ed, they affirm, in the atrongest manner, that "there is no other foundation whereon any man can build,"* " nor any other name whereby any man can be saved." And when they saw in any a disposition to unite the observance of some ceremonial or moral duties as a joint ground of their hope, they warned them plainly, that their salvation must be "wholly of grace or wholly of works ;" and that if they relied in any measure upon their works, "they were fallen from grace," they were "become debtors to do the whole law," and that Christ was become of no effect unto them;" with respect to them "he was dead in vain."§ Offensive as these statements are, and reprobated as being of a licentious tendency, wherein do they differ from our own acknowledgments? We pray that God would "restore to his favour them that are penitent;" but how, and in what manner, do ** 1 Cor. iii. 14. † Acts iv. 12. #Rom. xi. 6 we expect that restoration to be accomplished? Is it uncovenanted mercy that we ask? Or is it according to our own good works that we desire to find acceptance? No; we profess that our reliance is altogether on God's promises as they are revealed in the gospel; "Restore us, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord." Among the promises to which we may be supposed to refer, the following must certainly be numbered: "Look unto me, and be ye saved ;"* Come unto me, and I will give you rest.”+ "Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." "The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin." "All that " believe, shall be justified from all things. T" "Though your sins be as crimson, they shall be white as snow."** But whatever the promises be, whether their reference to Christ be more or less plain, we are assured that it is in him, and in him alone, that the * Isai. xlv. 22. # 1 John i. 7. + Matt. xi. 28. Acts xiii. 39. ‡ John vi. 37. **Isai. i. 18. promises are confirmed to us; for the Apos tle says, "All the promises of God IN HIM are yea, and IN HIM amen."* It is in Christ alone that God can be just, and at the same time the justifier of sinners."+ and therefore when we plead that promise, that "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,"‡ we can expect its. accomplishment in no other way than through faith in Christ. Thus under this head also may be seen a perfect harmony between those things which we have affirmed, and those which you' "read" in the Scriptures, and acknow-ledge" in your prayers.. Nor do we doubt a similar issue to our inquiries, while under the last head of our discourse we state to you The path of duty. We inculeate the practice of every personal and relative duty. But we are not * 2 Cor. i. 20. † Rom. iii. 26. +1 John i. 9. satisfied with that standard of holiness which is current in the world: we require a higher tone of morals: in addition to sobriety and honesty, we insist upon a life entirely devoted to God; we affirm, that it is every man's duty to "delight himself in God;"* to have such a lively sense of Christ's love to him, as shall constrain him to an unreserved surrender of all his faculties and powers to the service of his Lord.t We must live for God: we must be like a faithful servant, who inquires from day to day what his master's will is: and inquires, in order that he may do it. As a servant who had neglected all his duties through the day, would feel ashamed and afraid of his master's displeasure, so should we feel ashamed and afraid, if any day pass without having executed to the utmost of our power the duties of it. We should walk as on the confines of the eternal world, and act as persons who must shortly give account of every talent that has been committed to *Job xxvii. 10. & Ps. xxxvii. 4. † 2 Cor. v. 14. them. To be "dead unto the world,"* and "alive unto God ;"+ to attain more and more of the divine image ;t to "grow up into Christ in all things ;" to enjoy fellowship with God, and anticipate the enjoy ments of heaven, this is our duty, and should be our daily study and delight. In requiring so much, we are supposed to require what is altogether impracticable, or, at least, what, if practised, would unfit us for all the common offices of life. But what do we read in the holy Scriptures? Do they require of us less than this? Do they not teach us to "yield ourselves living sacrifices to God as our most reasonable service ?"** Do they not enjoin us to “live henceforth not unto ourselves, but unto him that died for us, and rose again ?"†† Do they not require that "whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we should do all to the glory of God ?"‡‡ And is not the Gal. vi. 14. § Eph. iv. 15. ** Rom. xii. 1. † Rom. vi. 11. John i. 3. tt 2 Cor. v. 15. 2 Cor. iii. 18. ¶ Eph. i. 13, 14. ‡‡ 1 Cor. x.31, |