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to the end of a Christian's faith, is the salvation of his soul. Let us, like the first believers, draw near to the Saviour with the simple naked faith in his power to save, and an ardent desire of being saved; then I doubt not that we should be more constrained to avoid soaring above the simplicity of truth, and of setting up speculative ideas in the room thereof. The truth is unchangeable, and its effects are invariably the same, when received in the love thereof.

The poor Gentiles, "who had before been aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenant of promise, were brought nigh by the blood of Christ, knew him to be their peace, and that the middle wall of partition was broken down, between them and the Jews. But alas! for that great and more highly favoured people! they, "to whom appertained the adoption, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and of whom, as concerning the flesh, Christ came;" they stumbled at the stumbling-stone which broke down the partition-wall, and thereby became blinded. And yet they said they saw, and thereby fell short of beholding the great pro pitiatory sacrifice which they had so long been in the habit of prefiguring, "by the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer, which could not take away sin."

Here we may behold the insufficiency of forms,

b

Eph. ii. 12.

i

Rom. ix. 4.

* Heb. ix. 13.

without power and knowledge, without spirit and life; and thus be taught a deep lesson of instruction, which, if attended to, may make us more like our great Master, quick of understanding in the fear of the Lord. This, I believe, is much

wanting; and it can be attained only by avoiding the errors into which that highly-favoured people fell. And, for this purpose, it will be well for us all to trace the cause to its origin, and follow its progress to the days of our Saviour, who lamented their hardness of heart, and stubbornness of will, in these words; "Oh Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not."

Here is a useful lesson, if we would make use of that inward instructor which the bountiful Creator has given us for the preservation of our souls, and which, when quickened, and brought into action, I conceive to constitute faith, by which alone we are saved from all hurtful things. The all-wise Creator has given to the hen many dif ferent notes which she uses to her chickens, and has also given to her young an instinct to know the meaning of each note. I have beheld her leading them along; they new her voice, and followed her. I have beheld her when

'Matt. xxiii. 37.

she has changed her note, on finding food, and they have understood her, and ran to partake of it: again, I have observed her, in the moment of danger, sound an alarm, and her little family, as quick to attend, ran to her for shelter, and in a moment reposed in quietness and safety. It would be well, if we were as quick of understanding in the things relating to our souls' salvation, and which make for our everlasting peace, as these little chickens are in the things that relate to the sustaining and preserving of their poor little bodies. How near it would keep us to him, who is the great Author of our being, and to whom we are beholden for our bodies, our life, and all things by which life is sustained. I wish that every one was duly impressed with this certain truth, even as it relates but to the things of this life: I believe he would soon be constrained to say, with the inspired Psalmist, "How wonderful are thy works, oh Lord! in wisdom hast thou made them all!"

But all the things of time are but of small moment to us, when the shortness of our lives are taken into view, and they are compared with that endless eternity, in which our souls must exist, when time to us shall be no more. And, although no man can attain eternal salvation, but through the merits and mediation of Christ; yet these merits and mediation were extended, in a degree,

Ps. cxiv. 24.

to our first parents, under the appellation of ""the seed of the woman," which should bruise the serpent's head. Now this seed of the woman was evidently meant to apply to the Saviour, in fulness, who was born of a woman. But I conceive the promise, in measure, extended to Adam and Eve personally; and from them to their posterity. And this most men own, in a limited degree, calling it preventing grace; but I am of opinion, that the term may be extended a little farther, and called also receiving grace. To this, I think, the apostle John had reference, when he wrote his Gospel, and said, "and of his (that is of Christ's) fulness have all we received, and grace for grace."

No doubt these words were applied to such as were believers; for they could not be said of those who had wrapped their talent in a napkin, and buried it in the earth. And yet they had a talent of grace, and were condemnable for not profiting thereby, by coming to the Saviour to receive grace for grace: for he will teach every one to improve by their first gift, if they use the power that is in the gift. But, alas! for poor frail man, he inclines himself "Pto love darkness rather than light, because his deeds are evil," and "will not hearken to the voice of the charmer, charm he never so wisely." I do believe, that the all-wise Creator, who hath given that admirable instinct to the hen and her chickens, to

" Gen. iii. 15. • John i. 16. P John iii. 19. 9 Ps. lviii. 5.

which the dear Saviour, who "spake as never man spake," saw it meet to compare his tender regard for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, had also given to those over whom he lamented, a gift by which they might have fled for refuge to the hope set before them, and known the receiving of grace for grace; but they would not.

And, in like manner, I conceive, from the Scriptures, that man, if he miss of salvation, destroys himself, and, if saved, his salvation is of the Lord. No man can of himself do any works to merit salvation; yet, if he is saved by Christ, "'his works will be such as to glorify his Father which is in heaven." Otherwise, how can we apply the apostle's words, "If ye call on the Father, who judgeth according to every man's works, without respect of persons, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear."

I wish there were more of this holy fear apparent among Christians of every name; for we are all dependent on the same bountiful Creator, for life, breath, and being, and are debtors to him for his merciful redemption. Therefore," "it is high time to wake out of sleep," and to prove, by our lives, that our salvation is nearer than when we first believed through the Spirit which is given to all true believers, let us mortify the deeds of the body, and no longer live the rest of our lives to the lusts of our flesh, but to the will of God.

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