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Maker; if he submitted to a painful and an ignominious death to satisfy the divine justice in the punishment of sin, who can duly estimate, who can in any way conceive, the unbounded love of Christ, for deluded, fallen, guilty, and condemned criminals!

XIV.-Divine Grace.

THE doctrine of divine grace is an essential article of the Christian faith; for without this, we are not able to concur even in our own salvation. Our blessed Lord might have been born, lived, and died for sinners, and we no way benefited by it, without that helping grace which cometh from above, and is manifested by its beneficial effects. It is this which enables us both to will and to do. It is notorious that without the grace of God we are without strength and not sufficient of ourselves to think a good thought, much less to walk along the path which is prepared for the redeemed; but, "our sufficiency is of God'.' It is this branch of faith which renders Christ's love efficacious to the souls of men. Though we must not rest in feeling, here we must feel when we are made sensible, that "it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps"." When we have sinned, and are conscious of our sin, there is not a man among us that

1 2 Cor. iii. 5.

2 Jer. x. 23.

does not know that he is destitute of the grace of God which bringeth salvation. When we are reclaimed from sin, when the mist is removed from our eyes, when the offers of Gospel-righteousness are duly accepted and appreciated, what man among us is ignorant of some help beyond his own; what man, under such circumstances, is not ready and thankful to acknowledge the blessing?

The deepness of the doctrine of divine grace is no argument against it; as, like all other spiritual doctrines, it is proved by its consequences. That it has been perverted and abused is no argument against it; for, the just interpretation of Scripture, and the comparison of one part of revelation with another and with our own experience, is a test of its truth, and is conclusive on the subject.

The concurrence of grace with free-will, has, indeed, afforded matter for controversy; but apparently very unnecessarily, as the will or permission of God must be the foundation of both. Without God's grace preventing us, that is, going before us in all our actions and intentions, we can do no good works at all; and without God's grace accompanying and assisting us, we cannot bring to perfection the best of our desires. We are trained up to this holy course by a succession of circumstances, even in the plain path in which the Christian is taught to walk. The very duty which we fulfil, becomes one of the means of grace. A spiritual duty is highly so. Prayer to God is a moving prin

ciple; the parent, as it were, of every blessing; the Sacraments of Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, are divine institutions for this very purpose. The pious man will discover many incidental occurrences of his life, all of which have a reference to the same divine doctrine, and produce effects valuable and unforeseen. Sicknesses, calamities, the loss of friends, the loss of fortune, may all become means of grace; even in the breast which little suspected that one particle of divine grace was lurking within it.

To pursue this argument further, let us reflect on the goodness of God in the restoration which he allows us, in this wonderful dispensation of his providence. There is a strong connection in all the spiritual doctrines of the Gospel. They rest upon each other, so as to build up the man of God. If we are depressed by sin, we are raised to life and comfort by the disclosure of God's mercy.

An impression of the imperfection and degeneracy of the natural state of man, would weigh us down to the lowest depth of misery and distress, if it were not for the seasonable and gracious interposition of divine assistance. God hath never left any man without marks of his supreme favour. Man may resist, man may repel; but God is still merciful and kind, and shows him a way to escape from the snares and seductions of a dangerous world and a perverse temper. A recovery from his fallen nature, whatever difficulties may attend it, lies within the means proposed for that

purpose. "It is the grace of God which bringeth salvation." "By grace are ye saved, through faith, not of yourselves; it is the gift of God";"" for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord";"" being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus +." We cannot surely mistake this language. It is not a language which excludes personal exertion. Our good works are necessary to our salvation, because we cannot be saved without them; and the best works cannot save us without Christ, "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood."

This throws the sinner down before the throne of the Almighty, and he cannot raise himself up without the appointed means of grace and salvation. There is an end of self-righteousness and self-dependence. But there is not an end of hope. "We are saved by hope "." Whilst we are still permitted to breathe the vital air, we may, through the grace of hope, attain vital religion; and thus "being made free from sin, and become servants to God, we have our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."

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When we have truly and solemnly reflected upon the happy consequences of this gift of God on every state and condition of human life, we shall be fully sensible of the inestimable benefit of grace given.

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That it is not imaginary on the one hand, or irresistible on the other, needs no argument to convince a calm and reasonable understanding; for it falls gently on the convinced heart, in the beautiful language of our Liturgy, like "the continual dew of God's blessing." I gladly contemplate the sweet sunshine of the good man's breast; remote from every overpowering influence, but retaining the serene though glowing expression of heavenly love. Here, grace, if I may so say, becomes visible, it manifests itself. Friends, neighbours, strangers, all feel the blessing, and in domestic comfort, all other comforts are combined:

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"Contented toil and hospitable care,

And kind connubial happiness are there;
And piety with wishes placed above,

And steady loyalty, and faithful love."

Pure grace, and the application of pure grace through the infinite shades and varieties of human affections, will evince the truly beneficial influence of this holy principle. "The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace," &c.; but why enumerate them, when such genial fluids circulate through every healthful vein?

It is not to be explained, how the grace of God operates on the mind of man. Many words have often been unprofitably bestowed upon this subject. I point only to the law and to the testimony. It calls up holy thoughts at the most unexpected moments;

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