forgiveness. These, his Great High Priest presents before the presence of GoD in his behalf; and he is, therefore, and by virtue of their value in the sight of Gop, absolved from the guilt of his sin, released from the claims of the law upon his blood, accounted a righteous person, and, as such, accepted of GOD. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with GOD, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of GoD. Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in CHRIST JESUS, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

The next privilege of the true believer is, adoption into the family of GOD; whereby, whatever is provided for the comfort and welfare of the household of faith is also dispensed to him.

In the Church militant, this consists in the succour and help of the HOLY SPIRIT; the nourishment of the word and sacraments; the enjoyment of God's promises; and the comfort of Christian fellowship, with growth in grace, and increasing desire for more of GOD. In the Church triumphant, it will consist in the vision of GoD in glory; in the constant presence of the LORD JESUS CHRIST; in the society of angels, and of the spirits of just men made perfect; in the unlimited fulness of all holy affections and happy tempers, enjoyed in mansions of love, and joy, and peace, and blessedness, for ever. According as He hath chosen us in Him, before the foundation of the world, having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by JESUS CHRIST, to himself. Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the SPIRIT of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Another privilege of the sons of God is, sanctification; which is to be understood of a state or condition in life, and of the means of maintaining it.

The state or condition is, separation from the world and dedication to GOD; in which sense, all Christians, by virtue of their baptism, are a holy people unto the LORD. Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, says St. Peter and, generally, in the Acts of the Apostles, and in the epistles, Christians are addressed and spoken of, collectively, as saints. This state or condition comprises, also, power over

temptation to sin; and on this are grounded all the exhortations to Christians to cease from sin-Sin shall not have dominion over you, says St. Paul; GOD is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what ye are able. And St. John tells us, that whosoever is born of GOD doth not commit sin; which is not to be understood of sinless perfection in any fallen creature, but of the wilful commission and allowance of any known act of sin and disobedience to the law of God.

The means of maintaining this condition are, the clear discoveries of the will of GoD, which every Christian is furnished with in the Scriptures, and which every Christian should constantly study and apply-For the grace of GOD which bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and wordly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world. And with this, the presence and help of the HOLY SPIRIT; the promise and participation of which, all Christians receive at their baptism-Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, and ye shall receive the gift of the HOLY GHOST. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us, by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the HOLY GHOST. In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that HOLY SPIRIT of promise. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the SPIRIT which is of GOD. Likewise the SPIRIT also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought. But the SPIRIT itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered.

The word sanctification being connected in our minds with the idea of perfect holiness or sinless perfection--and the heart witnessing, at the same time, how far short the best of us come of reaching this point-has operated against the true and scriptural meaning of the doctrine, and, at the same time, against the necessary duty of understanding and practising what it requires. GOD hath indeed called us to holiness; but, he doth not confer sanctification, as a particular gift or special endowment, upon any one, in the ordinary administration of his grace. He has graciously instituted the state of salvation into which we are called, and provided the sure means of our becoming sanctified

or holy persons, in the fullest sense of the word. And it is our part, my brethren, to rejoice and be thankful for this distinguishing privilege; to use diligently and faithfully the appointed means, in the full confidence that his promised blessing will make them effectual, to present us holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight, through the merits and death of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

A fourth privilege of the believer or child of God is, assurance or the abiding witness of the SPIRIT, as it is expressed in the Scriptures. As it is from the HOLY GHOST that all spiritual attainment in man is derived; so it is by him, that all trust and confidence in the promises of GOD is sustained and upheld. But this witness is not a direct, supernatural communication to the believer by the SPIRIT OF GOD; but the concurring testimony of that SPIRIT with his spirit; and is consequently the result of examination and comparison, not only of the feelings, but of the fruits of religion-of the life and conversation of the man, with the standard, as contained in the precepts and example set forth in the Scriptures for this great and necessary purpose-For if our heart condemns us, says the apostle, GoD is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward GOD. He who sincerely endeavours and strives to come up to this standard—whose meat and drink it is, to know and to do the will of his heavenly Father, though with much of felt, acknowledged, and bewailed deficiency and imperfection-may safely take the comfort of Christian assurance, being confident that He who hath begun a good work in him, will perform it until the day of JESUS CHRIST; that, as his adopted child, GoD will never leave him or forsake him; that, as one of CHRIST's sheep, who hear his voice and follow him, he will give unto him the blessing of eternal lifewill raise him up at the last day, and own and confess him before his Father and the holy angels. My sheep shall never perish, says CHRIST, neither is any able to pluck them out of my hand. And, by the appointment of Almighty God, who ruleth over all, the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.

IV. I come now, in the last place, to point out by what means

so great salvation hath been wrought out and procured for us, and then conclude.

On this head, I thank God, my hearers, that we are all informed. It needs not that I should tell you, as of something new, that all blessings both temporal and spiritual-all favours and privileges here-all hopes and expectations for hereafter, are the purchase of the cross of CHRIST; that as undone sinners, we have nothing wherewith to avert the wrath and propitiate the favour of a pure and holy GoD; and that there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved, only the name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth. But greatly is it needed, that I should call your attention, as to a question of life and death, and that eternal too, to the use you are making of this knowledge-to the effect this gracious communication from GOD has had upon your hearts; to rouse your consciences to reflect what the consequences will be if you continue to disregard the solemn vows you are under by your baptism—to slight the high privileges therein conferred upon you-and to mangle the holy hope which springs up to the sinner from the blood of CHRIST, by a life of sin and unconcern for salvation. And what argument so powerful to this end as that suggested by my text? What so likely to prevail with an ingenuous mind as the long-suffering of our heavenly Father, in continuing to spare, under so many and so great provocations, and still keeping the door open for disobedient children to return and regain their place in his family? And this is yet left to you, my unconverted hearers, by a true and timely repentance. This is the only privilege you have not forfeited; and it is that one by which alone the others can be regained, and all the blessings of God's house and family become your happy portion.

Behold, then, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD. Contemplate the gracious plan of our redemption by the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Consider its suitableness to the condition of fallen sinners. Meditate upon the glorious privileges bestowed on all who receive him as the LORD their righteousness; and learn herein how GOD commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet enemies, he sent his Son to die for us.

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This, my brethren and hearers, is the affecting point in the great work of our redemption. It is not that we are redeemed, and heaven once more opened to the hopes of sinners; but it is the manner of that redemption-the abounding love manifested in the Father surrendering up his only begotten Son, and the Son consenting to endure humiliation and death, for the love of our souls, which points it to the heart-which melts the stubborn hardness of its sinful corruption, and softens it to godly sorrow and sincere repentance--which moves it to love, to honour, to trust, and serve Him, who so loved us, as to bear our sins in his own body upon the cross, that he might redeem us to GOD by his blood.

Herein is love, my brethren, not that we loved Him, but that he loved us; and herein is displayed the gracious purpose of that memorial of his death, which he hath commanded his disciples to celebrate, until he shall come again to take them to his heavenly kingdom.

God grant, dear brethren in CHRIST, that, through the power of his grace, we may so discern the LORD's body, that all its holy purposes and heavenly privileges may be answered in and confirmed to our souls! And O, that a beam from heaven, a ray of light from GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT, may penetrate every heart, and light up in every bosom a lively sense of all that we owe to the love of GOD in CHRIST JESUS; that while we again pledge ourselves to him and to each other, in the solemn commemoration of his divine love, we may so eat his flesh and drink his blood as to be filled with all grace and heavenly benediction, and so "made one body with him that he may dwell in us and we in him."