as deriving all their value from him, as nothing whatever, excepting in so far as they may be traced to him, they direct your regards to him as the foundation of all your hope, as the bestower of all your peace, as the source of all your joy. And to this conclusion we must come, not in spite of, but in conformity to, all that has been said, respecting the consolation and the gladness that spring from "the testimony of a good conscience," that you must rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh."

"

But, that you may have the rejoicing which the apostle experienced, that it may be a rejoicing on sufficient grounds and a rejoicing which no man can take from you, you must attend to these few particulars:

First, While your rejoicing arises from the testimony of your conscience, you must be careful that your conscience be well informed. We know that the apostle's conscience was of this description; for he had been taught by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and taught miraculously, not only that he himself might be an eminent believer, but that he might be an accredited teacher of others in all things pertaining to the doctrines of the gospel, and the duties of the Christian life. But, though the extent of your knowledge may not be equal to his, still it is necessary for you to have knowledge, as far as it can be attained. Labor, therefore, to acquire correct and extensive and connected views of divine truth, by perusing what he and the other inspired writers have been moved by the Holy Ghost to indite, for the edification of the church; meditate upon what you thus read, with seriousness and diligence; and pray for illumination from above, to accompany the instruction which you derive from the written word. In this way, your conscience being fully enlightened, and duly alive as to all that God requires you to do and be, it will give neither a mistaken, nor a hurtful testimony: on the contrary, it will lead you to cultivate that deportment which accords with the spirit and the precepts of the gospel; and while it permits you to rejoice, it will afford you

a pledge that your rejoicing is warranted, by the testimony of Him who is "greater than your conscience, and who knoweth all things."

Secondly, Be anxious to have all your motives pure. You may be distinguished by many outward virtues, which are agreeable to the letter of the divine law, and which will secure for you the approbation and applause of those who witness them, and especially of those who are profited by them. And yet, I need not tell you, that, if they proceed not from right principles, they are destitute of all real value; they neither are an evidence of your interest in the Redeemer, nor can they have any effect in qualifying you for heaven; to rejoice in them therefore, would be to rejoice in worthlessness and vanity. Your great concern must be to have your hearts purified from the love of sin, and imbued with the love of holiness-to have established within you those truths, and those views, which God has sanctioned as alone worthy to regulate the conduct of his people— and on every occasion to give to them their full operation, in preserving you from sin, and in stimulating you to duty. This will secure the conduct, which, whatever appearance it may wear in the eyes of men, or whatever bearing it may have on the interests of those who are affected by it, is acceptable to God through Jesus Christ-which your own conscience will approve and which will authorize you to comply with the invocation of the Psalmist, "Rejoice in the Lord, and be glad ye righteous; and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart."

Thirdly, See that your character be consistent and uniform. It is not an insulated deed of virtue or of charity, which will afford ground for "the rejoicing testimony of a good conscience." The deed of virtue which stands by itself, is not, in truth, a Christian virtue at all. An action, to be truly virtuous, must stand associated with virtue of every description; and whatever legitimately gives birth to a rejoicing couscience, must form a constituent part of that aggregate of excel

lence, all of which proceeds from a divine source, and all of which is necessary to lead to a heavenly consummation. If your conscience dictate one holy action, be assured it will dictate every other; and it will not approve of one, if the rest be wanting, nor will it give any sanction to the joy you may feel on account of that one. It is requisite that this be the testimony of your conscience, not that you have been righteous, and benevolent, and sincere, in one or two instances, but that you have been so in the general course and tenor of your deportment; that you have had your "conversation in the world" accommodated throughout to the law of God, and pervaded by the spirit of true religion. Surrender yourselves, therefore, wholly to the service of the Redeemer; withhold nothing which he exacts; indulge in nothing which he prohibits; let it be your great concern to please him in all your ways; and thus, "exercising yourselves to have always a conscience void of offence both towards God and towards man," you will be possessed of an inward "testimony," with which will be abundantly connected the "rejoicing," in which the apostle so freely and exultingly indulged.

Finally, Never forget that all this must proceed from "the grace of God." To this the apostle refers in the text; and we can never be too often reminded, that “of ourselves we can do nothing," nothing truly good or acceptable. Unless, therefore, you have direction and assistance from on high, your best attainments will be meagre, and your best efforts fruitless. Let me exhort you, then, to distrust yourselves, and to look to Christ, as both your "righteousness and your strength." Study to do all things in his name, and in his might. Cast yourselves upon his management, that he may "guide you by his counsel;" upon his righteousness, that you may find favor with God; upon his grace and spirit, that he may "sanctify you wholly." And, if thus He be to you" wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption," then are ye "complete in Him,” and your "rejoicing" shall be full, and rapturous, and everlasting.

SERMON VI.*

THE CHRISTIAN'S CHOICE.

JOSHUA, XXIV. 15.

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve."

"SEEM evil unto you to serve the Lord!" How can the service of the Lord seem evil to any one who is not either wholly void of understanding, or altogether hardened against religious impressions? Were I to put the question to you, my friends, if you deem it "evil to serve the Lord," is there one of you, old or young, who would not instantly and decidedly answer in the negative ? And were I again to ask you, if you did not think it good rather to serve the Lord, would not you all reply, as with one voice, in the affirmative, and acknowledge that to do so must be your duty, your honor, and your happiness? Well, then, are you prepared to say, with a good conscience, that you are in fact serving the Lord?

By some of you, I doubt not, an answer to this inquiry also may be returned; for of some of you, I doubt not, it may be truly affirmed, that, redeemed by

*Preached for the Edinburgh and Leith Seaman's Friend Society' in St. George's Church, Edinburgh, on the evening of Sabbath, the 11th April, 1830.

divine mercy, and with that price which the Son of God paid for your ransom-released from those bonds by which you were naturally held in slavery, and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God, you are now devoted to the Lord, doing his will upon earth, and looking for the recompense which he has promised to his servants in heaven.

But I fear there are others of you of whom so much cannot be truly affirmed. You may, indeed, be flattering yourselves that you are the servants of God. You may be offended if we deny that this is your character. And you may point to many things which you regularly and habitually do, in proof that we are mistaken. You are not avowed unbelievers, but sober and uniform professors of Christianity. You abstain from all the more flagrant of those offences which the divine law forbids; and you perform all the more important of those duties which the divine law enjoins. You come punctually to the house of prayer, and engage, with every appearance of devotion, in the various exercises of the sanctuary. You are kind and faithful to your friends. You are just and honorable in your dealings with the world. And there are many to bear witness to your deeds of sympathy and beneficence.

Now all this may be, so far, a correct view of your deportment. Still more virtues might have been included in the catalogue. Your character may shine with still greater brilliancy, and be possessed of still greater respectability and worth. And yet all that it exhibits does not amount to any satisfactory evidence that you are "serving the Lord." On the contrary, it is quite compatible with your serving Mammon-with your "serving divers lusts and pleasures"-with your serving "the creature" in many of those various forms which it assumes and wears as the object of attachment. Remember, my friends, that the service of God is exclusive. It does not admit of interference, or of competition, or of divided homage. It deserves-it demands --and it must have-the whole man. If it be accom