Brethren, ye have been called unto Liberty; only ufe not Liberty for an Occafion to the Flefh, but by Love serve one another, Gal. v. 13.

Strange Corruption, which puts Man under either the Neceffity of a fhameful Servitude, or the Danger of a carnal Liberty.---How flippery is the Path! and how eafy is it to pass from the Liberty of Love to the Licentiousness of Hatred and Ill-will! --- The Chriftian Liberty does not confift in living in a State of Independency, or in doing our own Will, but in renouncing it by subjecting it to the Will of God, and of thofe to whom God has put us in Subjection, and in ferving all our Brethren by Love. ----O eternal Love, enlighten my Understanding, refrefh and replenish my Memory, touch my Heart, and fanctify my Senfes, to deliver them from their Servitude, and to make them enjoy the perfect Liberty of thy Spirit.

JESUS, plant thy Spirit in me,
Then the Fruit fhall fhew the Tree,
Every Grace its Author prove,
Rifing from the Root of Love.

Gentle then to all, and kind
To the wicked and the blind,
Full of Tenderness and Care,
I fhall every Burthen bear.

IF ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the Law, Gal.

v. 18.

There are four States thro' which Mankind pass, and thro' which every Child of God generally paffes, which are described by St. Paul. 1st. Without Law, (Rom. ii.) 2. Under the Law. 3. Under Grace, (Rom. v. 15.) 4th. In the Peace and Glory of Heaven. In the first of these States he is overcome by Sin, without knowing and without refifting it. In the Second he is overcome, both knowing and refifting it. In the Third, he fights against it, and comes off victorious. In the laft, he triumphs over it without fighting, having nothing any longer to withstand him. In the Peace of Heaven, we are unchangeably fixed and established in Good. Under the Dominion of Grace, where we are led by the Spirit, we really do Good. Under the Curfe of the Law no Good is ever done; because a Man fins either by doing Evil, or by not doing Good. Without the Law, a Man knows neither Good nor Evil, as he ought to know it.

Shall we go on in Sin,

Because thy Grace abounds, Or crucify the LORD again, And open all his Wounds.

Forbid it, mighty God,

Nor let it e'er be faid,
That we, whofe Sins are crucify'd,

Should raise them from the Dead.

in

HAVE ye fuffered fo many Things in vain? If it be yet im

vain, Gal. iii. 4.

Such fervent Beginnings, and a Faith fo lively, that it rendered Jefus Chrift crucified, as it were, prefent before their Eyes, and had been tried by fo many Sufferings, yet not attended with Perfeverance: And fhall we not tremble! One Moment make may us lofe the Fruit of a whole Life; and yet we reflect upon it fo little! To fear, to humble ourselves, to figh deeply, to put our Truft only in Chrift (yet not an idle and inactive Truft), and to beg earnestly the free Gift of Perfeverance, this is what our Faith ought to excite us to do.

O Almighty Lord, we own
Thine awful Righteoufnefs,
Make in us thy Goodness known,
Who all our Sins confefs,

Us, who tremble at the Rod,

And meekly to the Judgement bow,

O remember us for Good,

Who fue for Mercy now.

GRACE be to you, and Peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jefus Chrift, Gal. i. 3.

137

In vain would God confer Miffion and Authority on the Paftors, if he did not likewife confer Grace, Love, and Peace, upon the Sheep. There are two Fountains of Grace for Chriftians, which are fubordinate one to the other; God by Goodness as Father, and Jefus Chrift by Merit as Saviour. God does not give them there Graces, but only in the Quality of Father, not giving them, but only to, and in his Son, in his Name, and through his Merits. It is by these Merits that Chrift is our Jefus or Saviour, our Sovereign, and the abfolute Difpofer of his Graces. O Father, fave thy Children; O Jefus, fanctify thy Members; O Lord, defend thy ranfomed and redeemed Slaves.

Let God the Father live

For ever on our Tongues, Sinners from his first Love derive The Ground of all their Songs. O

Ye Saints employ your Breath

In Honour to the Son,

[Death,

Who brought your Souls from Hell and
By off'ring up his own.

As

world

S he spake by the Mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been fince the World began ;---that we fhould be faved from our Enemies, and from the Hand of all that hate us, Luke i.

70, 71.

The Devil, Death, and Sin, are the Enemies which Chrift came to conquer. Sin is the moft dangerous of all, and properly the only Enemy we have to fear. The Devil is without us, Death is only in our Flesh, Sin is in our Will; and to destroy this laft there, an Almighty Saviour is neceffary. Lord, be Thou the Saviour and Deliverer of my Will, and exert upon it the Omnipotence of thy faving Hand.

Come, O come, all-gracious God,

No longer now delay,
With thy Spirit's two edg'd Sword,
The crooked Serpent flay;

Bare thine Arm, and give the Blow,
Root out and kill the hellish Seed,
O avenge us of our Foe,

And bruise the Serpent's Head.