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require to be admonished that divine grace is to be drawn down by prayer; to be difcerned by its fruits; to be cherished as all-fufficient: for to prayer you have trufted for the acquifition of it; its fruits are, in a measure more or lefs ample, vifible in your lives; its fufficiency to prefent peace and final falvation is the fheet-anchor, of your fouls. But are not you the children of Adam? Are not you.compaffed with infirmity? Are not you affailed, day after day, by inherent corruption? Are not you perpetually under the eye of that adversary, who goeth about like a roaring lion feeking whom he may devour? Do not omiffions of known duty, do not tranfgreffions of acknowledged commandments, unceasingly arife before your confciences; covering you with fhame, teaching you that of yourselves you are nothing, constraining you to admire the long fuffering of God? Do not you read in the word of truth: When the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committetb iniquity in his fin that he hath finned he shall die (b)? Do not you hear the voice of your Lord: The branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine no more can ye, except ye Sabide in me. If a man abide not in me, he is caft forth as a branch that is withered; as a

(6) Ezek. xviii. 4.

See alfo 26; and xxxiii. 12, 13. 18.

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branch that is to be caft into the fire (c)? What is the conclufion to be deduced from thefe paffages? A conclufion fupported by many pofitive texts no lefs than by the decided te nor of holy writ; that grace received may be loft: that grace that a man may fall from grace

abused will be withdrawnic

that ther moft righteous man may plunge himfelf into everlasting damnation. Is thy name written in the book of life? Be it fo.

Beware left it be blotted out (d). Be not high minded therefore, but fear. Behold with aftonishment and gratitude the goodness of God in making thee a partaker of his grace: towards thee, goodness. Goodness that fhall enfure to theei falvation? On one condition--if thou continue in his goodness: otherwife, thou also shalt be cut off (e).

Grieve not then the Holy Spirit of God, ye who at prefent ftand faft in grace: provoke not your Saviour to take his holy Spirit from you. Abide in your Lord; Lord; and he will abide in you.

vine and you

Continue branches of the true fhall receive abundant nurture. Perfevere in prayer: flee from temptation: abstain from all appearance of evil. Examine your life and converfation by the fan

(c) John, xv. 4. 6. (d) Rev. iii. 5. (e) Rom. xi. 20. 22.

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dard of the gospel. Probe your heart to the bottom. Compare your prefent ftate with your fate at antecedent periods. Learn whether you grow in in grace; whether you make a visible advance, a regular progress, inthe course of Chriftian attainments. If find yourself now on the fame spot, at which you had long fince arrived: where in the mean time has been your exertion? Where has been your folicitude? Where your remembrance of God? Where your love for your Redeemer? Where your reverence for the Spirit of fanctification? However fair may be the bloffom, however promifing the early fruit: if that fruit, unrefponfive to fhowers and dews and fummer-funs, advance not towards maturity; it proves itfelf to be the production of a withering branch, a branch in danger of being cut off and caft into the fire. But if it be indeed undeniable that you have ceafed to prefs forward towards the mark of your high calling in Chrift Jefus: do you flatter your felf with the hope that you have remained ftationary? On the abrupt and flippery afcent, which leads from earth to heaven, do you hope that, while you have remitted your exertions to climb the fteep, you have pre

ferved yourself from fliding backward? The lofs of the fruits of many former, many laborious efforts, is, I fear, only one among the deprivations and disadvantages which you have to deplore. You have returned towards the world which you had forfaken. You have habituated yourself to floth and unconcern. You have fupplied encouragement to your fpiritual enemies. You have manifefted indifference towards the Spirit of grace. Be watchful then, and ftrengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. Remember how thou haft received, and heard: and hold faft, and repent. Remember from whence thou art fallen; and repent, and do thy first works and I will not blot out thy name, faith thy Lord, out of the book of life (ƒ).

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SERMON. VI.

On the Marks which distinguish a real* 5.AMaon Chriftian.

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They that are Chrift's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lufts.

UNCERTAINTY is the characteristic of earthly pursuits. All is vague, ambiguous infecure, tranfitory, unfatisfactory. The fower knows not whether harveft will reward his labours. The merchant cannot pronounce whether his veffel will return with the expected cargo. The mariner, gazing on the blue vapours of the horizon, doubts whether the object to which he directs his course be a mountain or a cloud. Man walketh in a vain shadow; and disquieteth himself in vain VOL. I.

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