LECTURE XI.

ALL TRUE GRACE IN THE HEART TENDS TO HOLT

PRACTICE IN THE LIFE.

"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.". 1 CORINTHIANS xiii. 6.

HAVING mentioned in the two preceding verses, many of the good fruits of charity, and shown how it tends to an excellent behavior in many particulars, the Apostle now sums up these, and all other good tendencies of charity in respect to active conduct, by saying, "It rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." As if he had said, "I have mentioned many excellent things that charity has a tendency to, and shown how it is contrary to many evil things. But I need not go on to multiply particulars, for, in a word, charity is contrary to everything in the life and practice that is evil, and tends to every

thing that is good. It rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth."

By "iniquity," seems to be intended here, everything that is sinful in the life and practice; and by "the truth," everything that is good in the life, or all that is included in Christian and holy practice. The word truth is, indeed, variously used in the Bible. Sometimes it means the true doctrines of religion; sometimes the knowledge of these doctrines; sometimes, veracity or faithfulness; and sometimes, it signifies all virtue and holiness, including both the knowledge and reception of all the great truths of the Scriptures, and conformity to these in the life and conduct. In this last sense the word is used by the Apos tle John, when he says, "I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth," 3 John 3. Taking the word in this sense, and generalizing the proposition, we have, as suggested by the text, the doctrine,

THAT ALL TRUE CHRISTIAN GRACE IN THE HEART, TENDS TO HOLY PRACTICE IN THE LIFE.

Negatively, the Apostle declares that charity is opposed to all wickedness, or evil practice;

and positively, that it tends to all righteousness, or holy practice. And as the principle may be generalized, and also as charity has been shown to be the sum of all true and saving grace, the doctrine that has been stated seems clearly contained in the words of the text, viz.: the doctrine, that all true Christian grace tends to holy practice. If any have the notion of grace, that it is something put into the heart, there to be confined and dormant, and that its influence does not govern the man, throughout, as an active being; or if they suppose that the change made by grace, though it indeed betters the heart itself, yet has no tendency to a corresponding improvement of the outward life, they have a very wrong notion. And that this is so, I would endeavor to make plain, first, by some arguments in favor of the doctrine that has been stated; and, second, by showing its truth with respect to particular graces. And,

I. I would state some arguments in support of the doctrine, that all true grace in the heart, tends to holy practice in the life. And,

1. Holy practice is the aim of that eternal election, which is the first ground of the bestowment of all true grace-Holy practice is not

the ground and reason of election, as is supposed by the Arminians, who imagine that God elects men to everlasting life upon a foresight of their good works; but it is the aim and end of election. God does not elect men because he foresees they will be holy, but that he may make them, and that they may be holy. Thus, in election, God ordained that men should walk in good works, as says the Apostle, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them," Ephesians ii. 10. And again it is said, that the elect are chosen to this very end, "He hath chosen us, in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love," Ephesians i. 4. And so Christ tells his disciples, "I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain," John xv. 16. Now God's eternal election is the first ground of the bestowment of saving grace. And some have such saving grace, and others do not have it, because some are from eternity chosen of God, and others are not chosen. And seeing that holy practice is

the scope and aim of that which is the first ground of the bestowment of grace, this same holy practice is doubtless the tendency of grace itself. Otherwise it would follow, that God makes use of a certain means to attain an end which is not fitted to attain that end, and has no tendency to it. It is further true,

2. That redemption, by which grace is purchased, is to the same end. The redemption made by Christ is the next ground of the bestowment of grace on all who possess it. Christ, by his merits, in the great things that he did and suffered in the world, has purchased grace and holiness for his own people. "For their sakes," he says, "I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth," John xvii. 19. And Christ thus redeemed the elect, and purchased grace for them, to the end that they might walk in holy practice. He has reconciled them to God by his death, to save them from wicked works, that they might be holy and unblamable in their lives, says the Apostle, "And you, that were sometime alienated, and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled, in the body of his flesh, through