particularly led to forgive injuries; to love all the people of God with brotherly affection;t and cheerfully to spend and to be spent for them; to bear with the infirmities of the weak ;§ and to be resigned under all crosses and trials. The view set forth by the prophet Isaiah, ¶ "Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her... that her iniquity is pardoned," supplies the true source of the real Christian's gratitude; and there is this difference between his spirit and that of all other religionists, that whereas they, one and all, are apt to think their merit great in the performance of their duties, and to expect to be rewarded by the Almighty as very profitable servants, he sees the utter disproportion between the kindness of his God and Saviour, and his returns of gratitude. The true ground of this genuine humility lies, partly, in the work of the Spirit of conviction, by which he is convinced, that the being out of hell is, to him, a mercy; and partly in the work of the Spirit of wisdom, by which he is taught, that God's mercies to him, in giving him a title to eternal life, are free, and undeserved on his part, being purchased by the blood of the Redeemer.

IV. When the believer hears the words, "I AM THE LORD," he understands by them, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, something of the real glory of God, and is thereby filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. Hence he is taught to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, is fruitful in every good work, and increases in the knowledge of God. This motive may be best conceived of, as a SPIRITUAL TASTE. It contains in it that discernment of the beauty of holiness, which the Saviour gives to the believer. He is transformed by the renewing of his mind, that he may PROVE what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. Hence it is, that the man who is made acquainted with the Saviour by sound conversion, sees, as it were by intuition, the good and the evil of many points of practice, to which he was formerly quite blind; and it is by the influence of this new TASTE,-which may very justly, I think, be regarded as a new sense peculiar to the regenerate that he is led in his whole conduct, and in all his ways, to practise a circumspection which worldly persons deem altogether superfluous, and which offends them. By this TASTE he is led to govern his thoughts; which, formerly, he suffered to ramble unconstrained on any idle or sinful imaginations. By this new sense, he sees the extent of

the law of God in its beauty; and he finds in his own heart something which returns an echo to the Psalmist's words, "Lord, how I love thy law!" Now he not only performs some external duties-once the whole of his religion-but he sees and loves the comprehensiveness and perfection of the law. "Wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein ;"* so it is promised; and the promise is fulfilled by the gift of this spiritual discernment bestowed on the believer. We cannot, of course, find in Scripture, particular directions on all points of duty, to suit all cases. The Father of lights, then, instructs and guides all his children, by induing them with a heavenly principle of action. Hence many weak and illiterate persons, thus guided by the Spirit of God, often judge more sagaciously and more justly in difficult cases of conscience, than the wisest of the rationally wise can judge, depending only on the power of fleshly wisdom.

V. Powerful, indeed, is the motive to holy obedience, which the real Christian believer possesses, in the joy, the eternal joy, set before him! No other religionists can be effectually moved by this consideration; because the self-righteous principles of all others leave them quite in doubt whether they shall ever arrive at heaven. We see, however, how those persons act, who "know in themselves, that they have in heaven a better, and an enduring substance." Well may the believer take joyfully the spoiling of his goods. + Heaven is, to him, no dim or distant object. God is willing to show him abundantly the immutability of his counsel.‡ Jesus, whom he expects soon to appear, to take him to the mansion which he has prepared for him, is in his heart. Hence, he is liberal of his substance, having his real riches in heaven; and patient under trials, believing, that his light afflictions, which are but for a moment, are working for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The work of love to which he is here called, is but the prelude to heaven; being attended by the consciousness that in the discharge of it, he is acting in harmony with the angels, and with the spirits of just men made perfect; and by the full assurance of hope, that he will, one day, literally join those blessed spirits for ever. Hence he looks upon the visible creation with the eyes of a stranger and a pilgrim ; trusting Him, who secures to him the happy end, with the conduct of his soul all the way thither.

Oh! if Christians were thus influenced to the height of their privileges, how would they burn, and shine, and feel, and love! How would the world be amazed at their superior holiness. The principles, however, Heb. vi. 17.

• Isai. xxxv. 8.

† Heb. x. 34.

which I have set forth, are the real principles of gospel-obedience; and do always produce fruit according to the measure in which they are received. Every one of them is strong and powerful; but there is something in the last, that peculiarly distinguishes the advantage of Christian obedience with respect to motives. The apostle Paul seems much impressed by this, when he says," knowing that your labour shall not be in vain in the Lord."* The believer knows, or may know, and it is the will of God that he should rejoice evermore in knowing, that he is justified already in Christ Jesus; made a child of God; accepted for ever, without his own works;† and that the Lord, who has commanded him to labour in his service here, has promised to be with him continually; to pardon all his imperfections; to spare him, " as a man spareth his own son that serveth him ;" and at the last day to give him,—not of debt, but of grace-an abundant reward according to his works. Here is everything that can animate, nothing that has any tendency to discourage, the soul in its Christian course.

"Enough," say some, "to fill a man with proud and licentious presumption."

