life, as he did, and as every follower of Christ must be ready to do,* for the honour and glory of his God? Let him do these things by any power of his own, and we will at once acknowledge the erroneousness of our present statement. But the more diligently the attempt be made, the more deeply will any man be convinced, that he must have the Spirit of Christ; and that, without the renovating influences of that divine Agent, he can never become one of Christ's peculiar and approved people. The Spirit of Christ must " open the eyes of our understanding."+ The Spirit of Christ must "renew us in our inward man." The Spirit of Christ alone can so reveal the Saviour to us, that, with any measure of true affiance, we should call him Lord." No other power than his can ever assimilate us to the risen Saviour, enabling us to die unto sin, and to rise again unto righteousness. Nothing, I say, but the mighty working of that power that raised Christ himself from the dead, can effect this change in us; and consequently, the assertion in my text is clearly proved, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." * Luke xiv. 26. $ 1 Cor. xii. 3. + Luke xxiv. 45. + 2 Cor. iv. 16. Let it then be borne in mind, that, as this is not a mere arbitrary appointment of the Deity, so neither is it an enthusiastic conceit. It is a decision of the Most High, arising out of the necessities of our nature, and proceeding from the boundless riches of his grace, which has made such an astonishing provision for us. I hope I may now consider this point as proved, and may henceforth assume it as an acknowledged truth, that the doctrine of the Holy Spirit's influence is founded on the state and character of every living man. Indeed, if my statement upon this part of my subject have failed to carry conviction along with it, all that I shall have to bring forward in my two remaining discourses, will appear destitute of any solid foundation, and unworthy of any serious attention. It is on this account that I have devoted one entire discourse to this part of my subject. I know whom I address, and that they will justly expect to see every step of my argument made clear and unquestionable. I have great and important truths to bring before you in my remaining discourses; and, if I show you not to your satisfaction the foundation on which they stand, I cannot hope, or even wish, at any time, and least of all in these days of fanaticism and folly, that they should be favourably received by you. "I speak as unto wise men; and I call upon you to judge what I say."* But I do hope, that the words which I have delivered, have carried conviction along with them. And if any doubt remain on the mind of a single individual, I call upon him to study well the state of his own soul before God. If any one of you think himself not so fallen as I have represented, let him examine well the Scriptures, and compare with them the whole of his past life. Or, if he think he can restore himself to God's image by any power of his own, let it be seen that he can do so, and let him prove it by an actual appeal to fact. Or if, in the failure of these endeavours, he is disposed to maintain that he has no need of such a transformation of soul as I have spoken of, then let him inquire diligently, and see, whether there be not, on God's part, an insurmountable obstacle to his admission into heaven in an unrenewed state; and also, whether, if admitted into those blissful mansions, there would not be on his part an insuperable impe diment to his enjoyment of them; and whether that be not true, which our Lord declared to the obstinate and unbelieving Jews, "Whither I go, ye cannot come."* But none of you will ever be able to satisfy yourselves on any one of these points. If you could establish any one of them, you would set aside the authority of the inspired volume, and disprove at once the whole of Christianity. But if you acknowledge, as you must, the truth of our preceding statement, then set yourselves immediately to make a due improvement of all that you have heard. Beg of God, especially, that you may be impressed with a deep sense of your exceeding sinfulness, and of your need of the Holy Spirit's influence to renovate your souls. And do not rest in a mere outward acknowledgment of your guilt and helplessness, but cry mightily to God, and "give him no rest"+ till he bestow his Holy Spirit upon you. Nor harbour a thought of delaying this work to "a more convenient season:" for, who can tell whether that more convenient season shall ever arrive? More especially now that God's judg * John viii. 21. + Isa. lxii. 7. Acts xxiv. 25. ments are so visibly, and with such rapid strides, traversing the earth, and may, for ought we know, be even already at our doors; who can tell, whether even a single day may be allowed you for repairing your present neglect, and for acquiring that renovation of soul which you so greatly need? Indeed, this is no time* for any of us to delay our preparation for death and judgment. On the contrary, the very circumstance of the proximity of danger should give tenfold energy to our endeavours; since, in the event of any sudden seizure, a consciousness of having experienced this change would tend to tranquillize our minds, and by disarming death of its terrors, to counteract the effect of disease itself, which would otherwise gather strength from the fears that were excited by it. I mean not, however, to be an alarmist on these matters: but on the matters of eternity I am an alarmist, even as the Apostle Paul was; and "knowing," as he did, "the terrors of the Lord, I would persuade men'+ yes, I would persuade every one amongst you, old and young, * Nov. 13, 1831, when the cholera had actually begun to show itself at Sunderland. 12 Cor. v. 11. |