his weakness, and that he must be indebted to Christ throughout eternity for strength as well as righteousness, is the truly wise man. How refreshing is the thought to him, that he shall find all he wants under the shadow of the Almighty! Self-knowledge is absolutely necessary. Satan leads his votaries blindfold to destruction. The Lord will not lead his people blindfold to heaven. He first leads them to themselves, then to Christ, and then to himself.

Again: simple faith in the testimony of God, respecting Christ, is necessary,-His atonement, His righteousness, and His intercession. The believer in the simplicity of his heart, attends to the voice of his God, and he then believes in the atonement of the blood of Christ, with the simplicity of a child; the language of his heart is, He who knows all things, knows that I am desirous of being delivered from the love and guilt of sin, and, blessed be God, I find deliverance through Christ; I find sin assailing me in the closet, in the public ordinances of God, and I look up to that High Priest who is bearing the iniquities of his people, before the throne of God, and I am relieved.'

I have endeavoured to give you some account of the experience of the Christian who feels the Spirit of adoption; he goes to God for everything.

"Knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven. a better and an enduring substance:" here is infinity and eternity contrasted with all the things of time and sense. The state of others may, as to outward circumstance in this life, bear no comparison with ours; but let not this discourage or distress you, if we look forward to another world, how awful is the contrast-the height of heaven with the depths of hell! When the hour of death arrives, how tremendously awful is it to the sinner!-none of these things move the believer. Now, if any are distressed at the present moment, and desirous of seeking God in Christ, pray the Lord to give you His Spirit, to bring you to a knowledge of Him in his own way. Do not presume to dictate to Him; you will find eventually he is only now convincing you of your own inability to preserve yourselves, for a single instant: look up to God; he who is desirous of being delivered from sin in God's own way, is travelling safely the road that leads to heaven. To all, I say, give God the glory of what is past; trust him for the present, remembering you are in an enemy's country. "I will hear what God the Lord will speak : for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints; but let them not turn again to folly."

1 Psalm 1xxxv. 8.

Honor the voice of conscience; trifle not with little sins; these little sins pierce through with many sorrows, and though to us they may appear little, there is no such thing as a little sin; every sin at the moment of its birth, is a monster; you will find in the Lord's people a delicacy, I cannot describe, and they shrink from even the appearance of evil; they know sin is infinitely offensive to God; they know what it is, in the death of Christ; they know what its sting is in their own conscience, and are resolved to keep as free from sin as possible. May the Lord keep us, and we shall soon know we are heirs of God, and shall drink of the "rivers of pleasure at his right hand for evermore."

SERMON XXIX.

February 9, 1823.

THE LOVE OF GOD FREE AND IMMUTABLE.

And he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.-2 SAMUEL XII. 25.

GOD's word was now fulfilled to David. He had given him a son who was to inherit his throne, and had called his name Solomon ; but he afterwards "called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord." This name implies, beloved of the Lord, loved from eternity. Yes, love for the present moment, and love to all eternity; and however glorious the love of God may be, we stand in need of it to preserve us for ever, and of its perpetual exercise to preserve us every moment; and there never will come a time, when we shall not stand in need of the blessing of his love.

I shall consider,

I. THE LOVE OF GOD; and

II. AS IT IS EXEMPLIFIED IN THE CASE OF SOLOMON.

I. It is said in Scripture, very emphatically, that "God is love." The bosom of God is the only immutable seat of love; and were it not for its effects we should all very soon hate him and hate each other. The love of the saint to God is immutable, not in itself, but preserved so by the immutable love of God. The love of God is as free, as it is immutable, or it would never have reached any being. He is so perfect, He finds all motive to action within his own bosom: there is but one exception; while the source of God's love towards all those beings whom he does love, arises exclusively from himself, the source of his hatred arises from his enemies themselves :-why does God love any one? There is no other answer but, because he will: he does not deign to give us any other answer: he can do nothing but with infinite wisdom; it is not the good in any person that purchases the love of God; that good is the effect, and not the cause, of the love of God. If we consider the perfections of Jehovah, and the infinite difference between him and the most glorious created being, we must come to the conclusion that no being possesses infinite love but God himself; and who deserves the love-the attention of Deity? -no being, but himself.

Perhaps there may be present in this as