and zealous to promote. In God, the Father of his crucified Lord, he beholds, a Father reconciled even to him. In his brethren of the household of faith he be holds men united to himfelf not merely by the common tics of nature, but by the additional and facred bands of redeeming love. Even in the wicked he beholds thofe whom the Son of God died to fave: whom God ftill fpares that they may accept falvation through His Son. Hence active love to God and man characterife the fervant of Chrift. Fearful of falling fhort of the glorious falvation fet before him; aware of the tremendous power of his spiritual enemy, yet not caft down, because he refts on the arm of an Almighty Redeemer: he ftudies to adorn the doctrine of God his ·Saviour in all things, to be a pattern of every good work. Waiting for the coming of his Lord, looking forward to things unfeen, he difplays not only the active virtues of the Chriftian character, but those alfo which are paffive: refignation to the appointments of God, patient endurance of afflictions, unwearied forgivenefs of injuries, willingness to bear contempt and reproach for righteousness' fake. In no degree relying for acceptance on his works ;

but

but confcious that, unless his faith is evidenced by babitual works of holiness, he never fhall fee the Lord; he unremittingly labours to maintain a confcience void of offence towards God and towards man. Thus faith worketh by love, and by works proves itself to be perfect.

To us individually, my brethren, the great question is, whether we are seeking falvation in the way which the Scriptures teach whether we are feeking it throughHim whom God has ordained to be the Redeemer. Are we placing confidence in a moral abftinence from certain vices, a a moral regard to certain virtues; having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; decent in the externals of religion, but rejecting the univerfality of its do minion, averfe to its humbling and fpiritual nature? Or do we repose our trust on an amiable character; the refult * of polished manners, eafy good-humour, engaging affability, and ready compaffion? Or are we depending on the fancied merits of ufefulness; while, in the midst of our usefulness, God has not been in all our thoughts? Or are we pharifaically prefuming on a fuppofed righteousness of our own; bringing in the Giver of all

things as our debtor, or deeming ourselves to have paid a part of the price of our falvation in the compenfatory coin of our own works? Or are we relying exclufively on Chrift Jefus? Do we feel ourselves to be dead, and constrained to come unto Him that we may have life? Through Him do we seek pardon and reconciliation and grace? Have we taken his yoke upon us? Are we willing to bear his burthen? Do we obey him as the Captain of our falvation? While, equally difclaiming an unproductive faith, and works proceeding from any other root than faith, we maintain the infeparable union and the indif penfable neceffity of faith and works; do we accurately affign to each of these requifites to falvation its proper and peculiar and exclusive office? Do we ftedfaftly bear in mind that faith is the inftrument whereby we obtain an intereft in that treasure, which completely and folely purchases our falvation, the atoning merit of Jefus Chrift: and that good works, acceptable to God not through defert of their own, for our best works are imperfect and finful, but folely through the blood of our Redeemer, are requifite, as fruits of faith; are requifite to prove the exiflence of that true faith of the heart,

heart, which, wherever it exifts, cannot but produce them? Do we acknowledge that faith is the gift of God; a flame primarily kindled in the breaft by Him, and by Him still to be sustained; a ftream to be preferved in purity and activity only by perpetual fupplies from that fountain whence it origi nally flowed?

མ,

If we now difcern, my brethren, the momentous import of the queftion stated in the text; if we perceive that from the Word of God, from the Word of God exclufively, the anfwer is to be derived; let us paufe and reflect on the fingular gra titude with which, in confequence of the extraordinary mercies vouchfafed to us, our bofoms ought to glow. Caft your eyes over the map of the Chriftian world: extend your furvey through every region where the name of Chrift has been named: and point out, beyond the precincts of our native ifle, the fpot where we fhould have enjoyed equal advantages as to the attainment of the knowledge of falvation. What if we had feen the light in Judea, the cradle of Christianity or in Antioch, or in Coloffe, or in Ephefus, or in Corinth, fcenes where the vineyard of our Lord was planted and watered by Apoftles?

Trampling

1

Trampling on the ruins of the temples of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft; we had bowed before the crefcent of Mahomet, and refted our everlasting hopes on the impoftures of the Koran. What if we had been born in any of the numerouskingdoms overshadowed by the fupremacy of Rome: or within the bounds of that enormous empire, where the corruptions of the Greek church maintain their fway? Riveted in the chains of prieftcraft and fuperftition; bending in idolatrous reverence before images or pictures; and configning our falvation to the care of imaginary interceffors; we had forfaken the one Mediator between God and Man. I forforbear minutenefs of comparison with the ftate of our Proteftant brethren abroad. Whatever be the points of fuperiority in our lot, may the God of mercy impart them to the whole world! Let us in the mean time rejoice with thankful humility in the lot which from His unmerited grace we have received. Let us praise Him who has caused us to inherit the bleffings of a land of liberty, civil and religious; of a church in doctrine evangelical, in discipline apoftolical. Let us remember that from him to whom much is given, much shall

be