cording to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Ifa. viii. 20.

Thus, my dear brother, comes the arm of the Lord working faith. Salvation from sin, and justification from all things, attend believing. Such fouls have taken their trial; their judgment is over; their cause is decided, and the decifion is in their favour: they are pronounced just; and, of course, are paffed from death to life, and fhall not come into condemnation. John v. 24. On this arm of the Lord are we to truft, and to say, In the Lord we bave righteousness and ftrength. Ifa. xlv. 24. And this our judgment is to be our future light, to try preachers and their doctrines by; these are to be brought to this law, and to the testimony that we have received; and, if they speak not according to this word, there is no light in them; and this is the judgment that we are to make of them. And how few preachers have we that can ftand in this judgment, or in a congregation thus made righteous!

Upon believing we are to be fealed-Seal the law among my difciples. This law is the law of faith; the feal of God never attends the preaching of any other law―This would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the preaching of faith? Gal. iii. 2. Again, He therefore that miniftereth the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doth be it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Gal. iii. 5. Not by the law, for that worketh wrath; and all minifters of the law are dead

men-We are not minifters of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.

The Holy Spirit of promife belongs to the new covenant, and he is the giver of the law of lifeThe law of the Spirit of life in Chrift Jefus bath made me free from the law of fin and death. Rom. viii. 2. Believers in the Son of God, whose hearts are purified, and whofe fouls are juftified; these, and no other, are minifters of the Spirit. No other, however gifted, can convey the golden oil, for that always flows through golden pipes. Zech. iv. 2. 12. Spiritual gifts, fuch as the gift of tongues, or that of working miracles, or that of prophecy, or that of understanding all mysteries, or of having all knowledge, or that of cafting out devils, which is the best of all-are not the things that accompany falvation; men may have all these, and yet be nothing. 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2. Many will fay to me in that day, Lord, Lord, bave we not prophefied in thy name, and in thy name caft out devils, and done many wonderful works? And then will I profefs unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, all ye that work iniquity. Matt. vii. 22, 23. Balaam was a worker of iniquity when he prophefied, and fo was Judas when he preached and wrought miracles; the love of money, the root of all evil, was in the heart of them both; nor did they ever love God, or feek his glory; they fought their own glory, and therefore they were not true men, nor was there any righteoufnefs in them. Spiritual gifts have their feat only

in

in the judgment and in the understanding; and the word of God never goes any deeper than into their judgment and their mouth-there they hold the truth, and it is in unrighteoufnefs. Rom. i. 18. The nobler faculties of the foul are never touched by these gifts, nor does the foul reap any benefit from them. There is no divine power operating on the will, making them willing. He that God makes willing repents, and goes into the vineyard and does the will of his father. Nor is the conscience purged, nor the heart purified, by these things. There is no law written in the mind, nor any holy fire kindled in the affections, to raise them up to the right hand of God where Chrift fitteth. If they have any confidence or peace; the former is only prefumption, and the latter is kept up by the ftrong man armed, who remains in poffeffion of his goods unmolested; and all their joys fpring from the novelty of the doctrine, and from the operation of oratory on the natural paffions. Many of these gifts were bestowed on graceless men in the apoftolic age, to raise reports, to send out a found into the world, to excite curiofity, and to draw people to hear the word, and be witneffes of the power of God; which terminated in the falvation of God's elect, and which was for a witness against others. Matt. xxiv. 14. But, when the elect of God were collected together, and churches formed and endowed with the Holy Ghost, then the year of jubilee was come, and these gifts returned again to the Prince of peace; as was foretold

now.

foretold by the prophet; and the men that were endowed with them either went into the world, or into all manner of herefies, and fo became the pests and foes of Zion; juft as we fee fome people do Thus faith the Lord God; If the prince give gift to any of his fons, the inheritance thereof fhall be his fons; it shall be their poffeffion by inheritance. But, if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his fervants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; after it shall return to the prince; but his inheritance fhall be his fons for them. Ezek. xlvi. 16, 17. Thus we fee there is nothing fecured to the fervant when the year of jubilee comes; but the inheritance of the sons is richly fecured. All which is punctually fulfilled by Chrift-Take, therefore, the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. unto every one that bath fhall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he bath. And caft ye the unprofitable fervant into outer darkness; there fhall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matt. xxv. 28-30. But God writes the law of faith in the mind, and the law of love in the fleshly tables of the heart; and where these come, there the year of jubilee is proclaimed, and the law of liberty is published in the foul; and, to make all things fure and fecure God fets the broad feal of heaven to the work. In whom ye alfo trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your falvation: in whom also, after that ye believed, ye were fealed with that Holy

here,

For

Spirit

Spirit of promife. Eph. i. 13. Believers are living epiftles, and as fuch they are fealed with an everliving feal. Others may know thefe epiftles and read them; but the choice contents, the myfteries, and the treasure, belong to God, and none else.

Seals are to keep things fecret to the real proprietors, who can open them, read and delight themselves with the contents when they please, and feal them up again when they have done, and keep them close from all others-A garden enclosed is my fifter, my spoufe; a spring fhut up, a fountain fealed. Song iv. 12. The waters of this fountain are all facred to the heavenly Bridegroom and his friends; when the Lord chooses that they should fpring up in praise and thanksgiving to himself, or flow out to refresh his friends, they are opened, and will keep rifing up and running over as long as this opening or enlargement lafts; and, when shut up and fealed, they always ftop.

Sealing is to make things fure. So the Spirit feals the faints, that they may be fure that they belong to the elect of God. Affurance, therefore, attends the feal.-Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much affurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you. I Theff. i. 4, 5. Affurance, therefore, is to the believer one of the bleffed effects of this feal; as it is written, Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruit

ful