unable to perform the duties of life, or meet the calls of the Church, we could bear them calmly and without complaint; but we are rendered useless and utterly unprofitable. And, above all, if we could only have that peace, and enjoy that consolation which other Christians enjoy, and which the promises of the Gospel assure us God has reserved for the afflicted in times of tribulation, we could suffer contentedly; but, O, we have more to suffer than any other-we shall surely fall, and we may as well fall soon as late." But we greatly wrong the providence of God, grieve his Holy Spirit, and bring wretchedness upon ourselves, by indulging in such peevish and fretful thoughts of God, and by opening such inlets to sorrow. Faith in God, and the perfect work of patience, will preserve us in every trial, and prepare us to answer every question of doubt. If we repose firm and steady trust in God, who is wise, and strong, and good, storms may arise-we may be tossed on the billows-the tumultuous and raging waves, dashing against us, may threaten to overwhelm and destroy us; but the waves and billows will only rock us to rest eternal.

SERMON XXV.

BY REV. BENJAMIN LAKIN.

THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE.

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure,” 1 John iii, 2, 3.

In the first verse of this chapter, St. John calls upon us to behold the infinite love of God to sinners of Adam's race-that from sinners they should be made friends by

virtue of the great atonement, and through the agency of the Holy Spirit—that they should become the sons of God, by faith in Christ Jesus. And between those who are thus born of God, and the children of the wicked one, there is so great a difference, the world is as ignorant of their real character as it is of Christ: "Therefore, the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Then he gives us the text, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." Even while dwelling in bodies subject to innumerable infirmities, and many and various temptations, and sore buffetings of Satan, God owns the believer for his child, and treats him as such. Yet there are greater blessings and privileges for him; for "it doth not appear what we shall be." The text leads us to consider three things:

I. THE CHRISTIAN'S CHARACTER.

II. THE CHRISTIAN'S HOPE.

III. THE INFLUENCE OF HIS HOPE.

I. The Christian character is something more than a profession of religion; for a man may profess religion, and be a stranger to the regenerating grace of God, whereby he is formed anew in Christ Jesus; for Christians are "born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." This high privilege is not to be obtained by human power, but by an operation of the Spirit of God, whereby the soul is renewed in righteousness and true holiness, after the image of God. In order to attain to this high privilege, the sinner must repent of his sins, know and feel his wretchedness in consequence of his transgressions against God's law, and return to God with weeping and supplication, not pleading his own merits or good deeds, but confessing his sins-his depravity and alienation from God. He must feel his inability to save himself from his wretchedness, and acknowledge that he must have help from heaven, or be undone for ever. In this situation, Christ is presented to him as a Savior able

and willing to save all that come unto him. He is now brought to believe on Christ for salvation, and obtains the pardon of his sins; and, at the same time, the Holy Ghost renews his nature, and he is made a child of God, by faith in Christ; and God sends forth the Spirit of his Son into his heart, crying, "Abba, Father ;" and being a son, he is an heir of God, and a joint heir with Christ. As an heir of God, he is entitled to all the blessings God has to bestow; and being a joint heir with Christ, he is interested in all the glories of his human nature. Yet, though so highly privileged, "it doth not appear what we shall be; but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." This leads us to notice,

II. The Christian's hope.

Hope is composed of desire and expectation, and always has for its object some desired good, and a good unseen and future. The Christian's hope is not of a temporal, but of a spiritual nature, and rests on some promise of God that he will bestow on us the good desired. We may observe, this is not a hope that he is converted-that his sins are forgiven, and he born of God; this is not future; for he hath the Spirit of God bearing witness with his spirit, that he is born of God; and this he knows, also, by the love of God being shed abroad in his heart, which causes him to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. But there are objects of hope in this life. We are subject to many temptations and tribulations-we have many sorrows and sufferings to pass through; but in all these God hath promised a support in them, and deliverance out of them. hope becomes as an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast, and cast within the vail. In the most gloomy appearance, the promise of God cheers, and hope revives, and the believer is kept unmoved in all the storms of life. But the hope referred to in the text extends beyond the grave. It

Here

is founded in the union between Christ and his members, attended with a belief that, when Jesus comes, God will bring them with him. There are several points in this object of the Christian's hope.

1. The appearing of Jesus, when he shall appear in the glory of the Father. When he made his first appearance, it was in the weakness of a man: his next appearance will be in the glory of God. He will, also, appear in glorified humanity that very nature which suffered on Calvary, was laid in the grave, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven. We hope to see him, who was treated as a male factor to rescue us guilty wretches, that we might be made the sons of God.

2. The Christian is in hope that, when Jesus appears, he shall be like him in his glorified body. He desires and expects, from the promises of God, to be as he is. Then, "Arrayed in glorious grace,

Shall these vile bodies shine,

And every shape, and every face,
Be heavenly and divine."

We
We see him as he is, and these vile bodies shall partake of
all the glories that Jesus, as a man, is invested with; for he
will fashion them like unto his glorious body. How far
doth this exceed the glories of the world!

III. The influence of this hope.

He "purifieth himself even as he is pure;" he takes no man for a copy, to follow, any farther than he follows Christ. The text supposes, there are the remains of depravity in those who are justified and born again. They are but "little children," and are exposed to be drawn off by the allurements of the world, and temptations of the devil. But though the Christian many times feels something of sin remaining, in general, when he is justified, for a time, the remaining depravity is so far suspended, that he feels it not, and is often amazed to hear professors speak of

the remains of sin; for he has felt nothing of it. Still, under some well circumstanced temptation, he finds the remaining corruption of his heart ready to close in with the temptation, perhaps, to pride, anger, envy, the love of the world, or a desire to please men. He is now tempted to think he has been deceived, and that experience is a delusion. This continues for a longer or shorter time, as God sees fit to try him. When his gracious design is accomplished, he brings deliverance; and perhaps the first discovery, in order to his deliverance, is, that though sin remains, it does not reign; that it is his pain, and not his guilt. This gives him some encouragement. The next discovery is, that there is a fountain opened in the house of David for sin and for uncleanness, not only for the pardon of sin, but the removing of uncleanness from the heart. He then discovers that, if he walks in the light, as God is in the light, and has fellowship with his brethren, the blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth from all sin. He walks in the light-he attends to the ordinances of the Lord-he reads-he hearshe prays; but the end is not obtained. He is now almost ready to sink in despair-he has done all he can, and, thus far, he has been seeking sanctification by works. Indeed, man is prone to seek the salvation of God, in every degree, by works, but in that way fails of the end. New light breaks upon his mind-he sees, as he was justified by faith in the death and sufferings of Christ, he must now be sanctified by the same means. He believes in the blood of Christ to cleanse from all sin-he ventures his soul upon it he is cleansed-the Spirit bears witness to the fact by filling it with all the fruits of the Spirit-with the perfect love of God and man. He is now happy, rejoicing in the God of his salvation, and is qualified for all the blessings that God hath in reserve for them that love him.