more light we have, the more we shall discern, and mourn over the tendency to evil. If we desire a gauge by which to ascertain the depth of our own Christianity, I would say it should be this, the vigour and energy of that warfare in the soul of man. Dr. Owen beautifully remarks, “I should estimate a man's strength, rather by the burthen that he carries, than by the pace that he maintains."

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But it not only abideth, it overcometh. Hence, in the first Epistle of John's Gospel, 3rd chapter, 9th

My dear hearers, the point I am now upon is of vast moment, as it regardeth the welfare of your souls. In truth, it entereth into the very foundation of your hopes; for, be assured of this, except you are born again, and made partakers of this new principle, this divine nature, this change of heart, this new creation in the soul, unless you are made partakers of this Grace of GoD, without doubt, you must perish everlastingly. This principle is proved to be real by these three things: It abideth; it overcometh; it tends toward God. Itabideth. We find, in the 5th chap-verse, "Whosoever is born of GoD ter of Galatians, 17th verse. "The flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that you would." And why? Because being made partakers of two opposing prin-bitual commission of sin? It is beciples, each acting according to its own nature, its own essential qualities, the one opposeth the other, which will ever be as long as ye are made partakers of these two opposing principles. But notwithstanding this opposition, while the flesh, or that which is fleshly, abideth, the Spirit, or that which is spiritual, also abideth. In retracing our journey, beloved, through the past year, oh, what cause have we not to praise, and bless, and adore GOD, that his grace in the soul has still maintained its own ground, struggling hard with daily, hourly enemies, placed, as it is, in direct opposition to all that corrupt and depraved nature loveth! Hence, the continued warfare in the soul of man, that truest touchstone of the work of conversion of the heart to GOD. Yes, my dear hearers, forget not, I beseech you, that the vigour of this warfare is the truest evidence of real, saving light, in the soul of man. The more light we have, the more we shall discern this pollution the

does not commit sin, for his seed remaineth in him, therefore he cannot sin, because he is born of GOD." Why is it that he is kept from unholy practices, from wilful indulgence of a course of transgression, from the ha

cause that incorruptible seed, that spark of divine grace, that new nature, that divine nature, which has been communicated to him by the eternal Spirit, is an overcoming principle. Hence, it is in the midst of all the allurements of sin, amidst all the changes of a changing world, amidst all the ebbs and flows of our enjoyment of the things of GOD, amidst all the temptations and trials of Satan, yet still the believer endures, with his face towards Mount Sion-still he is seen at the throne of Grace-still he finds that Jesus, the covert from the storm, is the only place of safety and peace-still he can say, when I find no happiness in GOD, I can find none elsewhere, but when happy in Him, this is happiness indeed. Why is this? Because he is made partaker of that incorruptible seed that not only remaineth in him, but overcometh also.

We find it a reality, because it still tendeth towards God. If you turn to the fourth chapter of John's Gospel,

you

find there that remarkable con- more than ever; and living out of versation which our Lord had with the fulness of a Christ received, live the woman of Samaria. "Whosoever more watchfully, more holily, more drinketh of this water shall thirst to the glory of GoD. But still it again. But whosoever drinketh of cometh short of its own desires. It the water that I shall give him shall | aspireth still. It longs to love Christ never thirst, but the water that I shall more-GOD more-holiness more; give him shall be in him a well of wa- and never will it be satisfied till it ter springing up into everlasting life." reach the mansions of eternal bliss, Observe this passage well-remark the bosom of its Father and its it narrowly. Here is an internal, God. "When I awake in thy likespiritual, holy principle. It is com- ness, and not sin, then I shall be pared to "a well of water"-not a satisfied."-Ps. xvii. 15. fetid pool, a standing pond, or stag- But observe, Thirdly, THAT, WHEN nant lake, but a well of water. And GRACE IS REAL, HOWEVER WEAK, CHRIST this is within the heart-shall be "in NEVER DESPISES IT. He did not in the him;" not a mere external thing, a case of Nicodemus-we do not find mere profession, a mere name, a mere him upbraiding him with, Why dost change of dress, manners, or outward thou come here by night? If thou art pursuits, but something far more than ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of all this, a new, inward, holy principle. thee. Not one reproach-not one And this, remark, is not the product of censure; all tenderness, gentleness, nature, but the gift of Christ," the sympathy, and love. And, although water that I shall give." But also our Lord asked him, "Art thou a observe, "this shall be in him a well master of Israel, and knowest not of water springing up into everlasting these things? yet, like a tender, life." It came from GOD, it ascends patient instructor, he goeth over the to the GOD that gave it. Like the lesson again and again. After sayemblem that sets it forth, it seeks its ing, “except a man be born again, own level. It mounteth higher and he cannot enter into the kingdom of higher, and still it tendeth upwards. Gon," he repeats it in somewhat of It aspireth after more conformity to another form, “except a man be born GOD, more spirituality, more hea- of water and of Spirit, he cannot venly mindedness. Hence the dis- enter into the kingdom of GoD." Who satisfaction we experience in our- teacheth like him? Perhaps, if one selves, because we are so much what came to us in the depth of the night, we wish not to be, and are so little through a culpable timidity, we might what we wish to be. Hence increase almost be disposed to doubt his sinof conviction of the creature's empti- cerity, and send him back. Nay, ness, the Lord's fulness, of the world's we should do so, I am convinced, if poverty, and the true riches of hea- we had not been trained up in the venly grace. Hence is it, we are school of deep humility and painful drawn more and more from the self acquaintance. But from his region of self to Christ-find his blessed lips, not one reproach, not atoning blood-his perfect righteous-one reproof, not one word of unkindness more and more precious. Hence ness towards him.. discoveries of our own weakness, poverty, and sinfulness, endear to our souls the Saviour of poor lost sinners. Hence we value a throne of grace

