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this holy Lord God?" As for me, "I am lefs than the least of all his mercies, less than the least of all faints," not worthy to wash the feet of the fervants of my Lord!—And at the fame time you have fuch an infight into the fpirituality, extent, and obligation of the holy law of God, into the height and depth, length and breadth of the obedience it requires; and together therewith, have fuch a fenfe of your paft fins, and of your present failings, whereby you continually come fhort of the glory of God, that you never before relished fo well, or found fuch fweetness in the confeffion of holy Job, "Behold I am vile! What shall I anfwer thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth."-Judge yourself, therefore, by this rule, and remember, if you indeed poffefs what you profefs, you are "of a contrite and humble fpirit," you even "abhor yourself, and repent as in duft and afhes."

14. Now that you may retain this spirit of humility, without which you cannot poffibly retain that measure of Sanctification you poffefs, much lefs obtain a still greater degree, and increase with all the increase of God ;-fettle thefe two things deeply in your heart, 1ft, that what you are, you are by grace; and, 2dly, that you are not what you may, and, if you continue faithful, fhall be. Remember, 1ft, that you are wholly indebted to the mere mercy of God, the atoning facrifice of Chrift, and the powerful influence of the Spirit of Grace for all the good that is in you or about you. And remember that the holiness which is wrought in you, is not lodged as a ftock in your own hands, but you are dependant daily upon God for it. The fame mercy which first bestowed it, bestows it afresh every moment; the same merit of Chrift which firft interpofed on your behalf, and purchased

purchased this bleffing for you, interpofes ftill; and the fame Holy Spirit which firft influenced your heart with the love of God, is ftill the one fource of your wifdom and power, holiness and happiness. If this were withdrawn, it might ftill be faid, that in you dwelleth no manner of thing that is good."

15. This is not all: It is not only neceffary in order to your retaining an humble mind, that you fhould afcribe all the good that is in you to the grace of God alone, and no part of it to yourself; and that you should be fenfible you are continually dependant upon God for it: But it is alfo needful, 2dly, that you should not over-value the good that is in you, or think of your attainments, or of yourself on account of them, more highly than you ought to think. That you may not fall into this very life and foul of spiritual pride, which would undoubtedly grieve the Holy Spirit of God, and be as a worm at the root of your graces, fettle it in your heart that you ftill come very fhort of your duty, and are deficient both in the inward exercise of love, and the outward acts of virtue. Place before your eyes the moral law as it is explained by Mofes and the Prophets, Chrift and his Apoftles. Remember it is of indifpenfable obligation, and can no more be abrogated, than God can be unholy. Remember too, that it requires you not only to love God with all your heart, but alfo to ferve him with all your frength, or to the uttermost of your power, and to love your neighbour as yourself, doing him all the good you can in foul and body, from day to day. In other words, the law of God requires you to employ all your powers and faculties, of whatever kind, at all times and in all places, as far as poffible to the glory of God, and for the good of mankind. Now this you dare not say you have yet done for one fingle day in all

your

your life; you dare not affirm, you have for one day loved and ferved either God or your neighbour as much as you might have done. You have therefore ftill need to pray, " Father, forgive us our trefpaffes," and to acknowledge it is of the Lord's mercies even you are not confumed.

16. It follows from hence, 3dly, that you have ftill room for growing in grace, and in a conform ity to the Lord Jefus. This indeed you will readily allow; but you must allow more. You must allow not only that you may, but that you must gō forward towards higher attainments in the divine life, if you would not grieve the holy Spirit of God, and lofe what you have already gained. God, you must remember, hath predeftinated you to be conformed to the image of his Son;" to have that whole mind in you which was in Chrift Jefus, and to walk as he walked; to have, like him, the law of God fully exemplified in your life; to be living images of him, as he is of the Father. This is the mark God hath fet you, and if you would not deceive yourself, and fink into floth and indolence, you must not fet yourself a lower mark. You must not ceafe to defire and pray, strive and labour, watch, deny yourself, and take up your cross, till you have in you the humility, meeknefs, and refignation; the faith, hope, and charity; the zeal for God's glory, and the falvation of finners; the bowels of mercy, tenderness, and compaffion; the love to God and mankind, with the proper fruits flowing therefrom, which dwelt in the Son of God. In a word, till, as the Apoftle fays, you are even filled with all the fulness of God."

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17. Remembering you have dedicated all the faculties of your foul and members of your body, with all you have and are, to God, to be at his difpofal, you muft ftudy to employ them from day

to

to day according to his will, and for the promotion of his honour and glory. Your underftanding, confcience, and memory, your will and affections, your paffions and appetites, your fenfes and members, your time and talents, your spirit, 'foul, and body, with all that belongs to you, must be holiness to the Lord, fet apart for God, and used as he directs. This is what the moral law requires, and what the example of Chrift holds out to your view; and this you must never cease aiming at and ftriving after. "Not as tho' you had already attained this, either were already perfected; but you must follow after, if by any means you may apprehend that for which you are apprehended of Chrift Jefus. Brethren, you must not count yourselves to have apprehended" all that God has to work in you, and perform by you: You live that you may ftill know more, receive more, do more, and fuffer more: "But this one thing you muft do, forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth to the things that are before; you muft prefs towards the mark for the prize of your high calling of God in Chrift Jefus," that at laft you may ftand compleat in the whole will of -God, and be as Chrift was in this world." I fay, "Let as many of you as are perfect be thus minded; and if any of you be otherwife minded, God," if you are fincere and watchful, will reveal this Lunto you," and fhew you your mistake.

Once more. Having guarded you against pride and floth, let me alfo guard you against carnal fecurity. Remember you have a threefold enemy yet to encounter, not only the devil and the world, but alfo the flesh. Tho your old man is crucified with Chrift," and you are even "dead to fin, and alive unto God, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord; yet remember you have still an animal nature about you, the feat of various fenfes, appetites, and paf

fions;

fions; and that this will infallibly lead you aftray and betray you into fin, if not watched over and kept under continual reftraint. You have, therefore, ftill daily need to "deny yourself, to keep the body under, and bring it into fubjection, left" after all these attainments " you fhould become a caft-away." And take care you do not reft in, or place any dependence upon, any thing done for you at any particular time or place; but remembering "you are every moment pleafing or difpleafing to God, according to the whole of your inward tempers and outward behaviour," give daily proof, as of your juftification, fo alfo of your fanctification, by your unblamable and edifying conduct and converfation. And how much foever you testify in words concerning the great things the Lord hath done for you, teftify still more in deeds, perfuaded that example fpeaks louder than any thing, and will be believed fooner than any other teftimony you can bear. Thus be ye the "falt of the earth, and the light of the world." Yea, "let your light fhine before men, that they seeing your good works, may glorify your Father, who is in heaven." Now, "may the God of Peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus Chrift, that great Shepherd of the sheep, thro' the blood of the everlafting covenant, make you perfect in every good >work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleafing in his fight, thro' Jefus Chrift, to whom be glory for ever and ever.' AMEN.

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FINIS.

Conference-Office, North-Green, Finsbury-Squares

G. STORY, Agent.

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