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need, let us earneftly apply to God, through Jefus Chrift, for the enlightening, quickening and fanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, to make us dead unto fin, but alive unto God" and under his gracious influences, which are readily granted to the humble and hearty feeker, let us refolve upon a vigorous and perfevering warfare againft the carnal mind, which wars against the foul."

7. How thankful fhould every true Chriftian be, that he is delivered from fo great a death! much more than for any temporal deJiverance, that he has received or can receive. The evil here was the greateft that we could efcape, fpiritual death at prefent, and eternal death in profpect: we were faft bound in the chains of this death, fo that none but God could have opened a way of efcape and notwithstanding the difcovery of fuch a way, thousands in every age ftill remain in the fame miferable condition. Let all that is within us then blefs the Lord, who has made us to differ.

8. Let christians behave as fenfible of their remaining carnality, and of its deadly nature, as far as it does remain. Let them live in the daily fenfe of this, that though the change in them be real and great, compared with the bent of depraved nature, yet it is incompleat at beft in this life; and as far as carnality remains, fo much death remains. Let us all therefore walk humbly with our God, as fenfible that he has ftill much against us, if he would be ftrict to mark iniquity. Let us watch against indwelling fin, the new actings

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of it, and the temptations which may excite it; because we have not yet put off the harness, nor can justly apprehend ourselves out of danger. We fhould use habitual endeavours to "mortify our affections which are. upon the earth," Col. iii. 5. and to “ and to "perfect holiness in the fear of God;" as those who have not yet attained, nor are already perfect. And whenever by neglect, and the force of temptation, carnality breaks out afresh, or recovers new strength, there fhould be an immediate care to repair, and ftrengthen dying graces, Rev. iii. 2. "Be watchful, and ftrengthen the things that remain, which are ready to die." And fince we must have occafion for this conflict more or lefs, while we fojourn in the body, it must ever be worthy of a real christian, to look forward with longing expectations to the perfect life before him, where he will be entirely fpiritually minded, "like the angels of God in heaven." Matth. xxii. 30.

9. Let the confideration of the fad condition of carnal minds, engage all true chriftians in their proper places to use their utmost endeavours for the recovery of others out of fuch a ftate. This becomes heads of families, towards thofe under their immediate care, and one friend towards another, and every one ac cording to his influence and talents. We, who are minifters fhould efpecially "be instant in feafon and out of season" to this very purpofe; fince it is the direct design and scope of a Gofpel-miniftry. And furely we need not a stronger motive to animate us all, than

that

that which is left us by the apofle James, "Brethren, if any of you do

ver. v. 19, 20.

err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know, that he which converteth a finner from the error of his way, fhall fave a foul from death, and fhall hide a multitude of fins."

SERMON

VII.

Faith the main Principle of the Chriftian Temper.

2. COR. V. 7.

For we walk by Faith, not by Sight.

T is plain from the context, that the apof

prefs a difadvantage in a chriftian's prefent ftate, compared with that which he hath in profpect. He obferves, that he, and fuch other primitive fervants of Christ, “having the earnest of the Spirit," or the Spirit as the earnest of the promised inheritance," therefore were always confident," ver. 5, 6. i. e. undaunted in their work, whatever difficulties they met with, whatever dangers they were expofed to, even of life itfelf: "knowing," as he adds, "that while we are at home in the body, we are abfent from the Lord." Or, as we may render it more agreeably to the emphafis of the original, "knowing that whil VOL. I.

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66 we

we fojourn in the body, we are abfent from

our home with the Lord." For we walk by faith, not by fight ;" that is, "While we are in the body, the main things by which we govern and condu&t ourselves as chriftians, are only perceived by faith; not by "fight, as they will be, when we come to be "prefent with the Lord."

Faith is represented here as a way of perception, which falls fhort of fight: and fo itcertainly is. But then, on the other hand, it is intimated to be the best and most extenfive principle we have in our ftate of trial: a principle of force and influence fufficient to regulate our walk and conduct a principle ftrong enough at that time to inspire the apoftle himself and the primitive christians with boldness and courage in the face of danger : fufhcient to make them willing to leave the body, that they might arrive at the higher difpentation of fight. So that the greatest heights of chriftianity in this world are fet out here as flowing from faith.

I have therefore chofen this paffage to fhew the eminent place which faith holds in forming and animating the whole chriftian temper and life: "We walk by faith, and not by fight." We chriftians conduct ourselves by faith, as the best principle of action we have, till we arrive at fight, and as efteeming it our wifdom to walk under the influence of it thro' our paffage-ftate.

In the profecution of this fubject, I fhall,
I. Endeavour

1. Endeavour to give you fome account of faith, the chriftian's principle. And,

II. Shew the fitnefs of it to have a moft powerful and commanding influence upon the whole of the chriftian temper and life. Which will make way for some serious exhortations.

I. The nature of faith is to be explained, which is eminently the chriftian principle.

When we find it diftinguifhed from fight, this at once points us both to the special objects about which it is converfant, and to that kind of perfuafion which is implied in the term faith.

1. The special objects about which faith is converfant, are things not feen. This is intimated, when it is oppofed to fight. And fo they are exprefsly called more than once in the New Teftament, 2 Cor. iv. 18. " We look not at the things which are feen, but at the things which are not feen." And Heb. xi. 1. "Faith is the evidence of things not feen." By this representation of the things which the chriftian believes,

(1.) They are plainly diftinguifhed from the concerns and interefts of this vifible world. The generality of people have their main regard to feen things, that is, to prefent things, which come within the notice of fenfe they govern themselves chiefly by a refpe&t to thefe; and have their hopes and fears, which are the immediate principles of action, principally raifed by the apprehenfion of outward good and evil. Bodily eafe and pleasure, external advantages and interefts, honour and reputa

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