fire confumed him. He went about doing good. What an example! What love to God! What love to man! How holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from finners! How amiable religion appears in him; and how indelible the impreffions which a believing meditation upon the life of Chrift must make upon the foul! When Mofes returned from converfing with Jehovah in the mount, his face fhone; and frequent converfe with the holy Saviour will make believers fhine, and fhed a luftre upon all their conduct. Beholding his life will change them into the fame image, and compel the world to acknowledge that they have been with Jefus.

But in the death of Chrift, an equal if not a fuperior motive, is found to engage us to fervent holinefs. The malignant nature of fin appears in contrafting it with the law of God; but it is never feen in all its odious and accurfed colours fo clearly as when viewed in a crucified Saviour. God fpared not his only Son, but delivered him up to all the demands of Divine justice, when he made his foul an offering for fin.-Who can remember the agonies of Gethsemane, the horrors, pains, and conflicts of the cross, and not find an abhorrence of fin excited in his foul? Who, when meditating on the fufferings of the Redeemer, can refrain from exclaiming, Shall I cherish thofe lufts which murdered my Saviour!-shall I dishonour God with my iniquities, and renew that guilt which nothing less than the precious blood of his Son could expiate! By the cross of Chrift the world is crucifid unto me, and I unto the world!

The whole character of the Mediator, his glorious perfon, his important offices, the gracious errand upon which he came, the wonderful methods by which he finished his work, and the faithfulnefs and compaffion which he now exercifes while feated on his throne, are all calculated, when

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viewed in faith, and frequently meditated upon, to conftrain us henceforth not to live unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us, and rofe again. By this we shall grow in grace.

But another mean, and one abfolutely neceffary for growing in grace is, the word of God, the frequent reading of it in fecret, the hearing of it explained in public, and attending faithfully upon the ordinances.-In the holy fcriptures the foundeft principles of morality are. taught, ftriking examples are exhibited, and the most animating fanctions of rewards and punishments are produced. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction and for inftruction in righteousness. It is through the truth that God fanctifies his people. His word is truth. But to profit by the word, it is neceffary to attend to its genuine meaning, to view it not only in detached paffages, but in its connection, and thus endeavour to understand the defign and scope of the Holy Spirit. There are, however, fome important texts, which are more immediately calculated to direct, to warn and to encourage the foul in the practice of holiness. These ought to be fully digested, laid up in the memory, and by frequent meditation rendered familiar. The Emperor Antoninus, gave this lef fon to himself:-" As furgeons always carry their inftruments with them, to be ready for any fudden emergency; fo let what you have learned be prompt, and ready at hand, to direct you in whatever relates to things divine or human." And Seneca relates this fentiment of De metrius the Cynic:-" It is better to retain a few precepts of wisdom, and have them familiar, and ready for immediate ufe, than to learn many things, and after all,

Lib. iii. fect. 13.

not

not be able to produce them when they are needed.*” If heathen philofophers could give fuch leffons refpecting their fyftems of morality, and if they found fo much be nefit by this method, how much more must it be our duty and advantage to draw water from the pure fountain, and have always fome texts of fcripture ready and applicable to every duty, temptation or trial. This David experienced: How fweet are thy words unto my tafte! yea fweeter than honey to my mouth. Through thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every falfe way. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. This the Apoftle recommends.-Let the word of Chrift dwell in you richly in all wisdom. And this our Lord has taught by his example, when he answered the tempter -it is written.--

The ordinances of the fanctuary are alfo peculiarly calculated to promote growth in grace. It is by the foolifbnefs of preaching, that God enlarges the kingdom of his Son; by this he subdues finners to his obedience, and by this he reclaims backfliders, builds up his people, and prepares them for glory. The word and facraments are the green pastures into which he leads his flock ;-there he meets with them, and makes them to reft at noon. All therefore who defire to grow in grace, must be diligent in reading the fcriptures, and esteem it their duty and privilege to attend the ordinances; for these are the established means appointed of God, and there he bestows the bleffing.

A third particular I mention as neceffary to promote a growth in grace, is a practical acknowledgment of the neceffity of the conftant influences of the Holy Spirit. He dwells in his people as in his temples; he is given to them as the Spirit of adoption, to work in them the temper and confidence of children. He is the Comforter

De beneficiis, lib. vii. cap. 1.

Comforter to lead them into the truth, and fhine upon his own work in their fouls. But he is especially the fanctifier, the creator of the new heart, and the promoter of holiness in all his faints. Live then under a habitual fenfe

of your dependence upon his bleffed operations. Quench not the Spirit. Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are fealed unto the day of redemption. But plead daily with the Pfalmist,-Caft me not from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. O send out thy light and thy truth, and let them lead me!

In connection with this, it is proper next to name brayer, as an efficacious mean for growing in grace. Whatever may be faid of the prayer of nature, it is certain, from scripture and experience, that grace teaches a finner to pray from proper principles, and in a right manner. The Holy Spirit helps the infirmities of his people in this important duty. They are made to love prayer.— They delight in the exercise, because it introduces them to the fellowship of the Father, and his fon Fesus Christ'; and because it is an established rule in the dealings of God with his children, that the Lord will be enquired of by the house of Ifrael, to do for them whatever he has promifed. Be much then in this duty. Faint not; but in every thing by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.

What I shall mention as a fifth mean for obtaining growth in grace, is felf-examination. A partiality for ourselves, and the deceitfulness of our hearts, will prompt us to draw favourable conclufions, and determine we are fomething, when perhaps we are nothing. What can be better calculated to prevent pride, and teach us our true character, than a frequent and accurate examination of ourselves? By this we may learn whether we grow or pot; whether we increase in the knowledge of God

our

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our Saviour, love him more and ferve him better, than we formerly did. Heathen moralifts have been exemplary in this duty. It was an obfervation of Seneca, "That every day the foul fhould be called to render an account to itself. Sextius," fays he, "did this. At the close of every day, before he retired to reft, he interrogated his foul,-Which of your lufts have you conquered this day? What vice have you refifted? In what respect are you better than you were? Can there," fays the moralift, "be any thing more excellent than thus to conclude the day? How peaceable, how exalted, how free one feels, when his foul is either commended or admonished, and, as a watchman and fecret cenfor, is confcious of its own conduct *.”—Shall men under the influence of natural religion fpeak and act thus? And will not Chriftians, who are taught by a Divine revelation, and feek for glory, and honour, and immortality, under the fure guidance of the Captain of their falvation, be equally attentive to their conduct? Shall heathen be watchmen and cenfors, and will not believers examine themselves? Go, my brethren, and do likewife; do more than they did, and daily search into your principles as well as conduct, if ever you expect to grow in grace.

I might add many other excellent and approved duties which are immediately connected with growth in grace; but I have already mentioned as much as your attention and patience will bear.-I fhall, therefore, only add, by barely naming them, a frequent renewal of your covenant with God in Chrift ;-a chearful bearing of reproof; -and an attentive obfervation of the providence of God.

Thefe, all thefe, in their proper time and order, are the means best calculated to promote growth in grace. And if these things be in you and abound, they make you, that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge

Seneca, lib. iii. de Ira, cap. 35.

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