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because while he was with them their faith often wavered, and their hearts were often more turned to earthly things than to heavenly; but when he went from them, and the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, visited them in his room, they were led into all truth, and their whole minds were renewed by that spiritual baptism, so as to be fit for the kingdom of God. It is not then the sight of Jesus Christ in the flesh that we should so fondly desire; nor should we think that had we stood by his side, and heard his words, and seen his miracles, that to do his will would have been easy. How many stood by him, and heard him, and saw him in vain! The Comforter must come to us before we are fit to sit down with Christ in his heavenly kingdom: we ourselves must be changed, or else he would eat and drink with us, and teach in our streets to no purpose. That Comforter is now ever working in the hearts of Christ's true servants, and therefore, to them, as was promised, Christ still manifests himself. Though now they see him not, yet believing, they rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; a far happier state than their's, who saw him, and yet did not believe in him.

But the words which I have taken for my

text, apply not only to the Apostles, to whom they were actually spoken, but to us. Whenever we assemble in this place, they are the very words which Christ addresses to a considerable number, at least amongst us. "Do ye now believe?" Are you for a moment full of better thoughts than you commonly are? Is the world which comes after death present to your minds in something like its own immensely awful reality? Do you feel indeed as if Christ were near, even at the doors, and as if all that the world can offer would be but a poor payment for disobeying him, or neglecting him? We do indeed, I believe, so think and so feel in this place very frequently. But what are his words, unto whom all hearts are open ? "Behold the hour cometh, yea is now come, when you shall be scattered every man to his own, and shall leave me alone!" The hour cometh, yea is now come; so soon as the words of the last prayer or blessing are ended, we are scattered every man to our own; we go our different ways, and our feet do not carry us faster from God's visible house the Church, than our evil natures hurry away our thoughts and hearts from his blessed and invisible mansion, his eternal kingdom in the heavens. So B b

it was of old; while the meat was yet in their mouths, the heavy wrath of God fell upon them; and while we are as yet feeding on the bread of life, it loses its virtues to us, and we turn each to some gall of bitterness of his own.

Now to what is it owing, that this so often happens to us; why, when we had begun to run well, does Satan hinder us that we should not obey the truth? I am afraid the case with us is the same as it was with the apostles: the Comforter has not come unto us: we have heard Christ, and have believed in him for the time; but because the stony heart which we all have by nature, has not been changed by the Spirit into an heart of flesh, therefore like the stony ground in the parable, the seed sown is presently scorched, because it wants moisture; we have no root, and thus for awhile believe, but in time of temptation fall away. Now if, as I suppose is most certainly the case, very many of those that hear me have often felt in themselves this failure of their good resolutions; if believing while yet they sat in the Church, yet within an hour afterwards they were scattered every man to his own, and have forsaken Christ their master; it must concern them very deeply to have the dangers

of this state clearly laid before them, and the means, by which, through the grace of Christ, they may be delivered from it.

The dangers of this state. For this St. Paul speaks clearly enough, when he describes him who is in it in these strong words: "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" Who is the wretched man of whom he speaks? Is it one who hates God and his service, a hardened sinner, who despises all reproof? No; it is one who delights in the law of God after the inward man; that is, one whose conscience and judgment fully approves the truths of the Gospel; one

whose better mind loves the commandments of Christ; who, when he hears his word, hears him gladly; and is ready to say while hearing it; It is good for us to be here. But unhappily there is another law in his members warring against the law of his mind, and bringing him into captivity to the law of sin which is in his members. So he is the captive of sin; that is, sin has got the better of him, and makes him serve sin; he does not like his service; nay, he feels very often for a short time the blessedness. of Christian liberty; but sin is still too strong for him; he is dragged down again, and his life and practice is under the dominion of sin,

however bitterly he may groan under it: he lives according to the flesh, and therefore he will die. I have been quoting very largely from the seventh and eighth chapters of the epistle to the Romans, and if any one will turn to them, it will be seen that St. Paul talks of a deliverance through the Spirit, as being enabled by the Spirit to overcome the flesh, and to walk in newness of life; and that thus he is redeemed and saved; but that they who are held captive by the flesh, who are not set free by the Spirit; that they are not redeemed nor saved; for on the contrary they are yet in bondage; they are, however much they may feel the wretchedness of their state, they are in the power of Satan, and led by him according to his will they are still, therefore, in the hands of their enemy, the enemy of their souls, who destroys with everlasting destruction all those whom he can keep within his power.

Remember then, that to feel the burden of our captivity, is not the same thing as to be free from it; to love God in our better mind, or as St. Paul calls it, according to the inward man; is not the same thing as to walk according to that love, and to show it forth in our lives and actions. So that though we may now believe; yet if the hour cometh when we

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