2. He is "under grace." By "grace" we are, here, to understand, the gospel; which is so called, (Comp. Tit. ii. 11,) because the method of conveying life to sinners, under this dispensation, is wholly of grace, or of free, unmerited favour, in opposition to that by the law, which is, wholly, by works. When a poor sinner is first brought to feel, that all is not well between God and his soul, he, in general, confounds the two. He thinks the gospel is God's help, to him, to save himself: and, hence, he strives, to the utmost, to make himself good, on natural principles: and Christ is his reserve, for what he cannot do for himself. This is what men, commonly, call sincere obedience: by which they lower the requirements of God's law, and so hope to attain a righteousness of their own, for life; or, as one well describes it, it is "a living, proudly, on faith and works, for salvation." But the really sincere seeker after God, the man who is taught of God's Spirit, cannot rest in this. He discovers the spirituality of the law: (Rom. vii. 14:) sees, that he is a leper from his birth; his nature thoroughly diseased: that there is not a thought, or action, that is not, more or less, defiled: that he, in no way, comes up to the holy commandment, which he increasingly sees to be most reasonable, and blessed. The first effect of this discovery is, usually, to bring the

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"there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus," but such are, evidently, not in him for they that are his "walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts." Look at what immediately follows, here.

"Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid." If we yield ourselves to sin, to obey its dictates, we are the slaves of sin, and shall have the wages of sin, which is death. God uses this consideration, that we are under grace, as the surest motive, and encouragement, to us, to resist its yoke. Grace, and grace alone, gives liberty from sin and this is the reason why every one, who is, truly, a partaker of grace, loves, and prizes it. He finds the dominion of sin destroyed by it; and, ere long, shall the very being of it, also, be destroyed, for ever, within him, and around him.

The Lord grant, to each of us, this experience, for Christ's sake! Amen.

R

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SERMON XII.

LOT'S WIFE.

LUKE xvii. 32.

Remember Lot's wife.

THESE few words are solemn words. They remind us of a very awful judgment of God, inflicted on a worldly woman; one of a professedly religious family; her husband, certainly, a true servant of God, in the midst of abounding wickedness. But she had no reality of grace. Her heart clung to earth and sense and, in a time of trial, neither fearing the judgments, nor affected by the mercies of God, she disregarded the divine command on which her safety depended, and was turned, in a moment, into a pillar of salt: a dreadful instance, to every succeeding age, of the quick displeasure of God, against sin like hers. And our Lord, here, referring to times of similar trial, that were coming upon his disciples, when

sought for the subdual of it, the blood of Jesus cleanses him from it; restores peace and the Spirit of Jesus is pledged to prevent its dominion, and give him final victory. "Sin shall not have dominion." So that, in truth, as long as we feel that we really hate, and are resisting sin, the conflict ought not even to spoil our peace. I mean, that, with all our experience, painful as it is, of the warring of sin in our members, we may yet rejoice with a fellow-sufferer, as well as mourn with him; and, while we cry, as he did, "O wretched man that I am!" we may also add, with him, "I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom. vii. 24, 25.)

Were we partly under the law, and partly under grace,-Did we depend, in any measure, on the attainment of a law-holiness, as a ground of divine favour, this were impossible. But, the believer who understands his liberty by the gospel, that he is "not under the law," will neither be elated by his attainments, nor too much depressed by his failures, as if these affected his life. This he has, freely, for Jesus' obedience, not his own. He lives upon grace: and holiness is his privilege, his pleasure, his spiritual health, as far as it may be attained; but, not his purchase-money, his price, for the continuance of grace. Jesus is, for this, all his plea, all his hope and joy.

O may each of you be thus under grace, under this blessed gospel of Christ, this "law of liberty." In a sense, indeed, you have been brought under it, from infancy. Baptism (as you see here, ver. 3, 4,) admits the believer into these privileges; but, as respects children, who are, thereby, received into God's covenant, its privileges then become theirs, when that faith and repentance are theirs, on the pledge of which they are admitted to the baptismal font.

Consider then, I pray you, Are you under the law, or under grace? O what different states are these! and yet how do most confound them; and go on, talking about God's grace, and Christ's mercy, while they have never been brought out, from under the law; but are looking, more or less, to their own obedience to it, as that which is to procure them, or keep them in, God's favour. My brethren, you are either, entirely under the one, or entirely under the other under the one, to the exclusion of the other. Christ is all to you, or he is nothing.

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Come to him, as and, as a perish

He will be no half Saviour. only condemned by the law; ing, sin-diseased criminal, cast yourself on grace. Believe God's love toward sinners, in providing mercy for every one who will believe. And then, use this grace, every day, every hour, as you use the air you breathe. Feed on Christ,