[SERM. XIV. refidence with humble believers. They are his habitation-his temples. They walk in him, and are led by him. By him they are fanctified, ftrengthened and comforted. He helps their infirmities in prayer, witneffes to their adoption, and preferves them unto falvation. Chrift fays to his difciples, "If any man love me, him will my Father love, and we will come and make our abode with him." This fpake he of the Spirit,which the Father would fend in his name.

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Happy is the good Chriftian in this nearness to God. Senfible of his own weakness, he rejoices in Christ, in whom all fulness dwells, and of whole fulness he may receive even grace for grace. Paul, when he felt his weaknefs, found himself ftrong.He took pleasure in infirmities, because the power of Chrift rested upon him :-He was contented in every ftate:He knew both how to be abafed, and how to abound:-Through Chrift ftrengthening him he could do all things. When he was crucified with Chrift, he was ftill alive, because Christ lived in him. He acknowledged, that by God's grace he was made what he was; and he could fay, the grace beftowed on him was not in vain. He labored the more abundantly; yet not he, but the grace of Chrift that was with him.

To judge then, whether we have the Spirit dwelling in us, we muft inquire, Whether the works of the Spirit can be found in us. Paul labored abundantly-was conftant in duty-contented in every condition-humble in his thoughts of himself.

We then have the best proof, that the grace of God is with us, when we can trace its happy effects.

I have now opened to you the feveral circumftances of that nearness to God, which the Apoftle mentions as the high privilege of humble Chrif tians,

The first and leading circumstances of this nearnefs we all enjoy. God's houfe and worship. his word and ordinances are nigh us. From our childhood we have known the holy fcriptures, which are able to make us wife to falvation. Let us give glory to God, who thus has diftinguished us from multi tudes of our fellow creatures. Let us not, howev ér, content ourselves with such a nearness as this; but improve our favorable condition to a fill greater and more important nearness. We may be made nigh in respect of privileges, and yet remain in our hearts afar off from God. It concerns us to examine, whether we are partakers of God's holinefs, conformed to his will, reconciled to his gov ernment, and interested in his pardoning grace.If we are enemies in our minds, it concerns us immediately to renounce our enmity, and accept that glorious peace, which is purchased by the Son of God.

Let us praise God for the interpofition of his Son, who is our peace. His death on the cross is: the foundation of our habitual nearness to God, our actual approaches to him, and our comfortable hopes of the future enjoyment of him. He fuffered for our fins, that he might bring us to GodHe took on him our nature, that we might partake of the divine. In our nature he afcended to heav én, that we might follow him thither. He appears in the presence of God for us, that we may draw near in the full affurance of faith.

Let none despise the word difpenfed, and the ordinances adminiftered in the church. Thefe are the means by which believers come near to God, receive the communications of his grace, and ob tain a preparation for glory. However lightly fome may efteem thefe means, pious fouls find them highly useful to warm their holy affections, trengthen their good refolutions, improve their virtuous tempers, and bring them nearer to heavers

- Let none imagine, that they are above the need of divine ordinances; nor yet let any fuppofe, that religion mainly confits in the obfervance of them; but let all regard them as the means of holiness, and attend upon them, with a view to bring their fouls nearer to God in the love of his character, and in the practice of every duty.

Our fubject inftructs us, when we may be faid to enjoy God's prefence in religious worship. It is, when we draw near to him in fuch a manner, that the true end of worship is anfwered-when a holy temper is increased, holy refolutions confirm ed, an averfion to fin ftrengthened, and faith and humility promoted. It is not merely the elevation of affection in God's worship, which indicates his prefence with us: A better proof is the correfpondence of our hearts to the defign of his worship, which is the promotion of knowledge, faith, holi nefs, charity, heavenlinefs, and conftancy in duty.

In a word, when we find, that God's ordinances make us better,we may conclude that we have been with him....

How great is the evil of fin! It is this which feparates the foul from God. In nearness to him confifts the felicity of rational beings: Di ftance from him is their mifery ;-all pretences to happinefs are vain, while man is a ftranger to God. Let him be furrounded with all the riches, honors and joys that the world can give; ftill, if he is far from God, he is far from happiness. He who is with out God, has no hope. Do the fenfual and profane boaft of pleasures, when God is not in all their thoughts? How vain are thefe pleasures! How unfatisfying-how tranfient! In the moment of death they will vanish for ever, and leave the foul overwhelmed with forrow.

Let us be afraid of every thing that tends to draw us away from God; and love every thing, which brings us nearer to him, Let us feek him

with our whole hearts; preferve daily communion with him; choose his favor as our happiness, his fervice as our employment, his word as our guide, his ordinances as our refreshment, his house as the gate of heaven, and heaven as our eternal home.

SERMON XV.

EPHESIANS ii. 19——22.

Now therefore ye are no more firangers, but fellow citizens with the Saints and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the Apofiles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himself being the chief corner ftone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord, in whom you alfo are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

THESE Ephefian Gentiles, as the Apoftle obferves, had in times paft been aliens from the commonwealth or citizenship of Ifrael, ftrangers from the covenants of promife, without Christ, and afar off from God. But by the gofpel there was a great change made in their condition. They were brought near to God, and the enmity between the Jews and them was abolished by the blood of the cross, so that both were now reconciled to God in one body, and were become one new man. "Therefore," fays the Apoftle in the text, "ye are no more ftrangers and foreigners," as ye were formerly," but fellow citizens with the faints, and of the household of God."

He defcribes the Chriftian church as a city or houfe hold-He teaches us the nature of that founda