The covenant engagements of Immanuel would not permit him to despise the feeble work of grace. Here was the fruit of the Spirit.—

Talk of the works of GOD in creation so the Lord pitieth those that fear -look we to the beauties of nature- him." "He knows our frame, he yes, I would we did look to them more remembers that we are dust." When as Christian men, and see the wisdom, I think of poor, tempted, tried souls, and goodness, and love of GOD in with all their weaknesses, with all them, that we might trace up every their infirmities, with all the sinking thing around us to the Being who is of their spirits, with all the feeble their Author; but what is there in putting forth of their faith-when I all the works of creation compared to think of their staggering under a this new creation in the soul of a burthen that they are hardly able to man? To see a man hate himself, bear, I am reminded of some whom to see a man, like Job, bemoan him- we see in the streets of London, as self in dust and in ashes; and yet we pass through them, of whom we you and I are convinced, I trust, would say, would that thy burthen God being our teacher, that such is were less, or thy strength were more. the very posture suited to our souls. And shall the tender, compassionate For a man, in the sober exercise of Redeemer not look on one for whom his judgment, to abhor himself in the he died, to give him an everlasting sight of GOD-that self, that has been inheritance, and make him a partaker his idol, his hope, his all,-this is the of his Spirit, when his blood is work of the Spirit. Christ, therefore, sprinkled upon the door-post and could not despise it. Besides, it was lintels of his heart? What! will he the very fruit of his own mediation, say to him, "Because thou art so and the reflection of the image of his feeble, I despise thee; because thou art Father in the soul of his child; there- so weak, I reject thee?" Never.-It fore he could not despise it. His is not in the heart of Christ to do it— covenant engagement could not allow not only is it not in his covenant enhim, for did he despise it, he would gagement to do it, but it is not in his despise the very object for which he heart. Oh, that thou wouldst never came, which is to save not only from so think of him, poor, weak, and the condemnation of sin, but from the tempted believer, any more for ever! power and the dominion of sin. Oh, that thou wouldst never, never entertain one hard thought of him more! Oh, that thou wouldst never take occasion, from the feebleness of thy grace, to reason against the strength of his love!

But the love of Christ could not allow him to despise the feeblest puttings forth of grace. My dear brethren, let me ask any mother who hears me-thou seest thy feeble child in all its feebleness, thou seest him weak and sickly, with but little power, vigor, strength, healthiness-dost thou despise him because he is all this? dost thou make that one an exception? I say, love all others but that one-dost thou say so? I appeal to thine heart,-I would make my appeal to the understanding the ground work of my appeal; but on that ground I will appeal to thine heart; and I do it, because GOD does it, for "as a father pitieth his children,

But when I turn to God's word, what light does that throw on this part of my subject! I again remind you, he gathers his lambs with his arm, and carries them in his bosom, in the very tenderest place of all. I again remind you of that beautiful exhibition of his love in the 63rd of Isaiah-"As the beast, (14th verse) goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest." And how does the beast go down into the valley? Does he not stop from

time to time to take rest as he goeth | despise the feeblest grace in yourselves. down, and do we not see how gently If the Lord does not despise it, behe is led down by his owner lest he ware how you despise it. It is one should slip, and stumble, and fall ? | thing to acknowledge our faults, it is And is not that a tender exhibition of one thing to bewail our short-comthe love of Christ towards his weak ings, it is one thing to have a deep and his feeble ones? And when I sense of our sins; and I confess, from turn to the 7th chapter of the Songs my inmost soul, that I never hear a of Solomon, 12th verse, and see how prayer in which there is not much acthe Lord gets up early to the vine-knowledgment of sin, that it does not yard to see if the vine flourishes, and if the tender grapes appear, and the pomegranates bud forth, to see the first openings of grace, to see the little dawnings of fruit. When we read his language to his servant, "Feed my lambs." What do I see unfolded, my beloved, but that the Lord Jesus Christ does not, indeed, despise the day of small things, he does not, indeed quench the smoking flax, he does not, indeed, break the bruised reed, and if the Lord despised not his people, beware how you despise them?

