used to give strong confolation, where he has not formed eminent graces. Confident affurance without this, is indeed a very suspicious thing.

5. By this means we fhall be "veffels of honour, fanctifyed and mete for our Master's ufe," 2 Tim. ii. 21. And we can never be fo otherwise. We fhall be, like the veffels of the temple, fit to be employed by him for facred ufes; furnished to every good work, under his light, quickening, and culture; and prepared to bear any fuffering well, if the Spirit of God rest upon us, animating us with fortitude and comfort anfwerable to our day. This has carried the feeble fex and tender youth triumphant through death in all his terrors, and the most exquifite contrivances to fhock flesh and blood. And fhould it not be the point of honour, to which every fer- . vant of Chrift fhould afpire, that he may acquit himself to the fulleft approbation and glory of his bleffed Lord?

6. "So an entrance will be miniftered to us abundantly into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift," 2 Pet. i. 11. We fhall be in a good measure ripe for heaven, by the time that we come thither; able to look forward to it as a bleffed hope, and to comfort ourselves with the prospect in all the neafineffes to nature and grace which now attend us. Our actual paffage from one world to the other is like to be ferene and joyful; for what evil have we to fear, if God is with us in that valley by his Spirit? That will almoft make it a valley of vifion, as the gate

of

of heaven. And when we come there, diftinguifhing rewards will be conferred. Thofe eminently filled with the Spirit now, will be capable of receiving a greater fulness of glory, as the Scripture moft frequently affures us that it is prepared for them.

Upon the whole then,

1. We are led by this fubject, as indeed we may be almost by every theme of divine meditation, tó admire the wisdom and the grace of the evangelical difpenfation. It excites both finners and faints to "work out their own falvation with fear and trembling :" but yet with hope, "because it is God that worketh in them both to will and to do of his own good pleasure," Phil. ii. 12, 13. It provides effectually for the honour of free and powerful grace, and yet at the same time for the encouragement of reasonable creatures to fhew themfelves men, and to exert all the powers which their Maker has given them.

2. The imperfection of faints ought to be no difparagement to christianity, but it is a great difgrace and shame to themselves. The Gofpel contains the most perfect precepts, and exhibits to us a complete example, and furnishes us with every motive fit to strike any affection which God has given us. But no motive is stronger or more diftinguishing from every other inftitution, than the discovery of the bleffed Spirit, able and willing to aid our weaknefs, and fupply our wants for every part of obedience, and never unready to furnish an upright mind for the highest poffible advances in univerfal goodness. He would

fill us, but we will not be filled by him. We too often neglect him, and grieve him, and quench him, and refift him; and was it not for his fingular grace, fhould be given over

him for ten thousand misbehaviours, fo as never to have "the good pleasure of divine goodne fs fulfilled in. us," or "the work of faith with power." Our faces fhould be overfpread with a penitent confufion at the thought; while our mouths are filled with praise for his condefcenfion and grace, that he will yet continue a teacher to fuch unapt scholars, a guide to fuch heedlefs followers, a principle of perfection, and an earnest of the inheritance, to fouls fo unlike him and fo unmete for the promifed reward.

3. The proper temper prefcribed by chrif tianity toward the Holy Spirit, is evident from thefe difcourfes. To own him with thankfulness as the author of all fpiritual good found in man in his fallen ftate. To believe his ability and readinefs to help us according to our wants. To receive his teftimony in his word, and hearken to every good. motion in our minds conformable to it, as proceeding from him. To pray for and depend upon his grace in the whole course of life, in the performance of every duty, in our conflict with every fin, and in our endeavours to cultivate every grace and virtue.. To be deeply humbled, wherever we have treated him unworthily. And under his gracious influences, to "cleanse ourselves from all filthinefs of flesh and Spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God."

SER

SERMON

XVII.

The Spirit of Bondage, and the Spirit of Adoption.

ROM. viii. 15.

For ye have not received the fpirit of bondage, again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

HRISTIANS are defcribed in the form

Cer part of this chapter by feveral phrafes CH

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66

which befpeak their relation to the Bleffed Spirit. They "walk after the Spirit," ver. 1, 4. They are after him," and "mind the things of the Spirit," ver. 5. They are in the Spirit," ver. 9. and "he dwells in them," ver. 9,'11. "Through him they mortify the deeds of the body," ver. 13. and they "are led by him," ver 14. Which various phrafes intimate on the one hand a special prefence - and ftated agency of the Spirit in the minds of believers and on the other hand, that the prevailing temper of their spirits and tenour of their lives are moulded and fashioned into a holy conformity to him; they are after him in difpofition, and walk after him in courfe; they mind and relish most the things which he dictates and is pleased with; they make use of his aids for carrying on the purposes of the Dd 2 divine

d vine life; and are willingly led by him as their guide, whither he would carry them.

Bleffed fouls! who partake of such a guest and guide, and are disposed by his grace fo to treat and ufe him. For they "are in Christ Jefus," and fo "there is no condemnation to them," ver. 1. They "fhall live," live eternally, ver. 13. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God," ver. 14. Their participation of him brings them into a filial relation to God; and their being led in fo kindly a manner by him, is a proof of that relation, and confequently of their being heirs to the heavenly inheritance. In confirmation of which the words of the text are added: "For ye have not received. the spirit of bondage, again to fear; but ye have received the fpirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father." Which is a proof of their being admitted for the fons of God, from the free and liberal manner of the Spirit's influence upon them, and the correfpondent temper produced in them. If they had received the spirit of bondage, that would not evidence their being fons, but only fervants; but now it was plain, that they were adopted by God for his fons, because they had received the fpirit of adoption, and not of bondage.

But what are we to undertand by "the Spirit of bondage unto fear," and "the fpirit. of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father?"

For the general nature of them; by the "fpirit of bondage" is plainly meant luch a temper and spirit toward God, as ilaves ufually have to their mafters; which leads them. chiefly