your fupplications? Be not difcouraged: your fupplications, though not yet granted, are heard. The Lord is not flack concerning his promise. God only waiteth to be gracious. Be not weary in well-doing, in urging your request before the throne of grace; for in due time you will reap, if you faint not in due time, and that too a time fufficiently speedy to meet the exigencies of your fituation, you fhall obtain the guidance, the support, the confolation of the Spirit of God: guidance, fupport, or confolation, not perhaps exactly according in kind or degree with the special object of your prayer, but better adapted to promote your true intereft and the glory of the all-knowing giver. St. Paul thrice befought the Lord in vain, that his infirmity might depart from him. Was his perfevering fupplication unrewarded? He received in return an affurance, that the grace of Chrift fhould be with him; and in a measure abundantly fufficient to fecure those objects, for the åttainment of which the apostle had been folicitous that his thorn in the flesh fhould be removed.

In addition to habitual prayer, you have yet another duty to fulfil, if you are fincerely defirous of the continual affiftance of divine grace. You muft diligently labour to profit

in piety and holiness by the grace which has already been bestowed. To him, faith our Lord, that bath, fhall be given to him who has ftudied to improve, as inftruments of godliness, the means and fupplies of divine grace which have been placed within his power, additional grace fhall be afforded. From him that hath not; from that flothful and wicked fervant who has neglected the talent which his rightful mafter had entrusted to his care, under an injunction that it fhould be employed to advantage; even that which he hath fhall be taken away ; the grace which he had received and despised proportionally withdrawn. Finally, if

shall be

you would obtain the affiftance of divine grace, you must apply for it through the mediation of your Redeemer. Through whofe merits have we accefs to God? Through the merits of him who died for us. In whofe name are all our prayers to be presented to the Father? In the name of his beloved Son. Whofe is the grace which we folicit? The grace of the Lord Jefus. "My grace," faid Chrift to his apoftle, "is fufficient for thee." Through him, and unto him, let us apply for the fanctifying influence of his Spirit.

༣

The confideration, however brief, of the fubjects which have already been noticed, has unavoidably

F. 4

unavoidably occupied fo much time, that the remaining heads must be deferred unto a future difcourfe. Let me conclude, therefore, with addreffing to you fome few words of general application, drawn from the remarks which have been laid before you.

Endeavour throughout life to bear in mind
that of yourselves you can do nothing: that
you inherit a
nature radically corrupted,
prone to fin, averse to piety and holiness.
Unless you build your religion upon this
foundation, you build it upon fand for you
do not build it upon the only folid founda-
tion, that foundation, that corner-stone, which
is laid in the word of God. But beware of
deceiving yourselves by imagining, that this
original corruption of
your nature affords you
any plea for continuing in fin
The grace

of God, by which you may be preserved
from falling into fin, by which you may be
redeemed from the ftrongest bonds of depra-
vity, is freely offered to you through Chrift
at all times;
and power in every respect
adequate is at all times given unto you from
God to accept it. Confider St. Paul's account
of himself. In my flesh, faith he, dwelleth no
good thing. I cannot do that which I would.
The good which I approve, I do not. The
evil which Idifapprove I do. This is the de-

fcription

1

fcription of his ftate by nature. But how fpeaks he in another paffage? I can do all things through Chrift that strengtheneth me. Here he fpeaks of himself as under the influence of divine grace: and as thus enabled to perform the whole of his duty. Chrift is at all times ready to ftrengthen every one of you to perform your whole duty; and whenever you fail, you fail by your own fault. Turn your eyes then upon the Bible to learn the full extent of your duty. Beware of being fatisfied with that half-religion, that shadow of Christianity, which in the eyes of the world is regarded as the complete fubftance; that counterfeit coin which paffes current with multitudes, but bears not the stamp of the King of kings. Take your standard of duty from the word of God; for by that standard you will be tried at the laft day. See what devotedness to God, what holiness of temper and of conduct, what living not unto yourfelf but to Chrift who died for you, the Scriptures require. Say not within your heart "These things cannot be required of me; for "I cannot attain unto them." They are required of you; for fo God hath announced to you beforehand. You can attain unto them; for God offers to enable you by his grace. Seek then his grace that you may at

tain to that holinefs, without which no man shall see the Lord. So fhall your fins be blotted out, and mercy and falvation extended to you through the atonement of the Lord Jefus. But if you vainly perfuade yourfelf that you may make religion a fecondary concern: if you fall short of fcriptural holiness, becaufe you would not ftrive for the grace through which you might have performed it: you will stand felf-condemned at the judgement-feat of Christ, and will confefs that God was folicitous that you should be faved, but that you have yourself pulled down destruction with your own hands upon your own head.