CHAP. II.

THE COMMUNICATION AND DIFFUSION OF THESE PRIVILEGES.

JESUS himself being the fountain of all grace; it flows from Him to us. All who receive it obtain it from him, partake of his mind, and long that others should possess and enjoy this grace; therefore the apostle desires that the Corinthians should receive it. Observe that the sweet property of grace is ever to communicate blessings to others. Its language to others is Oh taste and see that the Lord is gracious.

THE VAST IMPORTANCE OF RECEIVING THESE BlessINGS may first be noticed. It will not feed a hungry man to place before him a feast of which he is never to partake. So will not the soul become enriched with Gospel blessings, unless it be personally and really by faith a partaker of the grace of the Gospel. Without Christ, the sinner is lost and undone. He is without hope, and without pardon. He is guilty, and has no righteousness. He has no deliverer. There is no

Saviour in heaven or earth but the Lord Jesus Christ. There is none other name given among men whereby they must be saved. Christ only, is a full, complete, and allsufficient Saviour and Redeemer. There is no neu

trality here we must believe in Christ and receive him, as our Lord and Saviour, and so be filled with his spirit, possess his peace, and be partakers of his glory; or we reject him, and shall endure here all the disquietude of an accusing conscience, and hereafter his Father's condemnation and righteous judgment. Without the love of the Father, we are in darkness and misery. How important for each of us to know God, as a loving, tender, and compassionate Father. The carnal mind is at enmity with him, and men so remaining, must perish. Be ye therefore reconciled to God-receive his love into your hearts. Without the communion of the Holy Ghost, we are unregenerate, unholy, tied and bound by sin, and under bondage to Satan. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. O think of the man thus without Christ, without God, without the Spirit; view him as treasuring up to himself wrath against the day of wrath. What an awful, perishing condition! May we ourselves win Christ and be found in Him, and ever seek to be a blessing to those now walking in chains of darkness, day by day to everlastlasting destruction. Every unconverted man is a miserable man. How blessed a thing it is, to convert the sinner from the error of his way, and save a soul from death!

We next notice THE MEANS OF RECEIVING THESE

BLESSINGS.

It is not by any mere outward ceremonies or rites,

although these have their value when kept in due subordination. Let all things be done decently and in order, is the apostolic maxim. But it is a mark of the perilous times, to make them of primary importance. Such are lovers of pleasure, more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof; from such, God commands us, and lose not sight in these days of that command, to turn away. The way then to receive these blessings, is by a believing and sanctified use of all the means of grace which God has appointed. God in his holy word records these blessings, and especially and prominently brings before us, as the chief subject of the ministry of that word; the doctrine of Christ crucified. For I determined, says St. Paul, (not to bury, not to hide the doctrine, but) not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. For I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures. This is to be proclaimed chiefly then, and the first of all.

THE MINISTRY of a preached Gospel is one great appointed means, the divine ordinance, through which the word is imparted to man. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of peace, that publisheth salvation! But while believing the system of ministerial ordination, in its threefold orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, in the Church of Eng

land, to be of God; and in my judgment clearly scriptural; I must add, this ministry is effectual, not through a fancied perfection of apostolical succession in uninterrupted descent of episcopal ordination, which Antichrist and the Man of Sin seated in Rome glories in, and can boast of as much as any among us. The ministry is really effectual, and of value, when the Holy Ghost inwardly moves us, and those having authority in the Church appoint us to the ministry, and the pure Gospel of Christ is preached by us; and then the Holy Ghost effectually applies the pure word of the living God, preached by us, with earnestness, affection, and authority. Our gospel came not unto you in word only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much Blind and hard-hearted indeed should we be, not to see, and seeing not to rejoice in, the work of the Lord prospering in the hands of beloved brethren in Christ, who differ from us in forms of Church government, which I believe to be very far removed from being an essential in a Christian Church. And nothing, I trust, by the grace of God, shall ever prevent me from saying from the heart, Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

assurance.

FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST is thus imparted. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. With faith come all other blessings; it quickens us to earnestness, and teaches us to walk in love and holiness. It leads us to a diligent attendance

on the ministry of the word and sacraments which the Lord has appointed. God, our God, in the believing, prayerful, humble, and diligent use of these means; imparts his own grace, his own love, and his own communion.

Another means of grace I would especially mention, PRAYER-fervent, effectual, believing prayer. Praying always with all prayer, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all saints. Social prayer meetings are of inestimable importance; they are specially hated of Satan, and often preserved through peculiar trials, and then prove full of multiplied blessings.

Let us beware of mere intellectual theories in religion; when we hear the minister of Christ, let us see that his words be not only a mental enjoyment, a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; but pray that they may really affect your whole heart, and your whole life. Pray for the Spirit's unction; pray for the inward experience and power of the truth. See that you hide the word of God in the inner depths of your heart. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it. O precious promises! never let us be content without joy in the Holy Ghost; never be content till we are happy in the Lord. It is a positive, plain command, Rejoice in the Lord always. Never let