of religion, we ask for that which by its very nature is good, and which, without our great fault, will be good to us.

But secondly; we must obtain it. God is propitious. You hear that he has promised it to prayer; to prayer really and truly such, to prayer, namely, issuing from the heart and soul; for no other is ever meant. We are suppliants to our Maker for various and continual blessings; for health, for ease; it may be for prosperity and success. There is, as hath already been observed, some degree of uncertainty in all these cases, whether we ask what is fit and proper to be granted; or even what, if granted, would do us good. There is this, likewise, further to be observed, that they are what, if such be the pleasure of God, we can do without. But how incapable we are of doing without God's Spirit, of proceeding in our spiritual course upon our own strength and our own resources, of finally accomplishing the work of salvation without it, the strong description which is given by Saint Paul may convince us, if our own experience had not convinced us before. Many of us, a large majority of us, either require, or have required, a great change, a moral regeneration. This is to be effectuated by the aid of God's Spirit. Vitiated hearts will not change themselves; not easily, not frequently, not naturally, perhaps not possibly. Yet, "without holiness no man shall see God." How then are the unholy to become holy? Holiness is a thing of the heart and soul. It is not a few forced, constrained actions, though good as actions, which constitute holiness. It must reside within us. It is a disposition of soul. To acquire, therefore, that which is not yet acquired,-to change that which is not yet changed,—to go to the root of the malady,-to cleanse and purify the inside of the cup, the foulness of our mind,—is a work of the Spirit of God within us. Nay more; many, as the Scripture most significantly expresses, are dead in sins and trespasses,—not only committing sins and trespasses, but dead in them: that is, as insensible of their condition under them, as a dead man is insensible of his condition. Where this is the case, the sinner must, in the first instance, be roused and quickened to a sense of his condition,- of his danger,—his fate: in a word, he must by some means or other be brought to feel a strong compunction. This is also an office of the Spirit of God. "You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and

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sins:" Eph. ii. 1. Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light:" Eph. v. 14. Whether therefore we be amongst the dead in sin; or whether we be of the number of those, with whom-according to Saint Paul's description—to will is present, but how to perform that which is good they find not; who, though they approve the law of God, nay, delight in it, after the inward man--that is, in the answers of their conscience-are, nevertheless, brought into captivity to the law of sin, which is in their members; carnal, sold under sin; doing what they allow not, what they hate; doing not the good which they would, but the evil which they would notwhichever of these be our wretched estate, (for such the apostle pronounces it to be,) the grace and influence of God's Spirit must be obtained, in order to rescue and deliver us from it: and the sense of this want and of this necessity lies at the root of our devotions, when directed to this object.

To those who are in a better state than what has been here described little need be said, because the very supposition of their being in a better state includes that earnest and devout application by prayer for the continual aid, presence, and indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, which we state to be a duty of the Christian religion.

But, thirdly, the assistance of God's Spirit being obtained, we are to yield ourselves to its direction; to consult, attend, and listen to its dictates, suggested to us through the admonitions of our conscience. The terms of Scripture represent the Spirit of God as an assisting, not a forcing power; as not suspending our own powers, but animating them; as imparting strength and faculty for our religious work, if we will use them; but making it still depend upon ourselves whether we will use them or not. Agreeably hereunto St. Paul, you have heard, asserts, that there is no condemnation to them who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The promise is not to them who have the Spirit, but to them who walk after the Spirit. To walk after the flesh, is to follow the impulses of sensuality and selfishness wherever they lead us; which is a voluntary act. To walk after the Spirit, is steadily and resolutely to obey good motions within us, whatever they cost us: which also is a voluntary act. All the language of this remarkable chapter (Rom. vii.) proceeds in the same strain; namely, that after the Spirit of God is given, it remains and rests with our

selves whether we avail ourselves of it or not.

"If ye through

shall live." It

the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye is through the Spirit that we are enabled to mortify the deeds of the flesh. But still, whether we mortify them or not, is our act, because it is made a subject of precept and exhortation so to do. Health is God's gift: but what use we will make of it, is our choice. Bodily strength is God's gift: but of what advantage it shall be to us, depends upon ourselves. Even so, the higher gift of the Spirit remains a gift, the value of which will be exceedingly great, will be little, will be none, will be even an increase of guilt and condemnation, according as it is applied and obeyed, or neglected and withstood. The fourth chapter of Ephesians, verse 30, is a warning voice upon this subject. "Grieve not the Spirit of God?" therefore he may be grieved: being given, he may be rejected; rejected, he may be withdrawn.

