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upon the dignity or power of a mere creature, however exalted and excellent: they must be assured that their Saviour is Almighty, or they dare not trust in him: nor would they dare to honour the Son as they honour the Father, to love him with all their heart, and soul, and strength, to devote themselves to his service, and to expect their supreme happiness from his favour and approbation, if they did not know that he is "over all, God blessed for ever."

Since therefore "it has pleased the Father that in his Son should all fulness dwell," it is not enough that we rely on him for the pardon of our sins; our application to him must be for every blessing of which our souls stand in need, for strength and grace to preserve us in all our temptations and dangers, and support us under all our trials and adversities. The life of the true christian is a continual exercise of faith in the Redeemer: he can say with the Apostle," the life which 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 blessed communion of christians with their Head is peculiarly manifested by the emblems of our Lord's death and passion, which are set before us in the holy eucharist. As our bodies are strengthened by the

food which we eat, so are our souls nourished by faith in the body and blood of Christ, given for us. God grant, that being united to him by a living faith, our souls may indeed be refreshed and strengthened by our participation in this most solemn service. Lastly, since God has taken our nature upon him, we have an infallible pledge that it is his pleasure to deliver us from all the miseries of our fallen condition into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. He has distinguished himself by the name of the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind, and declares that he was manifested for this purpose, that he might destroy sin and death, the works of the devil, and that "whosever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." Heedful then of our baptismal vows, let us not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified; but manfully fight under his banner against sin, the world, and the devil, and he will lead us to certain victory and triumph. We have received the communications of his divine love to us in his holy days, in his gospel, in his church, and in his sacraments. In all these we see Immanuel, God with us; and in duly and conscientiously improving all these means of grace, we may cherish the hope of glory, the hope of being united to our Redeemer

in that Heaven of Heavens, to which he hath exalted our nature in his own body, and where he liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end.

SERMON VII.

ISAIAH, c. xl. v. 31.

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.

Ir is the privilege of christians to have the hope of glory set before them. It is the privilege of sincere and steady christians to feel the blessed effects of this hope in supporting and animating their souls under all the trials, infirmities and afflictions of the present state. Nothing is better adapted to establish the vigour of the soul, and increase and strengthen in it the hope of glory, than the means prescribed by the Prophet Isaiah in the words before us. For to wait upon the Lord here implies a regular and faithful discharge of all the public and private duties of devotion. The promise annexed to thus waiting on the Lord is the renewal of strength. They who thus worship God with fervent requests for his guidance and defence shall renew their strength, they shall grow more steady and esta

blished in religion, and find a supply of divine help proportioned to their trials. As their work and their difficulty is renewed, so shall the vigour of their souls be renewed; and as their day is, their strength shall be. They shall proceed steadily in a course of obedience, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint: cheerfully and constantly pressing on towards the glorious prize, notwithstanding the burdens and temptations of the flesh, and the many other difficulties which assail them on their way. The duties of christian piety, when rightly understood and conscientiously discharged, give nerves and vigour to the mind; infuse into the soul a secret strength; and presenting a future world to our faith, make us superior to the dangers and temptations of the present. This spiritual strength, imparted to the soul by daily converse with God, makes men superior to the opinions and fashions, the difficulties and dangers of the world, and to the fear of death. To maintain a sacred regard to the approbation of the wise and good, and to follow those things which are of good report, when at the same time they are pure and honourable, is the duty of every honest But unhappily the bulk of the world is not composed of the wise and good; religion

man.

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