past sins through His blood, he will consider himself obliged, on principles of common honesty and gratitude, to stand up on the Lord's side without affectation or disguise, to set his face, like a flint, against whatever can tend to dishonour Him amongst men, and to hold no sacrifice of inclination too great, no devotion of body and soul too entire, for the cause of his Redeemer's kingdom and glory. Any thing short of thus serving the Lord in truth, with all his heart, in return for the great things which He hath done for him, will seem, to such an one as the text describes, scarcely better than insincerity and falsehood.

Upon this, some one may have a mind to ask, -what benefit is it to a person of the above description that the Lord imputeth to him no sin, if to commit sin be so inconsistent with his character? But, I have not said, that the man," in whose spirit there is no guile," has, or can have, no sin; nothing more has been asserted to such effect, than that he will never indulge himself in sin, or willingly submit to its dominion; that he will not say, nor think, in time of temptation, surely the Lord will pardon His servant in this thing, and so venture on some forbidden deed. To transgress, thus presuming on forgiveness, is evidently quite incompatible with an honest and an up

right heart, and is, accordingly, the way to have our transgressions imputed to us. Setting aside, however, such wilful trespasses, the natural frailty of the most single-hearted characters will, now and then, overcome them by surprise. As one that has to work daily with edged tools, must almost inevitably meet with occasional wounds, notwithstanding the best caution which he can use; so, by reason of the weakness of his flesh, and of his necessary intercourse with the world, the most circumspect cannot but sometimes incur spiritual mischief. Hence, to every one, will there exist sufficient need of healing and compassion from the Lord. Let a Christian shrink from sin, as from a cutting instrument, still, his hope of not being slain by it must be reposed in the great Physician of souls.

Wherefore, upon the whole, if any man would enjoy the blessedness (as described by the Psalmist) of justification, let him forget not what manner of man he must be," in "whose spirit there is no guile." He must be free from all fraud and hypocrisy, single and open-hearted, and wishing to deceive none, either in heaven or on earth; and what things he, from time to time, doeth amiss, must be done so unwittingly, and against his settled purpose, as that he may venture to appeal con

cerning them to his Maker-" God, Thou "knowest my simpleness; and my faults are "not hid from Thee." (Psalm lxix. 5.) In short," He that leadeth an uncorrupt life, and "doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh "the truth from his heart; he that hath used "no deceit in his tongue, and that hath not "lifted up his mind unto vanity, nor done evil "to his neighbour; he shall receive the bless

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ing from the Lord, and righteousness from "the God of his salvation." (Psalms xv. and xxiv.)

And great, my brethren, I will bid you observe, in conclusion, yea, exceedingly great and precious, is the blessing or blessedness annexed to the above guileless character. He is one of God's elect, accepted, or justified before Him, and thence a partaker of His Divine Spirit, and an inheritor of His eternal kingdom, unless he wilfully draw back unto perdition. "Whoso "walketh according to the rule laid down, peace "resteth on him, and mercy, as upon the Israel " of God." Be it repeated, (what Jesus Himself hath declared,) that every one without guile is an Israelite indeed, a genuine child of Abraham, who shall be blessed with that faithful patriarch, and be carried by the angels into his bosom. Surely, here are privileges and prospects the most encouraging which one can

possibly desire. Let them prevail with you, during this your day, to confess, and forsake every besetting sin, and to "draw near with

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a true heart, in full assurance of faith,” (Heb. x. 22.) unto God.

SERMON XII.

ROMANS xiii. 14.

Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ.

IT is somewhat remarkable, that the same Apostle, who wrote thus to the Romans, hath written, in his third chapter to the Galatians, "As many of you as have been baptized into "Christ, have put on Christ." However, St. Paul probably did not intend to describe the Galatians, as living more in agreement with the gospel, than the Romans; he merely designed to say-Having been baptized into Christ, you are, of course, professing, or owning yourselves obliged to have put Him on, and to be walking after His example. Such ground he took with them on this point, for argument's sake, and to avoid breaking the thread of his discourse. But, to them at Rome he chose otherwise to write" Put ye on the Lord Jesus "Christ;" since it had not escaped his notice, that many, who had been baptized into Him, were apt to fail of duly performing their obligations.