that they ought to live to God, and not to themselves; and when they rise in the morning in the fear and love of God, they habitually devote the day to the service of their Maker, whether they have, or have not predetermined what particular business they shall pursue. They resolve to pursue the business which they have already undertaken, or to undertake and pursue some other business, in a manner that shall be pleasing to God. They mean to form their determinations in the love and fear of God, and to fulfil their determinations in the love and fear of God. And while they thus devote every day to God, they consider every day as consecrated time, which they have no right to spend in idleness, or to employ in promoting any interest of their own in opposition to the glory of God. This is plainly implied in being in the fear of the Lord habitually, or all the day long. Christ certainly lived in the habitual fear of God, and employed every day in his service. He says, "I must work the works of bim hat sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work." Christ devoted every day to the service of his Father; he dete mine what to do from morning to night. He determined when and where he would go, when and where he would speak in public, and when and where he would converse with his disciples or others in private. In eating and drinking, and in every thing he did, he did all to the glory of God. Just so, good men habitually live in the fear of God, and habitually do every thing to his glory.

2. As they habitually devote every day to God; so they habitually exercise such affections towards him, as are correspondent to his daily conduct towards them. They eye the hand and the heart of God in the daily smiles and frowns of providence. Though they daily anticipate the daily good or evil before them; yet their anticipations are almost every day disappointed. The sun that rises with a pleasant and promising appearance, very often sets in clouds and darkness; and a cloudy morning sometimes brings on a pleasant and prosperous day. They know not what any day may bring forth.But let it bring forth good or evil, they exercise such affections towards God, as are correspondent to his conduct towards them, in the course of the day. If he smiles, they rejoice, or if he frowns, they submit. If he gives, they are thankful; if he takes away, they are resigned. The habitual fear of God leads them to exercise right af fections towards him, and right affections towards every person with whom they are connected, with whom they converse, and with whom they transact any common or secular concerns. They habitually live as seeing him who is invisible, and daily regard the operations of his hand, and the operations of their hearts under it. They daily keep themselves in the love of God, and exercise holy and benevolent affections, in all their labours, sufferings, and enjoyments. Their internel affections are correspondent to their external circumstances.

Though they are daily called to attend to different objects, to discharge different duties, and to pass through different scenes; yet they daily exercise that love, or gratitude, or submission, or self-denial, or faith, or trust, or hope, or joy, that the changing scenes, or objects, or duties of every day require. Thus Christ exercised right affections towards God, and towards every person and object every day. Let him be where he would, let him go where he would, and let him do what he would, he habitually exercised such affections as were right in the sight of God. He always meant to please him, and never meant to displease him. Just so, those who live habitually in the fear of God, always mean to please him by exercising right affections, and never mean to displease him by exercising wrong affections. They mean to keep their hearts with all diligence under all circumstances. I mist add,

3. That good men's habitually living in the fear of God, implies that they habitually day by day perform the duties of every day.They not only devote every day to God, and exercise right affections towards him every day, but actually perform the duties he requires them to perform every day. They are not like idle persons, who labour one or two days in the week, but stand every other day in the week idle. They serve God every day, and stand no day entirely idle. They begin and spend every day in discharging the proper duties of the day. They are steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in the active service of God. Christ conversed more, preached more, and did more external duties, one day, than another; but he performed every duty every day, that belonged to the day. He was habitually about his Father's business, and never in a single day, or in a single instance, neglected it. So those who habitually live in the fear of God, habitually perform, day by day, the duties that belong to every day. They may be more active and diligent one day, than another, or in one part of the day, than another; yet it may be justly said, that they habitually perform, every day, the duties of the day. The most industrious man is not equally industrious every day and every part of the day; but yet we never fail to call that man industrious, who is habitually industrious from day to day, from week to week, and from year to year. In this sense, all who habitually do their duty to God and man; may be said to live habitually in the fear of God. Let us now inquire,

II. Why good men thus habitually live in the fear of the Lord.--

And it is,

1. Because God requires them to live so. He commands them 'to live in the fear of the Lord all the day long.' He commands them, "whether they eat, or drink, or whatever they do, to do all to his glory." He commands them, "to love the Lord their God with all their heart, with all their mind, and with all their strength, and their

neighbour as themselves." These commands require them to give all their hearts, all their time, all their talents, and all their services to God, at all times, in all places, and under all circumstances of life.Now, all good men view all these divine precepts as clothed with di vine authority, and laying them under infinite obligation to pay a cordial, a perfect, a constant, and a perpetual obedience to the whole will of God; and as they love God supremely, so they choose to pay universal obedience to every intimation of his will. They have the love of God in them; and so long as that love reigns in their hearts, it never fails to produce perfect obedience to the divine commands. The love of God constantly reigned in the heart of Christ; and constantly disposed him to do the things which pleased his Father.— Love to Christ is an infallible source of obedience to him. He says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." And again, "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”. And the Apostle John says, "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." David found by experience, that while supreme love to God reigned in his heart, he was always obedient; and hence he said, "I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." All good men live habitually in the fear of God, because they habitually esteem his precepts concerning all things to be right. For the same reason that they love God, they love his commands; and for the same reason that they habitually love his commands, they live in habitual obedience to them.

