awhile, yet He bridleth them, infomuch that they cannot touch a hair of one's head, except He permit them; and how in their end their deftruction is moft miferable. We may here have present remedies against all temptations, and troubles of mind and confcience; fo that, being well practifed therein, we may be affured against all dangers in this life, live in the true fear and love of God, and at length attain to that incorruptible crown of glory which is laid up for all them that love the coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift."

Is it your wish, then, dear brethren, to know and enjoy that which constitutes true bleffedness? Do you crave after a state of mind which you do not at prefent poffefs, and after future blifs, which, as far as prefent appearances indicate, you may have but small profpect of enjoying? Then, learn

from our text the infallible rule for attain

ing both? It seems to consist, in part at leaft, in ceafing to do evil and learning to do well; in efchewing that which is evil and following after that which is good; in laying afide every weight, and running with patience the race set before us; in relinquishing, as distasteful and injurious, the pursuits of carnal enjoyment, and in setting the affections on things above; in renouncing the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, and all the finful lufts of the flesh; and in steadfastly believing all the articles of the Chriftian faith. You thus observe, that the bleffedness of which the Pfalmift fpeaks confifts of negative and positive duties,-fhunning the ways of the godlefs, and walking in the way that leads to everlasting life. Bleffed is the man that walketh not-that ftandeth not-that fitteth not. These doings are laid afide, and, on the other hand, "his delight is in the law

of the Lord; and in His law doth he me

ditate day and night."

The difference, then, between the fervants of God and the ungodly is not only nominal, or one of state, it is an actual difference of character. "Old things are paffed away; behold, all things have become new." If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; not only tranfpofed from the wilderness world into the enclosure of the Church, but more than this, his nature, his taftes, his objects and motives, are renewed by the Holy Spirit. From having lived to himself, he has learned to live for God. The truant dictates of his perverted will are under the control and constraint of a high celestial principle; his thoughts are brought into captivity to the law of Christ. In short, it is the difference between death unto fin and a new life unto righteousness : it is a crucifixion of the flesh with its affec

tions and lufts, in place of pampering and indulging the natural tendencies of man, which incline him to evil. The existence of this new life may be tested by the criterion of the text before us. The uncon

verted man does walk in the counsel of the ungodly, does stand in the way of finners, does fit in the feat of the scornful. The converted man does delight in the law of the Lord, does make it the constant subject of his meditation; and the refult is obvious in his life, conduct, and converfation. It is no ineffective principle, but an operative, energetic power, which is as manifest as the fruit on a healthy tree. For the Pfalmist goes on to fay, ver. 3, " And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his feafon his leaf alfo fhall not wither; and whatfoever he doeth fhall profper."

Let us now notice the terms in which

the character of finners is expreffed. They are spoken of as at first ungodly-devoid of God-fearing hearts -indifferent - not

abfolutely revelling in active depravity, but ungodly. God is not in their thoughts without God in the world-deficient in fanctity, but not yet wallowing in fin. Then they become finners, i. e. pofitively wicked in conduct-infringing God's lawguilty of fin against Him-finners-and the next phrase is "fcornful: " more than ungodly - more than finners — actually

fcornful revelling in wickedness, and

fcornful of God and holiness: fools making a mock of fin.

Oh, how painfully frequent are characters who illuftrate this gradual departure from God! Sin is first placed before them as pleasing; as Satan did to Evethe tree was pleasant and good for food-to be defired. Imagine the case of

any

finner