Our Lord himself says, " No man can come unto me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw himg." If therefore we are daily coming to Christ with self-lothing and self-abhorrence, and building all our hopes of salvation on the merit of his blood, we can affirm, on the testimony of Christ himself, that we are of those who are under the leadings of his Spirit.
Another mark whereby this point may be ascertained, is our being willing to receive Christ as our Lord and Governor. The unregenerate, however desirous of being saved from misery, cannot be prevailed on cordially to submit to the yoke of Christ. The declaration of St. Paul is, that " no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy GhostV By this expression we must understand, not an incapacity to utter these words, but an incapacity to utter them cordially in reference to oneself. If therefore we be enabled cheerfully to sacrifice our own will, and if we seek unfeignedly to have " the very thoughts of our hearts brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ," we have another indisputable evidence that we are under the Spirit's influence and guidance.
A still further mark, which is also decisive on the point, is, our mortifying of all si?i ivithout reserve. The most specious hypocrite in the universe has some secret lust which he will not part with, and which he cannot, by any power of his own, subdue : " It is through the Spirit alone that we can mortify the deeds of the body1." If, then, there be no sin which we plead for; no sin, though dear as a right eye, or useful as a right hand, which we are not watching and labouring to destroy ; it is evident, beyond all controversy, that we are led and strengthened by the Spirit of God.]
This point being ascertained, we proceed to notice,
II. The glorious state to which they are exalted —
It is almost incredible that sinners, like us, should ever become children of the Most High God ; yet is it certain, that all who are led by the Spirit of God, are exalted to this state —
1 . They are brought into the relation of children —
[Once they were " children of wrath," and " children of the wicked one :" but now they are adopted into God's family, and numbered amongst his children. Nor is it by adoption only that they stand thus related to him, but by regeneration also : for they are " begotten of God, even by the incorruptible seed, the word of God," and are made " partakers of a divine nature." Once they regarded God only as a Governor and a
s John vi. 44. h 1 Cor. xii. 3. ' ver. 13.