St. Paul (Rom. viii.) represents the gift and possession of the Spirit in these words: "Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you:" and its efficacy, where it is efficacious, in the following magnificent terms: "If the Spirit of him that raised Christ from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies, by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." What, nevertheless, is the practical inference therefrom stated in the very next words? "Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh, for if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die :" consequently it is still possible, and plainly conceived, and supposed, and stated to be so, even after this communication of the Spirit, to live, notwithstanding, according to the flesh and still true, that, "if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." "We are debtors;"-our obligation, our duty imposed upon us by this gift of the Spirit, is no longer to live after the flesh; but on the contrary through the Spirit so given, to do that which, without it, we could not have done, -to "mortify the deeds of the body." Thus following the suggestions of the Spirit, ye shall live for "as many as are led by the Spirit of God," as many as yield themselves to its guidance and direction, "they are the sons of God."

:

To conclude the subject. The difference between those who succeed, and those who fail in their Christian course, between those who attain, and those who do not attain salvation, is

this:-They may both feel equally the weakness of their nature, the existence and the power of evil propensities within them; but the former, by praying with their whole heart and soul, and that perseveringly, for spiritual assistance, obtain it; and by the aid so obtained are enabled to withstand, and do in fact withstand, their evil propensities; the latter sink under them. I will not say that all are comprised under this description; for neither are all included in St. Paul's account of the matter, from which our discourse set out; but I think that it represents the general condition of Christians, as to their spiritual state, and that the greatest part of those who hear this discourse will find, that they belong to one side or other of the alternative here stated.

XXXIII.

PRESERVATION AND RECOVERY FROM SIN.

TITUS II. 11, 12.

"For the grace of God, that bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world."

THERE are certain particular texts of Scripture which are of inestimable use; for that in a few, short, clear words, they show us the sum of our duty. Such texts ought to be deeply infixed and imprinted upon our memories,-to be written, indeed, upon our hearts. The text, which I have read to you, is entitled to this distinction. No single sentence that ever was written down for the direction of mankind comprises more important truth in less room. The text gives us a rule of life and conduct; and tells us, that to lay down for mankind this rule, and enforce it by the promise of salvation, was a great object of the Gospel being published in the world. The Gospel might include other objects, and answer other purposes; but as far as related to the regulation of life and conduct, this was its object and its purpose. The rule, you hear, is, that, "denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." We must begin "by denying ungodliness and worldly lusts": which means, that we must resist or break off all sins of licentiousness, debauchery, and intemperance; for these are what are specifically meant by

worldly lusts. And these must be denied; that is, they must either be withstood in the first instance, or the evil courses into which they have drawn us must be broken off.

When a rule of morals is plain and positive, it is seldom that there is any advantage in enlarging upon the rule itself. We only weaken it by dilating it. I shall employ, therefore, my present discourse in offering such heads of advice as may be likely, by God's blessing, to assist us in rendering obedience to the rule laid down for us; an obedience upon which salvation depends.

First, then, I observe concerning licentious practices, that it is most practicable to be entirely innocent; that it is a more easy thing to withstand them altogether, than it is to set bounds to their indulgence. This is a point not sufficiently understood. Though true, it is not believed. Men know not what they are doing when they enter upon vicious courses-what a struggle, what a contest, what misery, what torment they are preparing for themselves. I trust that there is hardly a man or woman living who enters into a course of sin with the design of remaining in it to the end;-who can brave the punishment of hell; who intends to die in that state of sure perdition, to which a course of unrepented sin must bring him or her. No, that is not the plan even of the worst, much less of the generality, of mankind. Their plan is to allow themselves to a certain length, and there stop ;-for a certain time, and then reform;-in such and such opportunities and temptations, but in no more. Now, to such persons and to such plans I say this, that it would not have cost them one-tenth of the mortification, pain, and self-denial, to have kept themselves at a distance from sin, that it must and will cost them to break it off: adding the further consideration, that, so long as men preserve their innocence, the consciousness of doing what is right is both the strongest possible support of their resolution, and the most constant source of satisfaction to their thoughts: but that when men once begin to give way to vicious indulgences, another state of things takes place in their breasts. Disturbance at the heart, struggles and defeats, resolutions and relapses, selfreproach and self-condemnation, drive out all quietness and tranquillity of conscience. Peace within is at an end. All is unsettled. Did the young and unexperienced know the truth of this matter;-how much easier it is to keep innocency than