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and love of his Saviour. If ever he hopes to hold on in his path of obedience and to reach the bliss of heaven, it is by looking constantly to the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is of grace. Sanctification, as well as justification, flows from the stupendous sacrifice of the cross of Christ. R is in the exertion of his persevering endeavours indeed, that holiness is communicated; but these endeavours, severed from the almighty operations of the Spirit, which gave them birth, would prove unavailing. He can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth him; whilst without him he can do nothing. It is in this way and no other, that he is enabled to add, as our Apostle goes on to state in the verses following the text, to his faith, virtue ; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. It is thus that he is enabled to make his calling and election sure, and that at last an entrance is ministered unto him abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

After these statements, it will be sufficient, in closing the whole discourse, to notice

THE TEST WHICH IT FURNISHES OF OUR STATE BEFORE GOD.

We learn from this important passage that, to be true Christians, we must escape the corruption of the world-must be partakers of the divine nature -must account the promises of God to be exceeding great and precious. This is obvious. And yet how many are there who call themselves by the name of Christ, and yet have never done, nor ever thought, or intended to do, any one of these things ! They love the world in which they live, even as others. They make provision for the flesh, that

they may fulfil the lusts thereof. Of any change of heart and nature, they are utterly ignorant; or if they have heard of it, they undervalue or despise it. The preciousness of the promises sounds enthusiastic and extravagant in their ears, although such texts as that we are considering, serve to restrain their open avowal of the sentiment. Their religion, such as it is, is quite consistent with the supreme love of earthly things; it easily amalgamates with the common pursuits and passions of mankind, it embraces not the necessity of a divine nature, it meddles not with the promises of grace: these are a dead letter, uninteresting, perplexing,

obscure.

Let such persons be reminded by the text of their extreme danger. Let them know that, before they can enter heaven, they must be delivered from the world, must renounce the corruptions which reign over them by lust, must be born again, and created anew in Christ Jesus, must seek for salvation by the great and precious promises of the Gospel, must discover and feel their need of the blessings they unfold, must esteem them more than gold, yea, than much fine gold, and must live a holy life by the grace which dictated them. "If there be a word of truth," says a good writer, "in all the Scriptures, unconverted sinners, dying such, will be miserable to eternity." If men will put a general notion of God's mercy, in the place of his promises; if they will substitute a form of godliness for a divine nature; and a mere decency and good order before others, for an escape from the corruption which is in the world through lust, they must perish. It cannot be otherwise. The word of God expressly makes the declaration.

But I would rather hope that such may in some measure be convinced of their perilous state, by what has been advanced. I trust you begin to

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feel that you cannot be saved as you are. This is an important step. Draw nigh then to God, and submit yourselves to the terms of the Gospel. When you begin seriously to desire the holy salvation which God has revealed, his exceeding great and precious promises may be considered as addressed to you. You come within the scope of them. The lowest and most feeble desires after true religion will derive encouragement from them. God delighteth in mercy. He abundantly pardons. He has no pleasure in the death of a sinner. He promises his Holy Spirit to all who ask him. He solemnly declares that he that seeks shall find, and that to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. He expressly promises that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. He bids us take with us words and turn unto him; and we are assured that he marks and observes the first emotions of penitence and prayer.

Let then these declarations guide you to his footstool. The Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Christ Jesus may be given to them that believe. If you see this promise to be exceeding great and precious, an important point is already gained. To feel the value of the promises, is an evidence of spiritual life. If you begin to know that you need a new heart, and that without a divine nature you can never get to heaven: this proves that the Spirit of God is at work in your mind. If you discern the corruption which lust and disobedience have occasioned in the world, and earnestly desire to escape from it lest you should be involved in destruction: this clearly indicates that you have already within you the seed of those dispositions to which the promises are made. Go on in the strength of these promises; use them; implore of God to fulfil them to you as your necessities, while engaged in the pursuit of pardon

and grace, require. You shall not seek in vain. He is faithful that hath promised. Whilst the other parts of Scripture will teach you the fall of man, the dealings of God with his church, the offices of Christ and the nature of his kingdom, the evil of sin, the scheme of redemption, the duties of the Christian life, the temptations to which it is exposed, and the warnings and exhortations by which it is to be guarded, the belief of the PROMISES, in all their greatness and value, will tend to deliver you more and more from the corruption which is in the world through lust, and gradually form you anew after the holy image of your God. Thus shall you be trained for heaven. You shall be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. At last you shall attain complete redemption for this is the promise which he hath promised us—the ultimate and concluding blessing, that to which all the provisions of the everlasting covenant, and all the grace of the separate promises, have respect, and in which they shall all receive their accomplishment even ETERNAL life.

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SERMON XV.

RELIGIOUS DEJECTION.

PSALM lxxvii. 10.

I said, This is my infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High.

THERE are few cases which require more compassion, and more wisdom in the treatment of them, than that of religious dejection. Religious melancholy is the disease of piety, and must be treated as such, if we would hope to remove it. We must consider its symptoms, endeavour to trace out its causes, and then prescribe its cure. The inspired writer of the Psalm from which the text is taken, appears to have been under its influence. He is bowed down with the pressure of affliction, he can discover no indications of God's former favour, he is filled with fearful apprehensions of his anger, with the utmost grief of mind, and with an anxiety bordering on despair; and he finds no relief for his infirmity, until he remembers the years of the right hand of the Most High; until calling to mind the mercy and loving-kindness of God which have been ever of old, he is again enabled to hope in him, and to rejoice in his salvation.

Let us then consider the symptoms, the cause, and the cure of religious dejection.

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