by knowledge of the power, justice, holiness of God, and of His sacred law as the rule of duty, is impressed with his guilt and danger, is the hope of pardon and full forgiveness for his great transgressions. How shall he approach such a Being; how escape His condemnation? This necessity was never met by natural reason or religion, but it is fully met by the work and spirit of the Saviour. The forgiveness of sin, freedom from condemnation, the pardon of God, are secured by Him who is the Divine Mediator, by His offering of Himself once for all for the sins of the whole world. But even this great work would not alone secure the complete and sure redemption of man. There is still another great want of the sinner. Forgiveness, escape from condemnation, are not the only things included in the term salvation. God designed to magnify the law and make it honorable, even when He remitted its penalty and pardoned the sinner. Antinomianism is no effect of the Gospel. The pardoned sinner is bound to obedience, and does not of necessity receive power to fulfil the law by the forgiveness of his sins. He needs also the power of a new life, that Divine influence which shall implant in his heart itself, "out of which are the issues of life," that holy love, whence only can flow holy works, and by which he may be conformed to his Saviour, and rendered meet for heavenly glory. This want is answered also by the work of the Saviour and by the means of His grace. The Holy Spirit, prom

ised by Him, is given to turn sinful man to repentance, to renew the springs of moral and spiritual life. It convinces the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. It is given to quicken souls dead in trespasses and sins, and that the love of Christ may move their hearts. It is given to strengthen our weakness in working out our salvation, to enable us to grow in grace, to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and run to the end the Christian race. Thus is salvation made possible to weak, sinful men, through the Cross and Spirit of our blessed Lord.

5. And it is an additional excellence of the Gospel dispensation, that as its Divine origin and foundation are made evident by, and established upon works of superhuman power, so the means likewise of its application to the conversion of a sinful world are appointed and rendered effectual by their author. These are not human instruments; they are the Word of Divine truth, which is the sword of the Spirit, the Divinely appointed ministry, sent and authorized by the Saviour, and called by the Spirit to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments, those sacraments themselves, by which men are united to the visible church, by which the Divine promises are signed and sealed; faith confirmed and grace increased by virtue of prayer to God, the abiding and promised presence of the Saviour, by His Spirit, with His ministers and with His people who meet in His name, —

all these are means, given of God, and blessed by Him for the extension and continuance of the kingdom of grace. Thus is it made an abiding source of life in a sinful world. Christian sacrifices can never be repeated. The example of sinless perfection afforded by His life will never be seen again on earth, but it will remain recorded. for our guidance upon the inspired page, which will forever declare that He was without sin, though assailed by every form of temptation, long after his bold defamers pass from the remembrance of mankind. The Holy Spirit, the consecrated ministry, the sacraments of Christ, will forever remain; and against His church the embattled hosts of Satan, with all their weapons of infidelity and superstition, of misguided friendship, and of disguised or open enmity, will never prevail. It is a glorious promise, that as the kingdom of Christ was built upon a Divine foundation, it shall endure, when all false systems of religion shall have passed forever from earth,- endure through the same Divine power by which it was at first established in a world of sin, change and death. "Of its increase there shall be no end." The Saviour will go on "conquering and to conquer," till all His enemies shall be overcome. The kingdoms of the earth change and pass away. Empire succeeds empire; but the Christian believer is the member of "a kingdom which cannot be moved." In that kingdom may we all be found, the true, faithful, steadfast subjects and servants

of Him upon whom it is founded, who is its Divine Head, and who will gather into that everlasting kingdom all who are faithful unto death in His service on earth.

V.

UNQUESTIONING OBEDIENCE TO DIVINE ORDINANCES.

"Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.". 2 KINGS v. 12.

"If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God."— JOHN vii. 17.

BOTH of these passages teach, the one by Divine precept, the other by example in life, the same lesson; and that is, that all the benefits to be received in the kingdom of God are made dependent upon implicit faith and entire obedience, or that obedience which springs from unquestioning trust in the Divine will when clearly made known. This is the great, all-pervading law in all the dealings of God with His creatures. He requires that we shall put our whole trust in Him, and that we shall follow with humble obedience His commands. Naaman, the great captain of the King of Syria, afflicted with a most loathsome malady, was providentially led to seek relief at the hands of the prophet Elisha. He had faith enough to hope for relief, but not humility enough to submit and conform to the prophet's direction. The law of God forbade that any should touch the person of a