dence of divine truth is perceived it will carry conviction to the mind, though the truth be hated and rejected by an evil heart. They, who now disbelieve and reject the gospel, will know that it is true; and then, though they may not love and receive it, yet they will be obliged to believe its essential doctrines. Sometimes by a belief of the truth is meant in the scriptures, the same thing as receiving it with proper affections. But such a faith implies something very different from a speculative conviction, that the gospel and its essential instructions are true.Persons may mistake a doctrinal conviction of the truth with its effects for saving faith. But as the devils believe there is one God and tremble; so the devils and wicked men may believe, that all the instructions of the gospel are true and yet derive no saving benefit from such a belief. But though there may be a doctrinal belief of the truth without saving faith, there cannot be such faith without a doctrinal belief of the truth. A person may be fully convinced of the truth of the gospel and of its essential doctrines, while they are not received with holy affections. But no one can ever properly receive the instructions of the gospel without a thorough conviction and a firm belief that they are true. 3. A proper reception of the instructions of the gospel, implies holy love of divine truth. The objects which divine truth pre, sents to the mind, may excite the affections and produce a high degree of delight, while no holy love of truth exists in the heart. Whether the affections be holy or unholy, can never be known from the nature of the objects, towards which they are excited, but only from the nature of the affections themselves. Many persons, who heard Christ preach, heard him gladly, and did many things, while their affections were unholy, and while they neither truly received nor loved his instructions. There may be false and sinful affections in view of divine truth.When the truth is received in a proper manner, it is loved for its own beauty and excellence. And then it is spontaneously desired and received, as the new-born babe desires the milk of the breast. Divine truth exactly agrees with the affections, which the Holy Spirit produces in the hearts of christians. But without the pure love of divine truth, it is never rightly received and affords no holy delight. But since real christians have tasted that the Lord is gracious, as new-born babes, they desire the sincere milk of the word. They have that pure and ardent love of the truth, which is so often mentioned in the scriptures. Job says, "Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food." The Psalmist says, "Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it. I love thy commandments above he receives his proper nourish gold; yea, above fine gold."They who have such a pure and holy love of the truth, desire and receive the instructions of the gospel, as the food, the support and nourishment of their souls. 4. The practical influence of divine truth is implied in a proper reception of the instructions of the gospel. When these instructions are clearly understood, firmly believed and greatly loved, they will have a deep and constant influence upon a person's feelings, designs, pursuits, exertions and enjoyments. No other objects can so deeply affect the human mind, or so powerfully influence the conduct of human beings, as those objects, which are exhibited by the light of divine truth. So far as the truth is rightly received, it affects and governs the conduct. It fills the heart and directs and controls the words and actions. If a person would know whether he properly receives the instructions of the gospel, let him examine his own conduct. For whatever may be our speculative knowledge, our doctrinal belief and professed love of the truth, we do not rightly receive the instructions of the gospel, unless they affect and govern our actions. But if we truly receive the instructions of the gospel, their influence will be manifest in the constancy and vigor of holy affections and exertions A healthy child desires and receives his proper food. And he shows that he is healthy, and that ment by his cheerful looks, lively spirits, and sprightly conduct. So a living and healthy christian desires aud receives the sincere milk of the word, and is nourished and strengthened by it. And he shows that he is alive and healthy, by bis cheerful obedience and faithful exertions in the service of God. No one has any reason to believe, or affords any evidence to other persons, that he truly receives the instructions of the gospel, unless he experience and manifest their practical influence upon his heart and life. A proper reception of the instructions of the gospel implies, that they are understood, believed, loved and obeyed. It is now proposed, II. To show that the growth of christians depends on their receiving these instructions. Though this doctrine be evident from the scriptures, yet many persons do not appear to perceive that it is true. Many professors of religion appear to themselves much greater in religion, and in their own opinion grow much faster, when they walk in the darkness of ignorance and error, than they do, when they are brought into the light of divine truth. And some persons, who appear to be real christians, have the lowest and humblest opinion of their religious character and attainments, when they are placed under the most plain and faithful instructions of the gospel. How then does it ap pear, that the growth of christians sary in order to show christians depends on their receiving these the nature, the importance and instructions? To this question it the necessity of their growth in may be answered, the divine life. But without the light of divine truth they never clearly discover their imperfecions. And without a discovery of their imperfections, they would think themselves perfect. And then they would neither grow nor perceive their need of growth in religious attainments. 