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to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ. Then you will see the value of what you now despise. Then the mercy peculiar to his people will appear the one thing needful. Then the saved of the Lord will shout, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever!" While you will exclaim, O that we had prized that mercy, and sought after it when it was attainable!

Then, alas! it will be too late. But it is not too late at present. You are yet in the land of the living. With the Lord there is mercy; and with him there is plenteous redemption. Be prevailed upon to seek him while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near.-You will not say, I know not how to seek him. Jesus is the way. Prayer is the breathing of desire. Even words are not necessary to inform Him who searches the heart, and knoweth what is the mind of the spirit. But you are furnished with words. Borrow language that has never been refused; avail yourselves of petitions which have been crowned with infinite success. Pray, with the prodigal, "Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants. Pray, with the publican, "God be merciful to me a sinner." Pray, with sinking Peter, "Lord, save: I perish." Pray, with the king of Israel, Be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name."

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DISCOURSE LXXXIX.

THE WATER OF LIFE.

The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.-John iv. 14.

it is the grace of God; it is the water of which our text speaks "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

Observe, I. ITS DONOR: "I shall give him." II. ITS RESIDENCE: "It shall be in him." III. ITS ACTIVITY: "a well of water springing up." IV. ITS TENDENCY: "into everlasting life."

I. And who is THE DONOR? Yonder poor man, who has not where to lay his head; who is relieved by the alms of widows; who is seen weary with his journey, and asking the refreshment of a cup of cold water! And does He profess to have the disposal of the blessings of salvation?—Yes; the water that "I shall give him.”

And it is not profession only. Nothing disgraces a man more than his undertaking what he is unable to accomplish, and promising what he cannot bestow. But our Saviour raises no visionary expectations. He can more than realize every hope he excites. He is mighty to save. He is able to save to the uttermost. He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. He obtained eternal redemption for us; and, as the reward of his obedience unto death, he was invested with the whole dispensation of the Spirit: "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell."

What a complex character is here! How abased, and yet how glorious! How poor, and yet how rich! How dependent, and yet how all-sufficient!-Yes; by him who is now saying to the woman of Samaria, "Give me to drink," are all the regions of heaven peopled! All that are brought into the glorious liberty of the sons of God, acknowledge that he redeemed them. All that are saved, own that in him they have righteousness and strength. All that are replenished, whether living under the Law, or under the Gospel, Ir is a mark of true wisdom to value ob- look to him as the only source of their sup jects according to their real worth. It is child- plies, and exclaim, "Of his fulness have all ish, it is foolish, to be taken with toys and we received, and grace for grace." And be trifles. And yet who has not incurred this it remembered, that after all he has communireproach? How many things not only in-cated he remains the same. For his fulness vite, but, alas! engross our attention, which are by no means essential, or even important to our welfare! We ought to be ashamed of the impression they make upon us. They are unworthy of our hopes and fears; joys and sorrows and angels must blush to see what exertions and sacrifices rational and immortal beings make, in order to gain vanity and vexation of spirit.

My dear hearers! many things are desirable, and some things are useful; "but one thing is needful," absolutely needful; needful to every character; needful in every condition and in every period; needful for life and needful for death; needful for time and needful for eternity. It is genuine religion;

is not the light of a lamp, which, however large, shines, not far, and is soon extinguished; but the light of the sun, which, after shining for ages, and blessing so many myriads with his beams, shines with undiminished vigour. His fulness is not the resource of a vessel, which, however capacious, will by frequency of application be soon exhausted; but the fulness of a fountain, which, though always running, is always full.

In addition to this sufficiency, we may remark his appointment. He has not only a fulness to relieve all our wants, but he has it for this very purpose. "Having ascended up on high, he received gifts for men, even for the rebellious also." Him hath God exalt

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ed with his right hand, to be a Prince and a-Especially in one so dear. It is indeed Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and painful to be under obligation to an enemy, forgiveness of sins." but not to a friend. To one we love, the burden of gratitude is a pleasant load. Saviour Jesus! we love thee above all-to Thee we owe all our salvation, and all our hopes. And we rejoice to think that through eternal ages we shall be bound to serve thee, and exclaim, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen."

