4. We fee that Chriftians are under indispensible obligations to univerfal holiness.

Every fin is an injury and dishonor to God; but the fins of believers are, in a peculiar fenfe, a grief to the Spirit of God, who has fanctified and fealed them, The Apoftle therefore improves this fealing as an argument against wickedness of every kind in the profeffors of the gofpel. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouths, and grieye not the holy Spirit of God. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind one to another."-"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you; if any man defile this temple,him will God deftroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."

If God has given his Spirit to feal you, grieve not this Spirit. If ye run into the allowed practice of fin, or continue impenitent in any iniquity, into which ye have fallen, the Spirit is not then the earneft of your inheritance. You blot and obfcure his feal on your hearts. And the pollutions with which you have darkened and deformed it,must be washed off by the tears of repentance, before you can there read your title to the inheritance. You must keep your feal fair and bright by the conftant exercise of faith, and practice of duty. You must preferve your hope by purifying your fouls.

"Know ye not, brethren, that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghoft, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? There fore glorify God in your bodies, and in your spirits, which are God's.

SERMON VIII.

EPHESIANS i. 15—20.

Wherefore I alfo, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jefus, and love unto all the faints, ceafe not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jefus Chrift, the father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wifdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him the eyes of your underflanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the faints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to ufward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Chrift, when he raised him from the dead.

IN the foregoing verfes, the Apoftle fpeaks of the Ephefian believers, as being "fealed with that holy fpirit of promife, which was the earneft of their inheritance until the redemption of the purchafed poffeffion. In the words now read, he mentions two graces, which were eminent marks and characters in that holy feal, which had been impreffed upon them. These were, "Faith in the Lord Jefus, and, Love to all the faints," which are ever to be confidered as diftinguishing fignatures of

the heirs of heaven, and feals of their title to the purchased poffeffion.

The Apostle gives thanks to God for their faith and love, of which he had lately heard, and fome effects of which he had formerly seen, while he refided among them.

As there were many from all parts of Afia, who attended on his miniftry, when he preached in Ephefus, it is not fuppofable, that he could be perfonally acquainted with them all; he therefore fpeaks of their faith and love, as having been reported to him. Befides: He had now for fome time been absent from them; and he foretold, that after his departure, there would be a great defection from the faith, which accordingly happened, as we learn from his epiftles to Timothy: And he probably intends here to exprefs his joy concerning thofe, of whom he had heard, that in these times of dangerous declenfion they remained ftedfast in the faith. He did not, however, think them fo firmly established, as to be fecure in that evil day from all the power of temptation; he therefore prays, as well as gives thanks, in their behalf.

What he requested was, in general, that they might have greater knowledge and clearer difcernment in divine things; and, particularly, that they might know the exalted hope to which they were called; the glorious inheritance which was provided for them; and the greatness of that power which will work in believers, to raise them unto immortal life, as it had already wrought in raising Chrift from the dead, and fetting him at God's right hand in heavenly places.

I. Let us confider the things for which the Apoftle commends the Ephefians: These are faith. in Chrift, and love to all the faints.

Faith is fuch a fenfible, realizing belief of the gafpel, in its general truth, and in its particular doctrines and precepts, as gives it a practical in

fluence on the heart and life. It "receives the love of the truth"-" receives it as the word of God, which effectually works in them, who believe."

Evangelical faith has a particular refpect to Jefus Chrift, as the great author of the gospel, and as the purchaser of that falvation which it reveals. God has spoken to us by his Son: Faith receives him as a teacher fent from God, and embraces as truth, whatever is taught by him. Jefus is the mediator, through whom God fhews mercy to guilty men. Faith, therefore, looks up to God through him. "We by Chrift believe in God, who raifed him from the dead and gave him glory, that our faith and hope might be in God."

True faith is "made perfect by works." The Apostle commends the Theffalonians for the works of faith, which accompanied their good profeffion. The chriftian scheme is fo vaftly important, that one who believes it with the heart, and views it as it is, cannot feel indifferent to it, nor live uninfluenced by it. The Apostle fays of the Ephefian believers, "He had heard of their faith." Its fruits were fo confpicuous, that it was fpoken of at a distance. They had not only profeffed their faith, but ftedfaftly maintained it in times of great corruption and defection. They had attended on the ordinances of Chrift in his church. They had walked in humble obedience to his laws, and in peace and charity with one another; and thus had fhewed their faith by their works. Real faith has fuch a commanding influence in the foul, that "it cafts down imaginations and every high thing,. which exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift."

The faith of the Ephefians toward Chrift, was accompanied with "love to all the faints." Where the work of faith is, there will be the labor of love; and where faith grows among Chriftians, their

charity toward each other will abound. The gofpel exhibits the most engaging examples of love in the character of the great God, and in the life of Jesus Christ; and it propofes the most powerful motives to benificence in all its doctrines and discoveries. Faith, viewing and applying the examples and doctrines of the gofpel, purifies the foul unto unfeigned love of the brethren."

end of the commandment, is charity out of a pure heart, and a good confcience, and faith unfeign

ed."

The gofpel requires us to love all men, finners, as well as faints; enemies, as well as friends. The love which we owe to mankind in common, is benevolence or good will. This confifts in a defire of their happiness, and a difpofition to promote it. But, befides this, there is another kind of love, which we owe to the faints, or those who appear to be fuch. This confifts in an approbation and ef teem of their character. This is the fame kind of love, as that which we owe to the Deity. So St. John teaches us: "If a man fay, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath feen, how shall he love God, whom he hath not feen? Every one that loveth him who begat, loveth him alfo that is begotten of him. By this we know, that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments."

Love to God is an approbation of, and pleafednefs with his moral character-his holiness, juftice, truth, goodnefs and mercy. It fuppofes a conformity to this character, and it implies a defire of becoming more and more affimilated to it. The faints are "partakers of a divine nature :" They are "renewed after the image of God in righteousness and true holiness." It, therefore, we love God for his moral perfections, we fhall love the faints, as far as they appear to have thefe di