In the real Christian, charity has taken the place of self, whatever errors may exist in his creed, on non-essential points of doctrine. The spiritual life of the child of GOD consists in habitual self-denial, in crucifying this flesh of self, in taking up the cross of CHRIST daily, and in mortifying every thing which tends to gratify his natural vanity and pride. Self is the "old man" which must be destroyed; it is the "old Adam" which must be subdued; it is "the love of sin in our members" which must be abolished; it is the flesh which must be crucified.

In the false professor, self is the ruling principle; whereas, in the child of GOD, charity is the ruling motive, and self holds but a secondary station. This is what must be understood by the conversion of the heart to GOD. Man's fall was caused by turning from charity to self, and our conversion consists in returning from self to charity; self being the breach of the whole moral law, and love the fulfilment of all the

commandments. And it matters not what progress we may have made in the knowledge of the word of God, or in what light we may be regarded by our religious acquaintances, if this change have not been wrought.

The natural man is influenced by the spirit of the devil only, which is the principle of corrupted self-love: and the regenerate man is influenced both by the SPIRIT of GOD, which is charity; and by the Spirit of Satan, which is self. A great part of the punishment of the souls of the lost in hell, will consist in the unbridled power of self, torturing them with the harassing feelings of envy, malice, pride, and every other demoniacal affection: whereas the saint, on his entrance into glory, will experience a full and complete eradication of the principle of self, and will be influenced by the motive of charity alone; and thus will rejoice, instead of grieving, at the superior degree of bliss enjoyed by a christian brother. The misery of the souls of

the condemned, will be proportional to the power of self, produced by the Spirit of Satan in this life; and, on the other hand, the beatitude of the saints will be commensurate with the degree of charity, wrought by the operation of the HOLY GHOST on their hearts, during their present state of grace because their respective capabilities of enduring misery, or of enjoying happiness, will be increased or diminished, according to the power of these two radical principles.

Self, my dear brethren, is the great barrier which separates us from CHRIST, and hinders us from communion with our God; and it is on this account, that the HOLY SPIRIT is continually enabling the real Christian, to mortify this principle, either by an inward operation, or by means of external circumstances and events. Therefore it is that the real Christian rejoices in every thing, which tends to lower his self-esteem; and fervently does he thank GOD for any mortification he

E

may experience in the world. The habitual aspiration of his heart is, "Thy will be done in me, as it is in heaven." Feeling as he does continually the power of the flesh, and his own weakness, he prays that self may be more subdued, and that GOD would not regard the silent struggling and reluctance of the flesh, to suffer the pain of crucifixion, which occasionally damp the ardour of his prayers for this correction. The real child of GoD thus prays for the crucifixion of the flesh, because he feels his own utter inability and weakness to subdue the power of self. He feels it to be as difficult and as painful, as it would be to pluck out his own right eye, or to cut off his right hand; and therefore he implores the aid of his heavenly Physician, in order that he may be enabled to dwell by charity, in the continual presence of his Saviour. It is on this account that the real Christian hails with joy and thanksgiving, every event which tends to remove the barrier of self.

The natural man and the false professor love self; whereas, the real Christian hates, abhors and loathes self. The more the child of GOD advances in grace, the more does he loathe self; because he is enabled, by the light of the HOLY SPIRIT who dwells in him, to detect daily more and more the principle of self-love, corrupting even his very best thoughts, words and actions. The more, then, a Christian detects and mourns over the hated principle of self, the more vigorous is his spiritual life; and the less he discerns the prevalence of self-love, the weaker is his state of grace. deny the existence of this flesh striving against the Spirit, so that he cannot do the things which he would; if he deny "a law, that when he would do good, evil is present with him," it is a proof that he has never yet experienced the converting grace of GoD. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the

If he