Love without reason is a mad passion. Profession without love, is but ‘a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal;’ unmeaning noise to others, unprofitable to him that makes it. Love is of God. It is that precious ointment that is poured forth from the Father of love upon the head of our spiritual Aaron, and runs down to the skirts of his garment, even upon all his brethren, the children of love. Love descends from God, through Jesus, to us, spreads itself among the brethren, and ascends in grateful odours to the God of love.

Forsake all, and possess all; give up all, and enjoy all.This is the doctrine of Jesus, and the experience of faith. So we overcome the world, by preferring the love of Christ to everything besides. Most blessed enthusiasm! Really tasting that the Lord is gracious, truly feeling the comforts of his love, actually partaking of fellowship with Jesus, communion of the Holy Spirit, freely conversing with the Father of all consolations—how transporting, how ravishing to the soul! With what holy indifference does the enraptured heart look down upon the objects of sense. The gilded toys of time that so attract the views, the empty shadows of sense that so bewitch the heart; yea, life itself with all its comforts—what are all, compared to one moment’s…

The psalmist alludes to the jubilee-trumpet, which was sounded throughout the land on the great day of atonement. This was an ordinance of the Lord. (Lev. 25:10.) It was a joyful sound of liberty to God’s people. A true type and just emblem this, of the blowing the great trumpet, and the sound of the everlasting gospel, restoring life, liberty, and salvation, to perishing captive souls. Has the gospel thus proved the power of God to the salvation of our souls? Surely then we must esteem it as the most joyful sound that ever saluted our ears. Joyful, that it is not clogged with any terms and conditions: joyful, that it is not, as some call it, a milder law, proposing mercy on easier performances…