and if he takes his talents, and uses them for any other purpose, he is guilty of facrilege. VATION. : The fecond is derived from their PERSONAL REΝΟThe instruments under the law were only holy by appropriation; no change passed upon them; no change was necessary. It is otherwise with us; for fince God finds us in a state wholly unsuited to his service, we must be “ made meet for the great Master's " ufe." Hence regeneration is necessary, by which we are "renewed in the fpirit of our minds," and "made "partakers of the divine nature." God may call an angel into his prefence, and immediately employ him without a change; he will love the command, and be equal to the work. But does he determine to employ in his service an unregenerate finner? He is unqualified; he has neither ability nor inclination; and is destitute of the spirituality which the work of God requires. Hence the promife, "a new heart also will I give you, " and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take 66 away the ftony heart out of your flesh, and I will give " you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within "you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye "shall keep my judgments, and do them." And with this agrees the declaration of the apostle : 66 we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jefus " unto good works, which God has before ordained "that we should walk in them." View him then as he comes from the hands of his new Creator. There is nothing by which he is so much distinguished, as an unconquerable concern for holiness. What does he love ?" I delight in the law of God, after the inner "man." What is his grief?" O wretched man "that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this "death?" What is his prayer ?" Create in me a clean "heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." What is his hope ? - That he "fhall be like Him, and " fee Him as he is and having this hope in him, he " purifieth himself, even as He is pure." Holiness is the gofpel embodied. The saint exhibits it alive. The gospel is holy; its Author holy; its maxims and its commands holy; its promises, ordinances, designs holy; and there is nothing by which it is fo much diftinguished and glorified, as the holiness which pervades it. My brethren, contemplate the subject in this light more frequently, and do not include every thing else, rather than this in your notion of the gospel. Do not imagine with fome, that it was designed to furnish a substitute for holiness; and that it will excuse your being holy, provided you are found. The grand thing it is intended to teach you is, "that denying all " ungodliness and worldly lust, you should live foberly, " righteously, and godly in this present world." And remember this important truth, that christians are called by the gospel to be faints; that you are chriftians only in proportion as you are faints; and that you are no further faints than you are " holy in all " manner of conversation and godliness." We proceed to reflect, PART II. ON THE CONNECTION THERE IS BETWEEN SAINTS AND PATIENCE. And FIRST, faints ONLY have patience. "For the Lord feeth not as " man feeth: for man looketh on the outward appear"ance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." In his estimation, principle and motive are essential to the goodness of action. A thing may be materially good, when it is not morally so. A man may give "all his "goods to feed the poor, and not have charity;" while a poor widow is held up as an example of benevolence, though she cafts into the treasury but two mites. If a law were enacted against luxury and extravagance, a covetous man would be very obedient; but let his avarice, and not the law, have the honour of his obedience. Apply this to the cafe before us. A man may endure, and not be patient; there may be no religious principle or motive to influence him; it may be a careless indolence, a stupid insensibility; mechanical bravery; constitutional fortitude; a dar ing stoutness of spirit, resulting from fatalism, philosophy, or pride. Christian patience is another thing; it is derived from a divine agency, nourished by heavenly truth, and guided by scriptural rules. Such is the patience of which we are speaking; and as this is ONLY to be found in the subjects of true holiness, fo we may observe, Secondly, EVERY saint possesses patience; not indeed in equal degrees, " for one star differeth from " another star in glory." But all are stars. All are endued with this virtue. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit; it is an essential part of the divine image restored in man. The work of God in the foul is not like a piece of statuary, where one part is finished while the rest remains in block; but it is a creation, and imperceptible as the beginning may be, there are found all the parts which increased and developed, produce, and display the maturity; all is advanced E 1 together, and all is perfect as far as the operation proceeds. A christian may be defective in his organs of vision; but who would draw him without eyes? Who would describe a faint without patience ? I wish this to be remembered the more, because there are so many evangelical professors in our day, awfully deficient in this instance. Their religion has very little to do with their difpofitions. They think it necessary for the judgment to be informed, and the practice to be moral; but from one of these to the other, religion is to pass without touching the temper, which lies between. If they are converted, it seems to be from that which is human, to that which is diabolical. They are accusers of the brethren, proud, felf willed, fierce, revengeful. Saints in the house of God, they are demons at home. Every trifle makes them explode. How the religion of the meek and lowly Jefus can live with them, it is impoffible to determine; we know nothing elfe can. Thirdly, it HIGHLY becomes faints to CULTIVATE patience. "The ornament of a meek and quiet spir" it is in the fight of God of great price." It ennobles the poffeffor. Some have obtained honour by doing mischief. It has been faid by a modern prelate, "one murder makes a villain, a thousand a hero." The christian conqueror draws his glory, not from the fufferings of others, but from his own. And nothing renders his character more impressive and useful; it recommends his religion; it carries along with it a peculiar conviction. When a christian has met with an affliction, that has led him in from the duties of his calling, deprived him of opportunities of exertion, and confined him to the house of grief; little has he fupposed, that he was approaching the most useful period of his life. But this has often been the cafe; and he has rendered more service to religion by fuffering, than by doing. O, what a theatre of usefulness is even a "bed of languishing!" "We are a spectacle to " angels," as well as "to the world, and to men." The fufferer lies open to their inspection; and the view of him, enduring, fustained, glorying in tribulation, draws forth fresh acclamations of praise to that God, whose grace can produce fuch wonderful effects : "Here is the patience of the faints." But all his fellow creatures are not excluded; there is generally a circle of relations, friends, neighbours, who are witneffes of the scene. I appeal to your feelings. When you have feen a christian fuffering in character, with all the composure and majesty of fubmiffion; when you have heard him foftly saying, "though I mourn, " I do not murmur; why should a living man com" plain?" " it is the Lord, let him do what seémeth " him good;" "his ways are judgment;" "he hath "done all things well;" "I fee a little of his perfec" tion, and adore the rest," has not a voice addressed you Now fee the man immortal; him I mean Nor stop at wonder, imitate, and love. 1 Have you not turned afide, and exclaimed, What an |