But there are among you those who can say, with gratitude and joy, that it is thus with them already. They have believed. They know it. They feel conscious of their faith. And they trace its power, and enjoy its comfort. It does substantiate to their souls the things unseen. An unseen God and Saviour: an unseen faithful friend their Comforter: an unseen hand directing all their ways: an unseen heaven, their eternal home: these things are their principles of life and action they walk by faith: they "look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen." They "endure," like Moses, "seeing Him that is invisible."

Believers, be your daily prayer still for increase in this faith: seek still the strengthening of this blessed principle within you. Remember, it is your life. It is that thing on which all else in your spiritual character, comfort, and godly walk depends, for it is that by which you appropriate for your peace, your consolation, and your holiness, all the truths, and all the promises, of the word of your God.

Increase of faith then,-for this should be your prayer. Increase of faith,-let this be the end of all your reading, and all your hearing of heavenly truth. And so, "building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.'

SERMON V.

GALATIANS III. 21, 22.

IS THE LAW THEN AGAINST THE PROMISES OF GOD? GOD FORBID, FOR IF THERE HAD BEEN A LAW GIVEN, WHICH COULD HAVE GIVEN LIFE, VERILY RIGHTEOUSNESS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BY THE LAW. BUT THE SCRIPTURE HATH CONCLUDED ALL UNDER SIN, THAT THE PROMISE BY FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST MIGHT BE GIVEN ΤΟ THEM THAT

BELIEVE.

THIS text is one that claims our most serious attention. It touches on that all important point, the way of man's salvation. It touches also on one of the most dangerous of mistakes into which men fall respecting their salvation. Let us then give it our most serious consideration : and may the Lord instruct us in his truth.

The text opens with a question, "Is the law against the promises of God?" To understand the meaning of that question we must bear in mind what St. Paul had been shewing. He had been shewing this fact, that the gospel, which he preached, was founded on the very principle which, so long ago as Abraham's days, Almighty God had laid down, as the rule for man's acceptance with Him, the way for man to find righteousness with God.

That way, the Apostle contends, was not by

the merit of any works to be done, but simply in the exercise of a certain faith prescribed.

How was it with Abraham? He was required to credit certain promises which God was pleased to give him. He did so, and was blest. "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. It was by believing what God had said, not by the merit of any thing which he did, that Abraham found favour with God. And so, the Apostle argued, it was still; "know ye," said he, "that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham :" and again," they which be of faith, are blessed with faithful Abraham." In other words they, and they only, should be heirs of Abraham's happiness, and be like him accepted with God, who believed, even as he did, the word of God. Now this was the gospel. "He that believeth shall be saved." Therefore saith St. Paul, "the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, "in thee shall nations be blessed." God would justify the heathen through faith; that is, in after ages God would have a people out of heathen nations, as well as from the Jews, brought to salvation: and this through faith, that is, by believing simply his promises in Jesus Christ. So should they be justified, accepted, saved. They should be blest as Abraham was.

Hence, in fact, it was none other than the dispensation of the gospel that was preached to Abraham, when it was said to him, "In thee

shall all nations be blessed." Men of all kindreds and climes, shall have but one way to blessedness; and that shall be by faith;-such faith is thine. It is upon their likeness to thee, in this matter of faith, that their salvation shall depend.

Thus then the Apostle shewed that, so far back as Abraham's day, Almighty God had established, and had promulged the gospel method of salvation. It was a settled principle. Man was to be saved, not by the merit of what he should do, but by believing the promises which God should give.

This being so, however, a question now arises; it arises on account of a remarkable fact, namely, that after this setting up faith as the way of man's salvation, God Himself proclaimed a law, the end and purport of which was to enjoin on man what God would have him do. The Almighty had indeed never left his creatures without a law, but it had pleased Him, on one most solemn occasion, to give to Israel, the people whom He had chosen, a code of statutes, and especially the Ten Commandments, in which we read, in an explicit form, the Maker's will concerning the regulation of men's hearts and lives.

Now the question is, what was the meaning of this? The Almighty publishes this law, calls for obedience to it, and threatens that whoever transgresses it shall die. Does He not seem to be putting forth a new way of salvation? Does not this law appear to set aside the method of acceptance by faith, preached as we have seen to

Abraham? Does it not look as though God had changed his plan, and that men, instead of trusting God's promises, and so being saved, were to obey this law, and by their own merit obtain favour with God?

You now understand the question with which our text opens, "Is the law against the promises of God?

When God sets forth his commands, calls on us to keep them, and warns us that to break them is to die; are we to understand that He has withdrawn His promises; that we are no more to look for salvation by faith; but are to set ourselves to the task of doing all He requires, and in that way to save ourselves?

The question, brethren, is a very important one, and especially so, because it belongs to a subject on which men are constantly falling into grievous, yea, fatal error. It is marvellous to see how common,-I may say how universal, is the thought among the mass of mankind, that the way to be saved, is to do our best to keep the commandments of God, and then to hope that He will look with complacency upon us.

May I not put it to you, brethren, are there not many among you who to this hour have that idea upon your minds? You imagine that God has given you his Law, in order that you, by keeping it as well as you can, may make yourselves deserving of his approval, and so secure your soul's salvation. Let me beg you now to attend to the text.

The question with which it opens is exactly