many striking monuments which are set before us in the Scriptures, of the power and efficacy of divine faith and grace, be taught to look up to the fountain of life, from whence these valiants for the truth received their teaching, and also the power to learn and practise what they were taught, which is nothing less than "denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world ;" and to have the mind centred on the great object of faith, "looking to that blessed hope, and the glorious appearance of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

The inspired apostle saith to Titus, "These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." And in the same epistle he gives Titus a charge to put the believers in mind how they should behave themselves towards all men. Then, while writing, it comes into his mind what Titus and himself had been; how they were redeemed, and from what they were redeemed, when the kindness and love of God towards man appeared: the humiliating thought teaches him to give the glory to him to whom it is due; "Not," he says, by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of

8 Tit. ii. 12.

b Ib. ii. 13.

i Ib. ii, 15,

* Ib. iii. 5.

regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that, being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs, according to the hope of eternal life."

Here is set before us a view of the bounty received, of the redeeming power which that bounty communicates, and of the quickened sensibility in the believer's mind, that not unto him, but unto the Lord, belong the power and the glory. I am aware that the apostle Paul was converted to the truth in a manner not common, and I can adore that great and glorious Being, who saw meet to exercise his omnipotent power, in stopping him in his journey to Damascus, turning his purposes upside down, and causing him to preach that faith which he once persecuted:

I can bow in awful reverence and thankfulness at the footstool of grace, in contemplating the cause for which the apostle obtained this mercy; and for the exceeding abundance of faith and love, 'that in him first, for the ages to come to behold, he might shew forth a pattern of his longsuffering to all that should believe unto eternal life. Herein lies the end of believing, the crown of righteousness, after fighting the good fight of faith; and be assured, there is no fighting this good fight of faith by barely admiring the great cloud of witnesses; but this admiration should

'1 Tim. i. 16.

bring faith into action, and cause all Christians "to lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets them, and run with patience the race set before them; looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of their faith, who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God."

My mind is impressed with a wish to call your attention to this apostolic doctrine, and to invite you to do more than content yourselves with the view of the great cloud of witnesses presented to you in the Scriptures of truth: lay aside the hindering things, and, like them, let faith come forth in action. So may we also be living witnesses that our faith is the same as that once delivered to the saints, by shewing to the world, that it purifies the heart, and makes us new creatures; old things being put away, and all things become new. I long to see such ambassadors for Christ, as the apostles were; "who would pray people, in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God, who made Christ to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him; that we may be redeemed from our past sins by believing in him, and from our vain conversation by abiding in him; and live in love to him who so loved us, as first to give us power to be saved, and then lay down his life to save us.

m

Heb. xii. 1.

" 2 Cor. v. 20.

And, when this precious gift of faith becomes quickened, so as to bring us to Christ, to be justified from past sins, which we could not be by the law of Moses, (for that saith, "P Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them,") we, by believing, are redeemed from the curse of this law, and so far made acceptable to God, through hearing him. And thus, through him who is the Author of our faith, we are brought nigh to God, and sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise which the apostle calls the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of his glory.

My heart's desire, like that of the great apostle, is, that all Christians would look forward, after they are thus brought to the adoption of children, and feel the necessity of a growth in grace, and a still farther saving knowledge of their Lord and Saviour; and attend to the Spirit of the Son in their hearts, which cries "Abba, Father," that they may thereby learn to be children in malice, and not be so strong in cutting and wounding with far-fetched arguments, which have nothing to do with the end of true faith, for that is the salvation of the soul. Therefore, ye great reasoners, lay aside your contending spirit, and return to your first love, and attend to the voice of him who is the "Shepherd and Bishop of your

Acts xiii. 39. P Gal. iii 10. Rom. viii. 15.1 Pet. ii. 25.

souls." He will teach you by his Spirit how you ought to walk and please God, to love one another, and abound more and more; and by virtue thereof he will make you wise unto salvation, and will strengthen, stablish, and settle you in the everlasting truth. Then you will no longer be "like children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, but speaking the truth in love, will grow up in all things into him which is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the working of every part, maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of itself in love."

Here the apostle has set before us a view of what he knew a Christian church ought to be: and, no doubt, he was fully persuaded, by the voice of inspiration, that the high and holy Head would, if attended to, teach every member thereof to fill up his place therein. Let us look up to him in faith, and be willing to obey; and I believe we shall soon find that we are only in the morning of the day, that we have but just put on our armour, and that this is not the time to boast. We may in this state be mistaken, like the king who imprisoned the Lord's servant, and commanded that he should be fed with the bread of affliction, and water of affliction, until he returned

'Eph. iv. 14.

t

* 1 Kings xxii. 26.