out.

any man enter in," says Christ, "he shall go in and out." And how shall we describe or explain the liberty of the children of God? It includes real pleasure and holy boldness in communion with God. The saints shall go in and Their communion with the Father and the Son, through the Spirit, shall be constant and unwearied. They shall walk in all the ordinances of the Lord. That service in which they are engaged is perfect freedom. Their slavery is changed into the state of children, and their duty into choice; hence, their grateful enquiry now is, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits ?" So that the liberty of God's children is by no means a liberty to sin; no, they never court that liberty, but detest it as the greatest slavery. How awful must that system be which encourages sin under the idea of gospel liberty. Such a system is not from God, but from the devil, the father of lies. Avoid it then, fly from it, detest it; nor ever imagine, that God will countenance, or in the least way approve sin in his people. For holy are all his ways, and holiness becometh them that serve him for ever. That man who pleads for the commission of sin, and calls it the liberty of God's chosen, plainly proves that he is in bondage. even until now.

There is one great and important blessing more mentioned in the text, and that is—

3. Provision. "He shall find pasture."

'The

Real believers are the sheep of God's pasture. Lord," says the Psalmist, "is my Shepherd, I shall not want; he maketh me to lie down in green pastures, he leadeth me beside the still waters: he restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." "Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of

mine enemies, thou anointest my head with oil, my cup runneth over. The spiritual wants of those who have entered in by the door, are supplied with spiritual blessings : for your support and nourishment, ye children of God, there are the lively oracles of God, and Jesus himself. Thy word," says one, was found of me, and I did eat it, and it was the rejoicing of my heart." Make the Bible your constant study; by this blessed book you understand the will of God, your mouth is filled with arguments, and your soul derives fresh strength. Oh, let it be your meat and drink; live upon the glorious truths it reveals, and the glorious prospects it opens; let it be the man of your counsel it well deserves your highest estimation, for it is the field in which the pearl of great price is hid; it is the pasture in which God appoints you to feed. Oh, then, "as new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."

Our Lord, in the most am the bread of life."

blood is drink indeed."

charming accents exclaims, "I My flesh is meat indeed, and my

Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood, ye have no life in you." He then must be the support of your souls; live upon his almighty fullness, his rich grace, his abundant mercy, and overflowing goodness. We cannot enlarge here, but must just say, that the food of the christian is-divine in its nature,-and nourishing in its effects.

It is divine in its nature. The Bible is the word of God and not of man: the subject of the scriptures, the manner in which any thing is treated, their obvious design, the wonderful harmony of all their parts; the unblemished character of their writers; the wonderful way in which they have been preserved; the number of miracles by

which they have been confirmed; the exact fulfillment of their prophecies; and above all, the application of them to the conscience by the Holy Ghost; are all incontestible arguments for the divine authority of scripture: and this divine word, christian, is to be your food. Jesus, too, is divine, for "he is the bread which came down from heaven : he that cometh to him shall never hunger, and he that believeth on him shall never thirst."

The believer's portion is also nourishing in its effects. The natural tendency of "the sincere milk of the word" is growth. "He that eateth the flesh and drinketh the blood of the Son of man shall live for ever." Christ gave his flesh for the life of the world, and he that partakes of this living bread, hath everlasting life, and shall be raised up at the last day.

Do we not learn from this subject, that Christ is the first and the last in a sinner's salvation?

Without him you are condemned, enslaved, starving, and in the road to hell. Oh then, look to Calvary for mercy, for salvation, for liberty, and for food.

Are we not taught by these considerations, that those who gain admittance into the church any other way than by the door, are in an awful condition? This is positively asserted in the first verse of the chapter before us. "He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." Oh, beware then, beware, of resting in a religious education, in your being members of christian churches, or any thing short of an approach to God through Christ; for if you profess to be in his fold, without passing through the door, you are accounted a hypocrite, and may expect a fearful looking for of judgment. Oh for grace to "strive

to enter in at the strait gate; for broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat; and strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”

Is it not clear, that gratitude to that God who has opened this door for sinners is our incumbent duty?

This is your way to Zion, O believer; sing of the goodness of God; sing to the praise of him who brought you into the good old way: and oh, "glorify God in your bodies and in your spirits, which are his." Glorify him in your hearts, lips, and lives.

Are we not to expect, that the time when Jews and Gentiles shall both enter by this door, will soon arrive? Read the sixteenth verse, where the Redeemer says, "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd." Blessed be God for such a declaration! O that he would bring in the Jews with the fullness of the Gentiles! He shall accomplish it in his time; shortly they shall be—

All traveling through one beauteous gate

To one eternal home.

Oh, let us pray that God would hasten the number of his elect, and bring them all through the door into the way to glory. Amen.

SERMON IV.

NO FELLOWSHIP WITH SIN.

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." EPHESIANS v. 11.

Such is the command of the God of heaven and earth, to all those who profess to love his Son, and enjoy the influences of his Spirit; who have espoused his holy and divine religion, and profess to be traveling through a world of trials and difficulties, to that rest which remains for the people of God. Our text is the voice of God himself through the instrumentality of his servant and apostle Paul, and therefore not only demands attention, but requires obedience, on pain of the displeasure of the Ruler of the skies.

Indeed we may suppose, we may say, that all the writers of the Scriptures, all the providences of God, all the heirs of glory, all the angels in heaven, all the damned in hell, are now saying to us, in the language of the text, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness." The text, my brethren, is the voice of every line of the Bible, of every poor backsliding soul, of every trembling conscience, and of every drop of the blood of Jesus. And shall these join their pleas in vain? Gracious God! enable us now to" cast off the works of darkness, and to put on the whole armor of God :" let it not be our condemna265

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