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fcription of his ftate by nature. But how fpeaks he in another paffage? I can do all things through Chrift that frengtheneth me. Here he speaks of himself as under the influence of divine grace: and as thus enabled to perform the whole of his duty. Chrift is at all times ready to ftrengthen every one of you to perform your whole duty; and whenever you: fail, you fail, you fail by your own fault. upon the Bible to learn your eye's then the full extent of your duty. Beware of being fatisfied with that half-religion, that shadow of Christianity, which in the eyes of the world is regarded as the complete substance; that counterfeit coin which paffes current with multitudes, but bears not the stamp of the King of kings. Take your standard of duty from the word of God; for by that standard you will be tried at the last day. See what devotedness to God, what holiness of temper and of conduct, what living not unto yourfelf but to Chrift who died for you, the fcriptures require. Say not within your heart "These things cannot be required of me; for “I cannot attain unto them." They are required of you; for fo God hath announced to you beforehand. You can attain unto them; for God offers to enable you by his grace. Seek then his grace that you may at

tain to that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. So fhall your fins be blotted out, and mercy and falvation extended to you through the atonement of the Lord Jefus. But if you vainly perfuade yourself that you may make religion a fecondary concern: if you fall fhort of fcriptural holiness, because you would not ftrive for the grace through which you might have performed it : you will stand self-condemned at the judgement-feat of Christ, and will confefs that God was folicitous that you should be faved, but that you have yourself pulled down deftruction with your own hands upon your own head.

SERMON IV.

On the Nature and Efficacy of Divine Grace.

2 COR. xii.

9.

And he faid unto me, "My Grace is fufficient "for thee: for my Strength is made perfect "in Weakness.

IN

A

N a former difcourfe on this paffage, when I had explained to you the occafion on which the words of Chrift, as quoted in the text, were spoken; and the particular sense in which they referred to the existing fituation of St. Paul: I endeavoured to fhew that the instruction which they conveyed was applicable to all men. I laid open to you, first, the evidence which the fcriptures furnish of the indifpenfable neceffity of divine grace to falvation: fecondly, the unbounded mercy with which God offers his grace to every man, and bestows on every man the moral power of

accepting

accepting it and thirdly, the means by the proper ufe of which this fanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit may affuredly be obtained. Regarding therefore the obfervations which were stated under those three branches of the general fubject, as in an adequate measure present to your recollection; I now proceed, in humble dependence on the bleffing of God, to unfold to you the marks by which you may judge, every man for himself, whether your hearts are under the government of the Holy Spirit. I trust to be enabled, on a future occafion, to execute the remainder of my plan as originally ftated, by manifefting the complete and certain fufficiency of divine grace for every purpose for which it can be defired or bestowed; and by a general application of the whole fubject to persons of different descriptions.

IV. I propose to fet before you the tests and proofs by which the effectual acquifition of divine grace is afcertained.

If

A tree is known by its fruits. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit: neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. your difpofitions and your conduct are characterised by the fruits of the Holy Spirit; you may humbly confide that you are under

his effectual guidance.

If your hearts and lives do not habitually display those demonftrations of his prevailing influence; you are not authorised to draw that conclufion.

What then are the fruits of the Spirit? All good and perfect gifts; for every good and perfect gift is from above all the graces of the Chriftian character; for every one of those graces is a plant foreign to the corrupt foil of the human heart, and can flourish there only in confequence of being fown and nurtured by the foftering care of the Spirit of God. In the facred writings, these fruits or gifts of the Holy Ghoft are fometimes mentioned fingly; accordingly as the inspired penman was led by his immediate subject to delineate fome particular feature of true religion fometimes, when the train of his argument carried him into a wider range of defcription, feveral of them are noticed at once, and exhibited in one view. To collect from the word of God the various fruits of the Holy Spirit into one glorious affemblage; to illuftrate the nature of each; and to trace the precife course of enquiry neceffary to qualify you to estimate the degree, in which they are feverally produced in yourself; this would be a task which would demand, in addition

to