and if he takes his talents, and uses them for any other purpose, he is guilty of facrilege.

The fecond is derived from their PERSONAL RENO

VATION.

The inftruments under the law were only holy by appropriation; no change passed upon them ; no change was neceffary. It is otherwise with us; for fince God finds us in a state wholly unfuited to his service, we must be " made meet for the great Master's "ufe." Hence regeneration is neceffary, by which we are "renewed in the spirit of our minds," and "made "partakers of the divine nature." God may call an angel into his prefence, and immediately employ him without a change; he will love the command, and be equal to the work. But does he determine to employ in his service an unregenerate finner? He is unqualified; he has neither ability nor inclination; and is deftitute of the fpirituality which the work of God requires. Hence the promise, "a new heart alfo will I give you, " and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take .. away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within

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you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye "fhall keep my judgments, and do them." And with this agrees the declaration of the apostle : "we are his workmanship, created in Chrift Jefus 66 unto good works, which God has before ordained "that we fhould walk in them." View him then as he comes from the hands of his new Creator. There is nothing by which he is fo much distinguished, as an unconquerable concern for holinefs. What does he love?" I delight in the law of God, after the inner "man." What is his grief?" O wretched man

"that I am! who fhall deliver me from the body of this "death?" What is his prayer?"Create in me a clean "heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” What is his hope ?-That he " fhall be like Him, and "fee Him as he is and having this hope in him, he "purifieth himself, even as He is pure." Holiness is the gospel embodied. The faint exhibits it alive. The gofpel is holy; its Author holy; its maxims and its commands holy; its promises, ordinances, defigns holy; and there is nothing by which it is fo much distinguished and glorified, as the holinefs which pervades it. My brethren, contemplate the fubject in this light more frequently, and do not include every thing else, rather than this in your notion of the gospel. Do not imagine with fome, that it was defigned to furnish a fubftitute for holinefs; and that it will excufe your being holy, provided you are found. The grand thing it is intended to teach you is, " that denying all "ungodliness and worldly luft, you should live foberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." And remember this important truth, that chriftians are called by the gospel to be faints ; that you are chriftians only in proportion as you are faints; and that you are no further faints than you are "holy in all "manner of converfation and godlinefs." We proceed to reflect,

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PART II. ON THE CONNECTION THERE IS BETWEEN SAINTS AND PATIENCE. And FIRST, faints ONLY have patience.. "For the Lord feeth not as

<c man feeth for man looketh on the outward

appear

ance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." In his

eftimation, principle and motive are effential to the goodness of action. A thing may be materially good, when it is not morally fo. A man may give "all his "goods to feed the poor, and not have charity;" while a poor widow is held up as an example of benevolence, though fhe cafts into the treafury but two mites. If a law were enacted against luxury and extravagance, a covetous man would be very obedient; but let his avarice, and not the law, have the honour of his obedience. Apply this to the cafe before us. A man may endure, and not be patient; there may be no religious principle or motive to influence him; it may be a careless indolence, a ftupid infenfibility; mechanical bravery; conftitutional fortitude; a daring ftoutness of spirit, refulting from fatalism, philofophy, or pride. Chriftian patience is another thing; it is derived from a divine agency, nourished by heavenly truth, and guided by fcriptural rules. Such is the patience of which we are fpeaking; and as this is ONLY to be found in the subjects of true holiness, fo we may obferve,

Secondly, EVERY faint poffeffes patience; not indeed in equal degrees," for one star differeth from "another star in glory." But all are stars. All are endued with this virtue. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit; it is an effential part of the divine image reftored in man. The work of God in the foul is not like a piece of statuary, where one part is finished while the reft remains in block; but it is a creation, and imperceptible as the beginning may be, there are found all the parts which increased and developed, produce, and display the maturity; all is advanced

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together, and all is perfect as far as the operation proceeds. A christian may be defective in his organs of vifion; but who would draw him without eyes? Who would defcribe a faint without patience? I wish this to be remembered the more, because there are so many evangelical profeffors in our day, awfully deficient in this instance. Their religion has very little to do with their difpofitions. They think it neceffary for the judgment to be informed, and the practice to be moral; but from one of thefe to the other, religion is to pass without touching the temper, which lies between. If they are converted, it seems to be from that which is human, to that which is diabolical. They are accufers of the brethren, proud, felf willed, fierce, revengeful. Saints in the houfe of God, they are demons at home. Every trifle makes them explode. How the religion of the meek and lowly Jefus can live with them, it is impoffible to determine; we know nothing else can.

Thirdly, it HIGHLY becomes faints to CULTIVATE patience. "The ornament of a meek and quiet fpir"it is in the fight of God of great price." It ennobles the poffeffor. Some have obtained honour by doing mischief. It has been faid by a modern prelate, "one murder makes a villain, a thousand a hero." The chriftian conqueror draws his glory, not from the fufferings of others, but from his own. And nothing renders his character more impreffive and useful; it recommends his religion; it carries along with it a peculiar conviction. When a chriftian has met with an affliction, that has led him in from the duties of his calling, deprived him of opportunities of exertion, and

confined him to the houfe of grief; little has he fupposed, that he was approaching the most useful period of his life. But this has often been the cafe; and he has rendered more fervice to religion by fuffering, than by doing. O, what a theatre of usefulness is even a "bed of languishing!' "We are a fpectacle to "angels," as well as " to the world, and to men." The fufferer lies open to their infpection; and the view of him, enduring, fustained, glorying in tribulation, draws forth fresh acclamations of praife to that God, whofe grace can produce fuch wonderful effects: "Here is the patience of the faints." But all his fellow creatures are not excluded; there is generally a circle of relations, friends, neighbours, who are witneffes of the scene. I appeal to your feelings. When you have feen a chriftian fuffering in character, with all the compofure and majefty of fubmiffion; when you have heard him foftly faying, "though I mourn, "I do not murmur; why fhould a living man com"plain?" "it is the Lord, let him do what feemeth "him good;" "his ways are judgment;"" he hath "done all things well;" "I fee a little of his perfection, and adore the reft," has not a voice addreffed you

..

Now fee the man immortal; him I mean

Who lives as fuch; whofe heart full bent on heaven
Leans all that way; his bias to the stars.

The world's dark fhades in contrast fet fhall raise

His luftre more; tho' bright without a foil:

Obferve his awful portrait and admire,

Nor ftop at wonder, imitate, and love.

Have you not turned afide, and exclaimed, What an