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trary to the Gospel doctrine. Faith must work by love; love must keep the commandments; the commandments are joyous and not grievous; and obedience to the commandments, on a principle of faith and in a spirit of love, is the sum and substance of Christian duty.

Be it our part to be of the number of those, who are "no more servants but sons, and if sons, then heirs of God through Christ." Be it our part to be of the number of those, who are really redeemed from under the law, and have savingly received the adoption of sons. Be it our part to be of the number of those, who are no longer children, but mature in years, no longer "under tutors and governors," but in full enjoyment of their inheritance. Be it our part to be of the number of those, into whose hearts the Spirit of God is sent, and in whose hearts the Spirit of God remains; sons that bespeak their adoption, by assimilation to their Father.

We are not

But let us beware of mistaking our position. children or sons of God, merely because we have received baptism. We are not children or sons of God, merely because we make profession of faith in Christ. They that would "live in the Spirit, must walk in the Spirit'."

Is this our plan, or is it not? Do we resort to the means of grace, and do we make them the means of grace? Is the Bible read, the minister heard, the church frequented, the conscience consulted, the Lord invoked; and all for grace, for more grace, for greater grace, for unceasing grace? Or are none of these things done, nay, not even attempted? And what is our walk, both individually and relatively? Does it promote the glory of God, or proclaim our own shame? Does it "show out of a good conversation our works with meekness of wisdom"," or, does it exhibit pride, vain-glory, contention, covetousness? Does it abound in love to God and in love to man, or in professions of both, but in fruits of neither? Does it perfect in us repentance and amendment of life, or prove us to be backsliding sinners and incorrigible transgressors? We must be already quite aware of our state, if we will only ask ourselves. We know what we

are.

Do we remember what we ought to be? The earthly heir is sometimes deprived of his inheritance for disobedience. So may the heir of an everlasting inheritance. He is receiving now all the favours and privileges, which in a family are a sort of first portion of a child's inheritance. The |

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last portion that falls to him is the best, but cannot be obtained if the first has not been put to the intended use. Be it our care so to walk now in the Spirit, that we be not, in the worst of all senses, disinherited. Let us live, let us act, as children of God. Let us love him, who first loved us. Let us love one another for his sake. Let us be, in every sense, as children and brethren in a united family; animated with one spirit, actuated by one motive, the hope of eternal life, even that eternal life which came by Jesus Christ, is allotted to all true believers, and shall be enjoyed in the heaven of heavens.

THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST.

THE EPISTLE.

8 Blessed is the man to whom the

Lord will not impute sin.

Rom. iv., 8 to 14.

circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circum

9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or up-cision to them who are not of the

on the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

11 Ánd he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not

circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the premise made of none effect.

The words with which the Epistle for the day opens, are taken from the psalms of David', and are quoted as illustrative of an argument. The Apostle had been showing that Abraham's faith was imputed unto him for righteousness; and that ours, by consequence, might in like manner be imputed. It was thus, he says, that David argued. David described the blessedness of the man to whom God imputed righteousness without works. And of what man did David thus speak? Not of him who was of the circumcision only, but of him also who "walked in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised."

And why must this have been the case? Because, when

1 Ps. xxxii., 2.

Abraham was not in circumcision but in uncircumcision, his faith was reckoned unto him for righteousness'. And thus every believer, who believes after the fashion of Abraham's belief, may feel assured, that he is "blessed with faithful Abraham2," that he is among "the blessed unto whom the Lord will not impute sin." In the Apostle's day the rite of circumcision had ceased to be binding, but still the Jews and judaizing Christians adhered to it with unabated tenacity. The Jews had ceased to be, in any sense, the peculiar people of God, but they nevertheless contended, that they, as the children of Abraham, were the covenanted heirs of the promise. This made it necessary for the Apostle to take frequent opportunities of condemning their unscriptural assumption of peculiar privileges, of disproving the everlasting obligation of their rites, and laying open the distinctive features of that new faith, through which they and all families of the earth would be blessed. He takes one of these opportunities here; and, in doing so, affords us the means of giving heed to things that are good, and becoming better acquainted with the peculiarities of that new and living way, which the Lord Jesus "has consecrated for us through the vail, that is to say, his flesh"."

