godliness, who have put their strength to the trial, (and they only are competent judges in a question of this nature) know the truth of what I have been proving, and will be ready to attest it from their own experience. Nevertheless, as pride is the last part of the old man that dies, it will be profitable even for such persons to "be put in remembrance of these things, though they know them, and be established in the present truth." Have you experienced the power of divine grace? have you tasted and seen that the Lord is good? then surely it is meet that your souls should bless him. But, O be humble! and give check to any self-exalting thoughts. Consider both where and what you are. You are still upon earth, part of the wilderness lieth before you, and you must pass through the valley and shadow of death before you can enter into the promised land. Many seeds of corruption still lodge in your nature; many enemies beset you, both within and without; the fiery darts of the wicked one fly thick on every side; and nothing less than Omnipotence can protect and sustain you, and carry you forward in safety to the end of your journey. If you trust in any measure to yourselves, if you depend upon the grace you have already received, as if that would be sufficient for the time to come, you shall soon get a proof of your ignorance and folly. You need daily grace as much as daily bread; for, separated from Christ, you can do nothing. Beware, O Christians! of undertaking any thing in your own strength; for that which is begun in self-confidence will most assuredly end in shame and disappointment. Go forth in the name of the Lord of hosts, saying, with good king Jehoshaphat, (2 Chron. xx. 21.) " O Lord, we know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee." And for your encouragement, I shall now,

II. In the second place, Lead your thoughts to that all-sufficient grace which is treasured up in Christ; whereby the weakest of his people are enabled to endure the buffettings of Satan, and shall finally be made to triumph over all their spiritual enemies.

This is a most comfortable doctrine, and cannot fail to beget joy and confidence in every believing soul. How completely wretched would the discovery of our weakness make us, had we no knowledge where help is to be found, or no hope that help would be granted to us! But, blessed be God, neither of these is the case. For,

1st. An overflowing fountain of grace is set open to our view. "The Word was made flesh," saith the apostle John, "and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth." "It hath pleased the Father," saith the apostle Paul, "that in him should all fulness dwell." Nay, " In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Coloss. ii. 9. Here then is not only fulness, but all fulness; nay, the whole fulness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ Jesus: and what words can import a sufficiency of grace, if these do not? But may we hope that this grace shall be imparted to us? Yes, we may. For, in the

2d place, The Scriptures assure us, that all this grace is treasured up in Christ for the behoof of his people. I need not mention particular passages of Scripture for the proof of this, seeing it evidently appears from the whole strain of divine revelation, where Christ is uniformly represented as a public person, sustaining the character of Mediator or Surety, living and dying, not for himself, but for the sake of those whom the Father had given him. Hence he is called the head, and believ

ers are styled the members of his body. He is compared to the vine; and, in a suitableness to this figurative representation, believers are denominated branches which grow out of this vine, and derive all their sap and nourishment from it. That remarkable prophecy of Isaiah, (chap. Ixi. 1,-3.) which our Lord applied to himself in the synagogue at Nazareth, is a clear and strong confirmation of this truth: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Here is a plain declaration, that Christ was anointed, and filled with the Spirit, for this very end, that he might dispense to his people those supplies of grace which their various cases and necessities might require. We are further assured,

3dly. That Christ, upon all occasions, is willing and ready to impart his grace unto them according to their need. Ignorance of this keeps many Christians in a languishing, dejected state. Though they know that the fulness of the Godhead dwelleth in Christ, and that all grace is treasured up in him for the benefit of his people, they are nevertheless haunted with fears and jealousies about his willingness to communicate this treasure to them. These partly arise from the sense of their own unworthiness, and partly from the misrepresentations of Satan, the great adversary, who doth every thing in his power to cherish and strengthen those evil surmis

ings which keep sinners at a distance from the fountain of mercy, and drive them away from that Almighty Saviour upon whom their help is laid. But, blessed be God! the Scriptures furnish us with arguments more than sufficient to refute all the suggestions of Satan upon this head. The good will of our Lord shines with such glory in every page of this sacred book, that there can remain no rational ground to doubt of it: "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This," adds the evangelist, "spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive." John vii. 37, 38, 39. He is represented, in the book of the revelation, as standing at the door, and knocking, with these gracious words in his mouth, "If any man will hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me." How sweet is his name, Jesus, a Saviour! how endearing the relations he stands in to his people, as their Shepherd and Friend, their Husband, their Brother? Was he not tempted, that he might succour those who are tempted? And can we have any reason to question his love to us, who became flesh of our flesh, and bore our griefs, for this very end, that he might be gracious? Nay, we may appeal to facts for the proof of this doctrine. All the ransomed around the throne, who overcame by the blood and Spirit of the Lamb, give testimony to this great and important truth; and I trust there are many thousands upon earth, who, with humble gratitude and joy, can attest the same, and say with the apostle John, "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace." More might be said upon this head; but you have heard enough to show, that believers in

Christ have all possible encouragement to come boldly to a throne of grace, in the assured hope that they shall obtain mercy, and find grace to help them in every time of need. And therefore I shall only add,

4thly. That this grace of Christ, when once obtained, shall infallibly prove victorious, and finally prevail against all opposition. He who is the author, is likewise the finisher of his people's faith; for "his gifts and call. ing are without repentance." "He will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax, till he bring forth judgment unto victory." Grace, though a small rivulet in appearance, is fed with an everlasting spring. Where the Lord Jesus begins a good work, he will carry it on to perfection, and never leave the objects of his love till he hath made them like himself, all glorious both within and without, and presented them to his Father without spot and blemish.

THUS have I laid before you two important points of Christian doctrine; first, Our weakness in ourselves; and, secondly, That sufficiency of grace which is to be found in Christ Jesus. The Spirit was not given by measure unto him; and this precious oil was poured upon his head, that from thence it might flow down to the remotest skirts of his garments, and be communi. cated to all the members of his body. Nay, he is, upon all occasions, most willing and ready to dispense to his people this inestimable blessing: none who come to him under a sense of need shall be sent empty away. And the first fruits of his grace are a certain pledge and earnest of future glory; for "whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." It is not so much the Christian that lives, as Christ that liveth in him; and because he lives, all who believe in him shall live also. "They are kept," not by their own strength, but "by the power of God, through faith unto salvation."