to ourselves. Our chief care, concern, employment and end of our lives, should be to honour him, do his will and promote the interest of his gospel. It is not a slight and formal remembrance of him, such as many content themselves with, that can be of any use to us. If the dying love of our Redeemer does not influence us to live to him, to what purpose was the holy supper appointed to be solemnized in remembrance of him? It was appointed to awaken in us a more lively sense of our obligations to him, and to revive from time to time a powerful influence of his love in our minds, by representing before our eyes the most painful death and sufferings of our bleeding Saviour. Nothing compels stronger than love; it is therefore said to be stronger than death. It is not corrupt love I mean,love to sin, self and sensuality, that hurries so many to everlasting ruin, but divine love, that has enabled others to despise sufferings, and smile in the grim face and frowns of death.

It is this-love of one kind or other, that bears the chief sway in every one. According to the nature of the love that prevails in the soul, such, either good or bad, is the state of all men, and according thereto will be their end and their condition in the world to come; and such is their life and conversation in this world, either profane or holy, earthly or heavenly, carnal or spiritual. For where divine love gains the ascendancy, neither the world nor hell shall hinder them from living to Christ; but where sensual, selfish and sinful love is suffered to reign, they live to themselves, to the lust of the flesh and this world. And though many will forge plausible reasons to excuse themselves for their neglect of Christ's ways, and ordi

nances, yet it is evident to any one that sifts things to the bottom, that the true cause is their loving other things more than Christ.

Nothing is plainer, from the whole current of the holy scriptures, and particularly from the place referred to in the 2 Corinthians, than that all men are dead in trespasses and sins, (Eph. ii. 1.)-spiritually dead through the mortal wound of sin and the sentence of death, which the divine law has passed upon it; and that such as are made spiritually alive through the death of Christ, are powerfully constrained by redeeming love to live from thenceforth to the Author of their life. If that was not the deplorable condition of all that Christ died for, he needed not to have died at all; "if one died for all, then were all dead." And it was the great design of his dying, that those who are made alive by this means, might live unto him. And this may sufficiently distinguish who they are that are alive in Christ, and who they are that are dead in sin, by considering whether they live to Christ or to themselves.

You need not my telling you, how happy they are, who feel in their souls the constraining power, the efficacious and obliging force of redeeming love, effectually inclining them to make it their chief end and aim, concern and care, to live to Christ Jesus, who died to procure life for them. How dear are they to Christ, when Christ is thus dear to them! "Blessed are the people that are in such a case.' I will never repine for the want of more honours, pleasures or wealth, or for suffering the utmost contempt, poverty, or affliction in the world, if it shall please my God. to infuse into my soul more of this love It is more precious than can be purchased by

any worldly treasures. Can. viii. 7. And yet it shall be freely given to those that ask. Rom. viii. 32. Whatever is done, said, or written without it, is but as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal.

VII.

The acts of faith.

1733, AP. 18.-I feel the weight of great obligation to love and praise our dearest Lord for blessing you with so great a zeal as to become so sincere a friend to the interest of despised religion, and to appear now in favour of it without flinching through either fear or shame, when every thing serious and essential to the truth of Christianity, is treated with as much scurrility, as ever it was by people that profess its name. This is to wear the cross and follow Christ under all his reproach and ignominy. This is the state we are told that Moses by faith esteemed greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Heb. xi. 24, 25, 26. Such believers will be no loosers, for as they suffer with Christ, they shall be glorified with him. This is one of the noble acts of precious faith, that heaven-born grace, of which you were lately desirous to talk.

1. It inspires the soul with such holy fortitude in behalf of Christ, that it will not be ashamed nor afraid to discover its zeal and affection for him, notwithstanding the abounding iniquity and reproachful temper of the times. And indeed he who doth not shew his regard to Christ in every instance of his duty, doth not deserve the name of a Christian, for how can we have faith, if it does not make us faithful?

2. Another act of faith is to inspire the soul with great diligence in the ways of God in order to be fruitful as well as faithful. Faith points out so many divine truths and mysteries to contemplate, so many divine virtues to practice, so many religious duties to perform, so many temptations to conquer, and so many difficulties and discouragements to surmount, that we can have no pretence or leisure for idleness or idle thoughts to make our lives shorter by the irreparable loss of time. Faith and diligence always go together, for thus and no otherwise are we taught to believe, namely, that God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

3. And I will name another and great act of faith, which is, that it does direct the soul to eye and apply Christ upon all occasions. Faith directs us to make use of his mediation in all our dealings with God. All mercies should be considered as coming through his hands. John iii. 35. The Father's voice should be heard as from his mouth. Heb. i. 12. Matt. xvii. 5. In all opposition from the world, faith will direct us to look to Christ, who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that we may not be wearied and faint in onr minds. Heb. xii. 3. Under every fresh guilt and renewed sin, faith directs us to Christ to mediate for renewed peace and pardon. In prayer, praise, and every act of worship, faith directs us to Christ, to put all our prayers and praises in his hands, that he may present them to the Father. There is no hoping for any thing from a jealous God to vile sinners, but by Christ. There is no speaking to God, nor presuming to come to his presence, but by Christ's mediation.

Oh what reason have we to love and praise God for providing us a gracious Mediator, in whom we have access with boldness to the throne of grace. You are obliged to heaven, I mean to the God of heaven, for the experience you have of these three effects of faith, working in your soul great courage and diligence in the ways of God, and I hope great and sensible comforts too, in your constant use and application of Christ by faith.

VIII.

The benefits of contemplating God's goodness.

1733, AP. 22.-You have so unexpectedly surprised me lately with another instance of your friendship, that I cannot sufficiently express my thankfulness. I am more and more confirmed in my opinion' that it is your secret and chief care and contrivance to do good to every body, which is a most divine temper, bearing a near resemblance to God, and a clear evidence of one's being possessed with his Holy Spirit. When I consider how sensibly we are touched and affected with the kindness of a friend, I cannot but lament how stupidly ungrateful we commonly are for all the favours of God, who is the fountain of life, light and love; and who is to us a benefactor of innumerable blessings, a safe support in the midst of reigning evils,and a faithful deliverer from future miseries. If we made it our business to attain to higher knowledge and a deeper impression of divine goodness, it would certainly have a powerful influence to promote every grace and every duty in the Christian life, and nothing could be more useful to us in all the circumstances of our earthly pilgrimage. God chooses