The points, then, to which, in availing ourselves of the Apostle's argument, we may with profit direct our attention, are, first, the blessedness of “the man, to whom the Lord will not impute sin;” and, secondly, the comprehensive character of that blessedness in coming not upon the circumcision only, but on the uncircumcision also.

And, first, how are we of this family situated with regard to that blessedness, of which the Apostle speaks with such evident exultation? Are we of the number of those "to whom the Lord will not impute sin"? We must answer these questions, by asking ourselves another. Are we truly converted to God? And to this question it is difficult for any man to give an immediate or absolute affirmative. Let us take time to consider our answer. The signs of true conversion are manifest, and they are, repentance that needs not further repentance, unbounded faith in Christ, and, as legitimate fruits of these, non-conformity to the world, spirituality in thought, word, and deed, attendance on the means of grace, unceasing efforts for the glory of God and the good of brethren, frequent self-examination, habitual watchfulness, and actual growth in grace, and progress in every good

1 See Gen. xvii., throughout. 2 Gal. iii., 9. 3 Heb. x., 20.

word and work. "If these things be in us and abound, they make us that we shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ'," and moreover, place us among the blessed people, unto whom, for his own death's sake, the Lord will not impute sin. "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins2," and is not of the number of those whom the Lord thus gloriously blesseth.

And is it not true blessedness to have no sin imputed unto us, to be children of God by adoption, to be undoubted members of his family, to be heirs through grace of his promises, to have no fear of death, or occasion of stumbling in us, to obtain everlasting life? Is not this much better blessedness than all the praises of man, all the overflowings of worldly prosperity, all the enjoyments of temporal gratification, all the mightiest energies of life, health, and strength, that we could ever anticipate or compass? "Wherefore, the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things that are commanded you, ye shall never fall: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.";

But further, we are told that this blessedness, of which the Apostle speaks with such evident exultation, is of a most comprehensive character; that it in fact comprehends all men unto whom the Lord, on account of faith through the blood of Jesus Christ, will not impute sin. What encouragement is this for all, without respect of persons, to come unto Christ!

What encouragement is this for sinners of every kind and degree; for worldly-minded, reprobate, ignorant, impenitent; for high and low; for prosperous and distressed; for hopeful and desponding, to come unto him in faith, in whom alone is forgiveness of sins! Happy Christian, that he has such a stay as this, even in his severest trial; that he has such a refuge as this, even in the moment of his fall! Happy Christian, that he has such "an anchor of the soul," when he is weak and wavering; that he can lean on an arm that is mighty, when that which is earthly has failed! Oh, come unto him all ye that thus travail and are heavy-laden, and he will give you rest! Oh, give unto him your whole hearts! Oh, turn unto him with your fullest confidence, with repentance not to be repented of; with prayer

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not to be turned into sin; with humility really felt; with charity unbounded; with faith unfeigned; and you will find him a most sufficient Saviour! Sinners though you be, your sin shall not be Stricken though you be with a curse, you shall,

imputed to you.
in the best of all senses, be blessed.

Let the future be

The year has now begun. It has set up its way-mark. It has parted you from a large portion of past time. It now lays open before you as large a portion to come. managed better than the past. Let that future especially be heeded which opens in eternity. Even now you may be on the verge of that eternity. Delay not, then, a moment; but, before you draw another breath, before the hand strikes that cannot possibly miss its aim, turn yourselves in earnest, and live ye.

THE EPIPHANY, OR THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST TO THE GENTILES.

THE EPISTLE. Eph. iii., 1 to 12.

FOR this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,

2 (If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words;

4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the Gospel :

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the

grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

The Epistle appointed for this day is well adapted to the occasion, inasmuch as it is a statement of the Apostle's special mission to the Gentiles, which was ordained by the manifold wisdom of God, "according to his eternal purpose, which he purposed in Christ Jesus the Lord." The Apostle very much

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