Here am I, and the children which thou gavest me. God hath chosen these people in Christ, before the foundation of the world, that they should be holy and without blame before him, prepared through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth for entering upon the heavenly inheritance, when this inventory shall be verified throughout eternity. Now I feel inadequate to enlarge, and shall close with a very few remarks. Let us inquire, you and myself, whether we look upon this inventory as desirable, because it is unquestionably so, that the great body of our fellow-sinners are utterly unconcerned about it. There are other good things, possessions that are far more desirable, because in the estimation of the men of the world they are more valuable than all comprised in this inventory.
Faith has in it the principle of appropriation.
We should be thankful this day for those things that are condescended upon by the Reformed Presbytery, and for the redemption purchased by Christ, that we in our own persons can be called by the gospel preached in our hearing and in our days. Faith cometh be hearing ordinarily, and hearing by the word of God. But we have had it dispensed for a comparatively long period, and we trust not without power in some instances. For this we ought to be thankful. We should be glad that we enjoy the ordinances of divine institution.