ing constantly to his blood and righteousness. By teaching the believer the sweet lesson of living out of himself, his convictions, his enjoyments, his fruitfulness, upon Christ, and Christ alone. What is there in a child of God, in his best estate, that can supply adequate nourishment and support for this principle of divine life? He has no resources within himself. He cannot live upon evidences, how soon they are clouded. He cannot grow upon enjoyment, how soon it is gone. He cannot find nourishment in any part of the work of the Spirit within him, precious and glorious as that work is. Christ is the "true bread" that sustains the life of God in the soul of man. Jesus said, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven : if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever." Again, "As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me." The renewed soul only lives, as it lives on Jesus-it only advances, grows, and "brings forth much fruit," as it draws its vigour, its nourishment, its support, and fruitfulness simply and entirely from Christ. These again are his words, "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in me." Dear reader, long it may be, hast thou been looking to thyself for nourishment, for

strength, for comfort, and for fruitfulness. And the more thou hast looked within thyself, the more emptiness and poverty and barrenness hast thou discovered. And now, the blessed Spirit, the Nourisher, as he is the Author of the life within thee, may give thee such a new and enlarged view of Jesus as thou hast never had before. It may be, he will unfold to thy soul such a fulness in him-strength for thy weakness, wisdom for thy folly, grace for every corruption, tenderness and sympathy for every trial, as will bring thee out of thy bondage, introduce thee into a "large room,” and cause thee to exclaim, "thanks be unto God

for his unspeakable gift." Thus does the Spirit nourish and sustain the work he has wrought in the soul. He leads to Jesus.

I must not omit to notice the use of sanctified trial as one mean frequently made, by the Spirit, subservient to this great end. In order to stir up his own grace within us, the Lord often places us under some heavy affliction. Did he not thus deal with his servant Job, and with a host more of the Old Testament saints? Messenger upon messenger arrives, and billow upon billow rolls, but bearing the precious tidings, though they may speak roughly, as Joseph did to his brethren, of God's love to our souls,-that our Brother lives-that Joseph is alive and loves us still-that there

is plenty of corn in Egypt-and that all we need do, is simply to come and partake of it. What new life the news infuses into us! What new energy! What an impulse, what a new spring to hope, and faith, and joy, and wondering gratitude! Blessed result when our afflictions are thus sanctified. When they arouse our souls, when they impart new energy to prayer, new vigour to faith, a new spring to hope, a new thirst for holiness, and a new motive and encouragement to trust in God. We can then truly say, "It has been good for me that I have been afflicted." Despise not then, tried and afflicted soul, the chastenings of the Lord. He may now be about to communicate some of the most costly blessings of your life. Who can tell what mercies now await you— what covenant favours are in reserve-what new views of truth, what enlarged views of Christ, what an abiding sense of his love, what advances in holiness, your covenant God and Father may, through this painful, yet needed discipline, be on the eve of making you the happy partaker of? Then, look up and say, "I will trust him and not be afraid. Though he slay me yet will I trust him." In this way does the Spirit often stir up, strengthen, and invigorate the divine life in the soul, by sanctifying the discipline of the covenant.

Although the limits assigned to this chapter

have already been exceeded, we cannot properly close it, without a brief exposition of some of the effects or fruits of regeneration as manifest in the spirit and life of a believer. We have incidentally touched upon some of them as we have passed along, yet there remain a few essential and prominent marks to be considered.

The first evidence we would mention is, holiness. This appears to be the order of the Holy Ghost. 1 John iii. 9. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” This is a solemn and important point. None more so. When we think how Satan can counterfeit God's work,-when we remember how much false, spurious Christianity there is in the world, yea, even in the professing world, we cannot but feel peculiar solemnity here. But God has stamped his own work with his own seal, and a mind, taught of the Spirit, cannot fail to recognise it.

Let us repeat the passage, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God." These words have received two interpretations, both of which we believe are equally true. The more general one is that, he who is born of God does not willingly sin,-having "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteous

ness and true holiness," he cannot sin with the full consent and concurrence of the will. He hates it, he fights against it, he resists it. But, it may be enquired, is not all sin an act of the will? We reply, not the renewed will. The apostle speaks of two wills in a believer, or rather, the same will under two opposite influences. Thus, Rom. vii. 15. "That which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." ver. 19. "For the good that I would, I do not : but the evil which I would not, that I do." None will question that Paul here speaks of himself as a regenerate man. And yet, he refers to two antagonist principles dwelling in him-the one on the side of holiness, the other on the side of sin. "What I hate, that I do." No man can possibly hate sin, unlesss he is "born of the Spirit." "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil." And still he says, "what I hate," the sin that is so abhorrent to me, "that I do." Is there volition in the act? True philosophy demands that we reply, "Yes." Every sin must be voluntary, if not so, it cannot be sin. Is there the concurrence and consent of the renewed will in the act? True grace demands that we reply, "No." "For what I hate"-there is the mark of the regenerate man, "that do I"-there is the act of the will under the influence of indwelling sin."