to be praying always with all prayer and supplica. tion in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; and for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel; for which I am an ambassador in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

But, before we proceed to treat more particularly of the doctrine of christian unity, we must place before you in a tangible form the thoughts. arising from a perusal of the context-unless, indeed, we would wish to lose that beautiful connexion so apparent in our subject. To this end, then, we would ask you to observe, that in the New Testament the christian career is compared with the warrior's life. Fight the good fight of faith"-" Watch you stand fast in the faith" Quit you like men, be strong." These and similar expressions denote at one glance that we are embarked in a contest of such a nature, as to require the greatest energies we are possessed of to overcome the foe. Quit you like men, be strong. Yes! for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Quit you like men, be strong. Yes! I find much to be afraid of here: I realize to

myself the presence of my great enemy in the same manner as the first weary mariners of the Cape were said by the poet of the expedition to behold the genius of the coast surrounded by waves with his head wreathed with clouds, and with tempests and with storms, and his hand upraised to bid the intruders welcome to the rocks where beat the angry surf. I too see my foe, and I fear to give him battle; he is armed at every point with the honors, the pleasures, the enticements, of this world; he had power enough to vanquish the innocent by his arts, and what will he do with me the guilty? My own nature is aiding him in the contest. I feel there is an enemy within me, who parleys with him in the camp without; and the things I would I do not, and the things I would not those I do. Beset and defenceless, I know not how to relieve myself; and then I request that I may die! It is enough, now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers! But in the greatest difficulties, there is some hope still left; and the darkest hour of the night is that which precedes the dawn! Peter, bound between the soldiers in the prison, was startled from his sleep by the presence of a heavenly messenger who came to conduct him thence; and Jeremiah was encouraged to tell the children of Judah the impending judgment of God. "Arise, and speak

unto them all that I command thee. And they shall fight against thee, and they shall not pre

am with thee, saith the

vail against thee, for I Lord, to deliver thee." Even so in our deep affliction at the thought of the conflict before us, the Spirit saith expressly to each of us-to you and to me—my grace is sufficient for thee, my strength shall be made perfect in weakness. And again, in the words of the context, he saith. "Take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

Oh! for that sublimity of thought which could conduct a fabulous goddess on her journey from the realms of light to a deep recess in a burning mount, and there and then, in spite of the din around, could with calmness present her to our view as begging from some fabulous god his heaven-wrought armour for her illustrious son, in order that, endued with these, he might shine with glory till he shone no more; and there, in spite of the din around, could hold up a burnished shield with its devices of land, and of sea, and of sky, and the varied events of our earthly life. For possessed of this, I would tell you the difficulties encountered to procure your armour for you, the intercessions of the Son, and the groanings of the Spirit on that behalf; I would place your beautiful weapons piece by piece be

fore you, and ask you to admire their symmetry and prove their temper. But, alas! my conceptions fall far short of the magnificence of my subject, and I know hardly how to address you. The eloquence of the apostle steps in to my aid, and almost in his words, I can say to you, Lo! here is truth for your loins, righteousness for your breastplate, the preparation of the gospel of peace for your feet the shield of faith, aptly ornamented with the Redeemer's trials and victories, is here to quench the fiery darts of the wicked the helmet of salvation for your head, and the sword of the Spirit to subdue your foemen beneath you. Arm, then, yourselves with this armour provided of God, and onward on your course-onward, onward; and as you increase from strength to strength, O remember, in the words of the text, to be always praying with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. And for me that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel. For which I am an ambassador in bonds, that herein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.

Why we ask you to act up to what is enjoined in the first part of the text, viz. to be constant in prayer, will be manifest from this consideration.

It is not enough that armour should be given to the soldier-he must be taught how to use it, and how to keep it bright and fit for service: the rust may deprive his sword of its edge; his shield may require somewhat of repair in those parts which the lance of the foe has injured. To guard, therefore, against these probable contingencies, the christian warrior is told "always to pray with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit," since it is prayer continually made that keeps the sword of the Spirit in order that renews the battered shield and shows the believing warrior how he must employ his weapons against the foe. Oh! as in the times of old, those who aspired to the dignity of knighthood watched the whole night previous to their receiving that honour by the side of their burnished armour, and prayed and fasted near it, with nothing but the taper's light to soften the gloom around, contented for all this next morn to receive the accolade on their shoulders, from the hands of their king or their warlike chief; so must ye who aspire to the dignity of christian knighthood pray and watch by the side of your armour in this your night of gloom and of sorrow, with nothing but faith in Christ to render the darkness supportable-contented for all this to receive on the morn of the resurrection day the guerdon promised by God;-yes: ye must pray, yourselves