Father; so truly is the believer raised from the death of sin to newness and righteousness of life in this world-the pledge and earnest that he shall be exalted with him in the next world; even according to his own promise: To him that overcometh I will grant to sit down with me on my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne. We must be made like unto him in this world first, or we shall never be made like unto him in the next world hereafter. Such was his declaration in the day of his humiliation: If any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be: If any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

My brethren, do you believe these things? I again ask you for the proofs. In the words of St. Paul, addressing the Colossians, If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God: set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth: for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall then shall ye also appear with him in glory: mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; for which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

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SERMON VII.

ROMANS V. 10.

For 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.

THE Apostle, in the preceding chapters of this Epistle, having established, by the most undeniable arguments, and confirmed his arguments by the example of the Patriarch Abraham, that justification before God is by faith alone, without the deeds of the law; goes on, in the beginning of this, to declare the fruits and consequences of this doctrine, as they are experienced by every individual man, who has in very deed obtained this justification before God by a true and living faith. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access, by faith, into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God:

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and not only so, continues the Apostle, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because, saith the Apostle, giving the reason of all this, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. All true believers-i. e. they who possess that faith which is the gift of God, and which therefore they have received from him—are actually and in fact, even while living in this world, justified by it in his sight:-they are before him as being without sin: and, in consequence, they actually do enjoy peace with him, through Jesus Christ; and they rejoice before him, because of the glorious hope of enjoying his glory, and also (so great is the prize of their high calling) because of tribulations; their very sorrows, in a world of sorrow, are even made a ground for rejoicing; for they really have and possess the love of God—not an ideal, imaginary love, into which they work, or think to work, themselves by their own imaginations; but that love of God which is through the operation of the Holy Ghost, a reasonable, a rational love; founded on fact; and therefore admitting a reasonable proof.

Such was the testimony of the beloved disciple. He first declares of God, God is love;

and then he brings forward the fact in proof thereof: In this was manifested the love of God towards us; because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. And then he enforces the love of God, thus displayed: Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Having thus asserted, and proved, and enforced, the love of God towards man, the Apostle passes on to the consideration of the love of God in the heart of man: and here again he repeats the foundation; God is love. And then, after enlarging on the nature and effects of the love of God in the heart of man, he adds, we love him, because-Mark this word, Because we have a reason for loving him, saith the Apostle; and this is the reason, because he first loved us. The love of God in the heart of man is founded on fact, and confirmed

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by reason, saith St. John. And this love of God, saith St. Paul, is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost; which (he adds) is given unto Observe this love, of which the Apostle speaks, is not naturally in our hearts; neither is it in any way in our power, so that we can procure it or attain unto it of ourselves; for, as the Apostle says, it is the work of the Holy Ghost in our hearts; and He, the Spirit of Truth, is given unto us. He is not in our power, so

that we can attain unto the possession of him by our own exertions: and therefore, most certainly, that which is his work alone the having the love of God in our hearts-is in like manner out of our power, Such, at least, is the Apostle's testimony respecting himself and all true believers: "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us." Nay, more forcibly than this; we have the testimony of the same Apostle, in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (ii. 14), that so far from our being able of ourselves to attain unto this love of God, that we do not even desire it-nay, he assures us that we cannot so much as desire it: The natural man, saith the Scripture, receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Again, the Scripture saith, the carnal mind is enmity against God. Observe; it is not said, An enemy, but Enmity: for an enemy can be reconciled, but enmity itself can never be reconciled. And thus we see most forcibly the necessity of a complete change of mind, before a man can be reconciled unto God. Man is naturally God's enemy; but his carnal mind is more it is enmity itself.

We see this distinction strongly marked by our blessed Lord: But those things which proceed

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