ON DEVOTEDNESS TO GOD.

15

us? Their warmest affection is cold as rocks of ice, compared with that which actuated the breast of the Eternal, when he so loved the world as to give Jesus for its ransom, or with that of the divine Immanuel, when he became for us a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. The love of the fondest mortal friends is in a great degree but the return of affection; and such too is the love of man, of saints, of angels, to God. "We love him because he first loved us." ''ጌ The love of God was unsought, unsolicited, shown not to friends but enemies; and shown when in our character there was every thing to prevent, and nothing to produce, it. On our interest in this, an eternity is concerned; on our interest in the breasts of those we hold most dear on earth, nothing but an inch of time.

§ 8. Consider, that not merely is the favour of God eternally important to you, but that he has an entire and unalienable claim on all you have and all you are. The first and the greatest commandment is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy mind, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. This commandment is binding upon all on earth, and all in heaven. The love it enjoins is the golden link that would bind the whole universe together in harmony and bliss. It would inspire all with one desire, and lead all to pursue one object, calculated supremely to glorify God, and to benefit man. The gospel of Jesus, while it delivers his followers from condemnation incurred by transgressing this law, takes not one jot or one tittle from our obligation to obey it; but strengthens that obligation by additional motives, and thus in fact establishes the law.

Such is the extreme deceitfulness of the human heart, that it may be useful more in detail to show what is required from those who are indeed devoted to God.

There can be no true devotedness to God, till the corrupt selfishness of the human heart is subdued. Selfishness is the root of man's depravity. He is his own idol. He would give to himself that place which God alone has a right to possess. Some of our old writers called sin deicide; probably from the idea that man, pursuing his career of sin and selfexaltation, would, if he possessed sufficient power, not stop

(z) 1 John iv. 19.

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THE EVIL OF SELFISHNESS.

notion is correct.

till he had thrust the Creator from his throne, and by destroying him had assumed that honour to himself. This Were the sinner possessed of sufficent might, when he had raised himself above all, except his God, he would esteem his God an enemy, and not be happy till he had advanced one step higher, and placed his throne above the throne of God. This is the tendency of the selfish depravity of the human heart, and were this corruption armed with equal power, this would be its end. When Alexander having conquered one world wept because he had not another to conquer, if he could have carried his victorious arms into the world unseen, and have waged war against his Maker, doubtless no place lower than his Creator's throne would have satisfied the infernal ambition that governed in his bosom. Every child of man is born with this corrupt principle, though in some it afterwards appears much more prominent than in others. It is the root of human wickedness. Every human being, by having indulged it, has become an idolater, for he has preferred self to God; and given this that place in his affections, which only God deserves and justly claims.

Ah! my friend, if pharisaic notions of the goodness of human nature charm your mind, you will think the writer a poor enthusiastic creature, almost beside himself, for penning assertions so strange. But if your heart has ever been broken up, if you have ever gained a glance at the great deep of iniquity within, though your life should have been fair and blameless, yet you will be ready to lie down in the dust of self-abasement, and to acknowledge, not as the extravagance of error, but as the correctness of truth, that

"God only knows the utmost hell
"Of the deceitful heart."

Alienated

$ 9. All by nature are without love to God. from him, and disposed to give to self the place he ought to have in their esteem. Where grace does not subdue this corrupt principle, and transform the man, this acts and governs in every station. The Indian Brahmin, who courts divine honours; the New Zealand chief, while esteemed a god by his fellow-savages, display its power. The soldier, the sailor, the tradesman, the man of science, the dissolute youth, and the giddy girl, are all under its influence. Ambition in every form is a desire of self-exaltation. Selfishness mounts the

SELFISHNESS THE ROOT OF SIN.

17

throne when a desire to gratify the thirst of pleasure, grandeur, and power, is the governing principle in a monarch's heart. Selfishness guides the general when spreading desolation through peaceful realms, that he may be extolled as a mighty conqueror. Selfishness rules the philosopher when pursuing his studies or forming his theories, that his name may be applauded through distant days. Selfishness governs the merchant and the tradesman when labouring for riches, that they or their children may be great upon earth. Selfishness ascends the pulpit, when the preacher labours not to exalt the Lord, but to charm his hearers, and to advance his own reputation. Selfishness governs the dissolute youth, whose pursuit is worldly pleasure; and the giddy girl, whose object is the admiration of the vain flutterers around her, or whose ambition it is to be more admired than some rival trifler like herself. Selfishness descends to the lowest sphere, it governs even in a beggar's breast; and the lowly peasant, whose ambition rises no higher than to be the first man in his native village, is as much under its corrupt influence as a Napoleon, disturbing the peace, and coveting the possession, of a world. The principle is the same, the sphere of action makes the difference.

