children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness, is not of God." Now what can be the import of this passage? To interpret it rigorously according to the strict letter of the words, would certainly render it inconsistent with other passages of Scripture, which declare that " there is no man that liveth and sinneth not :" but to reconcile it with any allowed sin, is absolutely impossible.
Here then we trust we may satisfactorily close the discussion of our text. Seeing that the conscience has been shewn to be without offence only when it can testify of our unreserved conformity to God's law; and that no one can be a true Christian, unless it be his chief labour to maintain such a conscience.
It only remains that we
Improve the subject.
And now may God in infinite mercy send down upon us his Holy Spirit, to impress our minds with conviction, if we have not yet attained the Christian character, and to fill us with consolation if we have !
We all profess to be Christians in reality, as well as in name. We all feel averse to acknowledge that we have no part or lot in the Gospel salvation : and surely it is a painful task to rob any one of a hope so comfortable, so delightful. It will be far more con- genial with our feelings, if we take for granted, that, in this Christian assembly, we all deserve the Chris- tian name. Let us then indulge the pleasing thought: let us now consider ourselves as genuine Disciples of Christ ; let us give him the glory of what he has wrought in us ; and let us, for the confusion of all the adversaries of the Gospel, and for the confirma- tion of our own souls, unite in making our acknow- ledgments to God.
' Thou Searcher of all hearts, who at this in- stant observest the state of every soul here before thee, we would not approach thee with any phari- saical boasting, pretending to give the glory to thee, while we are indeed taking it to ourselves : no, Lord,
vol. xiv. o o