.》.、,....ར་ The Almighty has confirmed these promises by an oath, for this exprefs purpose, that thofe who have fled for refuge, to lay hold on the hope set before them, might have ftrong confolation; this confolation arifes from the two immutable things in which it is impoffible for God to lie, the promife and the oath of Jehovah, giving them assurance of his favour, and of their fecurity in confequence of it. The witneffing and fealing of the Holy Spirit may serve to convince us, that those to whom he bears witness of their being the children of God, and those whom he feals to the day of redemption, must be affured of their intereft in the divine favour. Sealing is consequent on believing; " After that ye believed, ye were fealed." It is likewife the office of the Holy Spirit, to dwell in real chriftians as the Spirit of adoption, enabling them to addrefs God as their Father, through Jefus Chrift, with boldness, liberty, and confidence. There have been many, in all ages, who have witnessed what we are now speaking of, who have been well affured, on folid grounds, of their intereft in the favour of their Maker. They have been able to adopt, with propriety, the language of his people recorded in the facred scriptures, and to rejoice in the glorious benefits flowing from the foun fountain of redeeming love. They have faid, “The Lord is my light, and my falvation; I will truft and not be afraid, for the Lord Jehovah is my ftrength and my fong; he alfo is become my falvation. He loved me, and gave himself for me. We have known and believed the love that God hath unto us. God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him!" If many profeffors of religion in the present day fall fhort of this privilege, there is certainly a cause for it, and that cause lies at their own door. This privilege is not to be enjoyed without the diligent use of those means, which God hath appointed for our increase and growth in grace. It is not to be enjoyed without felf-denial, watchfulnefs and circumfpection. It is never experienced, in any comfortable degree, but in the affiduous practice of religious duties; fuch as prayer, reading the word of God, meditation, self-examination, and a constant attendance on the worship of God. Those who expect to enjoy the privilege in queftion, in the neglect of these means, do but deceive themselves. They may exclaim, if they please, against remarks of this kind, as favouring of legality; we know that God has been pleased to connect the end with the means; and what he has joined together, let no man think to put afun der. Let me entreat you to regard what the apoftle fays to the Hebrews; "We defire that every one of you do fhew the fame diligence to the full affurance of hope unto the end." The full affurance of hope is a fpecial degree of its advancement and improvement. A weak and imperfect hope will give but a weak and imperfect relief under trouble; but that which rifeth up to a full affurance will carry us comfortably through all the difficulties and afflictions attendant on the prefent ftate, Now diligence is neceffary to be fhewn, if we would enjoy this full affsurance of hope. This is God's appointment: "Give diligence to make your calling and election fure; for if ye do these things, ye fhall never fall; for so an entrance fhall be miniftered unto you abundantly into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift." Diligence hath a proper and natural tendency to the end propofed. For by the use of diligence, we grow in grace, fo that our intereft in the promifes of God is cleared up unto us. There is no instance wherein we may allow ourselves to lay afide this diligence; for it must be fhewn unto the end. There is no condition in life wherein it will not be necessary. It must be maintained, if we would enjoy the full affurance of hope, till we are abfolutely discharged from our warfare. Many Many fall fhort of a fettled affurance of intereft in the divine favour, for want of feeking it. Could they be perfuaded to pray for themselves, with that earneftness and importunity which the apostle Paul discovered with refpect to others, they would, no doubt, be brought to experience the privilege in question. "I cease 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 wisdom and revelation, in the knowledge of him: the eyes of your understanding 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. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner-man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all faints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Chrift which paffeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulnefs of God." Would those who are at uncertainties concerning their spiritual state, be prevailed upon to feek with diligence, earneftness, and perfeverance for what 》《རབ་རས་ what is requested in these petitions, they certainly would be brought to experience what they have not yet known. For it is faid by him that cannot lie, "Afk, and ye fhall receive; feek, and ye fhall find; knock, and it fhall be opened to you. For every one that afketh, receiveth; he that feeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it fhall be opened." The plain matter of fact then is, " Ye have not because ye ask not." O that O that you would be entreated to make the experiment, and fee whether the God of truth and grace will falfify his own word. Some walk perpetually in the dark respecting their intereft in the divine favour, through the indulgence of fome known fin. Conscience! speak; thou art a witness for God. Difcharge thy office faithfully. Arreft the guilty reader, and urge him him here to make a folemn pause...... Though no one was farther from a legal spirit than the apostle Paul; though no one was more dependent upon Jefus Chrift for acceptance with the Father; yet he fays, "Herein do I exercise myself, to have a confcience void of offence, both towards God and towards men." If we live in any known fin, or allow ourselves in the customary omiffion of any known duty, how is it poffible to preserve a comfortable sense of our |