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glory." This is a living treasure, which enlargeth the heart towards all men, and shuts out all that is hard and uncharitable; it extendeth the view of glory, graciously vouchsafed to us by salvation through Christ; so that a reconciliation is not only professed to be believed in, but it is brought home to the soul. There is a feeling of it, like that of the poor woman, with the issue of blood, " who pressed through the crowd, saying within herself," If I may but touch the hem of his garment, I shall be healed." Hers was a faith which drew her nigh to the Saviour, under a sense of want; an inward, stimulating, persevering faith, that instantly attracted the healing virtue of which she stood in need. Oh, that all Christians were come to this sensibility in themselves! how humble would they be, even after having partaken of the healing virtue: there would be no cutting and slaying one another, about what did not directly concern them; I mean, there would be no condemning one another to perdition, on account of our not thinking exactly alike about eternal decrees. I firmly believe, if the work of faith was known with power, even amongst you highly-esteemed preachers, your mouths would be stopped from venturing to pronounce conclusions so strong and positive, on these awful points; conclusions, which I am almost certain are hurtful to yourselves, and very hurtful to most of your

Mark v. 27.

hearers. Their minds are caught with these speculative views: it would seem as though these were the standard by which they measured other Christians; and if the latter do not come up to this imaginary standard, they must be lost. Look at this, and fear, lest your standard should be faulty. Your great confidence is no convincing proof, to my mind, that you have more truth on your side than others, whose confidence is less. Your knowing the letter of the Scripture, and being skilled in fitting and squaring it to the principles you have imbibed, is no decisive argument of your being right, seeing that those whom you oppose can do the same. It is therefore time to search the Christian camp, to find out the live flesh, seeing there still existeth some, to the hurt of the glorious cause for which you contend.

There is too much of the glory of man amongst you, my dear fellow Christians: let me entreat you to make diligent search; it will not hurt the very best of you, however whole you may think yourselves. For, most assuredly, there is a fault somewhere, which hinders the glory that should shine through you; and, until this fault be removed, your lustre will not shine out, to attract the heathen to your standard. Wherefore, I beseech you all, but more especially you, ye leaders of the people, turn your attention most seriously to this subject; and be each of you diligent in searching out the stumbling-blocks, and remove them out of the way, that the light of the glorious

gospel may shine in the lives and conversations of your respective flocks; that the natures of professors may be changed to a gospel state, even by the real work of regeneration, which is an operative work, written within, even a purging out of the old leaven, and becoming a new lump. This is the true work of faith with power; a power of changing the heart, and of making a new creature. This is the availing Christianity which I long to see amongst you all. My brethren, consider these things, and feel their force; lay aside your strong reasonings, and try yourselves in the balance of the sanctuary: be not too confident that you weigh your full weight; too great confidence in these important matters is a dangerous thing. Since there is a disease amongst you, I would have you all fear, lest it eat like a cankerworm, and leave no root of love in you. I believe you are all called upon to arise and shine, for the glory of the Lord is arising upon you.

There is no want of knowledge in the Christian world, but much want of obedience. If obedience kept pace with knowledge, how gloriously would the gospel shine through the professors of it! How is it, my Christian brethren, that the fruits of Christianity are so scarce, when there is so much profession amongst us? Are we dwelling in the outward court only, in a name to live, and yet dead to the true living sense of the sweet, consoling, strengthening influence of truth, which is so fully set open to our view in the Scriptures of

truth, which condescending goodness hath, in abundant mercy, caused to be handed down to us; which unfolds to us his goodness to the faithful in all generations, and how he hath manifested himself to them, and fed them with the bread of life, by the communications of himself to them by his own Spirit, both immediately and instrumentally, according to his good pleasure; and also how he hath from age to age manifested his displeasure towards the wicked, by cutting them off from the face of the earth, as ensamples to all future generations, that they should not lust after evil things. It will ever remain a standing truth, that "lust, when it is conceived, bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." There is no altercation here, my brethren, betwixt law and gospel; the Saviour came "Pto put an end to sin, and finish transgression, to bring in everlasting righteousness in the room thereof. The object by which righteousness is to be attained, is so far altered, that we live in the days of gospel light; and the types and shadows of heavenly things, which were represented in the law, are ended by the coming of Christ, and by his offering himself once for all. "He is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." I believe it is a great and glorious thing, my dear brethren, to be true believers, much more so than many are disposed to think; I mean to be

• James i. 15. P Daniel ix. 24.

9 Rom. x. 4.

established believers. With such I long to be acquainted, and to see them shew forth their faith by their works. This is the most convincing and confirming gospel testimony which can be borne to the world; this carries its evidence with it into the minds of serious inquirers, and this is the genuine fruit of faith.

This is an establishment which centres the soul on the sure foundation, and opens the understanding to divide between the light of the gospel and the law; not to destroy the law, in the way that some have attempted to do, but to see that "the law is holy, just, and good," and that "the law was weak through the flesh;" which I conceive to mean, that the letter of the law being the object of attention, and man, by his own power, aiming to live up to it, found that his written law did not afford strength to him to fulfil what it commanded. And as Christ was sent "s in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in his own flesh," and in that body of flesh, fulfilled all righteousness, so I conceive, that a true believer is enabled, through faith, or rather through Christ, dwelling in the believer's heart by faith, who is a condemner of all sin in the believer's flesh. And it appears clear to me that this was the apostle's meaning; for, a little farther on, he traces the operation of it, and brings it home to believers, "that the righteousness of the law might be ful

9 Rom. vii. 12. Ib. viii. 3. 'Ib. viii. 3. * Ib. viii. 4.

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