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Samuel. To offer sacrifice to the Lord was certainly an instance of piety with respect to the overt act. Yet this very part of his conduct, specious as it seemed in his own eyes, authorised the prophet to charge him with disobedience, and to denounce to him the loss of his kingdom. This may to many appear strange; but, "for as much " as it was not done as God had commanded and "willed it to be done, it had the nature of sin."* We have another instance of the same kind in the history of Saul, recorded in a subsequent chapter. Saul was sent to destroy the Amalekites. When victory had crowned his arms, he spared the best of the spoil, if we might believe the account which he himself gave of the matter, in order that he might offer it to the Lord God of Israel. Such was the plausible design of which he vaunted; and doubtless many admired his seemingly pious intention. But self was at the bottom of this devotional parade. Covetousness was the principle on which he dared to act in opposition to the express order which he had received to smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that he had. The great searcher of hearts (whose Omniscience pierces through all the hidden motives of the soul with greater facility than the light of the radiant sun passes through the most transparent glass) detected his hypocrisy, and rejected both his person and offerings. It behoves us to consider this matter with deep attention. Our persons must be made righteous, before any of our doings can be accepted: for "no works, done before the grace of Christ and inspiration of His Spirit, are good works,"t but the contrary; for "they have in them the "nature of sin." Therefore it is said that "God

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"had respect to Abel and to his offering." His person was first justified through faith in the future Messiah, and then his doings became pleasing to God. Our first inquiry is, Are we justified through faith in the atonement and obedience of Jesus? For "we are accounted righteous before God only "for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus "Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings." This question being satisfactorily answered in the affirmative, we may safely and comfortably infer, that "Albeit (our) good

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works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow "after justification, cannot put away sin, and en"dure the severity of God's judgment; yet are "they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, "and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively "faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may "be as evidently known, as a tree is discerned by "the fruit." The love of Christ, arising from faith in His meritorious death and intercession, is necessary to constitute "our doings righteous in His sight."

"Talk they of morals? O Thou bleeding Love,
"The great morality is love of Thee !" []

The sincere worshipper of God, according to the forms of the church of England, avows his earnest desire to have "ALL his doings righteous." It may be asked, Is it possible, in the present state of imperfection, that they should be so? Certainly not without great alloy. The state of a believer's heart, and the practice which results from it, may be compared to the precious substance which is dug out of the mines of Mexico.

* Gen. iv. 4.
† Art. 11.
+ Young's Night-Thoughts.

Art. 12.

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and Peru. Though it be truly valuable to the proprietors, yet much dross is mixed with the ore, the separation of which requires the refiner's skill and labor. Even an Apostle confesses, that "when he would have done good, evil was present "with him."* Assuredly then his younger brethren may adopt the sentiment of the beloved disciple, and confess that, "if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.' But the true distinction between the converted sinner and the mere formalist consists in this, that the former desires, prays, and labours, "that all "his doings may be righteous in the sight of God;" while the latter is solicitous only for their fair appearance before men. He knows that there is an essential difference between the righteousness which God accepts, and that which men applaud. To please Him, in whose favor is life, though in opposition to every maxim of a degenerate age, and in defiance of the united opinion of a world in arms against him; to obey His law, whatever difficulties occur in the service, and whatever contempt he may be thought to merit for needless scrupulosity; this is uniformly the Christian's object, aim, and end. Reader, is it your's? While conscious of much remaining infirmity; while sensible that, as all your sins are pardonable through Christ, all your duties are damnable without Him, are you daily endeavoring that "all your doings may be righteous in His sight?" The narrow way, between antinomianism and legalism, is a path which the vulture's eye hath not seen. God the Spirit alone can guide us in it. To renounce our own righteousness altogether with respect to justification before God, and at

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*Rom. vii. 21. † Bishop Beveridge's Private Thoughts.

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the same time to be as "zealous of good works” as if our salvation depended on them, is the arduous task of Christianity.

Our doings can only be thus righteous, when they are "ordered by God's governance." It is not enough for the purpose of producing in a sinner a life of holiness, that he has been converted by grace from the error of his ways. Continual supplies must be received from above, or he cannot take one step aright in the path of duty. The Christian life is therefore represented as maintained by faith, because faith receives from Christ the ability to do and to suffer the will of God. The constant influence of the Holy Spirit is as essential to the continuance of life in the soul of man, as an unceasing communication of air is necessary to the life of his body. The effects, produced on animal life under the exhausted receiver of the air-pump, prove how indispensable that element is to all vitality and motion. And for this reason the third Person in Jehovah is usually described in the Scriptures, both of the old and new Testament, by a name which is also given to the medium of corporeal respiration. Happy is the man who knows by experience that" all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just "works proceed from God."*

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In offering these petitions we implore such great and inestimable blessings, as the consideration of our unworthiness might justly discourage us from aspiring to. But our prayers are presented through Jesus Christ our Lord;" and therefore we may ask with boldness, since He Himself hath given us this comfortable assurance, "Whatsoever ye ask the Father IN MY NAME, He

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* Second Collect at Evening Service.

"will give it you." He still sustains the character of the Lamb that hath been slain. He still liveth to make intercession for all those, who come unto God by Him. With His adorable name on our lips, it is a sin to doubt of a favorable audience.

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