Seek life;" that it may condemn, as well as acquit; that it may convict of negligence, as well as stimulate to exertion; that it is like a two-edged sword, which on one side cuts down the enemies of the soul, on the other, the soul itself. then, by daily, diligent, and earnest prayer, the promised influence of the Spirit of God. The Scripture is his sword, he will teach you to wield it aright—it was given by his inspiration - he will both enlighten your understanding that you may comprehend, and soften your hearts that you may feel it. Place yourselves under his command, submit yourselves to his direction; and he shall cause you now to "receive with meekness the engrafted word," and to prove hereafter, to your eternal and inexhaustible blessedness, that it is "able to save the soul." SERMON XV. THE CONFESSION OF JESUS A PROOF OF 1 JOHN IV, 15. "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." "WILL God," asked the royal Solomon, "deign in very deed to dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less then this house that I have builded?" A similar tone of feeling, the same overwhelming sense of wide and total inferiority, the same overpowering consciousness of deep and utter unworthiness, arises in the mind of every sincere and spiritual Christian, on hearing, on revolving such a passage as the text. "Will God," he mentally asks, "will God in very deed dwell with such an one as I am? Will he, who put no trust in his angels, and charged his ministers with folly, deign in any instance to take up his abode with man, who is a worm, and with the son of man, who is a worm? And if it be so, then among all the sons of men, will he condescend to reside with me, the weakest, the most insignificant, the most unworthy-yea, when my opportunities and advantages are taken into consideration, even the chief of sinners?" In either case the answer is the same. The God of Israel, though heaven was his throne, and earth his footstool, did vouchsafe to manifest the symbol of his peculiar presence in that house, though built of perishable materials and by mortal hands; and though on that occasion the glory of the Lord filled the temple as a cloud, till the priests could not stand to minister to the Lord, yet their ministrations were superfluous, because there was a more availing Minister and Intercessor before the throne itself; so that "the fire came down, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifice." And thus "the High and Holy One, who inhabiteth eternity, will look to that man, and with that man will he dwell, who is of a contrite and humble spirit, and that trembleth at his word." In the heart of such an one, however mean, however disproportioned, however disfigured, the exterior of the living temple may be, he will take up his abode; and the effect and evidence of his presence shall be collaterally manifested to the believer himself by the inward joy and peace which arise from believing to the world without, by the acts of obedience which are "the things that accompany salvation." In this case also there is one near the throne, who reconciles the sinner to God-who both prepares his heart for the Divine residence, and prevails with the King of Glory to dwell there. And in both cases the Mediator is the same, though to the latter only distinctly developed and revealed; though kings and princes only desired to see what is fully revealed to the believer it is the SON OF GOD. : : Could any hesitation be experienced on this point by an attentive, conscientious, devout, and humble student of the Scriptures, the very plain and decisive language of the Apostle would, it might be imagined, speedily and effectually remove it. For it must be obvious to the most limited capacity, that he is here speaking of a means by which God may be rendered willing to dwell with man, and man be made capable of dwelling with God; and this means is-what? Simply a confession that Jesus is the Son of God. Evidently, therefore, we are primarily or rather exclusively concerned to learn, what is meant by this confession, and what is requisite in order to make it aright; for if it be made and rightly mademade in conformity with the terms and stipula tions imposed by God himself-the conclusion follows as a necessary consequence: there cannot be the slightest hesitation or uncertainty on the subject. It is not what God may do, or will do, or can do, but what God actually does. Let us therefore, brethren, address ourselves with all sincerity and candour to an inquiry of such immense, such incalculable importance; let us earnestly implore the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit, that we may not be suffered to err on a point which implicates, and might even compromise, our dearest and most enduring interests; let us scrutinize the grounds and nature of our confession, that we may ascertain for ourselves, ere the momentous point be finally and inevitably decided for us in the great and terrible day, whether there is yet any sound and scriptural warrant to conclude," that God dwells in us, and we in God." I. The CONFESSION ITSELF "Jesus is the Son of God." II. What MUST BE THE NATURE OF THAT CONFESSION, if we would render it effectual? III. Its BLESSED AND UNFAILING RESULT"That God will dwell in us, and we shall dwell in God." I. The CONFESSION which the Apostle proposes |