fruit, fruits of righteousness. He is here compared to a branch laden with fruit; he is "a fruitful branch"-" a tree whose leaf fades not"-"a tree of righteousness;" and therefore he bears righteous fruit. - Righteousness means right-mindedness; he has come to himself, to his right mind, and where this is it will be seen.

1. Integrity is one of these fruits, and not the least-towards God and man; and where this principle of right-mindedness is within, it will be seen in candour, sincerity, &c. He gives not his tongue as the pander of another's fame and character-no evil speaking. View such a man again made upright, he stoops not to the artifices of earth; but, having his mind above the heavens, and his communion with God, oh how upright!

2. Another fruit is tenderness of conscience. Oh! how soft, how susceptible of every breath of temptation; the guardian angel of the soul!-Such a man is a decided character; trims not for a moment-does not sacrifice his duty to his interest, as I fear too many do, and ruin their souls! Does an incitement arrive, he guards every avenue of the heart instantly, and without stopping to gaze upon the apple, knowing that sin immediately darkens the eye of the mind, he repels it at once; he sees in the light of God; and his cry is, "How can I commit this great evil, and sin against God?" A man who has not a tender conscience knows nothing of the fruits of righteousness.

Such are some of the fruits of righteousness, but we are to be filled with them! filled!-Oh! who thinks of the extent of the privileges of the Gospel? The world will, and always did, oppose such a character as this, for it is full of unrighteousness. Oh! says the world, "Why so much ado? we must yield a little-tush; we must accommodate a little," &c. The world always did reproach such a one; and believe me, it is not one of the least fruits of righteousness to bear the reproach of Christ. The world will let you go on quietly enough if you have no more piety than what pleases them. While you follow the indifferent rationality of your neighbours, you will never be reproached; but strike out of the beaten path that leads to death, and you are pointed at. And yet this must be so; a sense of the pres

ence of God surrounding you, and a view of eternity, will always inspire you with singularity. You will point to heaven, and lead the way. Some say, "Well, you may do as you please; but, if I can get into the lowest place in heaven, I am satisfied: I am not ambitious." Oh! soul! the man who will only walk with Jesus so far as the world keeps pace with him, but will not make one step with him. in bearing his cross, is not a friend; nay, he is an enemy of the way of righteousness. His low ambition grovels yet on earth; "covet earnestly" the highest place, the best gift!" Believe me, there is but a hairbreadth line between heaven and hell; and if thou art sporting on the hair, thou wilt drop into the burning gulf!-There must be a "being filled with the fruits of righteousness.'

Is

And will any man now oppose Christian holiness? not such a character I am describing one filled with the Spirit; and that Spirit is a Spirit of holiness-he is filled with holy tempers and dispositions; saved from all sin and saved into all holiness-saved into the mind of Christ!There are many who are fond of their religion in the bulk, but do not attend to its minutiæ; they perform the great and pompous things in it, in which the multitude go hand in hand; they are found at church on Sundays, or going to the communion table-but are seldom found conversing with Jesus; they know nothing of the delights of an interview with the King of Kings-sweet prayer is not in their practice. Oh! say they, we attend to our duties, and if we neglected them we should lose our religion.-Yes, your religion consists in your outward duties, and if you ceased to perform them you would be infidels; for you know nothing in religion but what is external; nothing of the religion of the heart. Take away the externals, and prove yourself a Christian-alas! you have no mark.

I. But, say you, how is all this?" Which are by Christ Jesus"-such a soul is now made a partaker of Christ-not of the Deity, but of the mind which was also in him; Christ now dwells in him, he in Christ; he is one with Christ, as Christ is one with God.-Oh! say you, this is a mere jargon of words without meaning-I cannot help it; they are

not Methodistical phrases; go to your church and hear her read in your communion service-"If we spiritually eat," &c. Now think you that she has any reference there to transubstantiation or consubstantiation? No; the Reformers regarded neither; but there is a spiritual union between Christ and a believing heart, which "nor tongue of men nor angels can describe;" yet, thank God, many feel it. -Go you and learn what it means.-Ask of God. *

