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Gal. ii. 20....The pardon of sins, Col. i. 14. Acts xiii. 30....Peace with God, Rom. v. 1....Dominion over sin, Rom. vi. 14....Victory over the world, 1 John v. 4.... The crucifixion of the flesh, Gal. v....Power to quench the fiery darts of the wicked, Eph. vi. 15....Joy unspeakable, 1 Pet. i. 8....And the salvation of thy soul, 1 Pet. 1. 9. Heb. x. 39.

Be not afraid of this conviction of unbelief; for it generally goes before divine faith, as the fermentation of a grain of corn in the earth, is previous to its shooting its stalk towards heaven. God concludes, us shut up in unbelief, says St. Paul, that he may have mercy upon us, Rom. xi. 52. When the comforter is come, says our Lord, he will convince the world of sin, because they believe not in me. This is the transgression which® peculiarly deserves the name of sin, as being the damning sin according to the gospel, Mark xvi. 16. the sin that binds upon us the guilt of all our other iniquities, and keeps up the power of all our corruptions. Its immediate effect is to harden the heart, Mark xvi. 14. and make it depart from the living God, Heb. iii. 12. and this hardness and departure are the genuine parents of all our actual sins, the number and blackness of which increases or decreases, as the strength of unbelief grows or decays.

A conviction of this sin is of the utmost importance, as nothing but an affecting sense of its heinousness and power, can make us entirely weary of ourselves.... nothing but a sight of its destructive nature can prevent our resting without a complete cure.

But when thou art once convinced of unbelief, do not encrease the difficulty of believing by imagining true faith at an immense distance. Consider it as very near thy heart. That which convinces thee of sin and unbelief can in a moment, and with the greatest ease convince thee of righteousness, and reveal in thee Christ the hope of glory. How quickly can the Spirit take of the things that belong to him, and show them unto thee! Say not then in thy heart, who shall ascend

Upon trials, a thousand times successfully repeated, we proclaim him the help of the helpless, the hope of the hopeless, the health of the sick, the strength of the weak, the riches of the poor, the peace of the dis quieted, the comfort of the afflicted, the light of those that sit in darkness, the companion of the desolate, the friend of the friendless, the way of the bewildered, the wisdom of the foolish, the righteousness of the ungodly, the sanctification of the unholy, the redemption of captives, the joy of mourners, the glory of the infamous, and in a word, the salvation of the lost.

Though he was the Creator of men and angels, he vouchsafed to be born of a woman, that we, the wretched offsprings of degenerate Adam, might be born. again, born of God. Though he had stretched forth the heavens like a curtain, and bespangled them with stars innumerable; he wrapped himself in the scanty, fading garment of our flesh, and put on the vail of our miserable humanity, that we might be invested with the glory, and communicable perfections of the divine nature. Though he was the King of kings, and Lord of lords, he did not disdain to take upon him the form and office of a servant, that we might be delivered from the slavery of satan, and that angels might be sent forth to minister for us, who are the heirs of salvation. Though he was the fulness of him who fills all in all, he worked, that we might not want; toiled, that we might rest; endured hunger and thirst, that we might taste the hidden manna, eat the bread of life, and drink with him the mystic wine of his Father's kingdom. His omnipotent word covers a thousand hills with verdure, and clothes millions of creatures with rich furs, glittering scales, and shining plumage; but O infinite condescension! he submitted to be stript of his plain raiment, that our shame might not appear; he became naked, that we might be adorned with robes of righteousness and garments of salvation, Though his riches were immense and unsearchable like himself, though heaven was his throne, and earth his footstool,

