20 TRUE DEVOTEDNESS TO GOD God! how fervent their love! how rapturous their delight! They have no will but his, no pleasure but in pleasing him. Why should they be more devoted to God than you! Are not you his child, his son, or daughter? they are no more. Are not you his child, ransomed by the blood of his Son? they are not so much. In this your nearness and dearness to him excels even theirs; and can you feel this, and not devote to him your body and your soul? § 11. True devotedness to God is connected with deep self-abasement and child-like affection. It is not the devotedness of a servant, who employs his powers for his master, merely on account of the wages he expects to earn; it is the devotedness of a ransomed criminal, who consecrates to the friend that redeemed him the life his kindness has prolonged. It is the devotedness of a penitent prodigal, when restored by undeserved compassion to his father's house and bosom. He serves God, not for the benefits he wishes to acquire, but for the mercies he has received. Think of the case of a condemned criminal. Having violated his country's laws, he is justly doomed to death. His claim to life is forfeited. His interest in his property ceases. His connection with his friends terminates. His all is lost. Neither on liberty, nor possessions, nor friends, nor life has he a further claim. He stands a wretched, insulated being, cut off from his connexions with man, severed from all of which he was once a part, and unable to say of any thing that surrounds him, excepting misery, This is mine. Suppose some generous friend to pay a price sufficient for the ransom of this man, the sentence of death is reversed, he is restored to liberty, to friends, to possessions, to life. But if possessed of proper feeling, whose would these be? whose would he be ? Could he say of these things, They are mine. Must he not say, They are his, and I am his, who ransomed me. An anecdote related in the life of Doddridge, may afford an impressive illustration of this subject. A poor Irishman had been convicted at Northampton of murder, and in consequence was doomed to die. Doddridge visited him in prison, and becoming convinced of his innocence, exerted himself to procure a reprieve. These exertions were vain, the man suffered death; but that benevolent Christian observes, Among other things I remember he said, Every drop of 66 PRODUCED BY REDEEMING LOVE. 21 my blood thanks you, for you have had compassion on every drop of it.' He wished he might before he died have leave to kneel at the threshold of my door, to pray for me and mine; which indeed he did on his knees, in the most earnest manner, as he was taking out to be executed. You,' said he,' are my redeemer in one sense (a poor impotent redeemer!) and you have a right to me. If I live, I am your property, and I will be a faithful subject.'" May I not learn from it gratitude to him, who hath redeemed and delivered me? How eagerly did he receive the news of a reprieve for a few days! How tenderly did he express his gratitude; that he should be mine; that I might do what I pleased with him; that I had bought him! Spoke of the delight with which he should see and serve me; that he would come once a year from one end of the kingdom to the other, to see and thank me, and should be glad never to go out of my sight! O, why do not our hearts overflow with such sentiments on an occasion infinitely greater! We are all dead Execution would soon have been done upon us: but 'Christ has redeemed us to God by his blood.' We are not merely reprieved, but pardoned; not merely pardoned, but adopted; made heirs of eternal glory, and near the borders of it. In consequence of all this, we are not our own, but 'bought with a price. May we glorify God in our bodies and spirits, which are his!' men. Every child of God was once as surely a condemned wretch as was the poor Irish criminal. And condemned to a more direful death, the death that never dies. What then should be the language of the Christian, who views himself and his condition rightly. "Father, nothing that I have is mine; for I have forfeited all, and lost myself. Behind me were years of sin, before me the gloom of eternal night. I lay a helpless, ruined wretch, justly condemned to death and hell; and as able to pluck the sun from the firmament, as to blot out my crimes, or to set aside the sentence of deserved condemnation. I had lost thy favour. I had no claim upon the smallest blessing; nothing was mine but guilt; nothing awaited me but perdition; without one gleam of hope, I was hastening to eternal night. Then didst thou interpose. Then did thy Son bleed and atone for me; and now I live. Thou hast given me more than a reprieve, a gracious pardon. I live, pardoned 20 God! I TRUE DEVOTEDNESS TO GOD PRODUCED, &c. saved; but whose am I? not my own. The blood which somed me when I had lost my all, bought all I now posess, and all I am. Thou art my Redeemer, and thou hast a right to me. Thou hast had compassion on my body and my soul. I am thy property, and while I live would live to thee. How important is such a life! how different the views and feeling of a heart, actuated by such principles, from those they indulge, who having never known themselves utterly con demned, hope to please God by their defective morality! How different in its design as well as in its governing principles Let the mere moralist, or the fashionable worldly Christian, utter his sentiments, and he might say, "I trust the virtues of my character, and the goodness of my heart and actions, will obtain me the favour of my Maker." Let him, who acts from the principles above displayed, explain the design of his obe