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and free salvation! Set your hearts to seek it, be

fore it be too late.

and begin to pray.

Give yourselves to reflection, The prayer of penitence must prevail. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."-We remark,

Renew

2. The duty of such as desire Divine teaching.Think not highly of yourselves, but soberly as you ought to think; keeping in mind, however humbling the fact, that nothing you can know; that nothing you can be or do, will compensate for the teaching of the Spirit of Christ. Whatever awakens your concern, and stimulates your desire, cherish it.Trifle not with convictions, but foster them. and enlarge your acquaintance with the word of God; read it frequently, privately, attentively, and with much prayer. Imitate the man whose "delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night:" for the case is plain; they that would have the understanding opened to understand the Scriptures, ought to be conversant with the Scriptures. Attend also a faithful ministry; and do it constantly. Yielding to a habit of irregular attendance, it is not easy to calculate the magnitude of your loss. Probably at the times

of your absence from the house of God, such subjects are discussed, and such truths explained and enforced, as are particularly applicable to your case, and adapted to your profit.-Especially apply to Jesus Christ; and do this without delay. He is the great Physician of the soul, the Healer of all the maladies of the mind. He counsels you with the tenderest affection: he entreats you with the kindest importunity, to come unto him that you may have

life; to learn of him, that you may find rest unto your souls. Hence we remark,

3. The encouragement which the Gospel gives to apply to Jesus Christ.-This encouragement is large and free. Think of his Name-The Light of the world, and the Life of men; a Light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the Salvation of the ends of the earth. Think of his Grace-what he has done in ages past; what he is now doing for thousands. "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." He reveals the things of the Gospel "unto babes." "Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called" and enlightened, but rather the foolish, the weak, the base, and such as are despised. These are they in whom the Lord the Saviour glorifies the exceeding riches of his grace. And is not this encouragement? Yes; to the meanest and most ignorant. Take, therefore, the encouragement which he gives.

Two blind men sat by the way-side begging. When they heard that Jesus passed by, they cried earnestly to him for mercy. He stood still, and called them, and said, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?” And such is his kind request to you. Let your reply be similar to that which he received; "Lord, that our eyes may be opened!" Are you discouraged in your application to Jesus Christ? Those men were discouraged the multitude rebuked them, and charged them to hold their peace. The only effect. which this had, was to increase the fervour of their ery" Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on us!" Thus, be not you driven from the Saviour, or silenced at his feet; urge with importunity your plea

for mercy, and for grace to help. "Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him." Nor shall you cry in vain. The prayer of fervour and of faith must be successful. He who opened the eyes of those supplicants, will open your understanding, and lead you in the truth. In imitation of them, follow your best Benefactor; adhere to him, in all circumstances, from the purest principles of gratitude and love. Cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart, and serve him to the end of your days.

SERMON XX.

THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.

ROMANS viii. 16.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.

IT is not unusual for persons to boast of their high birth, and to please themselves with talking of their honourable ancestry. What is this but vanity? And what does it indicate but folly and pride? The greatest man is a mere mortal, and the most illustrious of the sons of men are the near kindred of corruption and worms.

True Christians have the justest claim to honourable distinction. These are the excellent of the earth, and the highly-favoured of Heaven. These are, whatever in other respects they may be, the children of God. We might say much on the vast importance of our being of this number, members of this family : and next in importance to this, is the knowledge of it for ourselves the scriptural and rational persuasion that this is indeed our character. What says the Apostle in the text? "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God." From these words, two things may be considered :

The HIGH PRIVILEGE of God's people; -and the WAY by which the KNOWLEDGE of this privilege, is ASCERTAINED, and the COMFORT of it ENJOYED.

I. The HIGH PRIVILEGE of God's people: they are "the children of God."-There is a sense in which all are his children; for God is the Creator of all; the original Source and Sustainer of all. "He hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth-In Him we live and move, and have our being-He is the Father of our spirits-we are all his offspring." But all are not related to God as his children, in the sense of the text. It evidently denotes something peculiar; something that belongs to true Christians, and to none else. Certain Jews pretended that they were "the children of God:" Jesus said unto them, " If God were your Father, ye would love me:" but they loved him not consequently, their pretension was false; they had no just claim to the exalted privilege. He spoke still more plainly to them: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." The same applies exactly to men in the present day: as many as are indulging the lusts and doing the works of the wicked one, they are his children. "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil."

But let us observe more attentively what this high privilege denotes" the children of God." Of course these persons have, in a special sense, God for their Father, their great, their best, their divine, their heavenly Father. And what does this include? At least four things :-distinguished honour; peculiar affection; constant care; and the most liberal kind

ness.

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