threatenings the most tre- mendous11 He has declared that it shall form his rule
of judgment in the last day, and determine our eternal
destinies' .
Now then what regard can he have to God's authority who lives in the neglect of this duty ? He says, in fact, My goods are my own, and I will dispose of them as I please : and, " as for God, I know him not ; neither will I obey his voice."]
2. Any gratitude for his mercies ?
[Our blessed Lord, reminding us what temporal blessings his heavenly Father bestows upon us, calls us to an imitation of him in our conduct towards our fellow-men, that so we may approve ourselves as his children by our resemblance to himk
c Deut. xv. 7 — 11. Cite this at large. d 1 John iv. 21.
e Luke x. 29—37. f Eph. iv. 28. Acts xx. 34, 35.
R Isai. Iviii. 7, 8. h Jam. ii. 13. ' Matt. xxv. 31,41,46.
k Matt. v. 44, 45, 48.