We must also notice his disposition. In the gifts which God bestows upon his creatures, he has in view, not only the good of the receiver, but the welfare of others. Our talents, therefore, whatever be their nature or degree, are to be considered as so many obligations to usefulness. For instance-a man has wealth; but of this wealth he is the steward, and not the proprietor: he has it to feed the hungry; to clothe the naked; to instruct the ignorant; to spread the Scriptures; to send forth missionaries: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate"-But he is selfish and ungenerous: he refuses to give, or he gives with reluctance; while he expends his money in extravagance, or hoards it up in the miser's bag; and thus the wise and kind design of Providence is eluded. But donation falls in with the Saviour's disposition. He is fit to be intrusted with unsearchable riches. He has a heart to give-"his heart is made of tenderness; his bowels melt with love." He is in his element, as well as in his office, while he relieves the distressed. This ability to succour was "the joy set before him:" for this," he endured the cross, and despised the shame." He was willing that his soul should be made "a sacrifice for sin"-if he could "see the travail of his soul." Accordingly he was assured that his death would not be in vain; that his benevolence should be completely gratified: all nations being blessed in him, and all nations calling him blessed.

And did any, in the days of his flesh, address him in vain? Had one suppliant only been repulsed or sent empty away, the rejection would have been a source of despondency in every age of the world; we should have feared that our case resembled his. But what pretence has any one now to perish in despair; when he says, by his conduct as well as by his word, Him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. Whosoever will, let him come, and take of the water of life freely!"

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II. ITS RESIDENCE. "The water that 1 shall give him, shall be in him.”

The internal principle of religion is not to be opposed to external practice. Some tell us, as they are out of sight, that their hearts are good; though their lives are not quite what they ought to be. But a good heart will be accompanied and evinced by a good life: "a good man, out of the good treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things." It is in vain to tell us of your experience; and refer us for proofs of your religion to a number of views and feelings beyond our reach

your religion is to be visible; your light is so to shine before men that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

Yet, divine things must be known and felt before they can govern us. Christian experience, therefore, precedes Christian prac tice; and internal principle is essential to real godliness. Without this there will be no course of consistent, unvarying obedience; and if there was, yet there would be no value in it; for the action devoid of the motive is nothing. Here, therefore, God begins: he begins with the heart; and I admire the way he takes to secure holiness and good works.. To purify the streams he cleanses the foun-tain; and to make the fruit good he makes the tree good. You cannot gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles: you may, indeed, tie a cluster of grapes, or figs, to a thorn, or a thistle-but they do not look natural there-they do not live there: and both the ligature and the fruit will in time rot off. You may fasten feathers to a wing, and a wing to a bird: but the bird can only fly by wings growing out of his body, and feathers growing out of his wings. Surely a man is never so likely to avoid all sin as when he is mortified to it; or to obey God, as when he delights in his law after the inward man. The religion of some people is all external, and we may arrange them in four classes.

Here then, we see, to whom in all our necessities we are to betake ourselves. It is to Him, who is able, who is appointed, who is willing, who is delighted to supply us. And how much better is it to proclaim such a Source of relief as this, than to lead men to rely upon themselves!-And what, but pride, The religion of the first depends on excan make me revolt at such a doctrine? Why ternal occurrences. It may be compared to should I wish to be my own saviour any more a stream produced by a storm, instead of bethan my own creator? Why am I not satis- ing supplied by a spring. The man is seized fied, in grace as well as in nature, to "live with sickness, and is alarmed-he sends for and move and have my being," in another? the minister: he prays; he resolves; he pro

mises but he recovers, and his devotion de- in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgparts with the danger and the disease. He ments, and do them." If such prayers and is poor and afflicted; and he worships God in promises are to be accomplished, we must his family, and he loves to attend the preach-look after something in ourselves-and, as the ing of the word of life;-he succeeds in business, and becomes rich and worldly-and has no time for the one, or relish for the other.

The religion of the second consists in external performances. They do a thousand things; but the heart is not in them. They would gladly give up the whole of their irksome task if they could do it with safety. Obedience is not enjoyed as their meat, but taken as their medicine. All their care is to make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter: they have no concern about inward purity; no struggles with innate depravity; no anxiety to have the heart right in the sight of God. But we know who has said, "He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God."

The religion of the third is found in their connexions. They never examine or judge for themselves; but leave their ministers to think for them. Their own knees never bend before God; but they desire the prayers of others. They take shelter under the wing of godly parents, like the Jews, who thought they could not be destroyed because "they had Abraham to their father:" yet we read of one in hell, who said, " Father, Abraham!" Religion is a personal thing; and we can no more be saved by the piety of another than we can be nourished or refreshed by another's sleeping or eating.

apostle enjoins, examine not Christ, but ourselves, to know" whether we are in the faith"

III. ITS ACTIVITY. "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up." Observe the representations given us of real Christians; mark the design of the Gospel; take any of the graces of the Holy Spirit, or the images of Divine influence: all, all of them will convince you, that genuine religion is something more than notion; that it does not consist in a dormant creed, or a dead confidence; but is a principle, full of life, of energy, and of influence.

