Is it to overcome the world, to have one's affections set upon its vain and frivolous occupations and amusements; its revellings, and banquetings, and abominable idolatries ?

Is it to overcome the world, to have a passionate attachment to the theatre, the ball-room, the cardtable, and the gaming-house?

Is it to overcome the world, to pant after its glory, and its honours, and its emoluments; to rise up early, and late take rest, in order to acquire the transitory enjoyment of its wealth and of its reputation; and to evince no carefulness, no anxiety after the honour which cometh from God, and perisheth

not?

Is it to overcome the world, to be ashamed of its ridicule and discountenance because of Christ-and to dread the stigma of being called a Saint of God?

No, my friends, this is not to overcome, but to be overcome by, the world. Faith separates the child of God from those habits, and carries him above the puny and impotent rage of the ungodly. It arms him with strength to "contend for the glorious truth delivered to the saints," and makes him not ashamed of his hope. While it gives him energy in his calling, whatever lawful calling he may have, (and an unlawful one it will cause him to abandon) it will render him superior to the ungodly principles upon which the business of unconverted men is conducted and a scrupulous love of truth, of integrity, and faithfulness will more or less distinguish him. Such are the

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works which the sacred volume informs us are produced by this precious principle; and all who "have obtained the like precious faith," will bring forth those fruits, some thirty fold, some sixty, and some an hundred. They who are justified before God by faith, or by simply crediting the Gospel, have peace with God, receive a principle of purity, whereby they are freed from the dominion of sin, and manifest it in their lives and conversations; they love God's character, the doctrines of grace, the word of God, and the people of God, and overcome the world. Now, if a judgment be passed upon the busy, active, bustling, professing, Christian world, by this rule, alas ! how little reason shall we have for glorying in the number of nominal Christians! You see, then, HOW it is that a man is justified by works, or approved to possess the faith of the elect of God. But, my dear friends, those effects of believing have no share in justifying the sinner in the sight of God. Whilst we were speaking of these things we were not declaring the gospel, but what the gospel always produces when believed. The gospel itself is nothing more than the announcement of pardon, and acceptance to the ungodly, through the obedience unto death of the Son of God. In the proclamation of it it is to be unalloyed with its effects. What it makes him who is given to believe it, has nothing to say to his acceptance with God. The sinner is not accepted because of the character which he has obtained, or shall obtain; but because Christ died for sinners; and

he knows that there is forgiveness with God, by no other means than by believing what God has revealed. The declaration of pardon is free as the air we breathe, and is addressed to men, as sinners justly condemned, and ready to perish. It tells how God may be just at the same time that he is the justifier of the ungodly, and considers every man who hears it as bearing this character. The most amiable man on earth, with all his kindliness of feeling, and usefulness in his generation, will pass into everlasting ruin, unless he have a good hope, through faith in it. The most wretched man on earth, notwithstanding all his iniquities, shall go to the realms of bliss, if God but open his mind to understand and believe it. Should there be, then, among those who hear me this day, one soul more sunken in pollution than another, or one more remarkable for what the world esteems, than his fellows, to both alike, without any difference or exception, without taking into account what either is, or has been, the Apostolic testimony is, "By Jesus Christ all who believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts xiii. 39.) "It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (1 Tim. i. 15.) "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be sayed." (Acts xvi. 31.)

REDEMPTION.

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

TITUS ii. 14.

GOD-according to the "everlasting covenant which is ordered in all things, and sure," purposing to “make known the riches of his glory on those whom, in sovereign compassion, he had afore-prepared thereunto;" and with a view to manifest his love to man, thereby exhibiting his wisdom unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places"-gave unto his Son a

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people out of the fallen family of Adam, in whose nature and in whose behalf, the Eternal Word should sustain the righteousness of the divine character and harmonize the divine attributes, and whose advancement to glory he should render consistent with the fullest expression of the divine perfections. And this his eternal purpose in regard to man, whom he viewed as guilty of revolt against his unquestionable authority, and unwilling as incapable of returning to his allegiance -whom he regarded as justly obnoxious to his righteous indignation, and unable to avert or to appease it-this "his eternal purpose," I say, "which he purposed in Christ Jesus before the world began" to form from our race" a peculiar people"" who would shew forth his praise," is a demonstration of, at once, unparalleled love, such as cannot be fully illustrated by any thing with which we are conversant; and of that uncontrolable sovereignty, the possession of which is essential to his nature as God. "God is love," saith the Apostle John; and again, "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." And again, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John iv, 8—10.) In providing thus for the reconciliation of any of the rebellious, God acted from no necessity of law: there was nothing in the nature or the character of the offenders, which could have claimed this divine philanthropy; there was nothing in the nature or the

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