Twenty-sixth Day. Of the terms men would make with God

I. ' How long will ye halt between two opinions?' 1 Kings xviii. SI. No man can serve two masters. Mattli, vi. S4. We know, if we would be saved, we must love and serve God; but we would fain separate from that love, and that service, whatever is burdensome; and leave only what is pleasing to us. We would serve him on the terms of giving him only words and ceremonies, and of those ceremonies, only such as are not too long and tedious. We would love God on the terms of loving, with him, and perhaps above him, things wliich he has forbidden and condemned. We would love him on the terms of dimin ishiiig nothing in that blind selflove, whereby, instead of refering ourselves to God, by whom and from whom we exist, we on the contrary, refer Grod to ourselves, and betake ourselves to him only as a source of comfort, when the creatures fail us. We would serve him and love him on the terms of being sometimes ashamed of him, and not venturing to give him any more than the world shall allow and approve of. What kind of love and service is this?

II. God will admit no other terms with us, but those which we covenanted in our baptism, wherein we promised to renounce tlie world for his sake. His first and great commandment requires that we should love him unre-

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S;} Eejlections.

fei'vediy with our whole lieart, and mind, and strength. Can he be said truly to love God, who pays great deference to the world, his adversary, against which he has denounced so many judgments? Can he he said to love God, who is afraid of knowing him too much* lest he should he too far engaged in his service? Can he be said to love God who satisfies himself with not aifronting him, and takes no pains to please him, nor is zealous for an opportunity to serve him? God sets no limits to his love towards us, and, therefore, our returns to iiim should be of the same nature.