How are real Christians represented!-As those whose strength is to sit still?-No: but they are held forth by those whose profession calls for the most strenuous exertion-they are husbandmen; they are reapers; they are warriors; they are racers.

What is the design of the Gospel? These are the words of an infallible Judge: "The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

How are the graces of the Holy Spirit described? What is faith? Is it a conviction that rests in the judgment? It overcomes the world; it purifies the heart. “With the The religion of the fourth is ALL IN CHRIST. heart man believeth unto righteousness.” These ridicule the very notion of a work of What is love? We read of the labour of grace in us: to look after any thing in our-love. What is hope? We read of a lively selves, though not self-derived, is legal and hope: "we are saved by hope." What is pharisaical. They have all in Christ-and repentance? "Behold this selfsame thing, so have we; but with this difference-we that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what have all in him so as to seek all from him. carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what We believe that when he died all was finish-clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, ed for us and we are now praying that all yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, may be finished in us. It is a glorious truth yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!" that in him we have sanctification as well as righteousness: but he cannot be our sanctification by suffering us to remain in sin-he is our sanctification, not by being a substitute for our sanctification, but by sanctifying us. Wo to the man who pleads for a religion, of which even Christ is the author, but of which he himself is not the subject! David prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." And the promise of the new covenant runs; "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk

All the images of Divine influence imply the same thing. Sometimes it is compared to leaven, which operates in the meal till the whole mass be leavened. Sometimes it is compared to fire, which penetrates and consumes every thing combustible within its reach. Sometimes it is likened to the force of vegetation; the seed sown is quickened and springs up, first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear.

No wonder, therefore, it is here expressed, not by a pool; not by dead, but living water

the water of a bursting spring: the water that I shall give him shall be in him "a well of water springing up"-into what? "inte everlasting life."

IV. We have to observe-ITS TENDENCY. | shall be revealed in us. If a transient visit It weans us from the world, and constrains be so delightful, what will the constant vision us to set our affections on things above. It be! If it be so satisfactory to behold through elevates our thoughts, our desires, and our a glass darkly, what will it be when we shall pursuits, in a manner inconceivable to the see face to face! Ah! says the Christian, groveling sons of time and sense; and ena- grateful yet still aspiring, "In thy presence, bles us, even while our bodies are below, to there is fulness of joy, and at thy right hand live with our conversation in heaven. there are pleasures for evermore. I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness."And such is the assured blessedness of the Christian; for the tendency of this Divine principle is not liable to frustration. It cannot issue in hell. Grace is nothing, unless it conquers, as well as fights. But,

The difference between grace and glory is not so great as some may imagine. They differ only in degree. The state is the same; the nature is the same. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the flower. The one is the child, the other the man: the one the dawn, the other the day. For what is heaven? Is it a condition, in which all worldly distinctions will be done away, and only those remain which resulted from character? The Christian is rising towards it now. "In his eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord." Is it a condition in which all the differences which now divide the religious world will be abolished; in which no inquiry will be made where we worshipped, but only how? He is tending to it now: "Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my mother and sister and brother." Does it consist in perpetual blessing and praise? He is entering it now. “I will bless the Lord at all times, his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Are the glorified happy in being ever with the Lord! He now cries, "O that I knew where I might find him!" As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?"

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"Grace will complete what grace begins,

To save from sorrows, or from sins."

They that believe on Christ, are said to believe on him "to life everlasting." You have often heard how to distinguish between false grace, and true: but of this you may rest assured-that what is Divine will be durable; what comes from heaven will lead to it. "We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.' "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

We may say reversely the same of sin. There is a connexion between sin and hell. They only differ in degree. In the present experience of the wicked, hell is not only insured, but begun. He is miserable already in the strife between his convictions and his inclinations; in the reproaches of his conscience; in the tyranny of his passions; in the contempt of the wise and good; in the vexations of life; in the fears of death. What he now suffers is sufficient to prove a tendency in sin to produce misery: and the only reason why he is not completely miserable at present, is, because he has now the advantage of diversions ; because he lives in a mixed state of things; because he is under a dispensation of forbearance and mercy-but all these preventions will soon give way, and the perfect result of sin will be-read it in the Scripture, and tremble.

