received their cure was their sight; every one that was bitten, "when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." To the Christian, the medium through which he receives his blessing, the blessing of pardon and peace, is his faith; not his outward sight, but his inward faith; he represents to himself his own helpless condition, and God's gracious promise and he says in his heart, Lord, I perceive that there is "no other name under heaven through which I may receive health and salvation, but only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.' In that name I seek the salvation which thou hast promised to them that believe. "I desire to be found", when thou comest to judgment, "not having mine own righteousness,” or any other ground of confidence, but a trust in him "who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification." I desire to be found as one who has taken the Lord Jesus Christ for "wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

7

Such, in effect, is the process through which the believer obtains possession of the Son. And it is useful to examine ourselves from time to time, and retrace the steps by which we have been led to the ground on which we have taken our stand, and are resting for salvation.

Another important reflection is suggested by this same sentence of St. John.

We perceive from it that mankind have not eternal life in themselves. They must go out of themselves for it: they cannot claim it as a right, or look

7 Phil. iii. 9.

to it as a natural consequence of their present being. God has given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son.

How, indeed, could we have it in ourselves? How is it to be obtained? We may suppose two ways: the way of innocence, or the way of desert: of innocence, by our having done nothing to offend God or of desert, by our having so served him, as to be entitled to enter into his glory.

Can we then claim it in the first of these ways, as due to innocence? I feel sure that any who compare their thoughts, their words, their works, with what they ought to have been, and must be, if we are to assert our innocence in the sight of God, will join in the language of this same epistle, and allow that, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." "Let every mouth be stopped, and all the world become guilty before God."

Then if we cannot be entitled to eternal life by innocence, are we entitled to it by meritorious desert, and faithfulness of service? Who will affirm, Lord, I have loved thee with all my heart, and done all things to thy glory: and now I look to eternal life as my reward? Who will adopt the words in his own case, which He spoke who alone could use them of all that ever bore the form of man: "I have glorified thee on earth; I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do: and now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self." Who will not rather own his neglect of the things which he ought to have done in God's service, and the im

8 John xvii. 4.

perfection of the few duties which he has done? And yet if we could truly affirm that there had been no imperfection, and no deficiency, remember the Lord's language to his apostles; "Ye, when ye have done all, say, we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which it was our duty to do."

But conscience must acknowledge, not only of the worst but of the best; not only of the oldest, but of the youngest among us; that so far from earning or meriting eternal life, if God were severe to mark what is done amiss, if a balance were to be drawn between duties performed and transgressions committed; the truth would be that they had forfeited it-forfeited it a thousand times over, if it were to be looked for as the price of service, and reward of obedience: and their prayer, their only prayer, must be, "Enter not into judgment with thy servants, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justi

fied."

God saw that it was so: and for this state he has provided. In his mercy he has offered as a gift what, except as a gift, we never could obtain. God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. "The wages of sin is death:" and "all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." "But the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." 9

He

One important consideration yet remains. that hath the Son hath life. And how is the awful question to be determined, whether a man has, or has not, the Son of God?

9 Rom. vi. 23.

This question is not left to man's imagination, to the mind, even the sincere mind, alone: any more than it is left to the mind, and the imagination, to say whether a man have soundness of health or no. Whether he has health, will be manifest by signs which cannot be misunderstood: and it will be just as plain, whether a man have the Son of God. If he has, he will have the Spirit of the Son: for we are expressly told, that "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." And if he has the Spirit of Christ, he will be bearing "the fruits of the Spirit." And these cannot be mistaken; for they are not the natural fruits of the human heart, and only grow there when Christ is engrafted on it: "which are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, temperance."

may

These are signs, by which the all-important fact be discovered, whether we have the Son of God. Together with the state of mind which belongs to one who has come to him for righteousness which he has not in himself, there will also be a way of life originating in that state of mind. And if such are our habits of thinking and of living, these thoughts and this practice are the sign and proof that the record which God has declared to the world, has not been proclaimed to us in vain.

LECTURE LXXVIII.

ON THE PROMISES GRANTED TO PRAYER.

1 JOHN V. 13-17.

13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

14. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us :

15. And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

A

very unlimited promise was given by our Lord to his apostles, (Matt. xviii. 19,) "I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven."

To those who were governed by the immediate direction of the Spirit, and who could not agree to ask anything inconsistent with the will of God, this promise might be granted.

St. John, writing later, and not to apostles but to bodies of Christians, writes that which is conformable to the experience of all ages. If we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us. He is