which at first oozes out almost imperceptibly, but afterwards bursts every barrier and sets all restraints at defiance, so the beginning of strife may seem trifling, but it is apt to become unmanageable, and to produce results which we never contemplated, and which we may deeply deplore.

Ver. 16. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

This is the only effectual remedy against living in malice and envy, and against the indulgence of all the other lusts of the flesh and of the mind, to which we are naturally so prone. Walk in the Spirit, under the influence of the Spirit, which all believers have of God.1 The Spirit is to the Christian what air is to the natural man. Mankind are born of

corruptible seed, and the moment they are born they begin to breathe the air, a constant supply of which is essential to the continuance of natural life. Believers are begotten with the word of truth, and the supply of the Spirit communicated by the Great Head of the Church to all the members of his mystical body, is not less essential for the preservation of spiritual life. There is, however, a material point of difference; breathing the air is a process which constantly goes forward without any attention on our part. We may by exertion stop our breath for a moment, but no exertion is necessary in order to breathe. However we are occupied, however our attention is engrossed, the process of breathing is uninterrupted. But the supply of the Spirit is received by looking to Jesus, and although the attention of the believer is often diverted from the stedfast contemplation of his glory, we are commanded to set the Lord always before us; whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, and to be on our guard against

1 Cor. vi. 19.

at any time losing sight of this our guiding star. We are enjoined to maintain habitual communion with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. This is walking in the Spirit, and is the only security against believers fulfilling the lusts of the flesh. We have observed, that Adam and Christ, the old and new man, still live in the believer. They are directly opposed to each other; the one exciting us to love the world and the things of the world, the other leading us to seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. The Christian life resembles the contest of Israel and Amalek. When Moses held up his hands Israel prevailed, and when he let them down Amalek prevailed. The hands of our Great Intercessor are never heavy, like those of Moses, but we are apt to lose sight of our entire dependance on Him, through whom alone we are able to hold our ground against the devil, the world, and the flesh.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and he did so for the same reason that he loved Israel of old; because, says Moses, "the Lord loved you." God loved the true Israel with an everlasting love; he made a covenant with his chosen; he sware unto David his servant, 66 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations." His children are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, according as he hath chosen them in Him before the foundation of the world, that they might be holy and without blame before Him in love. In this covenant of peace between the Father and the Son, which stands immovable, provision is made for the counteraction of the natural perverseness of believers. "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments;

1 Deut. vii. 8.

2 Eph. i. 3, 4.

if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my loving-kindness will I not utterly take from Him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me."4

In the word of God, and more especially in the apostolic epistles, in which revelation is completed, the privileges of the people of God, their security and duty, are all exhibited in the fullest and clearest manner. In human writings, we too often find an undue attachment to particular parts of truth. Some delight to dwell on the eternal and irrevocable determination of God to bestow on his people the kingdom prepared for them before the foundation of the world; and to avoid whatever may have the remotest appearance of interfering with this, and rendering its accomplishment problematical, they slur over the solemn warnings and exhortations so frequently given to believers to steadfastness and perseverance. While a still greater number, under the conviction of our proneness to sloth and worldly mindedness, and to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, are ever urging the cautions and precepts against drawing back, and frequently endeavour to dilute and weaken those passages which so clearly make known the security of the people of God. The former method of treating divine truth tends to Antinomianism, the latter, to a legal and self-righteous spirit, and it is hard to say which is the more pernicious. Both are denounced in the Scriptures of truth; we read of some who promise their followers liberty, while themselves

1 Psal. lxxxix. 30-36.

are the servants of corruption.1 Against this error our natural conscience loudly testifies, and, unless we are given up to a reprobate mind, we feel that it proceeds from the prince of darkness. But while here he appears in his own shape, he is hardly less dangerous when, transformed into an angel of light, he urges us to self-confidence, to trust in our watchfulness and circumspection; keeping out of view our weakness and helplessness, and that all our springs are in Christ. Although fallen man is without strength, he is ever disposed to recur to the works of the law for acceptance with God; and, although he may acknowledge that he has no hope of obtaining the favour of God by his own works, yet he frequently appears to expect the help of Christ through his own diligence and attention, or, as the Apostle says, as it were by the works of the law."

66

Not a few seem to halt between two opinions. When discoursing from a passage which treats of the grace of God, they appear to understand the truth, and ascribe all to the distinguishing favour of God. If, on the other hand, they are illustrating what is termed a practical subject, they appear in a great measure to lose sight of the Gospel. Their object seems to be, to lead men to expect salvation by their diligence and attention to duty. Hence, a practical subject is a better criterion of a preacher's acquaintance with the truth than what is commonly called a doctrinal subject. From the imperfection of our knowledge, we are in danger of leaning either to the one side or the other, and hence the necessity of believers, and more especially preachers, looking to Him who has said, "My grace is sufficient for thee, my strength is made perfect in weakness," that the words of their mouth, and the meditation of their heart may be ac

1 2 Pet. ii. 19.

ceptable in the Lord's sight, and may minister grace to the hearers. Even an inspired Apostle exclaims, "Who is sufficient for these things?" This question is unanswerable; there was one, and but one, who could say, "We speak what we do know, and testify what we have seen." HE was fully acquainted with truth in all its bearings and relations, but every one who is called to show to his fellow men the way of salvation may say, 66 our sufficiency is of God."

As there is no schism in the human body, and the most perfect harmony exists in every part, so is it with every part of truth in its doctrines and precepts. The latter spring from the former, as the fruit from the tree; every tree produces its own peculiar fruit. Were the nature of the tree changed, there would be a corresponding change in the quality of the fruit; and not less certainly do erroneous views of the Gospel affect our practice. Hence the importance of contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and holding fast the truth in its purity. It is indeed certain, that holiness and circumspection of conduct do not always correspond with the apparent accuracy of our views of the Gospel, but the truth is the great means of sanctification,1 it is the mould into which the believer is cast; and, therefore, we may rest assured that the man who is most conformed to the perfect example of our Lord Jesus, has the clearest perception of the truth, although, from inferiority of intellect or utterance, he may express himself in a less clear and perspicuous manner than another who is in reality his inferior.*

1 John xvii. 16, 17; 2 Thess. ii. 13.

2 Rom. vi. 17.

* The celebrated Lord Chesterfield states in a letter, that he had spoken in the House of Lords upon the change of the style,—(of which, he says, he understood very little,)—after one of the first astronomers of