Page:A Compendium of the Chief Doctrines of the True Christian Religion.djvu/80

76 and his own co-operation in the removal of such evils, as, out of the immense multitude within him, he may be made sensible of. These are the spiritual enemies, of whom it is written, "I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee. By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land," Exod. xxiii. 29, 3O. This gradual removal of evils, or remission of sins, is indeed a series of continued acts of mercy and power on the part of the Lord: but none can become the subjects of such mercy and power, or of such remission of sins, but they who acknowledge the Lord, and endeavour to live according to his commandments: on which account it is written in the Gospel, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God," John i. 12, 13. The remission of sins, or, what is the same thing, the removal of evils, is discoverable in any person by the following signs. He perceives delight in the worship of the Lord for the sake of the Lord, and in serving his neighbour for the sake of his neighbour, and therefore in doing good for the sake of good, and in speaking truth for the sake of truth. He is averse to all ideas of merit arising from any consideration of his charity and faith: he avoids and abominates evils of every description, as enmity, hatred, revenge, cruelty, adultery, fraud, in a word, all things which tend to destroy love to the Lord, and love to his neighbour. But the non-remission of sins, or, what is the same thing, the non-removal of evils, is discoverable in