dience, and he would say, "I have no such expectation as my deluded fellow-sinner describes; I have deserved hell, and having deserved that direful doom, I know I cannot deserve heaven. All that I do, and all I ever can do, for God, (and 1 would do all I can,) is but a poor imperfect offering of gratitude and love to him for saving me. It is not a service by which I hope to earn his favour, but it is his rightful claim, because he, as it were, bought my body and my soul, when he redeemed me from the pit of destruction, by the blood of his Son. A life of devotedness to God is not generally connected with retirement, and withdrawment from the duties of the present world. Some avocations indeed are of such a nature, that religion absolutely forbids them, but with respect to those that are lawful and needful, the followers of Christ are di rected to be "not slothful in business," e as well as fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Religion does not set aside the com mon avocations of life, but, while it allows or enjoins the employments, it sanctifies the motives, that are to govern ir their performance, and says, Do this not with the views of the thoughtless worldling, but do all to the glory of God. Le thy industry, let thy diligence, reflect honour on the gospel and furnish thee with additional means for promoting the honour of God. Seek health, that God may be glorified by thy improvement of its blessings. Labour for food that Goc (e) Rom. xii. 11 LIFE TO BE PASSED AS IN GOD'S SIGHT. Let ho icmay be glorified in the life that food supports. ९ my $12. Another feature in a life of devotedness to God will be, a prevailing concern to pass life as in his sight. That we are so, all but atheists acknowledge, but most forget. That he is so, the Christian desires to remember, and more and or more impressively to feel. In public, or in private, in blazing day, or midnight darkeness, still acknowledge, Thou, O God, seest me. In the season of business, and in the hour of prayer, in the house of worship, or by your own fire-side, still God sees you. He hears every word, he observes every action, and watches every thought. Alas! how much practical atheism have even his children to deplore! for how much are these truths forgotten! He sees thee in the day of pain, and knows thy every secret sorrow. He sees thee in thy cheerful hours, and knows how those hours are spent. Were an apostle or an angel always with you, how would you watch your actions, and your words! but an infinitely greater is always near you! Were you to spend a few years immediately in the presence of God, how would you live? God is as intimately acquainted with you, and all you do, say, and think, and are, as he could possibly be then. Act therefore as in his sight. Often think, "Should I live as I do, if I saw my God? Should I do these actions, utter these words, should I indulge these thoughts, if I beheld he him, who now beholds me? Imitate the Lord Jesus Christ. In his holy life, devotedseness to God shone with its brightest lustre. He represented it Has his meat, his very support, to do his heavenly Father's will. in When after a fatiguing journey, his disciples entreated him to - partake of refreshment, he replied, "I have meat to eat that heye know not of. My meat is to do the will of him that sent in me, and to finish his work." f He laboured and suffered for e the honour of God. He ascribed to his heavenly Father his et actions, his doctrines, and his success. He waited on him in his temple, or sought the solitude of deserts, to spend whole nights in fervent devotion. In life, he was all activity and zeal for his heavenly Father's honour; and in sufferings and death, all submission and resignation to his heavenly Father's (f) John iv. 32, 34. 24 DEVOTEDNESS TO GOD URGED will: and he left us his example that we should follow hi steps. 13. Perhaps you think the devotedness to God, thus urge upon you, is far superior to that which numbers who profe religion manifest. Be it so. Numbers deceive themselv and have a name to live while they are dead. Numbers m of whose sincerity some hope may be entertained, yet, al: give cause for many a fear that, when weighed in the balan they will be found wanting. You would not wish at las belong to either of these classes. You will wish for a relig that, when proved by death and eternity, shall appear of right kind. Think not then that you are entreated to de yourself too entirely to God. He claims you for his mer sake. "I beseech you, by the mercies of God, that you vote your body a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to which is your reasonable service." O think of those me God made you what you are. You might have been a but he has blessed you with a human form, and an in tal soul. You enjoy the use of reason. It is his gift. might have been an idiot or a maniac. Do you posses ing, speech, sight? Can you taste, feel, smell? It is 1 has blessed you with these powers; you might hav deaf, dumb, and blind, unable to smell, or feel, or taste haps you were born to the enjoyment of wealth; that, but for his goodness, you might have been a l or a gipsy's child. If not wealthy, you are probably in a situation which affords you many temporal He placed you there. You might have been an Ar dering and famishing in burning deserts; a Koon-ke ing with the wild beasts in dens or trees; a Bushman tentot, sunk almost to a level with the brute creati have had parents or friends, whose love cheered an your early years. God gave them. You might 1 born where heathenism destroys natural affection, a offer their children to Moloch. God has been kin your lot; and has he not how m ind in the deal |