claiming any thing on the ground of his own worthiness, saying, "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." He thankfully traces all his mercies to the covenant made from all eternity between the Father and the Son; and to that covenant he looks, as "ordered in all things, and sure;" and from his inmost soul he says of it, "This is all my salvation, and all my desire."

Moreover, as the duty of coming to Christ, so the duty of "living altogether by faith in Christ," the duty of abiding in him as branches of the living vine, of receiving from his fulness continual supplies of grace and strength, and of "growing up into him in all things, as our living Head;" the duty, I say, of making him "our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption," our ALL, and of glorying in HIM, and in him alone; all this is heard by the true Christian with ineffable delight: he would that Christ should have all the glory he sees it to be "right," that He who came down from heaven, and died upon the cross to save him, and ascended up on high, and has all fulness treasured up in him for the use of his Church and people, and who dwells in them "as their very life;" I say, he sees it "right," that this adorable Saviour should be exalted, and extolled, and be very high;" yea, that he should be on earth, as he is in heaven, the one object of our adoration, and the continual theme of our praise. And, whilst a blind and ignorant world are ready to blame his zeal for the Redeemer's glory as carried to excess, his constant grief is, that he cannot love him more, and serve him better.

Nor is the true Christian less delighted with the moral precepts, not one of which would he desire to have relaxed or moderated in the smallest degree. Instead of wishing them to be lowered to the standard of his attainments, or regarding them as grievous on account of their purity, he loves them for their purity, and would esteem it his highest privilege to be conformed to them. He is well persuaded, that

e Ps. cxix. 140.

they are all "holy, and just, and good:" and he loves them as perfective of his nature, and conducive to his happiness.

He loves them, I say, as perfective of his nature. For what is holiness, but a conformity to the Divine image, as sin is to the image of the devil? It was by transgression that man lost that resemblance to the Deity which was stamped upon him at his first creation; and it is by the new-creating influence of the Spirit quickening him to a course of holy obedience, that this resemblance is gradually restored. Conscious of this, he pants after holiness, desiring to "be changed into his Redeemer's image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord."

Nor does he love them less as conducive to his happiness: for sin and misery are inseparable, as holiness also and true happiness are. What is the language of every precept in the Decalogue? It is this: 'Be holy, and be happy.' Of this he is convinced; and he finds, by daily experience, that "in keeping God's commandments there is great reward," and that "Wisdom's ways are indeed ways of pleasantness and peace."

At the same time, "he hates every false way;" every deviation from the perfect rule of righteousness is painful to him: he "hates it;" and hates himself on account of it. As a touch, which would scarcely be felt in any other part of the body, will occasion the severest anguish to the eye, so those thoughts or feelings which would be altogether unnoticed by other men, inflict a wound on his conscience, and cause him to go mournfully before the Lord of Hosts. Ask him on such an occasion, What it is that has caused him thus to mourn and weep? Is it that his God has required so much? No: but that he himself has attained so little. He wants to "be sanctified wholly to the Lord, in body, soul, and spirit;" and, could he accomplish the desire of his heart, he would "stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." This is the object of his highest ambition; and, when he finds, that, notwithstanding all his efforts, he still

falls short of it, he groans inwardly, and says with the Apostle, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death?"

Behold, then, the Christian's character as here delineated. To a superficial observer he may not appear to differ much from others; but to those who have had opportunities of discovering the real desires of his soul, he is a perfect contrast with the whole ungodly world. The very best of nominal Christians are content with low attainments, and plead for indulgences in those things which are agreeable to their corrupt nature. The more sublime and spiritual precepts they soften down to the standard of their own practice; and rather applaud themselves for their excellencies, than lothe themselves for their defects. The true Christian, on the contrary, will admit of no standard but that of absolute perfection : and, whereinsoever he falls short of it, as he does in his very best services, he lothes and "abhors himself in dust and ashes;" nor has he any hope of acceptance with God, but in the view of that atonement which was once offered for him on the cross, and of that blood which the Lord Jesus Christ once shed on Calvary to cleanse him from his sins. We mean not to say, that these defects are subversive of all the Christian's peace; for, if that were the case, who could possess any peace at all? The Christian, notwithstanding his imperfections, has "comfort in the testimony of a good conscience," and in an assurance, that his God will "not be extreme to mark what is done amiss;" but he does not on this account allow himself in any sin whatever. The use he makes of his own corruptions is, to cleave the more steadfastly to Christ as his only hope, and to watch and pray the more diligently, that he may be preserved from evil, and be enabled by Divine grace to endure unto the end.

Now this description of the Christian's character leads me to shew,

II. The light it reflects on the Gospel of Christ—

Three things it suggests to us; namely,

An answer to those who misrepresent the GospelA reproof to those who would abuse the Gospel-and A direction to those who would adorn the Gospel.

First, we may derive from hence an answer to those who misrepresent the Gospel. It has in all ages been a favourite argument against the Gospel, that it supersedes the necessity of good works, and opens the flood-gates of licentiousness. It was urged repeatedly against St. Paul himself; who on that account set himself to answer it with all imaginable care: "Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?" And again, "Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace?" To both these questions he answers with holy indignation, "God forbid!" And, when his enemies went so far as to affirm, that he gave men a licence to sin, saying, "Let us do evil that good may come;" he scorned to return any other answer than this, "Their damnation is just." And it were greatly to be wished, that those who now so confidently repeat these accusations against the followers of St. Paul, would reflect on the guilt they incur, and the danger to which, by such calumnies, they expose themselves. To this present hour the same objections are made to all those statements which resemble Paul's. If we deny to good works the office of justifying the soul, we are represented as denying the necessity of them altogether. Though these objections have been refuted a thousand times, and should be refuted ten thousand times more, the enemies of the Gospel will still repeat them with as much confidence as ever. Let them, however, look into our text, and see what David's principles were. Of all the Old Testament saints, there was not one who more determinately sought to be justified by the righteousness of Christ without any works of his own, than he. Hear what is said of him by St. Paul, in confirmation of the very sentiments which Paul himself maintained; "To him that worketh not, but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is

counted for righteousness: EVEN AS DAVID describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin1." Here we have a full exposition of David's views respecting the Gospel. And how did these views operate on his soul? Did the idea of being justified by a righteousness not his own, a righteousness without works, a righteousness imputed to him, and apprehended solely by faith, did this, I say, make him regardless of good works? No: look at the text, thou Objector, and be convinced: look at the text, thou Calumniator, and blush.

Search, next, the writings of St. Paul, and see whether there was any difference in this respect between him and David? Was there in theory? No: for St. Paul affirms, that "the grace of God which bringeth salvation teaches us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live righteously, soberly, and godly, in this present world." Was there in practice? No: neither David nor any other Saint ever made higher attainments in holiness than St. Paul: "he was not a whit behind the very

chiefest Apostles."

Perhaps it will be said that the professed followers of St. Paul differ from him in this respect; and that, whilst in speculation they adopt his doctrine, in practice they deny its sanctifying efficacy. That there are Antinomians in the world, we confess: there were in the days of Christ and his Apostles; some who called Christ, "Lord! Lord! whilst yet they did not the things which he commanded;" and some, who "professed to know God, but in works denied him." And it must be expected, that, corrupt as human nature is, such characters will be found in every age. But is such conduct the necessary result of these principles? Was it so in the Apostles' days? or is it so at this day? If justification by faith alone be necessarily productive of laxness in morals, whence

f Rom. iv. 5-8.