principle of this religion-It is the faith of the Son of God. "If you ask," says the christian, "how it is that "I live so different from others, and so different from (6 my former self, here is the secret. There is a faith "which has immediately and entirely to do with the "Son of God: of this faith I have been made the hap"py partaker, and in proportion as I can exercise this, "I do well-this brings me supplies from his boundless "fullness; this places me in the strong hold; this in"vigorates duty; this alleviates affliction; this purifies "the heart; this overcomes the world; this does all. By faith I stand-by faith I walk;-by faith I live" and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the "faith of the Son of God."

To explain this, it will be necessary to observe that the communication of grace from Christ to maintain the divine life depends on union with him, and that of this union faith is the medium. Let me make this plain. It is well known that animal spirits and nervous juices are derived from the head to the body, but then it is only to that particular body that is united to it. And the same may be said of the vine-the vine conveys a prolific sap, but it is exclusively to its own branches. It matters not how near you place branches to the stock, if they are not in it, they may as well be a thousand miles off; they cannot be enlivened and fructified by it: "the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it "abide in the vine, no more can we except we abide in him, for without him we can do nothing." Now he is the head and we are the members; he is the vine, we are the branches.

And this union from which this influence flows, is accomplished by faith only: he dwells in our hearts by faith. If faith be an eye, it is only by this we can see him. If faith be a hand it is only by this we can lay hold of him. He is the food of our souls, but it is by faith that this food is converted into aliment: they are his own words: he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. Place all the motives of christianity around a

man-if he does not believe them, they cannot touch him; this is the only medium by which they can oper

How can the threatenings of our Lord produce fear? How can the promises which he has given excite hope-but by being believed. By this the various parts of the whole system are brought to bear upon the conscience, and the practice-therefore says the apostle," the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by "the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave "himself for me."

This brings us, thirdly, to notice the confidence, the appropriation which this religion allows. Now what we mean to establish here--is not that every real christian can use this language as boldly as the apostle Paul. Then we should make some sad, whom God has commanded us to make merry; there are degrees in grace; and there is weak faith as well as strong faith.

But I would intimate, first, that genuine religion always produces a concern for this application. It will not suffer a man to rest in distant speculations, and loose generalities, but will make him anxious to bring things home to himself, and to know how they effect him. With regard to duty he will say, Lord what wilt thou have me to do. When he hears of promises and privileges he will ask, am I interested in these; may I claim them?-say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.

I mean also to intimate, secondly, that a christian may attain this confidence, and draw this conclusion. Let him take God at his word, and from the general language of the gospel, make out a particular inference

thus. He loved sinners, and gave himself for the ungodly. Let those who have no need of a Saviour, stand and debate; I need him; and I see he has come to save sinners, and I am one! To die for the ungodly, and this is my character. I see also that the master calls me and invites me by name, or which is much safer and better, by description; I am oppressed with a load and I am tired, struggling to get free; and he says,

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come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, " and I will give you rest.”

To enable you to decide this business, let me ask you -Have you not had a view of your last condition by nature and so of your absolute need of Christ?-Have you not discovered his grace, and his glory, in living and dying for you, so as to feel your soul powerfully drawn towards him? Under this attraction have you not been led to apply to him, throwing yourself down at his feet, "here is a blind sinner-be thou my wisdom

;

a guilty sinner-be thou my righteousness; a pol"luted sinner-be thou my sanctification; an enslaved miserable sinner--be thou my redemption." And do you not feel good as the consequence of this? Is not your mind so filled, so fixed, that you no longer rove after the world; do you not melt in godly sorrow for sin; are you not constrained by holy love to the Saviour to say, " speak Lord, for thy servant heareth, 46 to live, not unto yourselves, but to him that died for 46 you and rose again!" Where these things are wholly wanting, there is no real faith; where they are found, a person can be guilty of nothing like presumption, in saying he loved me, and gave himself for me.

Thirdly, we would intimate that nothing can exceed the blessedness which results from such an appropriation of the Saviour in his love, and in his death. All evangelical consolation is wrapped up in it. Ah! could each of you make it your own--How would eternity be disarmed of its dread? With what composure would you look forward to death? How cheerfully would you bear your trials? How pleasant would all your worship prove? With what lively and suitable feelings would you approach this morning the table of the Lord, where a dying Jesus is not only presented to your faith, but to your very sight, evidently set forth, crucified among you?

He loved me, and gave himself for me! O my soul, think of these words. The Son of God, higher than the kings of the earth, the Lord of all, he has condescend

ed to remember me in my low estate-He has loved me-and O! How marvellous the expression of this love he gave-nothing less than himself to be my teacher and example only-? No, but to be my substitute, my ransom; to bear my sins in his own body on the tree. And all this goodness regards unworthy, unlovely-me.

Did he love me, and shall I not love him? Has he given himself for me, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet smelling savor and shall I be unwilling to give myself to him a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is my reasonable service? And O my soul, rejoice in him. What may I not expect from his hands? What will he deny, who did not withhold himself?

DISCOURSE XI.

THE FINAL CHANGE.

(EASTER.)

Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. -1 Cor. xv. 51, 52.

HERE a scene opens upon us, in comparison with which, every thing else becomes worthless, little, uninteresting. And let me tell you

It is a transaction in which you will be, not merely spectators, but parties concerned.

It is an event the most certain.

It is a solemnity that is continually drawing near. For while I speak you die-and after death the judgment! Does not this subject therefore deserve, as well as demand your most serious attention ?

The chapter before us regards the resurrection.-But those only can be raised who die--what shall become of those, who at this awful period shall be alive? “Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, “but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumshall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorrupt"ible, and we shall be changed."

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the followers of the redeemer. Christians however we may observe, first, the union there is among distinguished from each other, are inhabitants of one