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agency, which performs this, is almighty. The holy Spirit having begotten the new nature, writes upon it the law of love. He keeps it willing to resist, and makes it able to overcome, the selfish tempers of the old man. The apostle Peter has given us a delightful description of the manner of the divine proceeding herein, 1 Pet. i. 21, 22, 23. "Christ was manifest in those last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God: seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The christians to whom he writes were partakers of the new birth; they were born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible. The holy Spirit was the author of their regeneration. The word of truth was the means which he made use of; they obeyed the truth through the Spirit. By

believing it they were begotten again to a lively faith and hope in God. They evidenced their love to him by their unfeigned love of the brethren: they loved him that begat, and loved those also that were begotten of him. From whence it appears, that the love of the brethren is not in the heart by nature, but is from the grace of the holy Spirit. He gives a new heart, and he sheds abroad in it the love of God, which by his influence works mightily in opposing and overcoming our selfish tempers, and in establishing the practice of second table duties. These spring from divine love. The holy Spirit joins them together, as the cause and the effect. He teaches no man to love God, without teaching him also to love the brethren. He rains and shines upon the tree of love : under his cultivation it thrives. He brings forth the sweet and loving tempers of the new man, and they bear fruit abundantly. And blessed fruit it is: for God has great glory from it, and men much good. Love thinketh, speaketh, and doeth no evil. Yea, it cannot be in the heart, without a desire to

do good to all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith-to do good to their bodies and souls-to give honour to whom honour is due to preserve their lives -their property-their chastity-their good name-to bear no false witness, but always to speak the truth of them-and to covet none of their blessings, either spiritual or temporal. This is morality-Christian morality for it is learnt no where but in the school of Christ. What his Spirit teaches, he enables also to perform, which moral persuasion cannot. He gives a will and a power to put off the selfish tempers of the old man, and to put on the loving graces of the new man. These graces he preserves by his almighty agency, and calls them into daily practice, through faith working by love--love to God from a sense of his infinite goodness

and love to man for God's sake. Thus the second table duties, when done out of gratitude to God for his infinite mercies, help the believer on in his walk heavenwards, and are the means of maintaining constant fellowship with his God.

Is this, O my soul, thy happy experience? Examine, carefully, what are thy tempers? What is thy practice with respect to loving thy neighbour as thyself? There is great complaint in the world of the want of brotherly love. And no wonder. It cannot be in them who are wholly lovers of themselves. But may not the same complaint be taken up of the household and family of faith? Are not the children of the same Father deficient in brotherly love? Yes, they are. Too, too often they live below their privilege, and thereby bring great dishonour upon God, and give great offence to men. Be humbled, O my soul, for thine own failing.

Remember what reason thou hast to mourn for the infirmities of thy love-how barren it is in its proper fruits-how cold, when it should be fervent--how polluted, when it should be pure-how covetous when it should be liberal. Hast thou duly attended to the cause of this, and does it grieve thee to thy heart? Wouldst thou be saved from self-love, and increase in brotherly love, yet more and more? Since this is thy case, meditate carefully upon

what is promised; and pray earnestly for what is provided, for the subduing of those tempers, which are enemies to brotherly love, and which, if not subdued, will hinder thee from enjoying the love of God in thy walk with him.

First, consider thy state. Thou art a pardoned sinner, not under the law, but under grace-freely, fully saved from the guilt of all thy sins. There is none to condemn, God having justified thee. He sees thee in his Son, washed thee in his blood, clothed in his righteousness, and he embraces him and thee, the head and the members with the some affection.

Secondly; Consider what is promised to them who are in Christ. Sin shall not have dominion over them. Pardoned sin shall not reign; it cannot, for it is dethroned. Thou art, therefore, free from its bondage. Stand fast in this liberty. Now the condemning power of sin is taken out of thy conscience, make use of the grace provided in Jesus to deliver thine heart from the love of it, and thy conversation from the slavish service of it. And,