sword of thine excellency" ?" If this was spoken of the Jews because of the love which God bare to them, what must be said of us, whom " he has loved, even as he loves his only-be- gotten Sonx?" Who can tell what it is to be favoured with " the spirit of adoption ?" or what to " have the witness of the Spirit witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God ? " Who can tell what it is to " have the love of God shed abroad in the heart," and to " be filled with the Spirit ?" Verily, these things constitute " that white stone, on which is that new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that hath received it?." It is, in fact, an earnest and foretaste of heaven itself2. See how the love of God to his ancient people was displayed : how " God gave Egypt for their ransom, yea, and Ethiopia and Seba tooa!" Whole nations were of no more account with God than the dust of the summer threshing-floor, if they stood in the way of their welfare b. And so shall it be again, when they shall be restored to their own land : " the nation and kingdom that will not serve them shall perish ; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted0." And let it not be thought that God will do less for his Church and people at this day. No, truly : " the gates of hell shall never prevail against them :" " no weapon formed against them shall ever prosper :" but every enemy, and " Satan himself at the head of them, shall be put under their feet shortly :" and so attentive will God be to their welfare, that every dispensa- tion, whether of his providence or grace, shall be ordered with a view to it, and " all things, however unfavourable their aspect, be overruled to promote itd.]
Two things, then, I ask of you, my beloved Bre- thren : 1. Endeavour to form a just estimate of your high calling —
[St. Paul calls this " a holy calling e," a heavenly callingf," yea, " the high calling of God in Christ Jesusg :" and the least reflection on what has been already spoken must convince you, that " the riches of it" are inestimable, incomprehensible, " unsearchable h." Christians live far below their privileges. They are too exclusively occupied (I do not say too intensely), in viewing their remaining imperfections, and the greatness of the work that still remains to be wrought in them. They do not soar in contemplating the wonders which God has already
11 Deut. xxxiii. 29. x John xvii. 23, 26. y Rev. ii. 17. z Eph. i. 13, 14. a ver> 3. b isai. xn. n_]6.
c Isai. lx. 12. d Rom. viii. 28. e 2 Tim. i. 9.
' lleb. hi. 1. s Phil. iii. 14.
11 Eph. i. 18. and iii. 8.