confidence in his own strength, he will not renounce it, in order to depend upon strength to be imparted from another. So long as he fancies any merit in his own works, he will trust to them to procure his Maker's favour. But in this he only shows his blindness. O that I could convince any into whose hands this narrative may fall, to renounce, as entirely hopeless, all such efforts; and also as entirely worthless, all such attempted reformations; and to flee to the all-mighty and all-meritorious Redeemer! You need his perfect righteousness to justify you, and his blood to atone for your sins; you need the gracious influences of his Spirit to purify your hearts, and to give you strength to walk in the ways of God; for the motive to obedience that alone can enable you to walk with steadfastness and consistency, arises out of the belief of the love of Christ, in giving himself a ransom for the guilty. The belief of this will inspire you with love to him in return; and this, and this alone, will set your souls at liberty from the slavery of sin. It is to those who believe the love that he manifested in freely giving himself a sacrifice for them, that he imparts strength to resist temptation; and he warns all his disciples, that "without him they can do nothing." He has promised his grace as sufficient for them that trust in him in the most trying situations, and to perfect his strength in their weakness:--nor is this an empty promise; for he, to whom it was more immediately addressed, declared, that "he could do all things through Christ who strengthened him;" and the way in which he obtained the power was, by being conscious of his own weakness, and trusting entirely to the promised strength of the Saviour; "for," says he, "_when I am weak then am I strong._" 2 Cor. xii. 7-10, with Phil. iv. 13--Go you and do as he did; and you will find that Christ will be the same to you that he was to him, for the Saviour is unchangeable; "the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever." Heb. xiii. 8.