conveyed to us by a steady faith in him, arises in our souls from our sincerely believing these three things: first, that JESUS CHRIST, our peace-maker, has reconciled us to God by the blood of his cross, made a propitiation for our sins, and opened the way of salvation to lost mankind. Second, that if, after our reconciliation with our Father who is in heaven," any man sin," as our frailty renders us all liable to do, still our condition is not desperate; because we have an advocate with the Father, JESUS CHRIST the righteous," for whose sake GOD will graciously pardon such sin, if it be deeply and sincerely repented of. And thirdly, that, as we are we are unable of ourselves to help ourselves, and keep our feet in the path of christian duty, God will mercifully give the Holy Spirit to them. who pray for his assistance; by whom the

eyes of our understanding shall be enlightened, our infirmities helped, and our souls strengthened, until we are rooted and grounded in the love of Gon. This, my friends, is the foundation of that peace of which are speaking, which consists in an humble assurance, (built upon God's promise,) that he is no longer our enemy; that we are under his guidance and protection; that we are safe while we continue so, and

that we cannot lose it, unless by our own wilful fault. Such being the precious nature of the peace left us by our Saviour, it concerns us, most nearly, to enquire, in the second place, how that peace is to be obtained. Now, my friends, as every thinking man must know, that he has offended GOD, and does offend Him every hour of the day; and as every rational man must fear the just condemnation of GOD upon his sins; our peace can no otherwise be made, than by obtaining his pardon; receiving the terms of grace, which he proposes through JESUS CHRIST; and resolving to be more fearful of offending Him for the time to come; or, in other words, the conditions of our peace are, repentance, faith, and abedience. By repentance, we are reconciled to GOD; by faith, we understand what will please GOD, and are encouraged to undertake it; and by obedience, we gain such dispositions as will gain his approbation, and fit us for the kingdom of heaven.

Let us consult the Bible, then, and see what it says upon each of these points, Now, of repentance, the apostle Paul assures us, that this is the foundation of our peace with God, and upon which he will acknowledge us for his servants: "let every "one that nameth the name of CHRIST,'

(that pretends to be a christian,) "depart "from iniquity." But, how shall he depart from iniquity? The answer is clear not only confess his sins, but be sincerely sorry for them, and honestly resolve to forsake, in future, every evil way, and every occasion of displeasing GOD. It is a melancholy truth, however, that we are beset with temptations on all sides, and liable, by our weakness, to fall into sin. May not we, therefore, hope for pardon and peace, if, at any time, we have been accidentally overtaken with a fault? Yes, my brethren; but on this single condition-that when we repent of any fault, we do, at the same time, most seriously resolve not to commit it in future; and try, to the best of our power, to do as we have resolved, praying for grace, as well as for pardon; for, assuredly, if we do not keep a stricter watch over our hearts than we did before; if we do not petition for God's assistance, and add our own vigilance and care to the grace that may be granted us; if we do not avoid those temptations, which have seduced us from our duty, and give additional heed to our ways; we cannot expect, that even our repentance will obtain the pardon of our sins. Let it be carefully recollected, also, that to the promise of GOD, that He will accept of

our repentance, instead of a sinless obedience, there is also added this other condition,that we must forgive our fellow-creatures, if they have given us cause of offence: for CHRIST himself has declared, "if ye forgive "men their trespasses, your heavenly Father "will forgive you your trespasses. But, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither "will your heavenly Father forgive your "trespasses."

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The next condition of our peace is faith, by which we receive the terms of our salvation offered to us by JESUS CHRIST, believing him to be sent from GOD for that very purpose; and relying upon all that he has revealed to us, without questioning his authority, or disputing his commands. Now, my friends, whoever really possesses this faith, will soon find himself obliged to do whatever his Saviour has commanded, in order to secure to himself the peace which he has promised. If, for instance, he sincerely believes, that God has, in his holy word, set down the terms of salvation, he will not expect salvation on any other conditions; and having fulfilled those conditions to the best of his ability, his soul will be supported, under all circumstances, in tranquillity and peace. If he believe, that "without holiness no man can see the LORD,"

he will think himself obliged to purify his spirit, and keep his body in temperance, soberness, and chastity; and by these means, quiet his conscience, and keep his mind in perfect satisfaction. If he believe, that God will send the Holy Spirit to them who pray for his assistance, he will constantly petition his Father who is in heaven, for the support and guidance of that blessed friend; and having obtained it, will, like the primitive christians, walk in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. If he believe a judgment to come, he will take care to examine and judge himself, and "so to pass through things

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temporal, as finally not to lose the things "eternal;" that when the terrible day of judgment shall arrive, he may enter "into "the joy of his LORD. From all which it appears, that sincere faith is not only a condition, and a certain foundation of our peace, but also a principle of obedience; not only discovering to us where we are to look for happiness; but also engaging us to practise those commandments, which we believe we ought to fulfil in order to attain it. This brings me to consider the last condition of our obtaining the peace spoken of in the text; a sincere obedience. "He "that doeth the will of my Father," saith JESUS CHRIST, (and he only,) “ shall enter