serving inviolate all the principles and laws of that government, by which free and intelligent agents are trained, through the exercise of discipline, to the perfection and beatitude of mature and established virtue. Assuredly, my fellow-Christians, the human mind, with all its capacities and improvements, must acknowledge itself perpetually indebted to God; and that He is the fountain of faith and wisdom, as well as of reason and freewill; and, therefore, that all the views upon which good resolutions are formed; all the strong impressions upon the mind, arising from these views; all the steadiness and determination of spirit, which not only resolves and purposes, but executes and perseveres, are evidently capable of being promoted by divine aid. * If then such aid is possible, can we doubt the precious promise of eternal truth, that if applied for, it will be granted? Do we acknowledge that it was the voice of God, that first commanded the light to shine out of darkness; and that it was worthy of the divine agency to call forth the sun to vivify and gladden the creation, and dress the canopy of heaven and the surface of the earth with such variety of colours and of beauties -and shall we not allow it to be much more worthy of Him, to lighten up a benighted soul, and reduce the moral chaos into harmony and order? Do we admit that it was worthy of God, to form the first principles of vegetable life in every herb of the field, visiting with the former and the latter rain the earth wherein the seeds are sown—and is it not much more worthy of Him, to implant the seed of divine life, to shelter it with His protecting hand, and nourish it with the genial influence of His animating Spirit? Did it suit the divine wisdom and mercy, to provide various means for sustaining our present transitory existence, various remedies for healing our wounds and recovering us from our diseases—and is it not unspeakably more adapted to the same goodness and mercy, to act as the great physician of the soul, to assuage the tortures of a wounded spirit, to purify the pollutions and remove the maladies of guilt, and to rouse the soul from the death of sin into a life of righteousness? Assuredly then, we may firmly rely on the prompt and gracious Acts, xxvi. 18. mercy of our God, to grant us this assistance so indispensably necessary to secure our salvation. If unrighteous and evil men, often inconsiderate, froward, and unkind, yet know how to give good' gifts to their children, how much more will our almighty and most merciful Father-who knows our wants, who compassionates our weakness and our wretchedness-how much more will He communicate to us that enlightening and sanctifying grace, without which our corrupt hearts would certainly abuse the choicest of His providential favours, to the dishonour of His holy name, and the destruction of our immortal souls. But, my friends, liberal as is the bounty of God, he will not waste His favours on those, who receiving them with cold and thankless hearts, would abuse the gift and dishonour the giver. No; God will offer no irresistible violence to our moral nature. He will not subvert the laws and the honour of His moral government, by forcing His graces on those who proudly despise, or obstinately reject them. During the entire of our Saviour's ministry on earth, we do not find that He extended the mercies of His miraculous power to those who disregarded His person, and disdained to implore His relief. No; it was to those who cried, "Son of David, have mercy on us; "Lord, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean;"† it was to such supplications He lent an attentive ear, and extended a saving arm. And on the same principle He dispenses the gifts of His Holy Spirit. We must seek, if we would find; we must, with an earnest and unwearied importunity, knock for admission at the door of the sanctuary of mercy, in order that it may open and receive us to everlasting blessedness. But, on the other hand, to such applicants, the most exalted attainments in spiritual excellence are graciously promised by our divine Lord. "If," says He, "a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." Yes, my friends, wonderfully, I had almost said incredibly gracious and condescending as this may seem, it is nevertheless the promise of our * Matt. ix. 27; xv. 22; xx. 30; Matt. viii. 2; Mark, i. 40; Mark, x. 47; Luke, xvii. 15; xviii. 38. Redeemer and our God. So high may mortals frail and feeble as ourselves aspire, if we employ rightly the means of grace placed within our reach; if we yield ourselves to the guidance of that blessed Comforter, whose never-failing assistance has been promised to all sincere believers. If then the testimony of Revelation is thus decisive on this all-important subject; if it informs you frequently and explicitly, that your heavenly Father is ever ready to bestow His spiritual gifts on them that ask them through faith in His Son, be it yours, my fellowChristians, to seek them as the most precious and glorious treasures; to seek them ardently, diligently, perseveringly; to seek in faith till you find them; to knock till it be opened to you; to ask till you obtain an answer of peace. For this purpose, you will frequent the society of faithful Christian friends; you will consult serious, pious books; and especially you will allow nothing to interfere with the regular study of God's holy word; you will never omit to profit by the constantly returning opportunities of frequenting the temple of your God, and joining the congregation of the faithful, that with one voice and one heart, you may make known your common requests unto God "by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving.' Thus prepared, you will approach the table of the Lord, and derive from the memorials of your Redeemer's death, the symbols of His body and blood, the strengthening and refreshing of your souls, and the renewing and confirming of your faith. But above all, preparatory to all, and accompanying all these and other means of grace, you will attend to that indispensable one, on which, according to the assurance of your Redeemer, depends your obtaining the all-powerful aid of His Holy Spirit-daily private supplications to your heavenly Father, to enlighten your souls with that wisdom, and purify your hearts with that sanctification, which He by the same Spirit, alone can give. Each day you will often implore the protection of this sacred guide, the invigoration of this heavenly principle-the principle of life, and strength, and joy. Thus you will advance from grace to grace;† you will be purified from every pollution, and adorned with every holy affection; Phil. iv. 6. + James, iv. 6; 2 Pet. iii. 18. and the divine Spirit, drawn down by the pious "violence" of effectual, "fervent prayer"† that "fainteth not," will "make His abode with you,"§ beaming forth even through the darkness of mortality with the calm and steady lustre of a pure and holy life, until finally He exalt you to His native seat of bliss, to shine with immortal and seraphic glory before the throne of God. *Matt. xi. 12. † James, v. 16. Luke, xviii. 1. § John, xiv. 28. 422 SERMON XL. MODES AND CONSEQUENCES OF GRIEVING THE EPHESIANS, IV. 3. "Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption." EVERY human being who at all reflects on his own character, and reviews with any impartiality his own life, must deeply feel and lament his weaknesses and his crimes; his want of vigilance to avoid, and steadiness to resist temptations; the continual variance between his reason and his passions, between the convictions of his judgments and the deviations of his practicewhile conscience condemns him for the past, and the experience of his own frailty makes him look with terror at the future. In this state he may well exclaim with the apostle, "O! wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death;"* happy if with him he can add, "I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord." Assuredly, my fellow-Christians, it is the interposition of our all-merciful Redeemer, which affords the only refuge from all the dangers and the miseries of man's fallen and guilty state. This it is which secures pardon on our repentance, and assistance to support our weakness-the assistance of that Holy Spirit which alone can enlighten our souls, establish our faith, enliven our charity, kindle the purifying fervour of devotion in our hearts, conduct us from strength to strength, until we appear before the judgment-seat of God; and thus seal us to the day of redemption. That such assistance is ever ready to aid, and powerful' Rom. vii. 24. |