that a sinner can be justified before God only by faith in Christ; yet he also believes that every justified person will be graciously rewarded, probably both in the measure of his present consolations, and certainly in the degree of his future glory and felicity, according to his present diligence, zeal, and faithfulness: and that the good works of a true Christian will be produced before the assembled world, as the evidences of their faith and love of Christ; even as the wickedness and negligence of mere nominal Christians will be produced as proofs of their hypocrisy, impenitence, and unbelief. In hope, therefore of being shortly welcomed by his condescending and gracious Lord and Saviour, saying to him, "Well done, good and "faithful servant, thou hast been faithful in a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, "enter thou into the joy of thy Lord;" this exemplary disciple of Christ continued to improve his talents to the end of his life; and no doubt he is now entered into his blessed "rest, and his "works follow him," and his Lord doth honour him; according as he hath said, "Them that "honour me I will honour, but they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed."

These were some of the principles which combined their influence to form the character before us; and, if their tendency be properly estimated, they will be found fully adequate to the effects, which have been ascribed to them: nay, they would produce far greater and more excellent effects upon the conduct of mankind, than we ever witnessed or heard of, if they were complete in

their subsistence and operation; and if they were not counteracted by a variety of internal and external impediments, in this world of imperfection, encumberance, and temptation. Let us then proceed,

III. To shew that these same principles, wherever they exist, must of course produce the same effects; allowing indeed for difference of situation, natural temper, and other circumstances.

An habitual apprehension of our relation to God and the eternal world, and of those obligations which thence arise; the custom of judging every one of our thoughts, words, and actions, according to the holy and spiritual law of God; that humiliation of heart, which is the never failing effect of this severe and exact self-examination; that firm belief of the doctrines of salvation for sinners, through the merits and sufferings of the incarnate Son of God, and by faith in his name; that peace and hope, which spring from reliance on the mercy of God in him; that love and gratitude, which the rejoicing believer feels towards his adorable Redeemer and Friend; that view of every object in its relation to the cross of Christ; that willing subjection to him, as our beloved Lord and Master; that knowledge of the true value and comfort of life, and that daily preparation for death; that sincere prayer to God for, the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit, and constant dependence upon them; and that prospect of the day of judgment, and of the glorious recompense then to be awarded to us by our reconciled God, which have been spoken of; need only to be clearly stated, in order to shew that they cannot fail to have a most

powerful effect, when with combined energy they operate from year to year in regulating our hearts, pursuits, and actions. They will assuredly give a peculiar direction to the exercise of a man's abilities, and the use of his influence, time, and possessions; they will continue to insinuate themselves into every operation of his mind, and every undertaking of his life; they will gradually turn all his purposes and pursuits into one channel, and thus lead him to contract habits, in many respects opposite to those of persons who are uninfluenced by them. Nor should we have cause to wonder at any degree of exertion, self-denial, or liberality, to which a man thus impelled should at length attain; when the will of his Lord, the honour of his cause, the relief, comfort and benefit of those whom he deigns to acknowledge as his brethren and friends, or the salvation of immortal souls, demands them of him. And we might reasonably expect, that he would be ready to abridge himself of every needless pleasure; to renounce opportunities of accumulating wealth, or acquiring distinction; nay, to venture, and even to lay down, his life, to subserve those great ends for which the Lord of glory shed his precious blood.

No application of mind, no contrivance to render other employments subservient to those important objects, could in such a case appear wonderful. The precepts and example of Christ; love to him and his people: compassion to perishing sinners; a sense of duty; a wise regard to present comfort, and to that of a dying hour, and to the interests of eternity; must concur in urging the believer to devote his all to the service of his God and Sa

viour. The utmost that he can do must appear little, when compared with his infinite obligations, and the perfection of his rule. He must still find

much to be ashamed of, and be left to the last entirely dependent on the mercy of God, through the merits of Jesus Christ. And, indeed, the only thing to be wondered at is, that we are so feebly influenced by so many and powerful principles, and that we are so often induced to forget them, and to act contrary to them.

The same principles cannot fail to lead the Christian to judge of other men by the same rules; and, while his heart melts with compassion towards them, and his hand is stretched out to relieve the miseries of his bitterest enemies, and the vilest of the human species; he cannot but judge that the most of them are thronging the broad road to destruction nor can he be induced to flatter those with the hope of heaven, who continue strangers and enemies to this great salvation; or to amuse them with encomiums on their dignity, and on the merit of their supposed virtues, of which the highest object is self-exaltation. This habitual reverence for the example, precepts, authority, and honour of Christ, must prevent him from conformin gto the fashions, or courting the friendship, of a world which is in rebellion against him: and the same principles, that constrain him to the most enlarged beneficence, induce him also decidedly to refuse compliances which are contrary to his con-、 science, and with a holy singularity to shun all places and avocations, that interfere with his

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walking in all the ordinances and command"ments of the Lord blameless." They evidently

tend to produce, at once, abstraction from worldly pleasures, and a serenity and cheerfulness of mind without them: they teach, at the same time, frugality in personal expense and an enlarged scale of charity: and they render that course of life delightful, which appears wearisome for its sameness, and melancholy through its seriousness, to those who have not experienced, and are as yet incapable of relishing, its exalted and refined satisfactions. And, finally, while so many tremble at, or run away from, the thought of death, through apprehensions of meeting something far worse than the most distressing evils of life; these principles must conduce to a composure of mind in looking forward to the concluding scene, and in the expectation of being then admitted into a far happier state. A right understanding of the outlines of evangelical doctrine will discover the Christian to be consistent with himself, even in those parts of his conduct that appear most discordant with each other,; and only inconsistent in coming so short of perfection.

These principles operating upon the mind of an apostle whose endowments were proportioned to his mission and authority, and whose opportunities were almost as extensive as his zeal and philanthrophy, formed the character of St. Paul. All his self-denying, persevering, and almost incredible labours; his patient sufferings; his exemplary holiness; his extensive usefulness; and whatever distinguished him from other men; arose from these and similar principles, through the operation of the Holy Spirit. They glowed with such ardour, and wrought with such energy, in his heart, that "he counted not his life dear unto himself, so that