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respects the will in all its faculties-their expansion, their perfect exercise; and the emancipation of all our powers from darkness, from pollution, from disorder, from disquietude, and despair.

So that we come to this conclusion, as we pass on to the next part of our theme; that is one strong evidence of our having become partakers of this salvation, when the longer we live, as years roll on, and the nearer we get to our grave, the more intense becomes our longings after the enjoyment of this salvation; when we can feel as he who said, "I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better;" when as the outward man perisheth, the inward man is renewed day by day. Said the expiring patriarch, "I wait for thy salvation, O Lord:" and happy he who knows that frame of mind, that when the Saviour says, "Behold I come quickly," is able to reply, "Amen, even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus."

Pass we, then, secondly, to notice THE GRAND TEST, BY WHICH WE MAY JUDGE OF THE INTEGRITY OF THIS ARDENT DESIRE WHICH IS HERE

EXPRESSED. It is found in these words-" Thy law is my delight."

My dear hearers, there is not a greater libel upon the Bible, or upon the Gospel, or Christianity, than this, that it tends to licentiousness. We do not mean to say that there are not those who have abused the privileges of the Gospel, as well as its doctrines, and who have "held the truth in unrighteousness." And we may just remark in passing, that, in proportion to the excellence of things, so they are liable to the greatest dishonour. But as you would not say it was the design of God in giving you your daily provision and repast, that you were to be gluttonous and drunken; so you will not imagine, that if God abounds towards you in all the riches of his grace, it is that you may say, "Let us sin, that grace may abound."

There is no one view, in fact, which you can take of this salvation, in which it does not appear favourable to sanctity. Take it in connexion with the everlasting purpose of God: he has chosen us, "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love." Look at it in connexion with the mediation of the Saviour: he "gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Or view it in association with the influence of the Divine Spirit. What is the office of that Spirit? To enlighten, and to free the understanding from error. What is the office of that Spirit? To convince of sin; and the individual becomes penitent for it; and penitence is the alienation of the soul from sin, the turning from it unto God, with full purpose of heart, with endeavours after new obedience. What, I say, is the office of the Spirit? It is to renew; in other words, to impress upon the soul the moral image of God: it is to sanctify; to carry on the work till it shall be perfected in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ. Or, if you analyze the effects of his operation, and say, that he is the Author of all the graces which form the character of the Christian, mark the influence of his distinct graces. Faith, if it is not dead, purifies the heart, works by love, and is productive of holiness. Precisely the same with love: "If ye love me keep my commandments." Exactly the same with hope: "He that hath this hope in him purifies himself as Christ the Lord is pure." So that looking at this salvation in what aspect you please, you come to this conclusion—“The

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grace of God which bringeth salvation, teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present

world."

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Let us fix our thoughts, for a moment, on the expression immediately before us: Thy law is my delight," and here follow my observations with attention. By the "law" of God, we are to understand his holy word, which comes to us with the authority of law: it requires our obedience as a law. It is, like a law, the standard of our faith, and also the regulator and rule of our practice. David, doubtless, in speaking of the law of God, might include the ceremonial law; but this, being but "a shadow of good things to come," has passed away : and therefore he principally alludes here to the moral law. He frequently desires that he may be able to keep it: he says, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." "O how I love thy law, it is my meditation day and night." Language similar to which, you find in the epistle of St. Paul to the Romans, where he echoes the sentiment with a similar feeling: "I delight in the law of God, after the inward man."

In fact, my dear hearers, there is every thing in the law of God to awaken reverence and affection towards it, in connexion with this salvation. The law of God presents us with the first and most beautiful exhibition of God's moral character and his attributes. The law of God, by its types and shadows, directs us to the grand remedial means-the great propitiation which was to take away the sin of the world. The law of God, considering it as embracing the whole lively oracles, points us to the Saviour, Christ the Lord. The law of the Lord says, that those who come to him, he will in no wise cast out. There is every thing therefore in the Word of God, and in the Gospel of our salvation, to awaken our reverence, our admiration, and our most affectionate desire.

This delight in the law of God, of which the Psalmist speaks, being of a spiritual character, its effects, you observe, must be precisely the same. But it is not an animal delight, which leaves the subject of it to find it in carnal things. It is not a merely intellectual delight, so that the individual might be content to examine it, and to approve the theory, while his heart will remain under the power of sin. No; it is a delight of a holy order; it restrains the mind of its subject from moral evil in all its various forms, and brings its subjects into resemblance to that Saviour who says, Thy law, O God, is within my heart; I delight to do thy will."

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Moreover, this conformity to the law is an actual earnest of that salvation which the believes earnestly desires: for he wishes to possess and to enjoy the full, the complete salvation of God. The two parts of it are exhibited to view in that promise, “Their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more:" that is one part; and another is, "I will write my laws in their inmost part; I will put my Spirit within them, and they shall walk in my commandments always, to keep them." O yes, the individual who has found forgiveness, is the individual who cannot be content without being made holy; he feels that this is necessary, not to his security merely, but necessary to his happiness, and to his entrance into glory, and the enjoyment of it; for "without holiness no man can see the Lord."

It is this, too, which characterizes, or distinguishes, rather, the obedience of the genuine believer from that of the servile slave. The latter may perform

many duties from a fear of punishment, from the dread of the lash, from an apprehension that he shall suffer or smart beneath the displeasure of his Master: and therefore his obedience, if obedience it can be called, is a mere task; it is an obedience which is almost intolerable for him. But he who knows something of this inward delight, he it is whose obedience is cheerful. He takes pleasure in complying with the demands of his heavenly Father. In proportion as he is conformed to the law, his pleasure heightens; and that satisfaction heightens still where there is a correspondence between the internal assimilation of his mind to the law, and the external fulfilment of its commands. It is this joy of the Lord which he shares that quickens his obedience, and prompts him to progress: "I will run in the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart.”

