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expedient which excites the attention and admiration of angelic minds. They ftoop down to contemplate the mystery divine, and defire to look into it. This is that expedient in which grace reigns, in which it triumphs in all its fovereignty, and in all its glory, through the righteoufnefs of Jefus Chrift, unto eternal life.

The fanctification of our natures, closely connected with what we have juft mentioned, by which we are enabled to live to God, is also the effect of divine favour. "I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." He lives in me by his Holy Spirit, forming me after his image, and producing in me those gracious habits, fpiritual difpofitions, and holy acts, which are pleasing in his fight. The iffue of these is new and evangelical obedience to his will.

Sanctification is the production of grace. Every chriftian, as fuch, is the workmanship of God, created in Chrift Jefus unto good works; he may therefore fay, in his meafure, with the apoftle PAUL," By the grace of God I am what I am. And as it is God's grace which produces in us every holy difpofition, fo it is the fame grace which quickens and excites these difpofitions from time to time, into fpiritual action. It is in this light that we are to understand the words of our divine Saviour, when he fays, "Without me ye can do nothing."

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thing." Perfectly conformable to this, his infpired apostle has told us, that it is God which worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure. The holy principle in the heart, which is as a well of water springing up to everlasting life, is given by him, in whom it hath pleased the Father that all fulnefs fhould dwell.

It is the very God of peace who fanctifies his children wholly, and who fills them with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, to his own glory and praise. Progress in fanctification, power to perform religious duties aright, and fresh affiftances for new encounters and undertakings, are from him. Let none fay that our fyftem is unfriendly to holiness, because it excludes human works from having any place in a finner's justification; for holiness of heart and life is infeparable from the bleffing of free juftification by the righteousness of Jefus Chrift. We allow holiness to have the place which God has affigned it in his word, though we dare not fubftitute it in the room of the Redeemer's obedience unto death.

It is a certain truth, that where Chrift is a Saviour he will be a Sovereign. He is the Author of eternal falvation to them that obey him. His benefits and his perfon cannot be divided; the virtue of his death is connected with its value. Newness

of heart and of life is as neceffary in its place as freedom from wrath and condemnation. Chrift is made of God unto us fanctification as well as righteoufnefs, and every fincere believer is created in Chrift Jefus unto good works, which God hath be fore ordained that we fhould walk in them. The liberated foul, whom the Captain of falvation hath made free from the power of fin, is thankful for deliverance from his former fetters, as well as for the discharge of his enormous debts. An acquittal in open court would not render a prifoner happy, unless he were alfo released from bondage. In like manner, our falvation by Jefus would not be complete, unless we were delivered from the power, as well as from the guilt of fin. Strength to ferve God, and to do his will from the heart, is a defirable favour, as well as deliverance from condemnation and wrath. The believer enjoys both. Surely fhall one fay, In the Lord have I righteous. nefs and ftrength.

The neceffary comforts and fupports of life, afforded to us in a new-covenant way, are bleffings flowing from God's favour. Man lives not by bread alone, but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord. He bleffeth our bread and our water, and makes our external enjoyments conducive to the fupport and the comfort

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of our lives. It is the chriftian's happiness to receive all the bleffings of providence as bleffings enfured to him by that everlasting covenant, which is ordered in all things and fure. As fuch they are expreffions of God's favour. This feems to be the meaning of the apoftle's words, when he fays concerning the temporal neceffities of the faints,

My God fhall fupply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jefus.” There are riches in glory, or glorious riches in Chrift Jefus, according to which every bleffing, is beftowed. All your wants of foul and body are hence supplied. Let the believer dwell, in his thoughts, on this precious portion of fcripture, and by an active faith. feed on the marrow and fatnefs of it..

The word of God abounds with expreffions to this purpose, that there is no want to them that fear him; that he shall give them the defire of their heart; that they shall inherit the earth; that he will with-hold no good thing from them; that, feeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these things fhall be added unto them; that is, not as common mercies, but as bleffings enfured by promife, and as tokens of fpecial favour. Thus the Lord fpake concerning his ancient people, by the prophet Jeremiah, "I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land affuredly,

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affuredly, with my whole heart, and with my whole foul." Here are temporal bleflings accompanied with fpecial favour.

Sometimes the Lord beflows gifts in displeasure; as when he fed the Ifraelites with quails in the wildernefs. Awful is that divine declaration to a difobedient and gain-faying people, "Thus faith the Lord, I will curfe your bleffings, yea, I have cursed them already." But a child of God partakes of the bounties of his hand in mercy, and as tokens and teftimonies of fpecial favour. This makes them doubly precious and valuable.

How sweet our daily comforts prove,
When they are season'd with his love!

Xenophon, fpeaking of the kindness of Cyrus to his friends, relates, that he gave a cup of gold to Artabazus, and a falute to Chryfantas; the former complained that he had been treated with lefs kindness than his friend, because the salute of Cyrus

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a token of greater favour to Chryfantas, than the golden cup was to him. It is certain, that there is more value in the tokens of favour which the Almighty grants to his poor, defpifed, and afflicted people, than there is in all the treasures of the rich and the great. Whatever the portion of his children be here as to quantity, it is, in quality, like

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