Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: SERMON II. HUMAN AND DIVINE LOVE CONTRASTED. ROMANS v. 7, 8. " For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good mnn some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for vs." God's love to men, in its various relations, and in its various expressions, is the great and prevalent theme of the gospel. The gospel, indeed, is altogether a manifestation of that love, not only in the plan which it unfolds, but throughout all the language of its record. It is not only assertid that God loves us, but one principal object of whatever the sacred writers have been prompted to say, appears to be that of magnifying the divine attribute, and enhancing the estimation in which it should be held by those who are the objects of its exercise. And they do so, by employing simple but emphatic declarations—by indulging in bold and striking figures—and by having recourse to interesting, familiar, and impressive analogies. Of this latter mode of showing forth the greatness of God's love, we have an excellent example in the wordsof my text. The apostle draws his illustration from what occurs among men—from their sentiments and behavior towards those of their own species, whom they are led to succor or befriend. In the practical regards, which they exhibit for one another in circumstances of danger, or in times of need, we may sometimes be called to witness an extraordinary display of generosity and disinterestedness. But the most surprising instance of it, which has actually happened, or which can even be expected or imagined to happen, comes far—comes infinitely—behind that love to our race which God has revealed in the scheme of human redemption. On comparison, not only does the latter infinitely su...