actuated by His Spirit, and regulate my life by His law. I have vowed to the Lord; through His directing and sustaining grace, may I be enabled to pay. Having opened my mouth unto the Lord, God forbid that I should go back.

What benefits have I received in this ordinance? I have obtained a pledge from God's own lips, that all the blessings of the new covenant are within my reach. When man spreads a table for his friends, he entertains his guests with good things; be sure, therefore, the provisions of God's own table will be royal dainties, yea, divine. He has set before me this day tokens of His love. Jesus has died for me; yea, rather, He is risen again, and is now on my account at the right hand of God in heaven. He bids me have peace now, and rejoice in the hope of glory.

What have I undertaken to be in this ordinance? I have undertaken to be a disciple of Christ. I have entered myself as a willing and docile pupil in the school of the Lord Jesus. It is incumbent on me to be resigned to the will of God in all things, to aim at increasing holiness, to persevere in resisting temptation, to live by faith in the world to come, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God.

O thou God of the spirits of all flesh, remember me in Thy mercy and love. Help me to live continually by faith in the Son of God. Let me be an Israelite indeed a follower of Jesus-a Christian, and truly worthy of the name I bear. I would glory in the cross of the Redeemer, resting all my hopes on His finished work; but, oh! may it be my habitual aim to be holy as He is holy, pure as He is pure, bringing forth my works with the meekness of wisdom; and so shall it become apparent that I am united to Christ by the spirit of truth and holiness,

that God is my father, and heaven my home. In Jesus Christ.

Amen.

SCRIPTURE.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God. And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."Rom. viii. 1, 14, &c.

INFERENCES.

1. The sincere believer is delivered from the guilt and condemnation of sin. He has a right to peace. Through faith he has positively entered into a covenant with God, and past transgressions are all forgiven.

2. The soul of the believer is actuated and directed by the Holy Ghost. He walks 66 not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." His desire is to hold spiritual communion with God, continually looking up with a filial disposition, and, in his heart, saying, "Abba, Father."

3. The Christian may expect to encounter temptation and trial. Tribulations, distresses, sufferings, deaths, are here spoken of as part of that discipline through which the believer may have to pass in his way to glory. If such things, therefore, befall us, we need not be overmuch surprised.

4. Yet, notwithstanding, all such troubles and afflictions will be insufficient to separate the Christian from Christ and glory. Once united to Christ, we are united to Him for ever. It is not a temporary, but an eternal covenant, into which the believer enters.

SELECT PASSAGES.

"My soul doth magnify the Lord, my spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour. Blessed be the eternal Son of God! He himself is become my Saviour. He loved me, and gave himself for me, even for me also, the unworthiest of all His creatures. His body was broken, His blood was shed for me; and He hath now given it to me, that my sins may be pardoned, and that my soul may be saved by it. What, then, if my sins be many? What if my sins be great? I confess they are so, they are very many, and they are great; but I heartily repent of them, I steadfastly resolve by

God's assistance never to return any more unto them, but spend the rest of my life wholly in His service and to His honour. What, then, need I fear? Shall I fear the curse of the law?-my Saviour hath redeemed me from it, being made a curse for me. Shall I fear shame, or pain, or death itself?-my Saviour had suffered them all for me, so that none of them can now come near to hurt me. Shall I fear that sin will still have dominion over me?-my Saviour hath overcome it, and His grace shall be sufficient for me. Shall I fear the powers of hell?-my Saviour hath triumphed over all, and will enable me to do so too. Shall I fear the wrath of God?-my Saviour hath appeased it with His own blood, and so hath restored me to His love and favour; for He died for me. He himself hath now told me so; and therefore I believe it, and I am now persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord."-Bishop Beveridge.

"Lord! what is my confidence in this life, and what my comfort in the possession and enjoyment of all things under heaven? Is it not thee alone, O Lord my God, whose mercies are without number and without measure? Where hath it been well with me when thou wert absent? or where could it be ill when thou wert present? I had rather be naked, hungry, and despised with thee, than abound in honour, wealth, and pleasure, without thee;-would rather choose, with thee, to wander upon the earth, and have no place where to lay my head, than, without thee, to possess a throne in heaven. But where thou art, there is

heaven ;- —a death and hell are only there where thou art not. Thou art the desire of my soul; and to thee my sighs and groans, my cries and prayers, shall continually ascend. There is none that is able to deliver me from my necessities, none in whose power and goodness I can trust, but thee, O my God! Thou art my refuge and my hope, in every distress; my most powerful comforter and most faithful friend!

"Men seek themselves, and their own interest; thou seekest only my redemption from the bondage of evil, and orderest all thy dispensations for its accomplishment. Though thou permittest me to be exposed to the trial of various troubles, yet thou mercifully superintendest the conflict, and directest the event for my supreme and everlasting good; for whom thou lovest, thou chastenest; and scourgest every son whom thou receivest. And in this awful probation, thou art not less to be loved and praised, than when thou fillest my soul with heavenly consolations. Thou alone, therefore, O Lord my God! art my hope and sanctuary; with thee I leave all my tribulation and anguish, and resign the beginning, continuance, and end of every trouble to thy blessed will.

"Wherever I look for support and consolation out of thee, I find nothing but weakness and distress; and if thou dost not revive, strengthen, illuminate, deliver, and preserve me, the friendship of mankind can give no consolation, the strength of the mighty bring no support, the counsels of the wise, and the labours of the learned, impart no instruction, the treasures of the earth purchase no deliverance, and the most remote and secret places afford no protection. All persons and things that seem to promise peace and happiness, are in themselves vanity and nothing, and sub