One would dread that state most of all others, which St. Paul describes, ‘being past feeling.’ Eph. 4:19. True there is this alleviation; such are insensible of their deplorable condition. But if the great trumpet of the gospel awakes not the soul in this life to spiritual sense and feeling, verily the loud archangel’s-trumpet will awaken it to hear its awful sentence, and feel its dreadful doom in the last.

Through the artful wiles of Satan, the corrupt reasonings of deceitful nature, and the doctrines of false teachers, disciples are in danger of errors on the right hand and on the left. Because good works do not merit God’s favour, and entitle us to his acceptance, therefore, say some. We cannot do any thing that is good and well-pleasing in the sight of God. So if Satan cannot blind us by false hopes and legal confidences, he strives to poison our minds with detestable licentious notions, dishonourable to Jesus, contrary to faith, subversive of love, and destructive of the holiness and peace of the gospel.

Believers have the strongest assurance of attaining the highest degree of holiness their souls are capable of enjoying, from a reconciled God, from an interceding Mediator, and from the influences of the Holy Spirit. How precious is every work of Jesus! Hath he shed his blood to procure our pardon; hath hr wrought out a righteousness to justify us? What then? Doth he commit a stock of inherent grace to us, to improve and be faithful to, in order to sanctify and consecrate ourselves to God? Oh no! ever beware of this notion. It leads to pride, nourishes a spirit of independence, makes faith void, vacates the office of the Spirit, and is therefore to be rejected as a dangerous heresy.

‘He that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved.’ So the Master taught, so disciples believe. By perseverance in the faith, the crown shall be enjoyed : glory perfects what grace begins. God’s power is faith’s confidence ; God s truth is faith’s assurance; faith’s author and faith s finisher is Jesus. Therefore, ‘the righteous shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.’ Job 17:9. ‘The topstone of finished salvation shall be brought forth with shoutings, grace, grace !’ Zech. 4:7.

Godliness is profitable unto all things, having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. By faith we view the declarations of Jehovah as the blessings of a father’s love. The returning seasons, the revolving periods of time declare the glory of our heavenly Father; while the Christian meditates upon and gratitude inspires his heart for the innumerable blessings of time, yet far nobler subjects demand the contemplation of his soul.

The heathens in their sacrifices were wont to cry out, ‘Keep at a distance, oh ye profane.’ But they withheld not their offerings, lest the unhallowed should be the more polluted, or their sacrifices be defiled by them. For the godly consolation, edification and establishment of sanctified souls, it seemed meet for the Spirit of wisdom, that the apostle Paul should leave his experience in this epistle to the Romans. Here he confesses himself a poor sinner, yet a holy and happy believer in Jesus.