omega, the beginning and the end, the author and the finisher. I trust, that I shall not be in Him to-day, as a dear and pardoned child, and out of Him to-morrow, as a cast-off and ruined reprobate ; surely He who has sown in me the seed, will not forsake me before that seed be a tree, and has brought forth fruit to life everlasting; He will complete that which he has committed to me, He will keep that which I have committed to Him, against that day.

SERMON XIV.

(CONTINUATION.)

SIGNS THAT WE ARE "IN CHRIST JESUS."

1 ST. JOHN II. 5. (Part.)

"HEREBY KNOW WE THAT WE ARE IN HIM."

It was my endeavour, at the opening of the last discourse from these words, to demonstrate first, from Holy Writ, that to be in Christ Jesus," i. e., to be united to him by a living and saving faith, evidencing itself in all holy conversation and godliness, was the highest privilege of man. Next to show, that it was an unquestionable scriptural truth, every such believer in Christ Jesus,

that

or, in Bible phraseology, all who are "in Him," may arrive at the comfortable and blessed knowledge that they are in Him; and lastly, from different evidences with which the Word of God has furnished us, to assist you in determining, each for himself, this great and unutterably important point. Our object in selecting the subject, was not only the obvious one, to which we alluded in the last discourse, viz., the conviction of the false professor to his own heart, and the comfort of the true; but still further, to endeavour to meet the objections, first, of that large class of sincere, but illinstructed persons, who imagine, that no presumption is so great, as that of endeavouring, while on earth, to ascertain, with any degree of certainty, their state as regards eternity, by showing these persons, from the Word of God, that it is the direct intention of the Spirit of God that all true Christians should arrive at this most comfortable conclusion; and

next, to endeavour to disabuse the minds. of another and different class among very our hearers, of an error extremely prevalent, that no evidences must be sought, to prove that we are in Christ Jesus; that the very search is a strong criterion of a legal spirit, and shows that we are yet mere babes in the knowledge of Divine truth.

The evidences which we have already brought before you to establish the important fact that you are "in Christ,"

are these:

I. Have you any recollection of the time when, or the manner in which, you were first led to seek Him, or have since been confirmed and strengthened in your knowledge of Him?

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pre

II. Are you conscious of any parations of heart," any compunctious visitings for sin, and godly sorrow for it, any reduction of self-righteousness and bringing down of the high look and haughty carriage of the natural heart,

as preceding and accompanying the reception of the Saviour? And,

III. Are the features of your faith such, as the Bible always attributes to that grace, when it is the genuine work of the Spirit of God; for instance, its original weakness and feebleness; its perceptible increase; and the undivided oneness, the complete singleness of its object, desiring to ، know nothing but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

We proceed now to offer two more features, by which the genuineness of your faith may be determined, forming, therefore, two more evidences whereby you may know that you

Jesus."

love.

are

،، in Christ

These are, obedience and

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I. Obedience. ،، Hereby we do know, that we know Him," says St. John, "if we keep his commandments."

And

again, "He that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him.

11 St. John ii. 3.

21 St. John iii. 24.