ven, cannot descend from the conspicuous situation in which he is placed, without leaving his post, and incurring the charge of cowardice, if not of desertion. The wicked, indeed, flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion. They are to be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord: and the man who is born of God, and mercifully reserved to bear testimony in the world to the riches of sovereign grace, will demonstrate, by his conduct, that sanctity of heart and of life is inseparably

1

connected. They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

They reckon themselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. The heavenly seed, in this case, cannot but be productive of fruit. There are no barren trees in God's vineyard; or at least, none of his planting and even in those persons who are naturally incapable, or who have no time allotted for demonstrating the salutary effects of divine culture, the same immortal principle is implanted; the image of Christ is stamped on the soul; and though the impress be not per

ceptible to human view, it will, nevertheless, hereafter appear with his likeness.

To be delivered from the condemnation and dominion of sin in the present life; to rejoice in the glorious liberty of the gospel, and to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man, are privileges that the heirs. of glory ardently desire to enjoy, and which they consider as the summit of earthly blessedness. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? He that hath tasted the bitterness of sin, will fear to commit it; and he that hath felt the sweetness of mercy, will fear to offend it!'

As the saints are made, through grace, heirs according to the hope of eternal life, they zealously contend, and constantly declare, that those who have believed in God, should be careful to maintain good works. But then that love of holiness, and this zeal for the honour of God, arise, not from an expectation of being justified, either in whole or in part, by their personal conformity to the moral law;

but from a heartfelt conviction that these things are in themselves lovely, as well as good and profitable to men.

The believer, like the great apostle of the gentiles, 'counts all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus; for whom he can cheerfully suffer the loss of all things, and reckons them but dung, that he may win Christ, and be found in him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.' Like his divine Master, he finds it his meat and his drink to do the will of his heavenly Father. But were he to do all that is commanded, or that inclination or gratitude might prompt him to perform; yet would he say, I am an unprofitable servant-I have done that only which it was my duty to do. He feels sin to be his heaviest burden, and holiness his principal delight. He presses towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus: anxious that he may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and

the fellowship of his sufferings, and be made conformable unto his death. He knows that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with him; but how to perform that which is good he finds not. He feels a perpetual conflict, between the flesh and the spirit, that mars every duty; which makes him dissatisfied with himself in every attainment; and this dissatisfaction and that conflict will continue till he be devested of the body of sin and death. But when mortality is swallowed up of life, then shall he awake in the likeness of him to whose image it will be his glory and his happiness to be eternally conformed.

The followers of him, who went about doing good, are taught to distinguish between good works, which are the fruit of divine grace imparted to the heart, and that expiation by which forgiveness is obtained at the hand of God. In all they do, they act, or ought to act, from a principle of love. They know that their best services constitute no part of their salvation yet are they assiduous in the performance of every branch of duty, desirous that

they may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom they shine as lights in the world.' The practice of virtue stands as a discriminating mark of their being disciples of him who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners. But in this they have learned not to glory. They constantly declare that their endeavours to honour the government and grace of God, arise not from depraved nature, but from the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which hath made them free from the law of sin and death; and who, as their head, worketh in them both to will and to do. It is a sense of continual dependence on his gracious influence that keeps alive the sincerest gratitude; that lays them in the dust; which teaches them to glory in the Lord their strength; in whose name it is their privilege constantly to rejoice, and in whose righteousness alone they shall be everlastingly exalted.

If the disciples of Jesus see others running in the broad way that leadeth to destruction,