propitiation for our sins," they shall not be imputed to us if we repent of them, and take him to be our advocate. But after such a motive to universal obedience as we are supplied with in God's manifestation of himself to us in Christ, and after the promise of the Spirit, and of grace for grace, in answer to our prayer in Christ's name, it must be the divine will that the righteousness of the law should be in us fulfilled.

God's law (as hath been said so often) requires nothing but what is good; and there is no manner of good action which we ought not to be ready to perform-no degree of goodness at which our wishes ought to stop. Far short of absolute perfection, indeed, our practice is too sure to stop; but we cannot wilfully allow it to stop (and we must not think that we can) without sin. Therefore, to conform ourselves to the divine will, in every thing, is our duty, and when we fall short in any thing, that should be

our sorrow.

And now it is easy to collect who are Christ's people indeed, and who are not. They that walk after the flesh are none of his. "The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings and such like; of the which I tell you before, as I

have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."* These cannot belong to Christ, profess they what they may. 'Though they should understand all mysteries and all knowledge; though they should have all faith, so that they could remove mountains, they are nothing." At the last day Christ will say unto them, "I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity." And so will he say to all who wilfully indulge their propensity to any known sin, and allow themselves in any of which they do not repent. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law and they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts." If any have done this if any are earnestly striving against all sin, and studying to be always abounding in the work of the Lord, then there is no law which shall have power against them to condemn them. Not that they shall be justified for their works, or have claim upon God's kind

* Gal. v. 19-21.

Matt. vii. 23.

+ 1 Cor. xiii. 2.

$ Gal. v. 22-24.

ness for their most imperfect services, but if their failures prove them to be sinners, their sincere striving after all godliness, and their habitual godly conversation, shall prove them to be converted sinners, united to Christ by a living faith, and entitled through him to inherit the promises.

Therefore" follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."* Let the "law be your schoolmaster, to bring you unto Christ." Let your conviction of sin and weakness stir you up to take Him for your atonement and your strength; and as the love which he hath manifested towards you is immeasurable, and the Spirit which he hath promised you is Almighty; and as, when he has given you ever so great a measure of it, he still privileges you to ask and seek for more, do not think that you may stop short in your Christian course, neither be ye, under any circumstances, of a doubtful mind. If ye

hunger and thirst after righteousness, ye shall be filled." If ye be ever so weak, God can make you strong; if ye be ever so far off, he can make you nigh; and if he have led you ever so far, he can lead you farther, and you + Gal. iii. 24.

*Heb. xii. 14.

Matt. v. 6.

must pray to him to do so. Wherefore, "whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things, and do them."*

*Phil. iv. 8.

90

SERMON V.

SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS.

JER. ii. 34, 35.

"Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents; I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

"Yet thou sayest because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me. Behold I will plead with thee, because thou sayest I have not sinned."

It is not unusual with the prophets of the Old Testament to direct their reproofs expressly against the proverbs and common sayings of the Lord's people. For that a thing should have passed into a proverb, shows the prevailing sentiment or way of thinking among those who have so adopted it. In Ezekiel's time, for instance, when the people saw the calamities in which their country was involved, they used this