with which God offers his grace to every man,

accept

and gives to every man the power of ing it and thirdly, the means by the proper ufe of which this fanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit may affuredly be obtained. Regarding therefore the obfervations which were ftated under thofe three branches of the general subject, as in an adequate meafure préfent to your recollection; I now prỏceed, in humble dependence on the bleffing of God, to unfold to you the marks by which you may judge every man for himfelf, whether your hearts are under the government of the Holy Spirit. I trust to be enabled, on a future occafion, to execute the remainder of my plan as originally stated, by manifefting the complete and certain fufficiency of divine grace for every purpose for which it can be defired or beftowed; and by a general application of the whole fubject to perfons of different descriptions.

IV. I propose to fet before you the tests and proofs by which the effectual poffeffion of divine grace is afcertained.

A tree is known by its fruits. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit: neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. If

your

your difpofitions and your conduct are characterised by the fruits of the Holy Spirit ; you may humbly confide that you are under his effectual guidance. If your hearts and lives do not habitually difplay thofe demonftrations of his prevailing influence; you are not authorised to draw that conclufion.

What then are the fruits of the Spirit? All good and perfect gifts; for every good and perfect gift is from above: all the graces of the Christian character; for every one of those graces is a plant foreign to the corrupt foil of the human heart, and can flourish there only in confequence of being fown and nurtured by the foftering care of the Spirit of God. In the facred writings, these fruits or gifts of the Holy Ghoft are fometimes mentioned fingly; accordingly, as the inspired penman was led by his immediate subject to delineate fome particular feature of true religion fometimes, when the train of his argument carried him into a wider range of defcription, feveral of them are noticed at once, and exhibited in one view. To collect from the word of God the various fruits of the Holy Spirit into one glorious affemblage; to illuftrate the nature of each; and to trace the precife course of enquiry neceffary to qua- . lify you to eftimate the degree, in which

they are severally produced in yourself; this would be a task which would demand, in addition to other requifites, the compafs of many difcourfes. On the prefent occafion, therefore, I must content myself with calling your attention to fome few of thofe fruits, and with felecting fuch as are of prime importance.

To this man will I look, faith the Lord; even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. Blessed are the poor in fpirit: for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven. Thus faith the high and lofty one, that inhabiteth eternity, whofe name is holy: I dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble Spirit (a). Have these fruits of the Holy Ghoft, humility, and repentance, been wrought in you? Are you thoroughly penetrated with the conviction of the inherent heinoufness of fin? Do you acknowledge that every tranfgreffion of the divine law is treafon against the sovereign of the universe : ingratitude to your most bounteous benefactor: abomination in the fight of a God of holiness a forfeiture of the whole of that future reward, which was promised only to perfect obedience: and a juft ground for the punishment denounced against all, who after

(a) Ifaiah, lxvi. 2. Matt. v. 3. Ifaiah, Ivii. 15.

receiv

of

receiving, as all men have received, ability to perform their duty, fhall be found guilty any act of rebellion? Are you convinced, that by wilful tranfgreffion you have proved yourself rebellious? Are you convinced, by contemplating the depravity of the nature common to all men, and the refult of your perfonal experience, that you must despair, if abandoned to yourself, of refifting the future allurements of fin? Do you feel an abhorrence of fin, because of its finfulness? Are you earnestly folicitous to be delivered from fin, not merely on account of the penalty which it entails, but on account of its native deformity, its offensiveness in the fight of God? Do you begin to fee the beauty and excellence of holiness? Are you fubmiffively willing to be refcued from guilt and its confequences, and to be reconciled to God, by fuch methods, whatever they may be, as he in his wifdom fhall ordain? Then bath God granted unto you the grace of repentance! Then hath he wrought in you by his Spirit that felf-abafement which is the foundation of justifying faith in the Lord Jefus !

The just shall live by faith: and faith is the fruit of the fpirit (b). Is that fruit manifested

v. 22.

(6) Habb. ii. 4. Rom.i. 17. Gal. iii. 11. v. 22.

in you? Do you receive with reverent acquiefcence the fcriptural revelation of the nature and the office of the Meffiah? With respect to myfteries, concerning which the limited understanding of man is of itself utterly incompetent to pronounce any decifion; do you bring every thought into captivity before the declarations of God? Do you behold your Redeemer as the teacher of the will of God to man? Do you behold his blood as the fountain opened for the washing away of fin? Do you look to him as the Lamb of God; the only, the all-fufficient facrifice, by which atonement is made for tranfgreffors? Do you cordially believe that there is falvation in no other: that there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby you may be faved? Do you look up to him as your advocate, your continual interceffor with the Father? Do you elevate your thoughts to him as the King of kings, feated on the throne of glory at the right hand of God, Lord of angels and archangels, of principalities and powers throughout the whole extent of creation: as head over all things to his church, difpenfer of light and ftrength and life, the raiser of the dead, the appointed judge of the world?

Do