heart. Open to him, and fay, Lord deliver my foul. Chufe his falvation. This is the work of thy will. Claim the promised benefit. And stay thy foul upon GOD for it. Jacob-like wreftle, and fay, thou fhalt not go, 'till thou blessest me. Thus abide, till thou feeft the goodness of GOD, even the falvation of thy foul.

15. To conclude. As a finful ftate abounds with criminality, and a confcioufnefs of it creating unfpeakable mifery; (for a wounded fpirit who can bear!) and being an anticipation and specimen of eternal torments; and many things concurring to take away life, every unjustified person is expofed to imminent danger, the danger of dying in fin and fuffering eternally for it. But as the Almighty willeth not the death of a finner; and giving grace to, and commanding all men every where to repent, fo while the day of grace, the time of probation endures, all may turn to GOD, by breaking off their fins and bringing forth fruit meet for repentance. Moreover, he requires all men, according to their difpenfation of revealed truth, and internal evidence or difcoveries of himself and will, to believe; which all may do through the fpirit and merit of CHRIST. For, he who died for all to be the way, to the Father, does in fome degree, enlighten and enliven all, that they may fee the way and have power to walk in it: As fuch, the deftruction of all the deftroyed, as touching the cause thereof, must be refolved into difobedience and damning unbelief. And though CHRIST is not preached to all by the letter as a Saviour; yet his. fpirit inftructs all in things pertaining to Go D. And having died for all men, the benefits of his death will

be

be conferred upon all, who ufe grace, and the means afforded for religious inftruction and improevment, according to the will of Go D. And further: As thofe who have CHRIST preached as well by the outward difpenfation of the word, as by the illumination and excitation of the fpirit, are previleged above others; if they reject, or neglect fo great falvation, theit fuperior privileges will aggravate their crimes, and increase their condemnation.

16. Forafmuch then as life and death are in the hands of the Lord, how much is it to be defired, that men would be wife and confider their latter end, and turn to him who fmiteth them. For, how fhort lived are most, and how uncertain the life which continues for fo fhort a time! How fuddenly are many taken away; and, according to appearance, altogether unprepared! Alas for fouls who depart in their fins, the flames kindle upon them, and confcience perpetually torments them! Thus, in the twinkling of an eye, they are numbered with the damned. Miferable

wretches! A time was when the Almighty ftrove with their rebellious hearts, but they would not fubmit; or, if they did, it was but for a time, for they brought not forth fruit to perfection.

Laftly, Let this be a caution to others, left they alfo fail in the bufinefs which is of greater concernment than gaining a world. Let it be fuppofed then, that fome are fenfible of their danger, that they fee their undone condition without an intereft in CHRIST. Such, it must be confeffed, appear in a light, which to themfelves, is truly alarming; they are black with guilt and a corrupt nature. Yea, GOD is angry with

them, for they feel his wrath in an accufing conscience. But their cafe is not worse for that; yea, it is the very condition which they should be in, in order to be forgiven. They are fuch as he waits to be gracious unto. He has brought them into this ftate to do them good. They are humbled that they may be exalted; burthened that they may find reft; guilty that they may be acquitted. Let them now (having broken of their fins by repentance), depend on the death of CHRIST for forgiveness. And let them trust and not be afraid, for he is near that juftifieth. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, his mercy may take place, and they are juftified freely from all things, from which they could not be juftified by the law of Mofes, and have peace with GOD, through our. LORD JESUS CHRIST. "And in that day they fhall fay, Lord "we shall praise thee, for though thou waft angry with us, thine anger is turned away, and now thou "comforteft our fouls§."

§ Isai. xii. 1.

THE

Galatians, Chap. v. Ver. 23.

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Against fuch there is no law.

CN difcourfing from thefe words, I shall first attempt fome account of the things against which there is no law; and fecondly, point out how there is no law against them.

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I. And firft of the things against which there is no law. These are specified in the preceding verfe. "But the fruit of the fpirit is love, joy, peace, long-. fuffering, gentlenefs, goodness, faith, meekness, "temperance."

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(L)

(1.) 1. And first of the fpirit. Now the fpirit, as it refpects the present state of man, has a double acceptation. In the fcriptures, it often fignifies that which the Almighty vouch fafes to mankind, that agent by which he helpeth their infirmities, delivereth them from evil, and formeth them to a likeness with himfelf; and is then eminently ftiled the HOLY GHOST, or the fpirit of GOD. Confonant to which, while Peter was speaking, "the HOLY GHOST fell on all. "them who heard the words." It alfo fignifies the immediate effect of that fpirit, viz. A divine principle or new nature. The latter is that which the Apoftle here intends. But the fpirit in this fenfe, always fuppofes it in the other alfo; as a new nature is wrought in man by the HOLY GHOST."

2. That a new nature is here fignified by the fpirit, is evident from its contrary, mentioned in the 19th verfe. "Now the works of the flefh (faith the Apoftle), are manifeft, which are adultery, fornication, "uncleannefs, lafcivioufnefs, idolatory, witchcraft, "hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ftrife, fediti"ons, herefies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, re"velings." And though fome of thefe are the works of the flesh, as it fignifies the body; yet others, viz. hored, wrath, &c. are fpiritual evils, and pertain to the mind. And it is no injury to truth, to refolve all evils committed by the body, into the mind, as their firft and principle caufe: For, as the body cannot act without the mind, fo it generally acts according to the quality or difpofition of it: As fuch, the enormities committed against GoD, ourselves, and mankind, are the works of the carnal mind, however the

Acts x. 44. † Rom, xv. 16.

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