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IN the preceding chapter the apostle re

his Corinthian converts of the many suf and distresses of his christian warfare. forms them of stripes, and imprisonmen tumults, and labours; of watchings, an ings; implying at the same time, that had undergone, they must likewise expect dergo. And in these things indeed th professors of the christian religion were nually exercised.-Theirs was a warfare They had difficulties to struggle with, of we know nothing.- -But people were earnest about religion; and thought it t

difficulties, which the apostle enumerates, he on, by calling to their remembrance, the pron of God. God hath promised, he tells them ways to assist his pious servants. It is his stant language in scripture, I will be their and they shall be my people. I will be a fa unto them; and they shall be sons and daugi unto me, saith the Lord. The apostle having encouraged them under their approaching ficulties, draws his conclusion in the word the text: Having therefore these promises, de beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filth of flesh and spirit; perfecting holiness in the of God.

I shall examine these words by shewing first what the promises are to which the ap refers-and secondly the effect, which they of to have upon us.

With regard to the first of these heads. apostle only tells us (for he speaks to us, as as to his Corinthian converts)-that if we

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obedient children, God will be our father. Now this is only a general manner of speaking, but it refers plainly to all the promises of every kind, which the christian religion makes to man. If God be our father, and we his children, we are led to hope for every thing, which as a father he hath graciously promised to his obedient children. We hope for the forgiveness of our sins, through the atoning blood of Christ-we hope for his becoming a reconciled father to us in Christ Jesus-we hope for the assistance of his gracious spirit in all the difficulties of a christian life we hope for a glorious resurrection from the dead-and lastly, we hope for an eternity of future happiness. So that, in short, as a child is taught to expect from its parent, so are we taught to expect from God every good, of which our nature is capable.

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These are the great promises, which the christian religion makes to man; and which the apostle refers to in the text. But now the effect of these promises on us, it is evident, depends entirely on our believing them. Hence our Saviour always makes faith the first article of christianity. Unless therefore we really, and from our hearts believe the gospel; it is impossible we should pay any attention to its promises.

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The things of this world are present-the promises of the gospel lie at a distance; and if you have not faith enough to bring them nearer to you, you cannot be influenced by them.Suppose the case of a person shut out during the early part of his life from seeing any objects, except those at hand. Such a person could have no idea of distance.

Bring him suddenly where

he had an extended view of a country lying before him, point out to him a mountain, which you tell him is very lofty, or a lake, which is very extensive, he cannot enter into your ideas; he cannot believe that distant objects, which appear to his eye so little, were really larger, than the things which he saw at hand.-What! he would ask, is that house, which appears to me as a mere speck, in fact larger than the house, which I see close to me; and which I can walk round and examine ?-But let this person gain the thorough use of his eyes, if I may so speak, by experience; and he will soon know that distance makes no alteration in the things themselves; but will firmly believe the house in question, however small it may appear at a distance, to be in fact greater than the house, which appears so much larger on the spot.

Now

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