giveth life, and of divine influences which fave from fin. This covenant of grace, which is the "law of the Spirit of Life from Chrift Jefus, hath made us free from the law of fin and death:" and being hereby "made free from fin, we become fervants to God, bear fruit unto holinefs, and the end is everlasting life *." For through a faith of the operation of GoD, (the grand means of fanctifi-` cation as well as juftification,) being perfuaded of. GOD's true and faithful promifes, and relying upon him for the accomplishment of them, we derive the Spirit of life, of light and power into our fouls, and affifted by his all-fufficient grace, "we cleanse ourfelves from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit, and perfect holiness in the fear of God."-Believing, we love; and loving, we obey: our obedience is fincere, univerfal, conftant and perfevering; we pay a due refpect to all his commandments, and become at last "holy, as he that hath called us is holy, in all manner of conversation and godlinefs." 13. Hence that fame Spirit which is our light in darkness, our ftrength in weakness, our life in death, our entire fanctification; is alfo our fuccour in temptation, our comfort in trouble, our true and only happiness.-We can now rejoice in the divine favour, as well as in the "teftimony of our confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity we have our converfation in the world t.” Our guilty fears, defponding doubts, and overwhelming griefs, give place and difappear, while the Comforter fhines forth, in all his radiant glory, and revives and cheers our drooping hearts. Through his agency the fogs and mifts of ignorance and error, fin and mifery, fufpend their baleful influence, nay speedily vanish, and light and truth, * Rom. viii. 2, and vi. 18. + 2 Cor. i. 12. holiness holiness and heaven, diffuse their joyous luftre throughout our fouls. He pacifies the confcience, calms the paffions, and introduces into our minds, a peace which paffeth all understanding. He inflames us with love, infpires with hope, and fills us with joy, even a joy unfpeakable and full of glory, By his operation we are affured of the favour of GOD, adopted into his family, and prepared for the glory and felicity above. And though "eye hath not feen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what God hath prepared for them that love him," yet because God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit *, therefore we do and must rejoice in profpect of them. "We abound in hope by the power of the Holy Ghoft," and therefore in joy; we rejoice greatly," (even though "for a season, if need be, we are in heavinefs through manifold temptations,") in expectation of foon poffeffing an inheritance which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and which fadeth not away, referved in heaven for us ‡," and an earnest of which we have by the Spirit in our hearts. 14. Such are fome of the happy effects produced by that Spirit which the gospel offers, and which is the chief glory of it, its diftinguifhing privilege, In this refpect chiefly, we difcern the fuperiority of the Chriftian to the Mofaic Difpenfation. Not but that the Holy Spirit was in fome degree given under the Law: undoubtedly it was: whatever holinefs or happiness the pious Ifraelites poffeffed they owed to its influences, and very eminent for holiness and happiness, it is manifeft, many of them were. But it was not given so largely nor fo univerfally as fince Chrift's glorification, after he had finished the work which was given * 1 Cor. ii. 9. 10. + Pet. i. 4-6. him him to do. This conclufion we cannot but draw from a variety of paffages in holy writ, which it is unneceffary to quote on this occafion. One I fhall mention, which is fo plain and exprefs, and full to the purpose, that it may well ferve instead of a thousand, and help us to understand others which in different places occur upon this fubject, but are less clear and determinate. John vii. 37 and 38, the apostle tells us "Jefus ftood and cried, faying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; he that believeth on me, as the scripture hath faid, (hath teftified in many places,) out of his belly fhall flow rivers of living water. Now this (St. John fays,). he spake of the Spirit, which they who believed on him, εμελλον λαμβανειν, were afterwards to receive, for the Holy Ghoft was not yet given, because Jefus was not yet glorified." From hence it is manifeft, beyond all contradiction, that there is a fenfe in which the Spirit was not given before Chrift's glorification, as it was to be given afterwards, and that this sense respects not only or chiefly his extraordinary and miraculous operations, but also and especially his ordinary influences, because it is promised to all believers without limitation, in all nations and ages. 15. One more property of the gospel, I fhall take occafion, from the preceding chapter, to mention. The apostle there, ver. 11, affirms of the law that it was to be abolished, and of the gospel that it remaineth. The Mofaic difpenfation was of a temporary nature and only intended to continue for a time: it was to make way for and give place to better, when in the fulnefs of time God fhould fend forth his Son, born of a woman, made under the law, to redeem thofe that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of fons." But the gofpel is an inftitution that shall abide for ever. As it is the beft difpenfation God ever made with man, man, fo it is the last he will ever make. We look for none to fucceed it: nay we do not expect any alteration to be made in it. On the contrary, we are affured, it is unchangeable in its nature, and eternal in its confequences. It is the one, fixed and unalterable way in which God will fave finners while the world ftands: and all faved in this way fhall for ever rejoice in the falvation thus obtained. It will not only continue with them through life, as their glory and their joy, but through death alfo. When they "walk through the valley of the shadow of death, they fhall fear no evil," for the falvation of the gofpel is with them. This, like Elijah's mantle, fhall cause the waters of mortality to divide hither and thither, that they may go through on dry land. And shall it defert them when paffed over, when in Canaan? Oh no! They are then but entering upon the full enjoyment of gofpel bleffings, the intire poffeffion of their heavenly inheritance: They then receive the end of their faith, the falvation of their fouls. 16. For life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel. Not contented within the narrow bounds of time, it launches out into an eternal state and there expatiates at large. It not only acquaints us with what fhall hereafter be tranfacted within the sphere of creation and limits of time, but it unfolds the mysteries of eternity, and conducts our contemplations through the immenfity of the Godhead. "It burns the prefent world, triumphs over death by a general refurrection, and opens all into an eternal state." The restoration of hafe bodies to immortal life, which were reduced to corruption and duft in the grave; the conflagration and diffclution of this beautiful fyftem of things; the decifive trial of men and angels at his bar, who once expired upon an ignominious crofs between two thieves; and the iffue of all in the everlasting de ftruction ftruction of the finaly impenitent, and the eternal glory of the righteous; thefe are the important events revealed in the gofpel, but which I must now forbear to confider. 17. And now, my brethren, fay if this gospel, fo furprising and wonderful in its difcoveries; fo deep and unfearchable in its mysteries; so alarming and dreadful in its threatnings; fo comforting and delightful in its promifes; and fo enriching and ennobling in its privileges and bleffings; fay if this gospel do not well deferve the ferious attention, diligent study, and hearty reception of all! "What heart of ftone but glows at thoughts like thefe ? "Such contemplations mount us; and fhould mount "The foul ftill higher; and never glance on man, "Unraptured, uninflamed! "Oh! the burft gates, crush'd fting, demolish'd throne, "Laft gasp of vanquish'd death! fhout earth and heav'n, "This fum of Good to Man! Surely this gofpel, so true and faithful, so just and reasonable, fo fuitable and advantageous, fo excellent in itself and so beneficial to us, is well worthy of all acceptation! High and low, young and old, rich and poor have equal need of it, may be equally bleft by it, and are equally concerned to bid it a moft hearty welcome! All orders and degrees of men fhould embrace this gofpel with the utmoft fervor of defire and warmth of affection, the most abfolute confidence and ecstatic joy. But alas! how far is this from being the cafe! How far are the generality, notwithstanding their need of this gofpel, and the bleffed effects it would produce |