fied; and nothing ever will or can sanctify him, but the blessed influence of the Holy Ghost: and the whole great concern is plainly stated by the apostle Paul, where he says, "We were sometimes foolish, living in malice, in enmity, hateful, and hating one another." There is the description of man in the fall; there is an account of yourselves, while you remain in your sins; it applies to all mankind, -it runs through the page of history—of all experience. But after the love of God in Christ Jesus to man appeared, "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, which he hath shed on us abundantly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by grace, we might be made heirs, heirs of God, fitted for our inheritance, made meet for our glorious possession." "That we might be made heirs ;" and what is the use of our calling ourselves the children of God, unless we may be made heirs, and partake according to the hope of eternal life. And, therefore, my beloved friends, I beseech you all, as you value your eternal inheritance, to come under the power, the cleansing power, the sanctifying efficacy of God's holy Spirit; that ye may now no longer produce the fruits of the flesh, but the fruits of the Spirit; which are, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; and then ye will be new creatures indeed; you will come to see

"a new heaven and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness;" then " ye shall see Jerusalem (that is, the universal church), a quiet habitation, not one of her stakes shall be removed, not one of her cords shall be loosened; but there the glorious Lord himself shall be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby, for the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King, and he will save

us."

Oh! then, my beloved friends, in the name of all that is glorious, important, virtuous, and eternally happy, I beseech you to lay aside your unbelief, your reasonings, your speculations, your theories, your systems, and with the simplicity of little children, and in a deep sense of your own sins, come ye, and be ye baptized by a divine power, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, one God over all, blessed for

ever.

SERMON II.

DELIVERED 5TH MONTH 10TH, 1832.

"THE Lord is my Shepherd!" and I have thought, my beloved friends, that it was indeed a wondrous proof of the tender mercy of our God, that he condescended to be our guide. "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want: he maketh me to lie down in the green pastures: he leadeth me beside still waters: he restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." And our blessed Saviour's words are surely peculiarly precious; "I am the good Shepherd. The good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." And may we all know him to be our Shepherd; and may we ever be found building our hopes of salvation on the unmerited goodness of our Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep; for it is indeed the foundation of true religion, and the only rock on which we can raise a superstructure of true holiness for our own salvation, for the welfare of man, and for the glory of God, even that the good Shepherd hath given his life for the sheep; hath given his life a ransom for us, to redeem us out of

the hands of our enemies, and to obliterate the hand-writing of the law which was against us, because of transgression; to deliver us from the curse of the law: blessed be the name of our ever adorable Redeemer. And now, friends, if we are believers indeed, we are not our own; but bought with a pricethe precious price of the blood of Christ; and it is our delightful privilege to belong to the flock which he hath purchased, and to enjoy all those privileges which are bestowed on his followers; on his servants; on all those who are redeemed unto God through the blood of the Lamb. And I think it was in the character of a true believer in the Redeemer, that David was made to say, "The Lord is my shepherd;" and we may compare with this language, the declaration of our Lord respecting his own flock; "My sheep hear my voice; and I know them, and they follow me, and I will give unto them eternal life, and no man can pluck them out of my hands. My Father who gave them me is greater than all, and no man shall pluck them out of my Father's hands."

And let us not forget, my beloved friends, what are our privileges, if we indeed belong to the flock of Christ, and truly believe in the Saviour of men. The Lord is our shepherd; the Lord condescends to be our guide. Do we bring the doctrine home to our practice? do we really feel that he is our guide? are we still following him, as the sheep follow the shepherd, when they hear his voice? or are

we still leaning to an arm of flesh, and to our own understanding? and are we still guided by the light of our own speculations, instead of being guided by the Shepherd of Israel, who knows what is best for us; and, as we are concerned to follow him, will undoubtedly provide for us according to our need? And I have been led to think this morning (all this subject has arisen very unexpectedly to myself,) in what a variety of ways the Lord our God condescends to guide us, and to go before his people, and to be also their rear-guard; under a feeling whereof, my soul is bowed in gratitude unto that God who is indeed " good to all, and whose tender mercies are over all his works;" who would have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of his truth. And those who belong, through a living faith, and through the baptism of the Holy Ghost, to the flock of Christ, O! how great is their security in the midst of the dangers and changes of this world of sin, and all those clouds of darkness wherewith the enemy of souls envelopes the minds of those who believe not, lest the glorious light of the gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

My beloved friends, God guides us by his providence. And how delightful it is to contemplate that especial care of Divine Providence which is over the Lord's children; for not a hair of their heads falls to the ground without him. "Behold the lilies, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin;