remember this grace is almighty. Trust in it, and thou shalt be saved from the tyranny of every sin. Therefore,

grace,

Thirdly; Read the great charter of and mark to what glorious privileges thou art intitled. Being saved from the guilt of all sin, and having a promise of being saved from the dominion of all sin, as the Lord's free man, thou art by faith to claim thy birth-right and to enjoy it. Since Christ has given thee liberty, to whom shouldst thou be a slave? Put off, therefore, the old man with his lusts and deeds: serve him no longer: it is a blessed part of redemption to be saved from his service. God be thanked, that he may be put off, as a garment which you have done with, and will put on no more. Away with it; it is filthy and abominable, altogether. Yea, worse still: the plague is in it. Death and hell are in it for the old man, sinful nature, thus to be put off, is a body of sin, and selfish tempers are his members; such as anger, wrath, malice, lies, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry. These must

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be put off, or they will be always plotting and acting against brotherly love. Therefore, the new man, renewed in the spirit of his mind, opposes them, and is mighty through God to mortify them. By the same power, he puts on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forgiveness of injuries; even as Christ forgave him, so he forgives: and unto all these graces he puts on love, which is the complete binding of them together. What an amiable character is here of the new man! He is created anew in Christ Jesus, that he may exercise every kind and benevolent temper to the brethren. He is renewed in his heart to the unfeigned love of them; and is enabled to manifest it by every work and labour of love. And lest the vile tempers of the old man, still in being, although dethroned, should get dominion again, he is strengthened mightily by the spirit in the inner man to crucify them day by day. Since this is hard work consisting of continual and severe self-denial,

no less then in cutting off right hand, and in plucking out right eye, lusts; for thine encouragement to persevere, consider,

Fourthly, that thou art in Christ-a member in his body—and in him thou hast perfect and eternal redemption from the old man of sin with his affections and lusts. The more this is believed, the more will the fruits of it appear. Faith in the absolute and everlasting victory of thy glorified head, will animate thee, as one of his members, to resist thy vanquished foes, knowing thou art a partaker of his victory; and in his strength, and to his glory, thou art fighting against them. In him thou hast already conquered. In him thou shalt be more than a conqueror. Reckon thyself therefore to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God in Jesus Christ thy Lord. And depend on him for the power of his death, that he may put it forth in thee, and mortify sin, and for the power of his resurrection to quicken thee to newness of life. Thy communion with him in his death and resurrection will be in proportion to thy faith. If thou believest steadfastly that thou art

one with him, thou wilt find the effect of it in steadfast communion. Cleave, then, to him, as a branch in the vine. Planted together in the likeness of his death, thou wilt find virtue coming from him to crucify thy selfish tempers. Planted together in the likeness of his resurrection, thou wilt find virtue coming from him to keep thee alive to God. To this fellowship with Jesus thou art crucified. Thou hast a right to communicate with him in his life and death. And whilst thou art enjoying it by the faith of the Son of God, sin shall have no more dominion over thee, than it has over him. This being thy glorious birthright, O my soul, put honour upon it. Enjoy it in the peace of thy conscience, and in the love of thy heart. Read thy perfect redemption in Jesus from every thing opposite to brotherly love, and improve this thy experience. As there is sufficient grace promised and provided for thee, see thou make use of it, and manifest it openly in thy tempers and in thy walk! For consider,

Fifthly, Thy God and Father calls upon

thee to give glory to him for his love to thee by exercising love toward the brethren: and thou art bound to this by a thousand ties. Has he loved thee freely, dost thou know it, and is the grateful sense of it upon thy heart? How then can it be hid? It cannot; it will manifest itself, as light does. The Father

has chosen thee in his Son, that he might communicate to thee of his goodness, and he has made thee a child of light, that thou mightest reflect the rays of his goodness upon others. Thou art to show forth the praises of him that hath called thee out of darkness into his marvellous light. He hath called thee out of the deadness and blindness of thy natural state, and hath enlightened thee with the light of life. How marvellous, that it should ever shine upon thee! Marvellous indeed, that thou shouldest shine, as a light, in the world! Admire this grace. Let others admire it with thee, by seeing the reality, and by feeling the comfort of it. As the sun not only enlightens, but also enlivens with his fruitful rays the face of the earth, and cheers every creature upon it: so let thy light shine