We see many flaws, many imperfections, many things that cause our heads to hang down for our brother; and too often instead of lamenting over his faults and labouring to restore him, we doubt the reality of his grace; and because we see flaws in his character, (finding, I suppose, so few in our own), we are ready to suppose he is nothing but a deceiver. Oh that harsh spirit of judgment, it just hath its foundation in self-ignorance! I always find in every congregation, in every church, in every believer, in myself, just in proportion as the spirit of judgment prevaileth, the spirit of self-ignorance flourisheth also; that man is always the most backward to be severe on his brother, who is most severe on himself; that the man who takes himself to task the most deeply, has the least heart to act with severity towards a poor feeble fainting timid child of GOD. Beware, then, how you despise others.

And I would say, beware how you

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seem to me a prayerless prayer; for I never can believe the soul that liveth near to Christ, that tasteth much of the grace of God within, but will feel its own sinfulness, and confess that sinfulness before the eternal GOD; but it is one thing to do this, and another thing not to acknowledge the work of Gop's Spirit in one's own soul. It implies a great defect of spiritual light not to acknowledge what God has wrought. It springs often from a latent principle of self— a sort of supposition that he has attained it himself. And while it is a still more deplorable exhibition of selfcomplacency, to think that he brought it into his own soul by his own work, if it is of grace it must be of mere grace, yet is it also censurable not to acknowledge it. This is true healthiness of soul-when under the teaching of GOD's Holy Spirit, a man hath a deep sense of his own failures, shortcomings even in desire, misdoings as to real attainment, and yet a deep and grateful sense of God's amazing goodness, both in the work done for him and the work done in him. Oh many a dear child of God that heareth me hath cause for deep lamentation and deep contrition, remembering how often they have overlooked God's work in their own hearts. If Christ despise it not, neither do you. It may be feeble, but it is real.

But now let me add a word of caution. I believe there never was a sermon of this kind preached but what, in some degree, while it was

made a blessing, in some degree it | self rich in goods, now I feel myself to was turned by some into evil. Some be wretched and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; I want as much now the grace of GoD as ever I did; more than ever I did; I want the blood of Christ to atone, I want the righteousness of Jesus to justify, I want the spirit of holiness to sanctify, I want wisdom perpetually, strength perpetually, to keep me from my own folly and my own weakness, and that every moment. Is it so, my brother? Thank GOD he has made thee poor in thine own eyes, but it has been to enrich thee with himself.

The other remark is this, "the di

will make this sort of preaching an excuse for remaining satisfied with a low degree of grace-a low enjoyment of GOD; and I believe there is much of truth in the observation, that in our congregations numbers shall be found, in this our day, that are just satisfied with having been brought as poor sinners to the cross of Christ, and there they remain, and hardly expect the seal of the Spirit, the clearer discoveries of God's love, and a higher blessedness in their lives and conversation. They touch the hem, and they are, in a sense, satis-ligent soul shall be made fat,”—Prov. fied. It is a most unhealthy state. Here is the spirit of slumber. To such I would say, Why satisfied with touching the hem? Never here be satisfied till you lean on the arm of Jesus, yea, lean on the bosom of Jesus. Ask for all that God has promised, pray earnestly for a rich communication of all that GOD has covenanted to give. The more you have, the happier you shall be; the more hearty you live to GOD, the more shall you find a heaven below; and how much there may be enjoyed of heaven in this world I believe few of us have any adequate idea, or any due consideration of.

With two remarks I shall conclude. Is it asked by you that hear me, point me out the way through which the Lord communicates more grace. Through Jesus he communicateth more grace, in the way of humility. "He giveth grace to the humble." James iv. 6. My brother, art thou in the valley of humiliation? Hast thou learned lessons that thou never didst learn before? Dost thou feel, concerning thyself, that thou art a poor, needy, ignorant creature. Perhaps at this very moment, in thy secret retirement before GOD, thou mightest be ready to say, I once thought my

xiii. 4. The man who pleadeth the most in secret prayer-the man who betaketh himself most to the throne of grace-the man who there pleadeth the efficacy of the Redeemer's blood, and who loveth to confess sin wherever he findeth it, and not only to confess but forsake it—the man who loveth the word of GOD, and secret meditation on GOD, shall find means of grace in his soul. Oh, my brethren, if we could sift this people, I would ask no questions as to who they are, or whence they come, under what name they rank themselves; indeed, I ask myself that question as little as any man can on the face of this earth; but I would just say, if you could sift the people, and the most spiritually— minded of those that are now present could be marked out by GoD, those who live the nearest to GOD-I mean those who are conscious of the least defilement upon the conscience, those who most wish to commend themselves to GOD in their secret walk as well as their outward behaviour-if you could search those men, you would find those who are the most diligent in prayer, the most unwearied in watchfulness, take their sins to God, and there, under the view of the atoning blood, show they hate the sin