It is this holy pleasure which tends to draw its subjects from all inferior satisfactions. He who has the fountain feels that he could do without the stream. Crowns, and kingdoms, and sceptres, and all the insignia, and all the luxury, and all the splendour of the princes, and of the kings, and of the potentates of the earth, sink low indeed in his esteem, while he knows that joy with which the stranger cannot intermeddle, that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.

Thus the soul becomes prepared for that state where the law of God will be performed to perfection: for here, alas! there are many impediments to our compliance; some from within-our corruptions; some from without-the temptations of Satan. The hostile associations of the world in which we live; our very cares and anxieties, which are connected with our legitimate relationships and businesses; all these are so many hindrances. But in yonder world to which we aspire, where we shall possess to the full this great salvation of God, all these internal, and all these external, impediments will be completely removed. The soul is to be freed from sin; every thing shall disappear that is tempting or enticing to evil. The services in which the beatified shall engage, shall be pure as those of the angels of light in heaven. Yes

"There to fulfil his sweet commands,

Our speedy feet shall move;
No sin shall clog our winged zeal,

Or cool our burning love."

Well, then, my brethren and sisters, what are your desires? Supposing you to put the prominent wishes of your hearts into language, would it be, “Who will shew us any earthly good-the corn, the wine, or the oil?" Or would it b, "Lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me; and this shall put more gladness into my heart, than though I had abundance of earthly possessions?" If it be the former, call yourselves what you will, you are only worms of the earth; you are parting with your heavenly privileges for a mess of pottage. And will you prefer death to life? Will you prefer the treasures which the moth and rust corrupt, and which thieves break through and steal, to those which neither moth nor rust can corrupt, and which thieves can never alienate from your possession and your enjoyment? "No," say you : "we do wish to be saved." Well, but wishing will not save you. Do you recollect what one of our own poets says

"Wishing, of all employments, is the worst-
Wishing, the constant hectic of the fool?"

You must follow up the expression of your desires by a course of action, and the diligent use and employment of means. That is, you must study the Bible; you must bend your knees in earnest prayer; you must plead the promise with importunity:" 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 will give you an heart of flesh :" "I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you." In short, you must follow up your wishes by a studious attendance upon the private means of grace, and upon the public ordinances of the Gospel; or else you will find that all your wishes will be in vain.

Let me beseech you, then, to go, with earnest desires, at once to the Saviour: say to him, "Thou Son of David, have mercy upon me:" and plead with him that he would put forth his mighty power, and prove to you that his name is Jesus, for he saves his people from their sins. For then, if your prayer has been heard, if your application has been successful, recollect that the salvation will reign within; and bear in mind that the salvation will appear, too, in your steady pursuit of holiness without. You will bear more of the visible image of that God whom you reverence, in whom you confide, and whom you love: you will not be content with any thing like preparatory duty; but you will be pressing onwards; following on to know, and to love, and to serve the Lord. The tree being made good, the fruits will be good also—the fruits of righteousness, which will abound by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God. And in proportion as you are conformed to his holy law, in that degree you will enjoy something of incipient beatitude. "O the blessednesses of the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord! for in his law doth he meditate day and night. He shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of waters, which bringeth forth fruit in his season; his leaf shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." May this be the case with you and me! Amen.

PAUL'S HUMILITY AND ZEAL A PATTERN FOR CHRISTIANS.

REV. W. JAY.

SURREY CHAPEL, MARCH 8, 1835.

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who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."—EPHESIANS, iii. 8.

Unto me,

Ir was foretold by the Psalmist, " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power:" By nature they are aliens, and enemies in their minds by wicked works, as well as others: by conversion they become new creatures; they become at once subjects and friends: they mourn over their former indifference and rebellion, and, constrained by the love of Christ, they make it their chief care, and they esteem it their chief comfort, to live, not to themselves, but to Him who died for them and rose again.

We see this peculiarly exemplified in the case of our Apostle. The first time we meet with him in the sacred history, is at the stoning of Stephen: “The witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul." Had a person then said to him, "Ah Saul, you will by and by embrace the same cause, and die in defence of the same doctrine;" with what indignation would he have resented the reflection, exclaiming, "What, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this thing?" But in a journey of iniquity, breathing out threatenings against his disciples, the Saviour found him in his way to Damascus, and said, " Saul, Saul, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." At once his heart was changed, and the raven became the dove, and the lion a lamb. "Thou hast a mighty arm; strong is thy hand, and high is thy right hand :" he falls to the ground; and, behold, he prayeth; and he rises and asks, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" And he is baptized, and straitway preaches in the synagogue, that Jesus is the Christ; preaches the faith that once he destroyed: and all the churches glorified God in him. And years after this, when he came to review the scene, did he repent of this? Nay, he confirmed it; he enlarged it; he exulted in this experience, and could say, yea doubtless, and I count" —not “I counted”—“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them"-not "did count them," but "do count them "-" but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him." And as to his preaching of him, you have his language in the words of our text, "Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ."

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Let us observe four things: what he says of himself; what he says of his office; what he says of his audience; and what he says of his subject.

First, let us observe what he says of HIMSELF. "I am less than the least of

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