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follow: so that it is our happiness to have something in possession, and more secured to us in reversion.

See what that is which we have already in possession ;- the Spirit, it is said. Loudly as the world presumes to scoff, without this there is no such thing as Christianity, no such being as a Christian man. For " except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God;"* he cannot begin to be one of God's people. But having the Spirit, and being guided or led by him, we have great things indeed; and such as set us, in deed and in truth, much more above the princes of this world, who have not the Spirit, than they are above the beggar on the dunghill. We have that in possession which the whole world is not a price to purchase. This will be clear if we will look back to what is said in the former part of the chapter, concerning such as are thus gifted, and enabled faithfully to use or improve their gift. To them there is, in the first place, no condemnation; "There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." ↑ They are in a justified state, accounted righteous by God for the merits of Jesus Christ, whom they have been enabled to receive by faith. And then, as he asks afterwards, "who is he that condemneth?"* They are made free also from the law or dominion of sin; "For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus,"† that is, the Holy Ghost given them through Christ's intercession, enables them to prevail against their sinful appetites, so as to be led captive by Satan at his will no longer. And further still than this, they are enabled to walk in holy obedience; for Christ, it is said, "hath condemned sin in the flesh," or thrust it down from its ascendancy over us, "that the righteousness of the law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." If it be a privilege, therefore, to be made holy, this privilege true Christians have, through having, as the text expresses it, the first-fruits of the Spirit. But this is only a part. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are," even now, "the Sons of God. For" (says the apostle) " ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God; and if children, then heirs---heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."* And in another place; "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 the hope of the glory of God:" and not only so, "but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." ↑

* John iii. 5.

+ Rom. viii. 1.

* Rom. viii. 34.

† Rom. viii. 3, 4.

+ Rom. viii. 2.

From these passages, it is evident that ample provision is made not for the present sanctification only of believers in Jesus Christ, but for their consolation also; and that under all circumstances of outward condition in which it is possible for them to be placed. They are "reconciled to God by the death of his Son;" ‡ their sins are pardoned; and, through the Spirit, so long as they are governed by him to walk worthy of their high vocation, they may be enabled to see their happy condition; to anticipate glory, and honour, and immortality, as laid up for them and secured to them by covenant; to rejoice in the steady expectation of being soon actually put in possession of them. And, in the mean time, by the same Spirit, they may walk with God as children with a father, confiding in his good-will and kind acceptance of them, and assured that he is overruling every thing which befals them for their growth in godliness, and for their final benefit.

* Rom. viii. 14, 17.

† Rom. v. 10.

+ Rom. v. 1-5.

Nevertheless, with all this, there is imperfection. For, says the apostle, “We ourselves groan within ourselves." Groaning is a token of anguish and unsatisfied expectation; where this groaning is, therefore, the condition must be incomplete; and if it has its happiness, yet pain and vexation of some kind or other must therewith be intermingled: and this the best and the most gifted and comforted of us all know to be the case. The joy of the Christian is not joy that expels sorrow, but joy in sorrow. His peace is peace in conflict; yea, and his spiritual victories, if they are the bruising of his enemies under his feet, and the bringing of those evil appetites into subjection which were once his masters, yet are they not the absolute extinction and destruction of those adversaries. He has chained the rebels, through the power of the great Captain of his salvation, but it behoves him still to watch them; and unless

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he do so, one or other of them will very soon give his soul to understand that he is alive to "We walk by faith, and not by sight," * says the apostle; and, saith our Master, "In the world ye shall have tribulalation," though " in himself he had said before they should have peace." + "God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,” says St. Paul, "hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ:" but," he proceeds, "we have this treasure in earthen vessels; " and therefore, as he goes on to declare, though not distressed, not in despair, not forsaken, not destroyed," yet troubled on every side we are, and perplexed, persecuted, cast down-always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be manifest in our body."‡ It was comfort with him under crosses. And then, in the seventh chapter to the Romans, he very fully shows how, sanctified as he was, sin could still attack and trouble him. "I find a law that when I would do good, evil is present with me, for I delight in the law of God after

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2 Cor. v. 7.

+ John xvi. 33.

† 2 Cor. iv. 6-10.

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