A Christian, therefore, has something of heaven now: he has it in its source; in its elements; in its earnests; in its foretastes. Is be in the temple? He is "made joyful in God's house of prayer:" he "sees his power and glory in the sanctuary." Is he alone? My soul," says he, "shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; when I re- May God deliver you from a course, the member thee upon my bed, and meditate on way of which is hard, and the end of which thee in the night watches." Is he in tribu-is death: "that being made free from sin, and lation? He can "glory in tribulation also, become servants unto God, you may have knowing that tribulation worketh patience, your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlastand patience experience, and experience ing life." hope for as the sufferings of Christ abound in him, his consolation also aboundeth by Christ." Yes: "We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen: and that which we have heard and seen declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ."

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DISCOURSE XC.

PETER'S CURIOSITY AND PRE-
SUMPTION.

Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest

thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou

now?

shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said * unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.-John xiii. 36-38.

No kind of writing is so entertaining, instructive, and useful, as biography; and for this species of composition, there is no book like the Bible. We have, indeed, no complete lives given us; but we have sketches of character, remarkable for their discrimination and effect: we have no full-length and finished portraits, but we have bold outlines and touches, which instantly and powerfully recall the originals.

Here, also, we have no "faultless monsters." When I am reading of a person, and the writer labours to represent him as perfect, I feel more than dissatisfied: I am imposed upon: I have fable given me instead of fact: I feel no moral sympathy with the subject, he does not belong to the order of humanity. In the Scriptures we have men pourtrayed as they were: their defects, as well as excellences, are placed before us; and we see what we have to shun, as well as to pursue.

know not how entirely to censure. It has been said, that the very imperfections of good men are peculiar, and betray their excellences. Here we see Peter's love to his Lord, and concern for his presence. It is always trying to part with a dear relation or friend. Rachel weeps for her children, and refuses to be comforted, because they are not. When Elijah was going to be taken up from the earth, we see how his disciple Elisha followed him from place to place, and would not go back. When Jonathan and David were about to separate, they fell upon each other's neck and wept, until each exceeded. When, at Miletus, "Paul kneeled down and prayed with the brethren, they all wept sore, and fell on his neck, and kissed him; sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they should see his face no more." But think of Christ! What a benefactor, what a master was he! How had he endeared himself to his Disciples-how essential must he have appeared to their happiness and welfare? Could Peter then view his continuance with them, or removal, with indifference?

But if our Saviour blames Peter, Peter was blameworthy; for He always judges righteous judgment. Peter was a little too curious—a fault, I fear, by no means uncommon. For how many are there, who are more anxious to know secret things, which belong unto God, than to improve the things revealed, which are for us, and for our children. How much attention has been employed in fruitless inquiries, concerning the Divine decrees, the downfall of antichrist, the

Peter always appears in the sacred story, like himself. The individuality of his character is supported with wonderful propriety and consistency. We always find him eager, forward, impetuous; always zealous, but his zeal not always according to knowledge; equally rash and affectionate; speaking first and thinking afterward; bold in profession, but failing in execution-yet open to convic-future state of heathens, the place of judgtion, and deriving profit from his very failings. Observe the words which we have read: "Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice." These words consist of two parts. In the first, our Saviour checks his CURIOSITY. In the second, he confounds his PRE

SUMPTION.

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ment, the employments of the glorified state! We are all fonder of speculation than practice. Whereas, we ought to remember, that this is a world of action rather than science; that things which principally concern us are the most easily found; that in a state where we have so much to do, and so little time to do it in, we should secure ourselves as much as possible from all superfluous engagements. How many diversions, alas! have we al ready; necessary diversions by sleep; unavoidable diversions by business; accidental diversions by company and occurrences: and shall we add to all these-trifling and needless diversions?

The Bible is not designed to indulge our curiosity, but to be the guide of our faith, and the rule of our life: like the pillar given to the Israelites; which was not intended to amuse them as naturalists, but to conduct them as travellers, through a trackless wilderness, to the land flowing with milk and honey.

I. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou?" The question was occasioned by what our Saviour had said in a former part of his discourse: "Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. Though he said many things after this, yet this impressed the mind of Peterhe resolved it again--and again; and as soon Our Saviour, therefore, never encouraged as our Saviour paused, he suddenly asks, this principle. When a man asked him, "Lord, whither goest thou?" Now, here is "Lord, are there few that shall be saved?" something which, if we cannot commend, we | He would not answer the inquiry: yea, he

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