Jesus that sinners will do good to those that do good to them; but it is also the testimony of Jesus, by his apostles, that men are hateful and hating one another. Human feeling may induce men to wish well to their race, when there is no interference of self-interest; but the smallest occasion of this kind will discover the native malignity of the human heart. They must, indeed, be very superficial or very prejudiced observers, who do not see that men, in general, live in malice and envy. The strongest ties of blood are rarely sufficient to withstand any degree of clashing interests. But how great and visible is the change produced by the faith of the gospel! The believer loves all mankind, not excepting even the greatest of his enemies. Paul declares that he had great heaviness and continual sorrow for the state of his brethren according to the flesh; yet these brethren were thirsting for his blood. In the presence of the council by which he was tried, and of a large assembly by whom he was accused, he exclaimed, in reply to Agrippa, "Would to God that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether, such as I am, except these bonds." The best of his blessings he wished to the worst of his enemies without any of his trials. With what earnestness of affection he loved all the friends of the Lord Jesus, every page of his epistles bears testimony. What a change was this! And such a change do all Christians experience. In their unbelief they have hated the servants of Jesus, but "they have purified their souls in obeying the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren."

The pursuits and happiness of believers are also changed. Formerly they pursued happiness in the pleasures, honours, or riches, of this world; now they seek for happiness beyond the grave. They seek first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof, trusting that all other things shall be added unto them. Their conversation is in heaven, from whence, also, they look for the Saviour. They abhor the things in which they formerly took delight, and delight in what they formerly abhorred. I delight in the law of God, says the apostle, in the inner man. Many things in

the commandments of Jesus Christ are so disagreeable to flesh and blood, that they are called cutting off a right hand, or plucking out a right eye; yet the Christian not only acquiesces, but finds pleasure in yielding obedience to Christ in such things. He still has a corrupt nature to struggle against, but his delight is decidedly in the law of his God. Formerly he may have pursued the riches of this world, but now his riches lie in heaven. Zaccheus, it would appear, had heaped up treasures in his unbelief, even by oppression; but the enlargement of his mind is seen from his declaration immediately upon receiving the truth. "Half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold." The first Christians took joyfully the spoiling of their goods" knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance."-Heb.x.34. If in time past the believer pursued the glory of this world, he now seeks for glory, honour, and immortality. Heavenly glory is so much the object of his pursuit, that he not only foregoes earthly glory, but takes patiently the reproaches of Christ, which are more bitter than death. He even rejoices that he is counted worthy to suffer shame for his name's sake. This great change upon the mind and pursuits of Christians the Scriptures ascribe altogether to the Spirit of God, through the instrumentality of the gospel. Peter testifies that God purified the hearts of the gentiles, as well as of the Jews by faith. "God made choice among us, that the gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith."-Acts xv. 7-9. In his letter to the Jewish Christians of the dispersion, he takes it for granted, that they had "purified their souls in obeying the truth." Whatsoever," says the apostle John, "is

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born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." What this faith is, he informs us in the next verse: "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that

believeth that Jesus is the Son of God.". 1 John v. 4, 5.

The conduct of Christians is also entirely changed both with respect to the sins in which they formerly lived, and their obedience to the most self-denying of the commands of Jesus. The most profligate characters become sober, righteous, and temperate.-Titus ii. 11. What an infamous list have we,-1 Cor. vi. 11. "Such were some of you," says the apostle, "but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified;" they were now made holy, separated from their ungodly courses, and set apart to the service of God. The Christians to whom Peter wrote, formerly walked in lasciviousness, &c.-1 Peter iv. 3, 4. But they had now abandoned these courses, as their former companions thought it strange that they ran not with them to the same excess of riot, and spoke evil of them on that account.