§ 10. When this corruption of human nature is not subdued, it creeps into every action, and pollutes all it touches. Generosity in relieving distress may spring from selfish motives, from a desire to be seen of men; but then, whatever benefit the relieved sufferer finds, the giver finds none; his charity is polluted by selfishness, and changed into sinful ostentation. Activity and zeal may spring from this wicked source, and their real motive be the desire of human applause. We even read of prayers offered to be seen of men; prayers that, springing from so polluted a source, must bring curses, not blessings, down on the heads of the pretended but wicked worshippers.

It

This is in fact the root of innumerable sins. It produces pride and ambition. Man exalts himself in his own esteem; and would fain be exalted higher. It is the source of avarice and worldly-mindedness. Man covets much for himself. is the parent of resentment and envy. He is resentful, because self has received a real or fancied hurt; he is envious, because he would not have any rise higher or prosper more than him

18

GOD CLAIMS THE HEART.

self. This makes man indifferent to his fellow-creatures' good. While self does not suffer, it is a trifle to him that others do. This evil root produces slothfulness and inactivity. Even some professors of religion sit down contented with enjoying the blessings of the gospel, and careless of a perishing world; for they (at least they think so) feel no want. Selfishness

produces deceit, and treachery, and dishonesty. These are pursued to advance its ends. Discontent is its offspring. From thinking highly of what himself is or deserves, man becomes dissatisfied with the conduct of his God towards him. Nay, murders, the single murders of villains, the wholesale murders committed by hostile nations, or by heroes, are to be ascribed to this. Had man been a stranger to this corruption, and loved his God and his fellow-creatures, the earth would never have been dyed with human blood.

Could this radical corruption of human nature enter heaven, even heaven would become a scene of discord and confusion. Its inhabitants would each have an interest of his own, distinct from that of all around him, and opposed to the glory of God. God, instead of being universally loved and enthroned in every heart, would be comparatively disregarded; while each would exalt himself, at least in his own esteem and desires, to his Creator's place. Harmony and holiness would flee away; and the wicked scenes of earth be acted over again in heaven. Hence it is, that to meeten man for heaven, he must be born again.

It is an awful and alarming thought, that all short of the vital power of religion may exist where selfishness, instead of God, governs in the heart. Consider, therefore, what real religion demands, and inquire whether yours is such as leads you to devote yourself entirely, unreservedly, and eternally to God. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with ALL thy heart, and with ALL thy soul, and with ALL thy mind, and with ALL thy strength. This is the first and great commandment."a "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." "Ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

Behold what an unreserved surrender of yourself to God is here enjoined. Nothing less than consecrating to him all

(a) Matt. xxii. 37, 38. Luke x. 27.

(b) 1 Cor. x. 31. (c) 1 Cor. vi, 20.

BELIEVERS CHILDREN OF GOD,

19

your powers, and all your faculties, all you have, and all you are. With your whole heart you are bound to love him. Our days are to be spent for him, our property considered as his. You are called upon to offer your body a living sacrifice to the Lord; to esteem yourself no more your own, but his; your feet to move at his bidding, your hands to labour for his honour, your tongue to speak to his glory, and your body with all its powers to be holy and devoted to the Lord. So that even in the common actions of life, God may be regarded and honoured by you. Nor is this a mere matter of choice, which may be chosen as a higher good, but neglected without any considerable harm. It is the very object the gospel is designed to promote. There is no piety without devotedness to God. All professions of religion without this are as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. Nay, worse. The unconscious brass, when it emits a sound, is not false and hypocritic, but professions of religion, without devotedness to God, are glaring hypocrisy.

O, Reader, is such the life you lead? Has God your heart? Can you, with the Psalmist, exclaim, My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed?-fixed on thee, on Jesus, and on heaven;-fixed on consecrating to thee my faculties and powers; and though my flesh and heart must fail, yet would I consecrate to thee all the nobler powers of my immortal mind, and in life and in death aspire to thee, my God, and my portion for ever.

The view thus offered of the nature and necessity of devotedness to God, is further confirmed and illustrated by those numerous passages, which represent the Christian as a child of God. Surely from the children of such a Father, all this consecration of their whole selves to him is demanded. The affection of parents claims much, but the love of God claims more; and shall it be thought wicked ingratitude not to requite theirs with obedience and affection, and does not his demand much more devoted obedience, much more fervent affection? How high, how noble a character is that of a child of God! Ask an angel what is his highest honour, his noblest joy, and he might reply, It is that I am a child of God. Is this yours also, and should not an angel's dispositions be cherished in your heart? How supreme is their devotedness to

(d) 1 John iii. 2. Gal. v. 26. Rom. viii. 16.