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His) to whom alone the glory is due, to the glorious Trinity in Unity. "Ye know Him," says the text. Is this true? Have you experienced His influence on your hearts and minds? Has He convinced you of sin? has he shown you the Saviour of sinners ? taken of the things of Christ and shown them unto you? made you receive the truth as it is in Jesus" in the love of it? O be very thankful, if this is the case! But further, have you experienced His indwelling power? Has He "borne witness with your spirits that you are the children of God,"* with all the glorious blessings that belong to that endearing appellation? Have you been sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,— the earnest of your heritance? O be doubly thankful to God "for this His unspeakable gift!" Thank Him for all that is past, and trust Him for all that is to come. "What?" (well might the Apostle exclaim under such circumstances), "know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost,"-think what an honour! only think how the faculties of our souls should be consecrated to the service of God!"the temple of the Holy Ghost which is

in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" Why? "For ye are bought with a price" at the price of Christ's most precious blood, at the price of God's dear Son, whom He spared not; "therefore" (I conclude with the Apostle's exhortation) "glorify God in your body, and in your Spirit, which are God's."*

* 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20.

SERMON VI.

JAMES i. 12.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him."

"WE love God," my brethren, (if we have any love to Him at all,) "because He first loved us." The Apostle speaks of the "great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins." How could that be? How could a Holy God love guilty sinners? Only by seeing them in the Sinless, seeing them in Christ, His only begotten and well beloved Son.

And this love of His (he tells us further,) is "shed abroad in our hearts," in the hearts of His people, “by the Holy Ghost that is given to us :”* kindling our love to Him in return: His grace winning our gratitude. Well then! our text informs us that "the Lord hath promised the crown of life to them that love Him;” not because they love Him, for we have just seen that their love to Him springs from His love to them. "Not that we loved God" (says St. John) "but that He loved us." "The love of Christ constraineth us," as the Apostle says. His love to us draws out our affection to Him: we can do no other than love and obey one who has given us, and who continues to give us, such costly proofs of His great love to us. And "because ye are sons," (we read again,) already sons by adoption and grace, (God having fixed His sovereign love upon you, and chosen you to be His sons and heirs in Christ Jesus,) "because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying Abba, Father:"§ enabling you to realize your relationship to Him in the Son of His love drawing out your affections to Him, and * Rom. v. 5. + 1 John iv. 10. 2 Cor. v. 14. § Gal. iv. 6.

thus showing to you, and showing to all, that you are being made meet for the inheritance, and are living "in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began."* The turning point (you observe therefore,) in salvation, is in God, and not in man. The things pertaining to salvation, the broken and contrite heart, the love of truth, the abiding of the Spirit, the walk with God, all these, are said to be "things freely given to us of God."+ With regard to our justification before God, it is said, we are "justified freely by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus:" and with regard to our sanctification, you remember the Apostle's prayer, "and the very God of peace sanctify you. wholly."§ God sanctifies His people, by His Spirit, just as He justifies them by His Son,

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who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."|| From first to last we are indebted for our salvation to the sovereign love and free grace of God, which is given us in Christ Jesus our Lord. "He is made unto us of God, wisdom and

* Titus i. 2.

+ 1 Cor. ii. 12.

§ 1 Thess. v. 23.

Rom. iii. 24.

Rom. iv. 25.