customs and fashions of it. The pride of life, you know, is not of the father, but is of the world.' (1 John ii. 16.) You will not measure your temperance by what others do, but by what your bible marks out to you. If you do not abound in this world's goods, your desires will be moderate. Having food and raiment you will be therewith content.' A little will serve a pilgrim on his travels: our treasure is reserved for us in heaven. The cravings of corrupt appetite you will daily-learn to mortify. You will not only abhor that surfeiting and drunkenness, that chambering and wantonness,' which debases men into brutes; but you will set a guard over the first motions of those fleshly lusts which war against the soul.' (1 Pet. ii. 11.) When you eat it will be for nourishment, not for indulgence; and you will drink to quench your thirst, not to gratify and inflame your appetite; 'making no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof.' [Rom. xiii. 14.] You will keep yourself pure; not only abstaining from forbidden gratifications, but using those that are lawful with a holy moderation; not going so far as you might, lest you should be led to exceed the boundary prescribed and fall into intemperance. Knowing how corrupt your nature is; how prone to lust; how riveted to the world; how fond of vanities; jealousy will be ever on the watch, and taking the alarm on the approach or appearance of excess. Thus you will walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.' (Ephes. v. 15.)

Let me just hint, that to have the heart fixed on the vanities and fashions of the world, to be anxiously engaged in the pursuit of gain, to indulge the flesh in its cravings after meat or

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drink or sleep or apparel; to be at no pains to remove every provocation to excess, and to pamper, instead of beating down the body; these are the sure proofs of a soul which is sensual, not having the spirit.' (Jude 19.)

These now are the tempers, and this the conduct, where the fruit of the spirit in all goodness and righteousness' appears. And you are just so far the servant of our Saviour, and no farther, than these fruits manifest themselves in you. Many, even of those who profess a spiritual walk, deceive themselves with the vainest hopes; and though they continue under the influence of worldliness, selfishness, fretfulness and indulgence, will not be persuaded that they have neither been baptised into Christ, nor put on Christ.'

May the spirit of grace be to them a spirit of conviction, whilst they see the unsuitableness of their hearts and lives to the fruits of genuine righteousness!

And should not you and I, brethren, be much humbled, that these fruits, though really posessed, abound no more in us? Surely they who have the tenderest and most awakened consciences will be most affected with the view of their imperfections, and stirred up importunately to cry for fresh communications of power and grace to bring forth more fruit. If this effect be wrought in you, such fervent effectual prayer will be a present evidence to you, that the spirit of God, who helpeth our infirmities,' is with you as a spirit of supplication; and an earnest that he will be in you as a spirit of righteousness, strengthning you with all might in the inner man.' (Ephes. iii. 16.) to bring forth those fruits unto holiness, the end of which is everlasting life.' [Rom. vi. 22.]

SERMON XII.

THE NECESSITY OF PERSONAL HOLINESS.

HEBREWS XII. 14.

WITHOUT HOLINESS NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD.

AMONG the various sects which have arisen, disturbing the peace of the church, and debasing the purity of the gospel, no error hath more effectually struck at the root than theirs who pervert the most glorious truths of God to establish a system of lewdness and licentiousness. Antinomians enow in practice there have been in every age; in none, I fear, more than the present and it is no wonder therefore that a corrupted heart hath perverted many; and brought their sentiments into a conformity with their conduct. We naturally believe what we desire. The merest shadow of an argument will pass when prejudice hath blinded the eyes. Hence, because such as I am speaking of 'have no pleasure in the truth, but have pleasure in unrightcousness, God hath given them over to strong delusions to believe a lie.' [2 Thess. ii. 11.] The most life-giving promises prove their snare, and the sure foundations of grace in the Redeemer become to them an occasion of falling. In the mean time they avow a confidence of safety greater than that of other men, Their danger therefore is more imminent, and their damnation less evitable. If any such should hear these words, or cast their eyes on these lines, I would beg them not to be hasty in their censures, but

simply weigh the following arguments for personal holiness, and not reject them if they are conclusive.

I have endeavoured to shew you in some measure the nature of holiness, its principles and practice, and the particular fruits which grow and flourish wherever the heart is vitally united to Christ the living vine. Let no man accuse of a dangerous tendency principles which lead to such a conversation. If the enemies of the gospel will effectually confute it, as they pretend to do, let them produce from other principles a practice that will bear this test, and hath such marks of divinity stamped upon it. It were enough to make a man smile (if the subject was not too serious) to hear the jealousy of those who have not experimentally 'so much as known if there be any Holy Ghost;' and whose lives are wholly governed by the interests of flesh and sense, testifying their apprehensions about the decay of morality, and their fears lest these doctrines of grace, which enable a man to 'walk as Christ also walked,' and actually are seen to have this tendency universally on those who truly embrace them, should make good works to be neglected, or considered as unnecessary. Should the moralist, whether Deist, Arian, Socinian or Orthodox, consider the truths which have been laid down, he will perhaps be found, with all his zeal for works, to have exceeded the professed Antinomian in true holiness hardly so much as one Ethiopean exceeds his fellow in complexion. Whilst, sure I am, as many as are believers indeed will always be so powerfully wrought upon by the force of the obligations lying upon them, as by their conduct to shew forth a spirituality of temper and holiness of life, that may con

found at least, if it doth not convince those who speak evil of their good conversation in Christ.

I am to shew you the absolute necessity of personal holiness. And I shall endeavour to do it from the following arguments. May the Spirit of holiness make them effectual to the edifi cation of all who hear them!

First. It is one great design of God's eternal purpose and choice that we should be holy.There are innumerable disputes about the deep things of God's election and fore-knowledge, which, through the heat and bitterness wherewith they have been managed, seem to have afforded rather matter for questions, than to have ministred godly edifying. Secret things belong. unto God." (Deut. xxix. 29.) We had best leave these deep points in silence; and beginning: with what is plainer, advance by degrees. When we come to heaven, the scheme of God's eternal counsels will be better known to us. But whatever predestination or election there be, or be not, this is certainly God's eternal decree, that the people of his grace should be holy as he is holy. For this he hath chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. (Eph.. i. 4.) This at least is his predestination, that we should be eonformed to the image of his Son. (Rom. viii. 29.) And whoever are elect according to the fore-knowledge of God the Father, are so through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience.' (Peter i. 2.) It is no essential requisite to salvation, that a man believe any absolute irrespective decrees of God; it is no exclusion front it that he utterly rejects. them : but it is essentially necessary that he finds this decree of holiness fulfilled in him, and that where