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their consolation in every affliction. He was their perfect pattern, their sole leader and guide. He was their certain victory, in every conflict with the "world, the flesh, and the devil." He was their joy, their hope, their inheritance, their shield, and their "exceeding great reward." He was their "bright and morning star," the magnet of their souls, which held all the powers of their being in a blissful fixedness to one changeless, centre.

Now, Christian, if you will believe it, Christ will be to you all that he was to them. "He is the same yesterday, to-day and for ever," and you may share as fully as they did, in the infinite fulness of the love and grace of Christ. If, however, you would enjoy this full redemption, all the powers of your being must be brought under the perpetual influence of this one principle, "Looking to Jesus." Do your sins rise up before you, and fill you with apprehensions of coming retributions, "look to Jesus." Do you desire to be wholly freed from the power of sin, and to have your entire character presented to God, "without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing," "look to Jesus." Are you burdened with care, or do the storms of affliction gather around you, "look to Jesus." Is your temper unsubdued, do your appetites and propensities rebel, and call for unhallowed gratification, "look to Jesus." Do temptations beset you,

from within or around you, "look to Jesus." . Do you need wisdom and grace for any exigency whatever, "look to Jesus. Whatever your condition or necessities may be, hear his gracious voice"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls."

"Jesus, we come at thy command,

With faith, and hope, and humble zeal;
Resign our spirits to thy hand,

To mould, and guide us at thy will.”

DISCOURSE VII.

EXCEEDING GREAT AND PRECIOUS PROMISES.

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."-2 Pet. i. 4.

In the verse preceding, we are informed, that God, in giving us a revelation of Jesus Christ, has furnished us with a knowledge of every thing which

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pertains to life and godliness." In the text, we are informed, that in the same revelation he has given unto us "exceeding great and precious promises;" that these promises are conferred upon us for this purpose, that through them, or by embracing them by faith, we may become "partakers of the divine nature," and escape the "corruption that is in the world through lust." A promise is a pledge of good. In every promise of divine grace, Christ discloses to us the good which he stands pledged to confer upon us, on condition that we look to him by faith, for the blessing presented in the promise. Now the success of all our

efforts after holiness, depends upon the use we make of the promises. I propose, therefore, in the following discourse, to illustrate the following propositions.

I. I will present to the contemplation of the reader, some of the "exceeding great and precious promises" of divine grace.

II. Show what is implied in our becoming "partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruptions that are in the world through lust."

III. Show the manner in which the promises must be used, in order that we may obtain the good which they present to us.

I. I am to present to the contemplation of the reader, some of the exceeding great and precious promises of divine grace. As much that I should otherwise say upon this part of our subject, has been anticipated in preceding discourses, my remarks under this head will be very brief. In presenting the reader with a slight view of these

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exceeding great and precious promises," I would remark in general, that Christ has pledged to us an eternal exemption from all that would be to us, on the whole, a real evil, and the possession of every thing, in time and eternity, the possession of which would be to us a real blessing. "Not a hair

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