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therefore but slight or theoretical views only of the condemnation in which they were born and have uniformly lived; to these, Faith is but a light affair and a ready act of their own, and Grace itself not a heavy one, yet always within their reach; but ** practice, practice," is all in all, and this practice too, the result of human energy, the consequence of man's exertions and endeavours. Their professed object is that impossible thing, to make old Adam good, instead of crucifying him; or, at most, to graft the life of Christ upon that old vile stock, which is utterly contrary to it, instead of bringing in and strengthening the new man, which is not of the earth earthly, but a new creation in the soul by the Lord from heaven. Here stands the foundation of a thousand errors, in direct opposition to God's covenant or constitution of grace. And if, by a life outwardly

decent,

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decent, by a commendable denieanour, by liberal acts of kindness, or by close attentions to the extrinsic forms of religion, (all of which are most highly incumbent and necessary in their per order,) they can thus acquire the shadow or assume the skeleton of Christians, and pass through the world with a high reputation among men; they sing a requiem to their souls, and possibly may be permitted to go on with little perturbation or inward trials to the end. The strong

one armed, upon this plan, will keep his goods in peace. Those trials, and troubles, and anxieties of mind, respecting a sure interest in the salvation of Christ, the final victory over death, and the sure and approaching appearance before the Most Holy, are but little felt or seldom known by such men. Perhaps, they are treated as wild and irrational rhapsodies, enthus siastic reveries, or, at best, pitiable imbecilities,

imbecilities, beneath the consideration, or deserving the censure, of the good and the wise. It is, however, too certain, that people of this cast are apt to be very angry with those, who, believing that something more than mere practice is necessary to make up a real Christian, earnestly insist upon a pure and lively faith in Christ, wrought by the special operation of the Holy Ghost, and upon the other mortifying doctrines of free grace, God's election, the imputed righteousness of the Redeemer both active and passive, with the whole train of just and holy principles in perfect analogy with these. Now, though a clear and holy practice (as we have already observed) is most indispensably neces→ · sary, in itself and in its proper place, and also must appear to prove a man to be a real Christian, and must form a constituent part of his character as such; yet, by itself, it no more

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creates him a Christian, than the produce of a tree forms the trunk or the boughs on which it may grow. Lifemust first be in the root or stock, as every one knows, before fruit can be expected to appear in the branches. But, when this internal life exists both in the trunk and branches; then the fruit, with God's blessing, comes forward in due order and time, and demonstrates the truth and vigour of that life, from which it proceeds. Our Lord takes up the same figure. He is the vine, and the life of the vine. Now, (said he to his disciples,) as the branch cannot bear fruit OF ITSELF, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for, WITHOUT me, ye ean do nothing,

It cannot be too much insisted upon, that a dry and unprofitable set of re

ligious

ligious performances is quite as possible, as a dry and unprofitable set of religious principles; and that one man may be a Formalist in the strictest round of duties, equally with another in the most orthodox system of doctrines. The external and internal forms of godliness may also exist, not only without the power of it, but in the very denial of that power. But Truth, with the spirit, life, and practice, of the Truth, constitutes a real Christian, and can only afford him the solid proof and consolation of knowing himself to be one. Without this happy combination, all other things are but appearances and names to any man respecting his final state, however in the mean time they may affect others, and will leave him nearly, if not quite, just such as they found him. Nor is it the mere change of forms, or of principles, or even of actions, alone, which will serve the purpose;

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