Now, in both these ways, with an almost equal propriety, may Christians of the present day be addressed. It is, indeed, more common at the present, than it was formerly, to see persons, who have been baptized into Christ, and who yet have not, in any becoming degree, put Him on. In former times, it behoved no one to enrol himself amongst Christians, who would not follow Christ even unto prison and to death; whereas with us it is an ordinary custom, and rather than not for our worldly advantage, to have been baptized into Him, and to have assumed His name. Hence, they are greatly increased, who, after this good beginning, have scarcely endeavoured, or so much as seriously purposed, to adopt a suitable behaviour: and consequently, a minister of Christ at this time, should be most frequent in exhorting to put Him on. Nevertheless, it may sometimes be of use to address Christians at large, as St. Paul addressed the Galatians, on the supposition that they have put on Christ. Hardly by any other method, can a stronger reproof be inflicted on the negligent. They are made by it to see themselves worse than one may, without giving offence, declare them to be. Also, they are strongly excited to set about reforming their lives, while they seem to be standing fair with their Christian neighbours, and still to be re

garded not as men of a decidedly negligent and refuse character.

I design, my brethren, on this opportunity, to explain the meaning of the exhortation in my text, and the strong, obligations, which we all are under, to comply with it.

First then; you can hardly be without some apprehension, although perhaps without an adequate one, of the Apostle's meaning. "Put ye "on the Lord Jesus Christ," is a figure of speech, representing to us our heavenly Master's conduct in the light of a garment: it is in fact to say-Let the most holy example of his Saviour Christ be unto every one of you "as the cloke that he hath upon him, and as "the girdle that he is alway girded withal.” Now, we are used, before putting on any new garment, to put off our corresponding old one; or, to adopt one of our Lord's parables, spoken by Him on a somewhat different topic, no discreet person, consulting either appearance or utility, will insert a new piece in an old garment; since it is impossible that they should ever firmly be united, and assort well together. Accordingly, the precept before us implies, that we should first discard whatever about us is inconsistent with Christ's example. "The old “man”—our sinful nature inherited from Adam, which is corrupt, and full of deceitful lusts—

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must in the outset be put off, or laid aside. In order worthily to embrace the gospel of the Lord Jesus, you must "renounce the Devil, and "all his works, the pomps and vanities of this "wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the "flesh :" with a view properly to put on His character, you must "put off anger, wrath, malice, "blasphemy, evil speaking, inordinate affection, "evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." (Col. iii. 5, 8, 9.) All these common, but decidedly corrupt, habits are to be cast away, and every other habit is to be chastened, and corrected, and brought within bounds, before you can properly do the thing commanded, or be fit to array yourselves in Christian virtues. Assuredly, Christ will not be worn as a covering over our old sins, nor will His righteousness at all consist with the ungodly manners, which naturally characterize, and adhere to flesh and blood.

Put off therefore (let me urge) all the abovenamed unbecoming habits, preparatory to putting on that which is required. Since you have long ago professed to put them off, take heed to such your profession, and make it good. To adopt the words and method of St. Paul on this point also," seeing that ye have put off the old "man with his deeds," be not still wearing, nor entangled in them. But rend them from

you, and constantly reject them, lest, after having been in a manner appointed unto sanctification and glory, you, nevertheless, finally perish in your own corruption.

Having taken this indispensable step, proceed thence, without loss of time, to put on, as becometh new men, the clean and beautiful garments, which God hath provided for you in the gospel, that you should wear them to the honour of His name; I mean those manifold and appropriate graces, which are set forth in the acceptable person of His Son. Having once discarded the former worthless and offensive things, make haste to assume the righteousness and true holiness of Jesus Christ your Saviour: aim at resembling Him in all your conversation-at rendering yourselves such, even as He was, in this present world.

The conduct of Jesus Christ, whom St. Paul would have you thus resemble, appears to have been uniformly suitable and pure. It is repré

sented to us by the Evangelists who have written of Him, as truly excellent, and full of grace and goodness, without any kind of blemish or imperfection. Let us not therefore be content with adopting only certain parts of it, but resolve to take, and put it on whole. Yet, however inseparably they are connected with each other, we may note distinctly some of the prin

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cipal points, which constitute our Lord's excellency of character. Observe the humility of the man Christ Jesus, and His meekness and patient confidence in God;-" He was brought " as a lamb to the slaughter," innocent and unresisting; "when He was reviled, He reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; "but committed Himself to Him that judgeth righteously." (1 Peter ii. 23.) Observe His self-denial, and devotion;-He scarcely cared for meat and drink, and repose, in comparison with giving Himself unto prayer, and to the performance of His heavenly Father's will. Observe His active benevolence and compassion;— He was never weary of doing good; but His manner of life was to go about continually healing the bodies of the diseased, instructing the minds of the ignorant, and shewing pity on all the afflicted, who came in His way. Then too, His kindness was remarkable towards the many unthankful and evil who surrounded Him: He cared without ceasing for those, who evidently deserved not, in any degree, that He should care for them, and, instead of being provoked to vengeance by ill usage, employed His last moments in praying for His enemies, who had despitefully entreated and murdered Him. And, withal, He maintained an unfaltering zeal for the truth. There was in His goodness nothing