Let those who acknowledge the authority of Scripture, yet charge the doctrine of salvation by faith in the atonement with leading to lasciviousness, attend to the apostle Paul's anticipation and refutation of this objection. In the first five chapters he proves the universal guilt of man, and the riches of grace in the way of redemption through the blood of Christ. The objection that presents itself to the mind of all who understand not the apostle's doctrine is, that if this be true, then we may live on in sin; for the more we sin the more divine grace will be glorified in forgiving us. The apostle states the objection in its full force, and shows that it has no foundation in truth.-Rom. vi. 1—23. The apostle here shows that such an objection is inconsistent with the nature of the truth believed, as well as with the service into which men are introduced by faith in Christ. If there is any solidity in the apostle's reasoning, the gospel has no such tendency. Let me now ask those who continue to bring this objection against the apostolical doctrine what they think of his refutation. If it is inspired, it must be conclusive. It is not possible to state the position of salvation by grace through faith in the atonement more clearly or more strongly than he has done in the preceding part of the epistle. The objection anticipated by the apostle is the very same

that is still insisted on; if his reply is not satisfactory, there is no higher authority.

From the nature of the gospel and of the hope believers have through it, the apostle John shows that faith in Christ is not only inconsistent with living in sin, but that it purifies the heart.-1 John iii. 3. If then, a man does not abandon his sins, he evidently possesses not the hope that the apostles and other Christians possessed. If he lives in sin, let him profess what he may, he has not the hope of the gospel. The apostle then goes on to show, that a believer's living in sin is inconsistent with the design of Christ's coming.4, 5. If Christ was manifested to take away or bear our sins, there cannot be a more powerful reason why we should forsake sin. If even the rich grace and mercy of God could not reach us till our sins are removed by the death of Christ, shall we live in that which is so offensive to God? They must be greatly displeasing to God, if mercy could not save us without having them atoned for. If, then, they are so exceedingly displeasing to God, can any person continue in them after believing that Christ came to bear them? A believer, even were he assured of impunity, would not indulge in that which he knows his God so much hates. "In him (the apostle adds) is no sin." If, then, we hope to be like him hereafter, it is natural for us to desire to be like him now. But if any should choose to say, that he would like to take the benefit of Christ's atonement, yet continue in sin, the proper reply to him is, that he does not so much as believe in the atonement "whosoever abideth in him sinneth not, whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."-6. To abide in Christ is to continue in the faith of the gospel. If, then, any who make profession of this faith give themselves up to sin, they have renounced the faith, they abide not in him. To see him, means to perceive his character, or to see him as he is revealed in the Scriptures; for the greater part of his disciples have not seen him on earth. To know him, means the effect of this perception. The man whom I accurately perceive, I know; but if my perception has been inaccurate or partial, I may mistake some other person for him. Just so, if I have perceived thoroughly

the character of Christ, I will know him; and if a thousand characters with his name were presented to me in his stead I would reject them all as impostors. If I so have seen and known Christ, I will not continue in sin; "for whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him." Let divines, then, tell me what they may about the possibility of seeing him and knowing him without being truly converted from sin to holiness, I will believe the apostle rather than them all. Should any man attempt to turn the grace of God into lasciviousness, by saying that he might with safety indulge in sin, since Christ has died, let him be informed he hath not seen Jesus, neither hath he known him. This apostle, though he attributes all to the belief that Jesus is the Christ, yet, instead of disparaging good works, gives men's works as the criterion of their being the children of God, or the children of the devil.-7-10. Can any thing be better calculated to expose the vain hopes of those who pretend to speak of hope in Christ while they live in sin, or to refute the specious objections of the enemies of salvation by grace through faith in the atonement.

But the belief of the truth not only induces men to give up their beloved sins, it also produces obedience to the most self-denying commandments. Believers not only refrain from the sins to which they have been addicted, they also perform the works that Jesus enjoins. The apostle Paul, speaking of the word of the truth of the gospel which had come to the Colossians, asserts that it brings forth fruit in them and in all others in the world who receive it. Col. 1-6"Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth." Ye are my disciples, says Christ, if ye do whatsoever I command you, this is the law of God that ye keep his commandments. “He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." Now, the commandments of Jesus are every thing that he requires or forbids. People who are accustomed to boast of good works, generally confine that appellation to the great duties of the law that are still in some measure taught by the light of nature, and