again welcome the well-known offer; again receive your Saviour in your arms; and, again, commit your souls to him. This action and reaction of the Redeemer and redeemed, are always in character. It is the energy of the covenant, proceeding from the Head, and actuating the members. It is our health and our work; our duty and our joy. "My Beloved is mine and I am his. He shall say, it is my people, and they shall say, the Lord is my God." Ye too, who long for the assurance of salvation, and have not succeeded to your satisfaction in examining your state, are now invited to come directly to the Lord, in the full assurance of receiving salvation.* Had you ascertained to the full, that you were pious months or years ago, still you would depend on unmerited grace; and if your sins have, upon examination, proved more obvious than your piety, you are at this moment authorized to rest your hope upon perfect righteousness: for that righteousness which satisfies God, is unto all sinners that believe. If you were ever, in earnest, seeking a sense of your safety; you will not now refuse that very safety, when freely offered by God's own authority. Come unto me, and I will give you rest.

And ye, criminals, who have hitherto remained in unbelief, slothful, voluptuous, obstinate, proud, blasphemers; ye, too, are invited by the God of mercy to cease from sin, and accept the salvation of your souls. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; hear, and your souls shall live. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. Then shall ye, too, understand our language, when we repeat the words of inspiration, "Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." AMEN.

x. 22. the same Greek word πληροφορια is used. And it signifies a high degree of that act of mind with which it is connected. πληρης φορεω, fully carry. Christ is offered in the gospel for salvation. Faith receives him for that purpose; and in the act I may be certain of the object. In believing, I am sure that Christ is offered to me, and I receive the offer with assurance that he will save me.

THE EVIDENCES OF TRUE RELIGION IN MAN.

SERMON VII.

1 JOHN iv. 13.-Hereby we know that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

THE record of human feelings and actions, in the various ages and conditions of life, is universally interesting to the man of sensibility. Those histories, which in the narration of facts, display the secret springs of individual enterprise, and which, together with great public events, describe the various dispositions and the real motives of the agents in bringing them to pass, are the most instructive both to the philosopher and the statesınan. Indeed the accurate delineation of the principles and the passions, which ordinarily govern men in the several departments of social life, stamps some value upon even fictitious composition; and unquestionably constitutes the principal charm of parable and poetry. Aware of this, they who write for public amusement, take care to interweave with their story, the strongest and tenderest passions of the heart. It is by the vivid description of incidents which develope character, that such authors succeed in producing the enchantment, which fixes the attention of the most giddy and the most thoughtless to the wild and extravagant romance, in which the present age unhappily abounds. * It cannot then be deemed uninteresting to the intelligent Christian, or un

* However the judicious moralist may deprecate the tendency of the frivolous and wanton productions of the press, the state of society, which is indicated by a general taste for works of fancy, is less productive of actual misery than that barbarous condition, which cultivates and excites restless spirits in plotting schemes of iniquity, and executing deeds of blood; and which leaves the great mass of society to sink in the more beastly indulgences of sensuality. The pleasures of the imagination, if not more favourable to piety, are certainly more humane than the gratification of vulgar passions and appetites.

profitable to any sincere disciple of our Lord, to attend to the peculiarities of a character formed by the "power of godliness." When a man has been for some time influenced by the precepts of religion, however others may choose to act, "he will be happy to look back to the circumstances under which piety commenced her operations, whether they were mingled in early life almost insensibly with his thoughts and his feelings, or came on him with mighty force, at some particular time," and in connexion with some memorable event, which was the instrumental cause, or the providential occasion of his return to the favour and friendship of God. He will, of course, trace the steps of his progress, with grateful acknowledgment, to that power which advanced him to the decidedly religious habit that renders valuable his very immortality.

High were the hopes, and yet serene the enjoyments of the amiable apostle, who outlived all the companions of his early ministry, when taking a retrospect of his Christian course he said-" Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit."

In these words, three distinct ideas are proposed: we have a fact asserted of all sincere Christians; "we dwell in him and he in us"-we have it also asserted, that this fact is capable of being ascertained; "we know that we dwell in him" and the evidence of the fact is declared; "hereby know we, because he hath given us of his Spirit."

"To dwell in Christ Jesus, and have him dwelling in us," signifies, the union of Christians with their Redeemer as their living Head. He chooses us as his habitation, to be the subjects of his grace and power: and we choose him as our dwelling-place for perpetual safety and happiness. He takes possession of his people, and abides with them for ever: they commit themselves to him; and with persevering constancy dwell in him, and are one in him. The union of these distinct agents, the Surety and the ransomed, is effected by their mutual act. He offers himself in his word, and we by faith receive the offer: quickened moreover by his power, we consent to his covenant, and offer our souls to him: he accepts and saves. The union is real, is sustained in law, is of a spiritual nature, and absolutely indissoluble. We dwell in him and he in us.

Christians are capable of ascertaining the fact of their mystical union to Christ Jesus their federal Head, and thereby of assuring themselves of a saving interest in him. Particular texts of scripture assert this assurance; the general scope of revealed religion supports the doctrine of personal confidence; there is an evident absurdity in the contrary supposition; and facts numerous and conclusive, are recorded in the bible, to show that the saints did obtain evidence of their own piety. We know that we dwell in him and he in us.

In the preceding discourse, I have showed that assurance of a religious state is attainable, and have explained the principles upon which self-examination should be conducted. It is my intention, in this discourse, to exhibit

THE CERTAIN EVIDENCES OF TRUE RELIGION IN MAN.

"Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit." This evidence is common to all the saints; and it is, therefore, more desirable that it be examined and understood than that which is either occasional, or incidental. Extraordinary cases carry with them their own proper convictions; but that species of testimony, without which even extraordinary instances of conversion cannot be verified, and which apply to all possible instances, is undoubtedly of more importance to be known, than that which is more limited in its application, because peculiar to a few of thy sons and daughters of Zion. The evidence, to which the apostle John points, in my text, is common to all believers. They all dwell in Christ: He dwells in every one of them: there is an intimate union between him and them: for two (saith he) shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord shall be one Spirit. And hereby we know it to be the case with ourselves personally, because he hath given us of his Spirit;* for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Every one that believeth hath the witness in himself; and the Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirits that we are the sons of God.