Do you renounce as altogether indefenfible, as irreconcilably repugnant to the divine plan of redemption, every pretenfion to the pardon of fin, every claim to the inheritance of the faints, grounded on any supposed merit of your own? Do you defire to be found at the last day clothed exclufively in the righteoufness of Chrift; acceptable folely through the merits of his atonement? Then has the grace of our Lord Jefus, the author and finisher of our faith, been exceeding abundant to you with faith which is in Chrift, even the faith which is the operation of God (c).

All Chriftians however are not as yet perfect Chriftians. All who are genuine members of the true church, the mystical body of our Lord, are not yet come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man; unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift (d). There may be fome in this congregation, who, at the fame time that they humbly truft that they have laboured to attain grace unto repentance and faith, perceive fuch ample grounds for deploring their deficiencies in both, that they tremble left they should be regarded in the fight of God as effectually (c) 1 Tim. i. 14. Hcb. xii. 2. Col. ii, 12.. (d) Eph. iv. 13. G poffeffed

poffeffed of neither. Chrift will not break the bruifed reed. His lambs he will carry in his bofom. He beholds with compaffion and forbearance; he cheers with confolation and encouragement, the mourner who feareth for his foul. He ftrengthens the weak hands and confirms the feeble knees. Examine then thine own breaft, whofoever thou mayeft be who art tempted to defpond; examine whether it be thy earnest and habitual defire to be enabled to repent and to believe. Examine whether this be the spirit of thy fupplications before the throne of grace: "Make me a contrite heart, O God! Lord! "I believe: help thou mine unbelief." Examine whether thy forrow for fin, thy exertions in pursuit of holiness, correspond with thy prayers. If to these enquiries thou receiveft the answer of a good confcience, be comforted. Thou art already under the teaching of divine grace. Perfevere in thy course; and the Lord Jefus will cause thy godly forrow to work repentance to falvation not to be repented of; and will perfect that which is lacking in thy faith. Blessed are they that bunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (e).

Matc. v. 6.

I proceed to the confideration of other fruits of the Holy Spirit.

you

The Lord direct your hearts, faith St. Paul, into the love of God. The love of God is fhed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost (f). Has the Holy Ghoft fhed abroad the love of God in your heart? Have you evidences to prove that you poffefs this fruit of the Spirit ?. Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your foul, and all your ftrength; and the Lord Jefus Chrift, whom he hath fent? Do you serve your Creator and Redeemer in fimplicity and godly fincerity? Are you anxious to further, according to the talents and opportunities which enjoy, the glory of God, and the kingdom of his Son? Among the fruits of the Spirit particularly mentioned by St. Paul, righteousness ftands confpicuous: and righteousness, as exemplified in the exercife of holy difpofitions towards the Deity, for of that branch alone of righteousness I at present speak, is a convincing proof of love to God. Have you this proof to bring forward? By piety, by devotion, by every act of religion which has God for its immediate object; by the cultivation of faith, and fear, and love, and gratitude, and refignation; do you witness before (ƒ) 2 Thef. iii. 5. Rom. v. 5. G 2

the

the world a good confeffion, that his favour is your aim, his falvation the prize which you pursue? If it be your fervent desire and your habitual prayer to be enabled to love the Lord your God; then are you already under the teaching of his Spirit. If you are thus enabled to fet your heart upon him; him; then bath God given unto you the Spirit of love: then the love of the Father is in you (g).

Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. The Lord make you to increase and

abound in love one

wards all men (b).

Has God

towards another, and toThis alfo is the language of St. Paul to the Theffalonians. wrought in you the grace of love towards your fellow creatures? Do you love your neighbour as yourself, with a pure heart, and with charity unfeigned, fervently? Do you love him thus becaufe God commands you to love him thus; because an apoftle hath faid, that if God fo loved us that he sent his Son to be the propitiation for our fins, we ought also to love one another; because your Saviour has declared, that love to others is the distinguishing mark, by which all men shall know that you are his difciples (i)? Do you

(g) 2 Tim. i. 7. 1 John, ii. 15. (b) Thef. iii. 12. iv. 9. (i) 1 John, iv. 10, 11. John, xiii. 35•

you love them

love your enemies? And do because, while we were yet enemies, God loved us? Love worketh no ill to his neighbour. Love, or as it is elsewhere expreffed, Charity, fuffereth long and is kind; envieth not, vaunteth not itself; is not puffed up, doth not behave itfelf unfeemly, feeketh not its own, is not eafily provoked; thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things (k). Do you fulfil the law of justice to your neighbour by working no ill to him; by carefully abftaining from offering injury to his perfon, to his property, or to his good-name? Have you that love for him which fuffereth long; which is flow to take offence, unwearied in forgiveness? Have you that love which is kind: which not only abounds in acts of good will to those who have manifested friendship towards you, or gratitude for benefits received from your hand; but, like the love of your heavenly Father, who maketh his fun to shine on the evil as well as on the good, and fendeth rain both on the juft and on the unjust, overflows in bounteousness to the unthankful and the froward? Have you that love which envieth not; which coveteth pot the advantages enjoyed by any other, (k) Rom. xiii. 10.

I Cor. xiii. 4-7: