Without the grace of God we might have been as the worst of them. There is, in the nature of things, one train of sentiment belonging to him, who has achieved a work by his own might, and power, and prowess; and another to him, who has been fain to beg for succour and assistance, and by that assistance alone has been carried through difficulties, which were too great for his own strength and faculties. This last is the true sentiment for us. It is not for a man, whose life has been saved in a shipwreck, by the compassionate help of others, it is not for a man, so saved, to boast of his own alertness and vigour, though it be true, that, unless he had exerted what power and strength he was possessed of, he would not have been saved at all.

Lastly, this doctrine shuts the door against a most general, a most specious, and a most deceiving excuse for our sins; which excuse is, that we have striven against them, but are overpowered by our evil nature, by that nature, which the Scriptures themselves represent as evil in a word, that we have done what we could. Now until, by supplication and prayer, we have called for the promised assistance of God's Spirit, and with an eartnessness, devotion, perseverance, and importunity, proportioned to the magnitude of the concern; until we have rendered ourselves objects of that influence, and yielded ourselves to it, it is not true "that we have done all that we can." We must not rely upon that excuse; for it is not true in fact. If experiencing the depravity and imbecility of our nature, we see in this corruption and weakness an excuse for our sins, and taking up with this excuse, we surrender ourselves to them: if we give up or relax in our opposition to them, and struggles against them, at last consenting to our sins, and falling down with the stream, which we have found so hard to resist; if things take this turn with us, the in a state to be utterly, finally, and done. We have it in our power to

against the danger; we naturally, shall endeavour to make ourselves as easy and contented in our situation as we can; but the truth, nevertheless, is, that we are hastening to certain perdition. If, on the contrary, perceiving the feebleness of our nature, we be driven by the perception, as St. Paul was driven, to fly for deliverance from our sins, to the aid and influence and power of God's Spirit, to seek for divine help and succour, as a sinking mariner calls out for help and succour, not formally, we may be sure, or coldly, but with cries and tears and supplications, as for life itself; if we be prepared to co-operate with this help, with the holy working of God's grace within us then may we trust, both that it will be given to us (yet in such manner as to God shall seem fit, and which cannot be limited by us,) and also that the portion of help which is given, being duly used and improved (not despised, neglected, put a way) more and more will be continually added, for the ultimate accomplishment of our great end and object, the deliverance of our souls from the captivity and the consequences of sin.

SERMON XXVI.

SIN ENCOUNTERED BY SPIRITUAL AID.

IN THREE PARTS.

(PART I.)

ched man that I am! who shall deliver me The body of this death 2-Rom. vii. 24. Ewe can explain what is the precise subis heavy lamentation, and what the preaning of the solemn question here asked, st endeavour to understand what is intenby the expression, "the body of this death," as some render it, "this body of death."

t it be remembered, that death, in St. les, hardly ever signifies a natural ich all men of all kinds are equally but it means a spiritual death, or that d destruction, to which sin brings men

in a future state. "The wages of sin is death;" not the death which we must all undergo in this world; for that is the fate of righteousness as well as sin; but the state, whatever it be, to which sin and sinners will be consigned in the world to come. Not many verses after our text. St. Paul says, "carnal-mindedness is death;" "to be carnally minded is death," leads, that is, inevitably, to that future destruction which awaits the sinful indulgence of carnal propensities, and which destruction is, as it were, death to the soul. The Book of Revelations, alluding to this distinction, speaks expressly of a second death, in terms very fit to be called to mind in the consideration of our present text. "I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written, according to their works; and the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell (which last word denotes here simply the place of the dead, not the place of punishment) delivered up the dead that were in them and they were judged every man according to their works; and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire;" (that is, natural death, and the receptacle of those who died, were thenceforth superseded.) This is the second death. "And whatsoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire." This description, which is exceedingly awful, is given in the three last verses of the twentieth chapter. In reference to the same event, this book of Revelations had before told us, viz. in the 2nd chapter and 11th verse, that he who overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death: and in like manner in the above-quoted 20th chapter; "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in this resurrection: on such the second death hath no power." Our Lord himself refers to this death in those never-to-be-forgotten word which he uttered, "He that liveth, and believe

which belongs to this, namely, the practical part of the subject: which objection is, that the doctrine of spiritual influence and the preaching of this doctrine, causes men to attend chiefly to the feelings within them, to place religion in feelings and sensations, and to be content with such feelings and sensations, without coming to active duties and real usefulness; that it tends to produce a contemplative religion, accompanied with a sort of abstraction from the interests of this world, as respecting either ourselves or others; a sort of quietism and indifference, which contributes nothing to the good of mankind, or to make a man serviceable in his generation; that men of this description sit brooding over what passes in the hearts, without performing any good actions well discharging their social or domestic ob tions, or indeed guarding their outward co with sufficient care. Now, if there be any dation in fact for this charge, it arises fro persons holding this doctrine defectively from their not attending to one main po doctrine, which is, that the pror who have the Spirit, but to th the Spirit; not to those who a suggestions, but to those who to follow, and do actually tions. Now, though a pe eelings and consciousnes that he has the Spirit of rest in these sensati practical exertions, of him, nor, one bring himself to h it, that he follow cessarily imply

which belongs to this, namely, the practical part of the subject: which objection is, that the de trine of spiritual influence and the preaching this doctrine, causes men to attend chiefly tod feelings within them, to place religion in feel and sensations, and to be content with such i ings and sensations, without coming to activ ties and real usefulness; that it tends to pr a contemplative religion, accompanied within of abstraction from the interests of this worl respecting either ourselves or others; a s quietism and indifference, which contributes ing to the good of mankind, or to make a mans viceable in his generation; that men of this seription sit brooding over what passes in t hearts, without performing any good actions well discharging their social or domestic oll foot tions, or indeed guarding their outward cod with sufficient care. Now, if there be any f dation in fact for this charge, it arises from persons holding this doctrine defectively; In from their not attending to one main point in doctrine, which is, that the prom who have the Spirit, but to the the Spirit; not to those who a suggestions, but to those who to follow, and do actually tions. Now, though a per eelings and consciousness that he has the Spirit of rest in these sensations practical exertions, it ca of him, nor, one would bring himself to believe it, that he follows the S cessarily imply someth ence; necessarily car of conduct entered int to, and by virtue of th objection here notice conduct of those, wh we treat, I am unce