will obtain everlasting life. "For they, through grace, obey the calling: they be justified freely: they be made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ : they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity." (Article xvii.)

II. The second observation from the text is, that religion is an internal principle.

The apostle speaks of the good work being begun in the Philippians. This description of religion distinguishes it from mere profession. The essential power of godliness in the soul consists in something more than outward form. You may have the form of godliness, and yet be destitute of its life and power. True religion is "the life of God in the soul of man." It is much deeper than any notions or speculations. A man may have his understanding and judgment informed, and be competent to talk on the doctrines and duties of Christianity with precision and clearness, while, at the same time, his soul may remain estranged from God and godliness. A speculative knowledge of religion, however important, is not of itself sufficient to secure salvation. Knowledge swimming in the head, without descending into the heart and influencing the conduct and practice, will never save the soul. To be sanctified, and connected with salvation, it must be united with an internal principle, producing the love of God and man, and governing and directing the life, temper, and habits, of its possessor. Religion is likewise

power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance." But do you ask, How shall we know that by our fleeing for refuge to Christ, we shall obtain an interest in the covenant, in which the conditions were fulfilled by him, and the promises made to him? To this it may be replied, that all the spiritual seed of Christ were included in the covenant made with him as their representative and head. His people are represented and chosen in him. He is the head and they are the members. He is the root and they are the branches. He stands in the covenant not merely as an individual, but as the representative head, and the common root of all his posterity. "For I have said, mercy shall be established for ever: my faithfulness shalt thou establish in the very heavens. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant, Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." The same covenant which is established with Christ, as God's chosen, is established with his seed likewise. The conditions were performed by Christ as our surety; but our own temporal and eternal advantage is connected with the promises. To us as the represented, it is a covenant of grace; to Christ as the representative, it was a covenant of works. Hence when we speak

of it in reference to the Mediator, we generally call it the covenant of redemption; but in respect to the redeemed, the covenant of grace. But perhaps you may inquire, Has not God sometimes entered into. covenant with his people? Doubtless he has for

instance with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; with the Jewish nation, with David, Solomon, and others. But all these covenants were made in subserviency to the covenant of redemption. For it was only in consequence of that covenant, that God could, consistently with his holy attributes, have any communication with man as a sinner. But some of these covenants were connected with temporal mercies, and depended on conditions on the part of the persons with whom they were made. Thus the national covenant with Israel was a charter, by which they were incorporated as a people, under the government of Jehovah. It was an engagement of God to give them the possession of Canaan, and to protect them in it: to render the land fruitful and the nation victorious and prosperous, and to perpetuate his ordinances and oracles among them; so long as they did not, as a people, reject his authority, apostatise to idolatry, and tolerate open wickedness. These things constituted a broken covenant, the forfeiture of which was at length consummated by their national rejection of Christ. But the covenant that God enters into with his people in all ages, in regard to their everlasting state, is that referred to by the prophets and apostles: "I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." Here you see, all is promise: the conditions are performed already, and therefore the covenant made with the redeemed runs thus: "As for me, this is my covenant with

gospel comes with effect, it comes through the agency of the Holy Spirit; and this is an evidence that the subjects of his gracious operations are, according to the argument of the inspired writer, included in the election of God," Knowing, brethren beloved," (such is the apostle's language), "your election of God." How did the apostle know this? By the reason he states. "For our gospel came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. In fact it is the Holy Spirit who begins the good work of religion in every soul who is a partaker of it. If by nature we are spiritually dead in trespasses and sins, how can we perform spiritual acts antecedent to our being spiritually enlivened or quickened? This appears impossible; and accordingly the commencement of the good work of religion, as well as its progress and its consummation, is attributed in the scripture to its author, the Holy Spirit. He indeed generally works by the appointed means and ordinances of religion, the word of God, the sacraments, the preaching of the gospel, prayer and meditation. Nor is it intended by these assertions, respecting the agency of the Spirit, either to set aside your accountability to to Him "in whom you live, and move, and have your being," or to diminish the importance of the use of the means enjoined upon you; but rather to impress upon your minds a deep sense of the former, and the absolute necessity of the latter. But notwithstanding the use of the means of grace, which is incumbent upon all, in dependence on the divine

able, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." Perhaps you may have trials, conflicts, and tribulations to pass through in the way to your destined inheritance. But remember for your consolation, "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose: for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory: all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."