Now by this union with Christ Jesus all the fruits of the Spirit are produced-and it is impossible but that good works must be produced; we are not ashamed to preach the necessity of good works; there is no other way of giving evidence to the genuine character of the religion within us. We see in Christ our pattern, how these can be united; his good works always evidenced what he was. It is fashionable to talk of believing, but show it by your works; "hereby is my Father glorified." Behold a ray of light sporting itself in the atmosphere, and you are led immediately up to the god of day, from whom thousands of millions of rays are continually emitted, and by which his glory is displayed — behold a Christian! his light shines before men; you immediately trace it up in a direct line to the Sun of Righteousness from whence it issued, and glorify not the Christian, but his Father, the source of all! they cannot but be producedall the fruits of holiness.

III. And what is the end of all?" to the glory and praise of God!" God can take delight in nothing but holiness; it is his own nature. What is the happiness of Deity, humanly termed? It is God contemplating his own perfections, his own holiness and infinity-satisfied with himself - this is the highest happiness we can conceive. And what is the pleasure which God takes in his creatures? Inasmuch as they resemble him in holiness, he can take pleasure in nothing else; there must be inherent righteousness. I pity the man who would preach against this Christian holiness, and, instead of it, talk of an imputation of Christ's righteousness without an implantation. Let them cover their sins as they please by a garment of their own fancy; we teach from the word of God that there must be an implanted righteousness

BBB

-

also "holiness to the Lord." It is the dream of ignoranceit is the foolishness of folly God can delight in nothing. else but holiness-we raised above the ruins of our fall: this alone is to the glory and praise of God. Nay, I contend, God can take no pleasure in anything else at the day of judgment; not we covered under the mantle of an imputed righteousness, and hiding our filthy souls; no, nothing unholy shall enter heaven; nothing sinful! If those who deny this doctrine will show me that it is more to the praise and glory of God to live in sin than to enjoy holiness, I give up the point. Where sin reigns by nature, righteousness must reign by grace, and much more abound; there must be a "being filled."

And say not that this is a self-righteousness; it would be so if produced of ourselves; but it is "by Jesus Christ;" and our cry in heaven will be, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing," and by that sacrifice has redeemed us; and worthy is he who has washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; and let me add, the soul could not be happy nor enjoy God if its sins were cloaked by imputation, and if its righteousness were in another. The soul can only be happy inasmuch as it possesses the object of its happiness; no gazing upon the righteousness of another could cause bliss in heaven; but a transformation into his likeness; and the likeness can only consist in righteousness and true holiness.-Do you then go on from grace to grace, filled with the fruits of righteousness, fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:

"A heart in every thought renewed,

And full of love Divine,
Perfect and right, and pure, and good,
A copy, Lord, of thine."

Thus is God glorified-and Christ will at that day come to be admired in his saints; not that his cloak will cover them, but the world will see what the grace of God has accomplished in them, as well as for them; a people prepared for the Lord as well as saved by the Lord!

SERMON LXVI.

PETER'S APOSTACY.

Luke, xxii., 61, 62.-And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter: and Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

I. THE warning our Lord gave Peter before his fall.

He first spoke generally, that he might not hurt Peter's mind: "All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad." He then brings it nearer: "Simon, Simon; Satan has desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." He twice names him; you know what sifting is; thus is the soul tossed about when God permits it.—But I have prayed for thee; there is none who is tempted for whom our Lord does not intercede.

This did not restrain Peter; he was pained to think he could not follow his Lord now, he protests, &c.—Jesus then thrice fastens home the charge; specifies the particular crime, denying him! "Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice."

What does all this prove? Not that he did not love Jesus, nor was insincere, but that he was ignorant of his weakness; this led to self-confidence, this to security, and this to his fall-he clung like the ivy to the oak, and determined that the lightnings of heaven which might blast the one, &c.

Jesus leaves every one without excuse; he warns of the temptation and gives grace to sustain it, and no man need. fall into it; the Spirit of God is afforded, &c., &c.

See how he reproves him in the garden! he takes the