the power of his spirit, illuminates our understandings, corrects our desires, leads us into all truth here, and qualifies us for all glory hereafter.

The

The inference to be drawn from hence is natural and obvious. Since the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth, it is the peculiar obligation of all christians to cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light since grace abounds to us, we should cease from sin, and live soberly, righteously, and godly, in our present advantageous situation; lest, otherwise, we fulfil that humiliating observation of St. John, "the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not." necessity of purity and holiness is hence sufficiently evident, because we are not under the religion of nature or the law of Moses, but under grace; because we are not in a state of doubts or uncertainties, ignorance or error, like the gentiles; but reason is improved by revelation, and the will of God is manifested to the world. There is now no plea for being unstable in the faith; no room for hypocrisy and insincerity, for darkness or ignorance; no ground of complaint for want of strength and ability. "The times of ignorance," indeed, "God formerly winked at,” and pitied: the Gentiles were comparatively excusable: they had something to urge in mitigation and abatement of judgment: they knew not God clearly and fully: they had

no supernatural assistance; no sufficient aid to extricate them out of those labyrinths of sin and error, into which a perverted education, prejudice, or unenlightened reason, might occasion them to fall.

How far different is the condition of christians! They want nothing but will and inclination they are furnished with all necessary means to attain to the kingdom of heaven and everlasting happiness; and are therefore under the strictest obligation to adorn by every good work the religion they profess. They can invent no excuses, nor rely on any subterfuges, nor hope for any indulgence. The Son of God came down from heaven, to seek and to save that which was lost;-to instruct mankind, and conduct them safe to happiness: he came to bring life and immortality to light by the Gospel: he came to shew both the precept and example,the sure, the plain, the infallible means,—which, if rightly observed, will, through his merits, lead us to the haven where we would be. Can christians then, without shame and confusion of face, live like heathens and infidels? Can they still walk in darkness? Will not their condemnation be just as well as severe, if they still walk after the flesh and not after the spirit? May we not say to christians, what Saint Paul said to the Romans, "shall we continue in sin, now knowledge and grace abound? God forbid!" It

is a manifest absurdity for those who are dead to sin to live any longer therein: it is a strange paradox for those who have put on the Lord Jesus Christ, who have been baptized into the belief of his incarnation, still to continue infidels in their lives and conversations. Since therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, let not sin any longer reign in our mortal bodies; but, "like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father," even so let us also "walk in newness of life."

Our duty, remember, rises in proportion to the means with which God has furnished us for the performance of it. For this reason the jewish dispensation demanded a greater degree of perfection and holiness, than was known to the heathen world: and a yet more eminent degree of piety, charity, and every other virtue, is required of us christians, as tests and evidences of our faith; inasmuch as we enjoy a clearer light, -purer, and less corrupted by that ignorance and superstition, which prevailed, and, alas! still prevails, so much among the unenlightened Heathen. Where much is given, the Word of God declares much will be required: and "how then shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?" If we would profit by the true light that is come into the world, we must endeavour to walk worthy of that light: let us therefore lay aside the works of darkness, and put upon us

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the armour of light; and taking the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit; and having our feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace,-"let us press toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Yes, my christian brethren, "let us go on unto perfection:" "as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye also holy in all manner of conversation," remembering always the injunction of our blessed Lord himself: "be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect;" and lest this should seem a hard saying,-lest any should turn back or falter in his christian course, let us ever bear in mind the encouraging declaration of Saint Paul to his Philippian converts: "being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Be not ye therefore weary in well doing, for in due season ye shall reap if ye faint not. "Rather let us earnestly pray, that we may be strengthened with might by the Holy Spirit in the inner man;" and thus "strong in the Lord,"-thus "turned from the power of Satan unto God,"- -we shall no longer cherish the false and dangerous idea, that, because the night veils our misdeeds from the sight of man, it is a season in which we may fearlessly revel and commit sin; but, our eyes being opened, we shall know and feel, that the darkness will not cover us: that "the darkness

is no darkness to God: but the night is as clear as the day: the darkness and light to Him are both alike." Indeed, since the Sun of Righteousness has risen; since Christ has come down among us, and become the Light of the World; the evangelical state, the state of those who are living under the blessed influence of the Gospel, is agreeable to the sublime description which Saint John gives of the new Jerusalem :-"the city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God enlightens it, and the Lamb is the light thereof."

May that saving light shine upon us, to guide us into all truth here, and lead us, through the all-sufficient merits of Jesus Christ, to eternal glory hereafter. Amen.