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How rich the justifying merit of his righteousness! For
his fake the Holy Spirit will dwell with men, and power-
fully apply what the Redeemer purchased. He renews
their fouls, bestows his graces, and by a progreffive fanc-
tification, prepares them as a bride adorned for her buf

band.

But is this the great work which God has wrought?
Is this the work which he has been carrying on in the
hearts of his people in every age? And are there thou-

fands now upon earth, who are united to Chrift, and, by
growing in grace, are preparing to dwell for ever with
him? Let it alarm your minds, and excite in you most
earnest and fervent defires to participate in the fame blef-
fing that you may obtain grace to furmount every
obstacle, and resolve to join the company of the redeem-
ed! O that you may say and perform what you say, we
will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!

:

This world is the firft ftage of our existence.-Here we are preparing for future fcenes, where our state will be unalterably fixed in happiness or woe. Now is the accepted time for us, bebold now is the day of falvation. Dream not of any probation hereafter. From hell there is no reprieve. The wicked will go away with the irrevocable curse of the Supreme Judge, and remain sealed down into an everlasting, an absolutely everlasting punishment. There fcripture leaves them, and the fmoke of their torment afcendeth up for ever and ever. While life then remains, and the means of grace are enjoyed, harden not your hearts, and wrong not your own fouls. The Son of God has come to you in a preached gospel; fee that you reverence him.-Kifs the Son, left he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little-Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

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SERMON VIII.

GROWTH IN GRACE.

BY

JOHN H. LIVINGSTON, D. D. S. T. P.

One of the Minifters of the Dutch Reformed Church,

New-York.

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2 PET. iii. 18.

-But grow in Grace.

THE
HE fervice in the Temple, under the Old Tefta-

ment, was fitted to the difpenfation of the church before the coming of the Meffiah. The types and facrifices directed the views of believers to the Lamb of God, who was to take away the fins of the world; and when their faith was in exercise, they attended the offerings with raised affections, and furrounded the altar with fongs of praife. At their three great stated feafts, they repaired to Jerufalem with great willingness, and chearfully furmounted the difficulties and difcouragements which attended them on the way. The Pfalmift celebrates this in the 84th pfalm, and pronounces a bleffing upon those, in whole hearts are the ways of them; who having fixed their happiness in God as their higheft end, rejoice in all

the

the ways which lead to him, and are faithful in ufing the means he has appointed to strengthen their graces, and keep up their communion with him. They go from Strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God. As they travelled towards the temple, their company increafed by the acceffion of more from the towns through which they paffed; and with respect to individuals, instead of wearying with the fatigues of the journey, they found their ftrength recruited the nearer they came to Jerufalem.-What is faid of the Ifraelites in that pfalm, is fully accomplished in the highest sense of the words in all believers under the New Testament difpenfation. They go from ftrength to ftrength. They grow in grace, and shall at laft become perfect in glory. The righteous fhall hold on their way, and they that have clean hands fhall be stronger and fronger.-They are changed from one degree of glorious grace to another, until at length every one of them appeareth before God in Zion. Bleffed therefore is the man in whofe heart are the ways of them; who loves, and earnestly improves the means of grace, because of their connection with the end, and has no care, delight or pleasure so near his heart.What those means of grace are, we now, my brethren, are particularly to confider.

In a former difcourfe upon growth in grace, I propo

fed

1. To explain the exhortation of the Apostle. And, 2. To direct you to the best means for complying with it.

The firft I have finished.-It now remains to attend to the fecond. What are the MEANS appointed of God? In what way, and by what method can we beft attain a

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growth in grace?—I shall first premise a general answer, and then defcend to particulars.

FIRST, I anfwer in general, that we cannot expect to grow in grace without vigorous exertions. The progr e fs of Christians is always mentioned in scripture, by terms which imply the moft active and refolute efforts. It is called a warfare, a wrestling, a race; and the exercises of believers are described as fuch, which call up all their at tention, and require their utmost exertions. They are to give all diligence to be ftrong, to quit themselves like men, to watch, and to be fober; they are to ftrive to enter in, and in a certain sense, are to use violence, for the violent take it by force. The obftacles which render fuch efforts neceffary, are not on the part of religion, in itself confidered, for the ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace; but they arise from the remaining depravity in our own hearts; that law in our members, which wars against the law of our minds, and too often brings us into captivity to the law of fin. We are not therefore to suppose when we are justified by believing in Chrift, our whole work is done. Then first we put on the armour, and must fight the good fight of faith before we can obtain the crown. If we fleep, the enemy will foon fow tares; our corrupt natures, before we are aware of the danger, will prevail against us, and fins and lufts which for the time appear dead, will arife and put on new ftrength. It is the band of the diligent that maketh rich, as well in religion, as in the common affairs of life. To grow in grace, we must be active, we must be vigilant. Again, I answer in general, that to grow in grace, the believer must always remember his total dependence for direction and affistance in every duty, upon the Lord Jefus. Work out, fays the Apoftle, your

own

own falvation with fear and trembling, for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good. pleasure. Exertions on our part are altogether compatible with the operation of God in and upon us. So far from proving an objection against salvation through grace, this very union of duty and promise, of our efforts and the Divine aid, is a strong argument of its truth, and recommends it as worthy of all acceptation. These very exertions prove that of ourselves we are infufficient, and that our life is bid with Chrift in God. We are not called to this warfare in our own ftrength, or fent out upon our own charge. My fon, lays Paul to Timothy, be ftrong in the grace that is in Chrift Jefus.-Without remembering this, the Christian will find himself, however well furnished in other refpects, like David when girded in the armour of Saul, incumbered with weight, but unfit for the combat. I cannot go with these, said the strippling hero to the monarch; and I cannot go with these, will be the reply of every believer, whom experience has taught; but I will go in the strength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

But let me specify particulars, and enumerate some of the principal means, which are most efficacious, with the Divine bleffing, to promote our growth in grace.

The first I shall name and recommend to you is, a frequent meditation upon the once crucified but now exalted Saviour. This I name first, not only because it is a leading motive, but because our Apoftle has mentioned it in this very verse before us, as moft intimately connected with growth in grace.

In the life of the bleffed Jefus, we have the brightest display of the beauty of holiness. The law of the Lord was within his heart. Zeal for his Father's glory like a

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