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"out your own salvation; for it is God that "worketh in you both to will and to do of "his good pleasure';" and also of St. Peter's exhortation, "Grow in grace, and in the "knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." Neither of these exhortations can be made practicable, or even intelligible, unless we acknowledge the certainty of God's help on the one hand, and the necessity of our own cooperation with it on the other. The faithful Christian has indeed abundant reason both for humility and for confidence, for trust in God and for diligence in his Christian calling. He has moreover abundant reason frequently to examine his own spiritual state, and to consider whether he has proceeded or retrograded in the course he has to run. He must be careful neither to trust too much to inward feelings, always liable to mislead him with fallacious representations, nor to mere outward acts of devotion, which are only then efficacious when they are tokens of what really exists in the heart and the affections. The measure of self-examination and of self-discipline necessary for thus perfecting the Christian character, must be regulated by many circumstances of personal consideration, of temperament, habits, abilities,

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station in life, and opportunities of whatever kind, of which the individual alone can be a competent judge. But it is every man's concern-a concern of awful responsibility— that he be not here a self-deceiver; and it will be every man's wisdom to "judge him"self" as to these particulars, "that he be "not judged of the Lord.”

These

The practical application of the whole is this. Our spiritual life, the hope and consolation we have now within us, together with the assurance of more perfect and endless enjoyment hereafter, depends on our “seeking "after God" in the way which He hath appointed, not in fanciful devices of our own. Our direct access to Him is by meditation, by prayer, and by the sacraments. are the instituted means of grace; these are the ordinary helps towards working out our salvation; and their efficacy, if diligently and faithfully applied, will, through the merits and mediation of Christ our Saviour, be certain and complete. But this effect can only be certified, either to ourselves or others, from their influence on our hearts and lives. "By their fruits ye shall know them "."

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Here is a plain general rule, by which all must be tried hereafter; and by which all

t 1 Cor. xi. 31.

v Matth. vii. 20.

may now prove themselves, whether their proficiency in godliness be such as to afford good ground of hope and confidence. Here too are ample reasons why we should "give "all diligence to make our calling and elec"tion sure "." Nor is any thing required towards the attainment of this end, for the neglect of which a reasonable excuse can be pleaded. That which God hath made the duty of every one, He hath made it also practicable for every one to perform. He is not the hard task-master, "reaping where he "hath not sown, and gathering where he "hath not strawed." It is only "the wicked "and slothful servant" who will dare thus to "charge God foolishly." Our heavenly Father hath given to us all talents and opportunities sufficient for what he will require at our hands. And when He commands us to "seek after Him, that our souls may live," He urges us by the strongest motive that can actuate the human heart. For "what shall "it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, " and lose his own soul?"

w 2 Peter i. 10. z Mark viii. 36.

x Matth. xxv. 24.

y Job i. 22

SERMON XVI.

1 JOHN iv. 19.

We love Him, because He first loved us.

THE love of God is a principle of duty which distinguishes revealed religion from every system not of Divine original.

The heathen had no correct knowledge of this principle. It was neither recognised in their popular theology, nor did it enter into the disquisitions of their philosophical teach

By the ignorant worshippers of numberless imaginary deities ;-deities of various conflicting passions and interests, and distinguished many of them by the most flagrant enormities-it was impossible that sentiments of love or reverence towards them could be seriously entertained. An abject dread of their displeasure, or some base motive for seeking their favour, could alone affect their deluded votaries; and even this could operate no further than to induce the performance of

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