II. The means by which it is to be done;

and

III. The measure of the performance.

1st. I shall endeavour to shew what is the will of God. In order to be acquainted with this, I need only refer you to the words of Christ, which he returned to the lawyer, when he tempted him, asking, " Which is the great commandment in the law? And Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment: and the second is like unto itThou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Upon these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."* Our duty, it is true, is branched out into a variety of particulars; but, if once the heart be given to God, it will be needless to speak at large concerning the things which a man should do, and which he should leave undone; for every person, who reads his Bible, knows that he ought to cleanse himself from all filthiness both of the flesh and spirit. But, if you want a rule of conduct, read the ten commandments, and as a comment upon them, our Saviour's Sermon upon the mount, and observe how he spiritualizes all the precepts of the law, shewing that it is

*Mat. xxii. 36-40.

not the mere act of sin, but the thought, which constitutes a man a transgressor in the sight of God. For, says he, "whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment,"* and whosoever shall look upon a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart." See also the twelfth chapter of the Epistle to the Romans, which contains as beautiful a compendium of Christian practice as can be found in the Bible. But, when we read these, and other portions of God's word, which positively command us to be holy in all manner of conversation and godliness, and when we strive to fulfil the divine law, we find another law in our members warring against the law of our minds, and bringing us into captivity to the law of sin, which is in our members; so that, however desirable a state of conformity to the divine will may appear, there seems to be an insurmountable barrier to the attainment of it, and many a one has been constrained to cry out, through the prevalency of his corruptions, in the words of Saint Paul, "Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But he adds, to the inexpressible comfort of all believers, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." And this leads me Rom. vii. 24, 25.

* Mat. v. 22.

† v. 28.

to the second part of my discourse, viz.-the means by which the will of God should be performed.

It should ever be remembered by those, who are anxious to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ, that they are described in the Sacred Writings, as weak and helpless creatures, that this point is strongly insisted on, and that various proofs of it are given by the description of divers characters in the word of God. Bearing this in our minds, though we may well be shocked at so degrading a view of human nature, yet we shall be convinced, that our depravity will not remain as an obstacle to our recovery, but that means of restoration will be granted to us, in the same manner as they have been afforded to other fallen creatures before us. Hear how Saint Paul, who scrupled not to declare himself the chief of sinners, speaks upon this subject: "When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." These words are to be found in the Epistle to the Romans, chapter 5, v. 6, and in the 8th verse are other words exactly to the same purpose: "God commended his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." It appears very clear from these two passages, that the love of Christ is independent of, and prior to, all goodness

in us. It is a manifestation of his extreme tenderness and pity to his poor lost creatures, whose redemption he undertook to effect, when every other means failed. We may

state it then, as an undoubted truth, that all transgressors, however great and aggravated their sins may have been, are encouraged to obtain salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. But, this is not all. Observe how the Apostle goes on in the 9th verse, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood," all past transgressions being remitted, "we shall be saved from wrath through him :" "we shall be saved." So then there is a part of salvation yet to follow; for, adds he, verse 10, “if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved through his life." This life I conceive to be the same as that which the Apostle speaks of in the 8th chapter, which thus begins: "There is, therefore, now no condemnation," because they are justified, "to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk, not after the flesh, but after the spirit; for the law of the spirit of life" (that life by which we shall be saved) "in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death; for what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God send

ing his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." It appears then, that the means by which we are to perform the will of God is the spirit of Jesus Christ, through which we shall be able to bring the carnal desires of the flesh into subjection, to obtain victory over the world, and to perfect "holiness in the fear of the Lord."* Hence we find many injunctions and exhortations to pray for this spirit, which God promises to give to those that ask for it; for he is so infinitely good and gracious, as to provide a method of recovery for all; and if any perish, it is because they will not come to Christ for life, and will not ask wisdom of God, who, as Saint James saith, "giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not." Hear what Saint Paul says to the Ephesians, chap. 3, v. 14-17: "I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and Earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." Hear him to the Galatians :

*11 Cor. vii. 1.