the blessings which you seek: be diligent in hearing and reading the word of God, in selfexamination, in sanctifying the sabbath, in leaving off known sin, in practising known duty, and, especially, in prayer to God that he would create in you a clean heart, and renew within you a right spirit. Proceed thus, and then doubt not of your ultimate success, so long as it shall be written over the gate of admission into that kingdom of God, which you desire spiritually and in the highest sense to enter: "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matt. vii. 7, 8.)

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SERMON XI.

CHRIST MAKING ALL THINGS NEW.

(Preached on the first Sunday in the Year.)

REV. xxi. 5.

Behold, I make all things new."

As the close of the year is naturally calculated to lead our minds to the consideration of the close of life, and the end of all things relating to this present world; so the commencement of a new year may well lead us to consider that new state of things which awaits the believer in the other world, and that new course of life which will alone conduct the sinner thither.

It is an account of that new state of things which is set before us in this twenty-first chapter of the Book of the Revelation of St. John, and in the first five verses of the twenty-second chapter.

For though some of the expressions made use of, as that of "a new heaven and a new earth," sometimes in Scripture relate to the most flourishing state of the church on earth; yet other expressions employed in this chapter, as that in this new heaven and new earth there shall be 66 no more sea," (verse 1,) and in the state here described, "no more death," (verse 4,) plainly show that the account here given us is a description of the heavenly state.

But of the blessedness of heaven, the Christian enjoys even here the earnest and the foretaste; an earnest and a foretaste at times amounting to a joy, unspeakable and full of glory. (1 Pet. i. 8.) And as here he enjoys this pledge of it, so here too he undergoes a preparation for it. Hence several of the expressions contained in this passage of holy writ, though in their full sense they are accomplished in the future state only, still, in an inferior sense, have also a most important accomplishment here.

Of this nature is the expression of the text: and it will accordingly be my design in this discourse, to point out in what respects Christ makes, in reference to his believing people, all things new,

I. HERE; and,

* See Isaiah lxv. 17, and lxvi. 22.

II. HEREAFTER. Now Christ makes all things

new even,

I. HERE, inasmuch as,

1. He introduces the sinner to a new state; a state of pardon and acceptance with God.

He introduces him to a state of pardon. In ourselves we are nothing better than sinners: “for all have sinned." (Rom. iii. 23.) The acknowledgment that this is really the case with us, is often made with a most unsuitable levity of spirit: for how tremendous the amount of the evil acknowledged! We have all been guilty of innumerable actual transgressions of God's holy, just, and good law. While many have fallen into open, gross, and notorious offences against it; multitudes, incomparably greater still, are chargeable with other sins of a less infamous description; practices these which are thought lightly of by a world lying in wickedness; to which, indeed, that world will scarcely suffer with patience the term

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sins," however appropriate and scriptural, to be applied; but which are abundantly sufficient to sink every one of us into perdition. Then there is the source of all this evil, the original sin of our nature, of which David speaks when he says, (Ps. li. 5;) "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me ;" and of which so sound a

description is given in the ninth article of our church. And then, once more, there is that sin of unbelief, which, putting away from us the only method of mercy, rivets all our other sins fast upon us; to which we are all naturally so prone; of the existence and prevalence of which within, the Holy Spirit alone can convince us; (John xvi. 8, 9 ;) and which the power of God alone can subdue and remove. (Eph. ii. 8.)

In consequence too of this our sinfulness by practice, by nature, and by unbelief, we are lying under an aggravated weight of condemnation. (See Gal. iii. 10; Rom. v. 18; and Mark xvi. 16.)

Such is our state viewed apart from the Gospel of Christ. Such is the Christian's old and original state. But Christ came to introduce the believer into a new state in this respect. He is set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. . . for the remission of sins. (Rom. iii. 25.) His blood cleanseth from all sin. (1 John i. 7.) By him all that believe are justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts xiii. 39) And there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. (Rom. viii. 1.) Oh! what a new and blessed change of state this! especially when we consider, further, that