deration of them, for the purpose of ascertaining whether they are worth their regard or not-they have no time and less inclination. Such is their state: We must remark next what is said of their practice. The streams are precisely such as might be expected to flow from such a fountain; the fruit, the only fruit which the tree we describe is capable of producing; they walk "according to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the power of the air, the Spirit that still worketh in the children of disobedience, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind;"* nothing need be added to this divine testimony concerning the habits and practices, the principles and maxims, the affections and propensities of our corrupt nature, unless it be the language of the Lord by his Prophet-" Hear Oh heavens and give ear Oh earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me. They are a sinful nation, a people

Ephesians ii. 2, 3.

4

laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward."* And agreeable to this their state and practice is the title and character ascribed to them by that God who knows what is in man; whose righteous judgment nothing can elúde, and whose knowledge and observation nothing can escape. He designates them first,the children of disobedience, and then, the children of wrath; inasmuch as they have, on account of their rebellion and disobedience, rendered themselves the objects of his righteous indignation, and exposed themselves to his everlasting displeasure. But, is there no possible way of emerging from this our awful condition, of returning to the path of obedience, and of escaping the wrath to come? Undoubtedly there is; and this the Apostle declares to us in the words of our text, "By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of

* Isaiah i. 2, 4.

yourselves, it is the gift of God." Let us enter upon this momentous subject with humble thankfulness, and with simple dependance on the grace of the blessed Spirit to render our consideration of it effectual to the most important ends.

I. We are here instructed concerning the original source, the instrumental means, and the divine Author of man's salvation. And

1. The whole of salvation generally, and each part of it in particular is attributable to grace as its highest source and only origin. It originated entirely with God in a voluntary act of his own mere mercy. There could be no moral necessity that man should be saved, or why were rebel angels permitted to sink into irremediable ruin: why do any of the guilty race of Adam, even under a dispensation of mercy perish in their sins? By the term grace, therefore, as it is here employed by the Apostle, we may understand the display of God's free favour and love in the recovery and salvation of perishing sinners; and this grace is particu

larly exercised in pardoning, justifying, sanctifying, and eternally saving each truly penitent, believing soul.

To this grace is to be ascribed our pardon and justification. "In him” saith the Apostle, that is, in Christ, "we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace." He explicitly declares, that God hath saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and the grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."* And, again, he speaks of being justified freely by his grace.§

In the same language are our renewal and sanctification described in scripture; and from the same source are they said to proceed. In a passage just cited, St. Paul declares that we are called with a holy calling, (in other words, are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works," and thus rendered holy in our hearts and lives,) ac

+ Eph. i. 7

2 Tim. i. 9.

§ Rom. 3. 24.

cording to the grace which is given us in Christ: And when any man learns effectually to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; it is because the saving grace of God hath taught him so to do.*

That work which divine grace commences when it calls any sinner out of nature's darkness into marvellous light, is by the same grace progressively carried forward until it is finally perfected in glory, Conviction of sin, repentance, conversion, forgiveness, reconciliation with God, and full acceptance with him,. are but so many parts of the same plan; so many steps and advances leading to the same end. They constitute the way by which the wanderer is brought back, and the prodigal conducted again to his father's house, that high way of holiness whereby the ransomed of the Lord return and come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy. Of the final completion of the

*Titus ii. 11, 12.