1. It is only by the instructions of the gospel, that christians can perceive their imperfections. From these instructions christians may obtain a thorough and correct knowledge of themselves in all respects. They exhibit their relations and their obligations to their creator, their fellow creatures and themselves. By the light of divine truth christians discover the nature, the reason and the importance of the duties, which God requires both in the law and in the gospel. They also discover the evil and hateful nature of sin and the extent and bitterness of their own depravity. From the gospel they discover their ignorance and error, their wretchedness and ill desert. Without the light of divine truth they would never see, that in themselves, they are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. But in the same degree, in which they receive the instructions of the gospel, they have a sight and sense of the greatness of their imperfections. The most ignorant and erroneous persons always possess the greatest degree of self-conceit, self-righteousness and self-sufficiency. But they, who imagine they have already attained and are already perfect, never make any progress in truth and duty. A knowledge of their imperfections is absolutely neces are 2. It is by the instructions of the gospel that christians shown the nature of that perfection, which they are required to pursue and attain. Nothing but the gospel exhibits to any of mankind their real character, condition and duty, as sinful and guilty creatures. Though the gospel provides and offers pardon and life for the chief of sinners, it does not in the least approve of what is sinful, or allow the smallest indulgence in iniquity. It unfolds and confirms the law of God; and requires the same perfection, which the law requires, not as the foundation of justification, but as necessary to an admission into heaven and as the duty of every human being. The more christians become acquainted with the gospel, the more are they convinced, that it requires they should be a peculiar people, zealous of good works. The gospel requires christians to cleanse themselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and spirit, and to perfect holiness in the fear of God. Without a thorough and faithful reception of the gos pel, persons may imagine, that they influenced his exertions. And may continue in sin, because grace abounds. But divine truth teaches christians to see and feel the importance and necessity of being holy, as God is holy, and pure, even as Christ is pure. It is only by the instructions of the gospel, that christians are offered the full pardon of their sins, while they are, at the same time, required and obliged to pursue and attain absolute freedom from sin and per fection in holiness. 3. Christians derive proper motives for growth in religious attainments from the instructions of the gospel. So far as any persons are involved in ignorance and error, they do not perceive the motives, by which they should be induced to advance in the knowledge and practice of their duty. But the instructions of the gospel place before the minds of christians and impress upon their hearts all the motives, which the universe can afford, to do what is right and to hate and avoid what is evil. In view of these motives their holy affections are excited and maintained and their holy exertions receive direction and encouragement. The more clearly christians discern the instructions of the gospel and the more deeply the truth enters their hearts, so much the more are they moved to advance in the ways of God.If all christians had such views of the gospel as Paul had, they would see and feel the motives, which awakened his affections and then every christian could say with him- This one thing I do, forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things, that are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." If christians received the truth, as the Lord Jesus Christ received it, when he was on earth, they would follow his holy and perfect example. Then the motives, by which he was moved and governed, would move and govern all their feelings and conduct.— He always acted from a clear sight and deep sense of divine truth. And the motives, which should influence christians, are wholly derived from the pure truths of the gospel. If christians could discover their imperfections and that perfection in holiness, which they ought to attain, without the light of divine truth; yet they could perceive no sufficient motives to exert themselves for a constant and faithful progress in the divine life. Every motive to such progress is derived from the ' instructions of the gospel. 4. The instructions of the gospel discover to christians the only source, to which they can look for growth in spiritual attainments. For this purpose they cannot safely look to themselves, nor to any outward means, nor to any created beings. The living and true God, as he is revealed in the gospel, is the only source, from which they can derive their christian growth. IMPROVEMENT. Without the knowledge of God in they may grow by it. For their Christ Jesus, his people would growth depends upon a proper neither grow nor even live. reception or divine truth. Christ says to his disciples, "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine; ye are the branches; he, that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing." It is wholly through the truth that christians abide in Christ and that he abides in their hearts. On this spiritual communion between the Lord Jesus Christ and his people, their life and growth depends.And this communion depends upon their receiving the instructions of the gospel. These instructions so bring God into the view of his people, that they live and grow in him. In view of God they advance in knowledge, holiness, usefulness and happiness. He is their light and life and strength. Their knowledge of God and their communion with him are begun, maintained and completed by their reception of divine truth. From God, as he is revealed in the gospel, christians derive all their spiritual attainments. Without the instructions of the gospel they can have no such views of God, as are necessary to their progress in the christian life. It is then of the utmost importance, that christians, as new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that duct. 1. From what is implied in a proper reception of divine truth, there is reason to conclude that many persons deceive themselves in respect to this duty. Many to whom the instructions of the gospel are sent, do not appear to have their minds properly affect-, ed or engaged by divine truth. Nor does it appear to have any influence upon their conproper It is certain that many who hear the truth, do not in a proper manner receive it. There are those who constantly hear the gospel and yet neither understand, nor believe, nor love, nor obey its first, its plainest and most important duties. They resemble the way-side, which the Savior mentions in the parable of the sower. And he says, "When any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the wayside." There are other hearers of the gospel, who appear to be suddenly and joyfully affected by divine truth; but they resemble the stony places. And the Savior says, "He, that received the seed into stony places, the same is he, that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for |