continually at the king's table, " he bowed himself, and said, What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am"? " How much more then will the child of God abase himself as the most unworthy of mankind, when the King of kings, of his own sovereign love and mercy, tells him, that all the glory of heaven shall be his, and that he shall feast for ever at the marriage supper of the Lamb ! This was the effect pro- duced on Paul, who, because there was no word in the whole Greek language sufficiently strong whereby he might express his sense of his own unworthiness, made a word for himself, that places him beneath the least and lowest of all the saints of God : he calls himself, " less than the least of all saints." That is our proper appellation ; and the more just sense we have of God's electing love, the more ready we shall all be to adopt it for our motto.]
3. It should stimulate them also to universal holi- ness—
[If we be " a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a peculiar people, it is that we may shew forth the praises of Him that hath called us out of darkness into marvellous light0." Yes; we are "created unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." "We are to be as " lights in a dark place ;" as " a city set upon a hill :" we are to be " epistles of Christ, known and read of all men." Man expects this of us : and God also expects it of us. Man will naturally say, ' What proof do these people give that they are the elect of God ? If we look at them, what do we find in them more than others?' These expectations are reasonable : and, if you are not more holy than others, they may reasonably say, that you are hypocrites and deceivers. I would call upon you then to shew by your fruits that you are trees of the Lord's planting. I call upon you to " shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life" in the whole of your conversation. Hear the exhortation of an in- spired Apostle : " Put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any ; even as Christ forgave you, so also do yep." These are the graces that ye are called to exercise, and these are the fruits whereby ye are to be known. By thus exhibiting to the world the mind that was in Christ, you will prove your title to the character of his saints as " called, and chosen, and faithful*1."]
» 2 Sain. ix. 7, 8. ° 1 Pet. ii. 9.
p Col. iii. 12, 13. i Rev. xvii. 14.