2. They habitually live in the fear of God, because they love to live so. They have made a general dedication of themselves to the service of God; and this disposes them to dedicate their time and talents to God every day, and to employ them every day, and all the day long in his service. They take a pleasure in living in communion with God and obedience unto him. David speaks largely of the happiness to be found in the love and fear of God, and in obedience to his commands. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the sou!; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, sweeter also than honey, and the honey-comb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned; and in keeping them there is great reward." "The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."— This, those who live in the fear of God find to be true; and therefore they delight in the law of God, and in obedience to his commands, after the inward man. All true Christians have the spirit of Christ who said, "I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea, thy law is within my heart." Good men are habitually disposed to do, what they find

an habitual happiness in doing. and therefore they actually live and all the day long. Besides,

They love to live in the fear of God;
in the fear of God from day to day,

3. They habitually live in the fear of God, because they have engaged to do it. They know, that God commands them to live habitually in his fear, and that they have engaged to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. They are bound not only by the law of God, but by the covenant of God, to watch habitually in his fear. They have laid themselves under the bonds of God's covenant, by voluntarily and solemnly engaging to keep it. They feel themselves inviolably bound to fulfil their solemn vows and engagements. They feel as Jepthah did, when he said, "I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back." Or as David did, when he said, "I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments." And they feel the truth and force of Christ's declaration, "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." They know, that they had better not have vowed, than having vowed, not to pay. They feel the strong and endearing obligations God has laid them under, and that they have laid themselves under, to walk habitually in the fear of God, every day and all the days they shall live in the world, and even as long as they exist.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. In the view of this subject, we may see in what sense good men may perfectly obey the command of God to do every thing to his glory. Some say, that they cannot conceive how it is possible for good men to obey this command. They say, they cannot conceive how any man can eat, and drink, and do every thing to the glory of God; And if no because no man can possibly always think of God.

man can always think of God, how can he always act with a view to his glory? It must be allowed, that no man can always think of God, in all his secular, or even religious concerns.— And if this be true, we must conclude, that God does not require any man to think of him always. But if he does not require any man to think of him always, how can he, with propriety,require any man to eat, and drink, and do every thing to his glory always? This question certainly deserves an answer; and perhaps a just and satisfactoThe command, to do every thing to ry answer may be given to it. the glory of God, means the same, as keeping ourselves in the love of God; and as keeping our hearts with all diligence; and as being in the fear of the Lord all the day long. These precepts require us to keep God habitually in view, as David says he actually did. "I have set the Lord always before me." That is, he habitually set God before him, just as a traveller sets that place to which he is going, habitually before him. If a man be travelling from hence to the Feder

al city, he must think of that city when he sets out, in order to give his horse the right direction. While he is travelling along and meets with parting paths, he must then think of the federal city, in order to take the right road. When he rises in the morning and leaves the house where he lodged, he must then think of the federal city; and so from day to day, and from time to time, he must think of the federal city until he actually reaches the place. Thus he thinks of the federal city just as often as he has occasion to think of it. He thinks of it so habitually, as to prevent any person or object from obstructing or turning him out of his course. He is all the while going to the feder al city, in every step he takes, though he does not actually think of that place, every moment and every step be takes on the journey. This clearly illustrates what is to be understood by habitual love to God, habitual fear of God, habitual trust in God, or habitual obedience to God. God requires nothing unintelligible or impracticable, when be requires us to do every thing to his glory. He only requires us to think of him habitually, to love him habitually, and to obey him habitually. Christ did this, and all other Christians can and ought to do it.

2. If good men can habitually live in the fear of God; then they have no excuse, if they do not keep the commandments of God per fectly in this life. It seems to be a general opinion, that God does not require men to be perfectly or constantly holy in this life. We find this opinion expressly taught in the Assembly's Catechism, in a question there put and answered. It is there asked, "Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God? Answer-No mere sman since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but daily doth break them in thought, word, and deed." This question and answer is repugnant to reason, scripture, and to another question and answer which we find before it. It is certainly contrary to reason to say, that God requires any thing of any man, which he is not able to do. It is contrary to scripture to say, that no man can keep any one of the divine commands perfectly or constantly. And it is contrary to another question and answer in the Catechism. The question and answer I refer to are these, "What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us? Ans. The preface to the ten commandments teaches us, that because God is the Lord, our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.” This last answer is agreeable to both reason and scripture. Since God is our Creator, Lord, and Redeemer,we ought to obey all his commands perfectly and constantly; both because he is worthy of such obedience, and all men are capable of yielding it. Though it may be true, that no mere man since the fall does in this life perfectly keep the commandments of God, but daily doth break them in thought, word, and deed; yet he has no excuse for his moral imperfections, or