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in sins-heirs of

woe-enemies of him, whose children we ought to be. Worst of all, we are ignorant of the whole matter; resolved not to change--unable, if we would. But see also, what the grace of the Holy Spirit does for them that have it! It opens men's eyes to see their danger. It shews them a Refuge— inclines them to seek it enables them to find it. It cleanses, persuades, comforts, guides, reclaims, strengthens, sanctifies the soul; prepares it for heaven, and then conducts it thither. You and I may be ignorant of the full value of this gift: but he-the Father-knows how good a gift it is; and therefore he reserved it as the crowning honour wherewith to invest his Son, that he might dispense it among his people. "Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that THE LORD GOD might dwell among them." 1-I ask, further,

3. Is the spiritual bounty of our heavenly Father limited, like the affection of earthly parents, to those who can prove that they are his children? No-it is far more wide and expansive. It is offered to all that are his children by Creation; without stopping to consider whether they are such by Regeneration or no. For here again our Lord makes a change in his language. It is not "How much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to his children ;” but-" to them that ask him."-When therefore you feel your need of that good gift, let not the Tempter discourage you, by suggesting doubts, whether you are yet children of God. No such qualification is here required. Ask for his Spirit, and he will make you children-if not such before; or he will deal with you as children, if already made such.-And all this he does

1 Psalm lxviii. 18.

even at the expense of him, who is his only-begotten Son. For when his gracious heart had conceived the plan of enlarging his family, by "bringing many sons to glory," he " spared not his own Son." After such kindness towards rebels, what can he possibly withhold? He gave his Son when we asked nothing: "how much more then will he give his Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"

And now, dear brethren, why is it that any one among you remains destitute of the Spirit of Christ? The answer is surely obvious enough-" Ye have not, because ye ask not." 3 But then the question returns in a different form: why do you not ask? Oh it were enough to amaze us, did we not know our own unbelief and carnal mind, to see men thus dead to their own interest. Talk of difficulties in the Bible-mysteries in Providence! Where will you find a mystery more difficult, than this coldness of man, contrasted with God's affectionate liberality?

Is there some faint desire arising in thy heart? Oh hasten to improve it! take advantage of the gale, which ts to waft thee heavenwards. Pray, pray, pray to thy He is at hand, already

Father which seeth in secret.

listening for thy prayer. Let him break thy proud heart-for he will then bind up thy broken heart, and "make all his goodness pass before thee.” 4 And in thee shall the promise be at length fulfilled-" I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a Father unto Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born."5

3 James iv. 2.

1 Heb. ii. 10.
2 Rom. viii. 32.
4 Exod. xxxiii. 19.
5 Jerem. xxxi. 9.

SERMON XXXIII.

GENESIS xlix. 4.-Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.

"GATHER yourselves together," says the dying Jacob to his family, "that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days." In fulfilment of this design, he delivers a series of predictions, describing the future condition of the several tribes that were to spring from his twelve sons. He begins with his firstborn, Reuben-who probably expected, from his birthright, some pre-eminent dignity. Reuben's character, moreover, had been distinguished by several good points. But, resisting one temptation, he had yielded to another, not less horrible: and the Spirit of God directed Jacob to foretell, that the future insignificance of his family would be such as his crime deserved. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel."

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These words will lead me to point out

I. WHAT OUGHT TO BE THE GRAND AIM OF EVERY REASONABLE BEING-To "excel."

Surely this is a doctrine, to which the human heart will at once agree. For who does not wish to enjoy superiority, however small may be his hope of attaining it? Such superiority, however, as worldly men desire, is altogether unworthy of pursuit. It is, at the best, a pre-eminence in things that last only for a time, and that "perish in the using"-in wealth, power, beauty,

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strength-in worldly rank, or worldly wisdom. All these, as the wisest of men has proved, are "vanity of vanities; "1 and vain therefore is the ambition which covets, or the heart that idolizes them.

There is nevertheless

1. An Excellence of Dignity, which all ought to desire; an "honour that cometh of God only"a distinction, "whose praise is not of men, but of God." Various are the titles given in Scripture to those who possess it. They are "joint heirs with Christ" 2—and he, moreover, " is not ashamed to call them brethren."3 They are "fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." That very dignity, of which Reuben was deprived, is in a spiritual sense bestowed on them they are "the church of the first-born ;” 5 registered in heaven, though dwelling on earth-and looking forward to that blessed world, as their own sure inheritance. To this dignity they are promoted by the mere grace of God, received by faith in Christ. By the same faith they are justified, though ungodly; ;6 accounted righteous though actually sinners; and entitled to glory, as the purchase of the Saviour's merit, though in themselves deserving of nothing but hell. Such is the preeminent dignity bestowed on all true believers and thus is the Scripture fulfilled which saith, "The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour."7

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There is, secondly,

2. An Excellence of Power which should also be our aim. As God's servants, we have to resist his enemy and ours, the Devil; and we shall never be happy, but as we prevail over him. Sin is another powerful foe, that has often cast down the strongest

2 Rom. viii. 17. 3 Heb. ii. 11.

1 Eccl. i. 2.
5 Heb. xii. 23.

6 Rom. iv. 5.

4

Eph. ii. 19. 7 Prov. xii. 26.

"have

men, and we must labour that it may not dominion over us."1 That it shall not, is promised to all real believers; and the fulfilment of that promise must be our constant desire. The spirit of the world is a continual enemy; intimidating, or ensnaring the disciple of Jesus.-A measure of power over all these enemies is given to the Christian, as soon as he truly believes in Christ. Nevertheless, he must not stand still. He must strive, by Divine grace, to excel and surpass his former efforts, to "fight the good

fight," to press toward the mark," and to "grow

in

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grace.' "4-Had Reuben possessed this excellence of power, he had not lost his excellence of dignity. Oh take heed, brethren, that you fall not after his example !—I would now shew you,

II. WHAT MAY BE REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST FATAL IMPEDIMENTS TO THE ATTAINMENT OF THIS OBJECT.

The hindrance is not, as in many worldly pursuits, that the desire is unreasonable, and therefore hopeless; that it is contrary to the will of God, and therefore sinful; that it is impracticable, and therefore absurd. The cause that any fall short is not in the object, but in themselves in their own instability; "unstable as water, they shall not," they cannot "excel." Did you never stand to admire the beautiful reflection of the clouds and sky from a sheet of clear transparent water? and do you not remember how the first rising of a breeze destroyed the fair picture in an instant? Have you never read of the joy with which a ship's company began their voyage upon a calm sea; and then of the storms which followed that deceitful calm, hurrying them down to a watery grave? Such 1 Rom. vi. 14. 22 Tim. iv. 7. 3 Phil. iii. 14. 4 2 Peter iii. 18.

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