he became poor, was destitute of a place where to lay his head, that we might be rich in faith here, and heirs of the kingdom hereafter. Though he was, is now, and ever shall be the joy of the heavenly powers, and the object of their deepest adoration; he was voluntarily despised of men, that we might be honoured of God: He was acquainted too with griefs, that we might rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory. Though supreme Lawgiver and Judge of all, matchless love made him yield to be judged, and unjustly condemned at Pilate's bar that we might be honourably acquitted, and gloriously rewarded before his awful tribunal. Though archangels laid their crowns at his feet, and seraphim veiled their faces before him, unable to stand the dazzling effulgence of his glory, he suffered himself to be derided, scoffed, spit upon, scourged, and crowned with thorns; that we might be acknowledged, applauded, embraced, and presented with never-fading crowns of righteousness and glory. The Lord of Hosts is his name; he is deservedly called Wonderful Counsellor, the everlasting Father, the mighty God, the prince of peace; cherubic legions fly at his nod; and yet, astonishing humiliation! His shoulders, on which he laid the government of the world, felt the infamous load of a malefactor's cross; and barbarous soldiers followed by an enraged mob, led him as a lamb to the slaughter, that we might be delivered from the heavy curse of the law, and gently conveyed by celestial powers into Abraham's bosom. Let all the angels of God worship him, is the great decree, to which the heavenly hierarchy submits with incessant transports of the most ardent devotion; and yet, he was crucified as an execrable wretch, guilty of treason and blasphemy; that we, daring rebels and abominable sinners, might be made kings and priests unto God, partaking of his highest glory, as he partook of our deepest shame: And, te crown his lovingkindness, he expired in the midst of rending rocks, and a supernatural darkness; that we might feel his

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ing and dying in our stead, is the only way by which sin, the sting of death can be extracted out of our guilty, perishing souls: the only antidote that can restore us to saving health and eternal life. John iii. 14. Apply whatever we will, besides this sovereign remedy; we may poison, but can never heal the envenomed and mortal wound.

But remember, Sinner, that faith alone can make the blessed application. Adam fell by rejecting in unbelief the word of threatning, and thou canst never rise,. but by receiving in faith the word of reconciliation. Gen. ii. 17. 2 Cor. v. 19. Instead then of confusing thy thoughts, and scattering thy desires by the persuit of a variety of objects; remember that one thing is needful for thee....Christ and his salvation received by faith: for, to as many as recieve him, he gives power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Beseech him, therefore to manifest himself to thee by his word and Spirit. He is the author and finisher of faith, the giver of every good and perfect gift; ask of him, an heart-felt confidence, that God so loved thee, as to give his only begotton Son, that thou shouldest not perish but have everlasting life, a firm confidence, that as the first Adam wilfully ruined thee; so he, the second Adam, freely loved thee, and gave himself for thee; and that thou hast redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, not according to thy merits, but the riches of his grace.

The least degree of this divinely-wrought confidence, will begin to attract and unite thy soul to him, who is our life and peace, our strength and righteousness. The everlasting gospel will then be music in thine ears, and power in thy heart. Its cheerful, solemn sound, will raise thy drooping spirits, and make thee fix the eye of thy mind on the sign of the Son of man, the uplifted banner of the cross: And oh! while the self-righteous see nothing there but the despised, rejected man of sorrow, what wilt thou discover? God in Christ reconciling the world unto himself! God man

ifest in the flesh to destroy the works of the devil! Jehovah Jesus, the captain of our salvation, treading the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of the Almighty! Of the people there was none with him, therefore his own arm brought salvation unto him.

While the gospel trumpet is blown in Sion, and the self-hardened, scoffing infidel, hears it with disdain and ridicule, what joy will the awful declarations convey to thy penitent and listening soul! With what rapturous delight wilt thou hang upon the lips of the messengers of peace, the sons of consolation; who preach free salvation by the blood of Jesus! While he himself, confirming the word of his servants, says to the melting heart, with his still, small, and yet powerful renovating voice: Behold, I sit upon my throne making all things new....The words that I speak are spirit and life....I do not condemn thee, thy sins are forgiven...Be thou clean....Thy faith hath saved thee....Go in peace and sin no more. Rev. xxi. 5. John vi. 63. Luke vii. 48, 50. Matt. viii. 3. John viii. 11.

And oh ! what will thy believing, enlarged heart experience in that day of God's power, and thy spiritual birth! Christ the true light of the world, the eternal life of men, coming suddenly to his temple, and filling it with the light of his countenance, and the power of his resurrection! Christ shedding abroad in thy ravished soul, the love of thy heavenly Father, thy bitterest enemies, and all mankind!....In a word, the Holy Ghost given unto thee! Or, Christ dwelling in thy heart by faith! John i. 4. 1 John v. 12. Rom. 8. 15. and v. 5. Gal. i. 16. Eph. i. 13, and iii. 17.

Being thus made partakers of Christ, and of the Holy Ghost, Heb. iii. 14, and vi. 4. thy loving heart, thy praising lips, thy blameless life will agree to testify, that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, and that if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Matt. ix. 6. 2 Cor. v. 17.