Although there is no hope of convincing those who are strangers to real godliness, of the truth in this matter, it may not be amiss here to observe, that this evil is guarded against, through the discipline of the Spirit of holiness, by that sense of the evil of sin, which the Spirit of conviction has begotten in the believer's soul, and by that poverty of spirit which the whole of his experience is calculated to cherish and to promote. What room for pride, when a man knows and feels, that of himself he does, and can do, no good thing; the good that is wrought in him being another's? This humbling conviction will not depart from the soul, even in heaven; where the eternal song of the ransomed is, "Thou wast slain; and hast redeemed us unto God BY THY BLOOD."¶

Having thus briefly reviewed the motives to Christian obedience, implied in the Divine declaration, "I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the house of bondage," we may conceive of the Almighty as saying to the believer, "With these motives serve me, Oh! my reconciled and adopted child; and my first command is, THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BUT ME.'"

What so reasonable? The convinced sinner has found the folly and bitterness of suffering other lords to have dominion over him; and by

*Cor. xv. 58. § Gal. vi. 9.

Malachi iii. 17.

+ Rom. iv. 6.

Isa. xxvi. 12.

¶ Rev. v. 9.

the Lord his God, and by him only, would he now make mention of his name.* To serve God, and to yield entire submission to his will, is, as he now sees, the very essence of happiness. Misery, he perceives, lies out of this road. Every tie of love, of gratitude, of interest, of fear, conspires to fix him in this holy obedience. He sees in God whatever can engage his affections; and acknowledges Him to be the only proper object of supreme love. It is his grief, that there is still within him a principle opposed to this reasonable, holy, and happy state of mind; but it is his consolation, that that principle shall no more have dominion over him;† and in all the occurrences of his daily walk, he sees it to be his bliss, no less than his wisdom, to honour and obey the will of God. In short, having been brought to know God in his Son, he at length understands the First Commandment. The language of his soul is to this effect: "Oh! Lord, I have walked long enough after my own devices; but thou hast redeemed me from living to myself. Henceforward, be Thou my ruler and guide. Dispose of me, and of all that belongs to me, as to Thee may seem best; I desire to see, hear, will, and do, nothing but thy pleasure. Take thou all the praise, and let me have the happiness of being bowed down to thy will; of being restored to a creature-like subjection to the Lord of the Universe; who shed his blood so to restore me."

Very different are these views from those of worldly, self-righteous persons. Such persons, albeit of decorous conduct, and well-esteemed among men, are idolaters of the worst kind; for they make themselves their god. Gross sinners make gods of other creatures. It is the real Christian believer's happiness, and his alone, truly to worship the Lord, as his God.

But the Lord our God must also be worshipped in the way, and in the faith of his own appointment. "Thou shalt not make to thyself," says the Almighty, "any supposed representation of me. I have given thee an adequate image of myself, in my well-beloved Son. Behold Him! All that he did, and all that he suffered; all that he was, is, and ever will be, declares him to be my perfect likeness, LOVE. Him thou shalt worship and honour. In his worship and honour, I am worshipped and honoured also; but every image which thou canst make or conceive of me, is an abomination unto me; and has in it no manner of likeness to Me, who am a Spirit, whose glory is everyway inexpressible. Wouldst thou see God? Behold my express image in Christ, and fall down and worship. Wouldst thou, a sinner, approach

me with confidence? Thou shalt have boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of this my Son, by the faith of him; and although there be to others, gods many, and lords many;* yet to thee, Oh! Christian, who glorifiest me as God, and honourest all my perfections, harmonized as they are in the Person and work of Christ, there is but one God, the Father, and thou in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, and thou by Him.+

The Spirit of holiness, then, directs the Christian into the spiritual observance of the Second Commandment; which is levelled against all false worship of the true God. The leading ideas on this subject are reducible to two.

1. A right representation of God.

The invisible and incomprehensible Godhead would have himself made known to us by some adequate image of himself; but this image must be of his appointment; not of ours. Jesus Christ is this "express image." All who are led truly to know God, are led to know Jesus first; and God by him. In Jesus, the glory of the Godhead shines in its true light.

2. An acceptable mediation. This mediation is to be found alone in the satisfaction and intercession of the same Jesus. The Christian presents all his prayers and praises, and performs all his duties, whether of immediate worship or otherwise, in the name of the Lord Jesus.‡ Out of Christ, God is, to us sinners, a consuming fire. We have boldness, and access with confidence, only by the faith of HIM: and as no other hope of acceptance is granted to us; so no other is necessary. In the faith of Christ's mediation, we have grace to serve God acceptably.

Glorious lessons, these, of the Spirit of holiness! They give to God his real glory; showing him to be the perfection of justice, holiness, wisdom, goodness, mercy, and truth. They bring God near, and endear him to the believer's soul. They humble man to the dust; they strip him of all confidence in himself, or in other creatures; and they cause the soul truly to rest in God.

The real Christian cannot but perceive, that all other religionists, many of whom would be offended were their title to the name of Christian disputed, dishonour God in all their worship. The papist errs in both the essential particulars which I have mentioned. Worshipping God by the medium of images, and addressing himself to saints, as mediators in conjunction with Christ, he introduces both a false repret1 Cor. viii. 6.

1 Cor. viii. 5.

Coloss. iii. 17.