very awful mystery, with respect to which they would be at once very much shocked if they were to hear a minister preach any thing erroneous; and yet are very far from thinking themselves bound to consider it fully, and to make use of it for themselves. And therefore, whilst in their judgments of others for any supposed errors on this point, they display all the uncharitableness of superstition, so in their own practical study and use of the truth, they show the cold and careless spirit of profaneness. True it is, that in all truths relating to God, there is much which we cannot understand; but what is revealed truth concerning him, must, by the very force of the terms, be capable of being understood, or else it cannot be called "revealed;" and not only of being understood, but of being used for our soul's benefit. So it is with the Trinity. What there is connected with it, which is above human conception, that is, of course, hidden alike from us all; but that which is revealed in it, is revealed alike to all; it is the salvation of the humblest amongst us, no less than of the highest of Christ's ministers. The truths of that creed which was read this morning, either belong to us all, if they be, as truly they are, the very foundation of our Christian life; or if they be a fond repetition of unintelligible words, they belong to none of us.

Earnestly then, may we implore you, the young

est not least, that you try steadily to impress on your minds your Christian privileges and responsibilities; for the two ever go together. Each one of you is called by Christ himself, to come unto God through him; not to look out for another to stand between you and Christ. The aid of Christian ministers is variously granted it may well happen that some of those who hear me may, in the events of life, be placed in situations where this aid may be denied them; they may either be out of the reach of any minister, as has been the case sometimes abroad, or circumstances may hinder them from deriving any benefit from him. But remember, that wherever Christian ministers may be, you are never without God, and never without your great High Priest, through whom, every day and every hour, you may have access to God. Prayer is yours, and yours is the promise of the Spirit, and yours is the blood of the covenant; and what do you need more? These are yours to use for your salvation, or to forfeit for your ruin: you may not decline the trust committed to you, for God has given you his own Son to be your priest and mediator, and he will not have you, like the idolaters of old, seek after one of man's devising.

SERMON XII.

CERTAINTY OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION.

LUKE, xxiv. 34.

The Lord is risen indeed.

THIS truth, which was received by those who first heard it with wonder at least equal to their joy, has been repeated to us so often, from our earliest childhood, that we hear it without its exciting in us any strong sensation whatever. It rests, as it were, quietly in our minds, neither disputed nor doubted, nor yet truly believed. It is like a fact of common history; a part of our knowledge when we are reminded of it, but one which we rarely have occasion to draw forth from the storehouse

of our memory. We are not aware of its importance, of how much is wrapped up in it, to perish if this corner-stone of our faith could by any means be moved. We have not noticed the pecu

liar manner in which it is spoken of by the apostles; and how different it is from all the other miracles recorded in Scripture. For they might stand or fall with no consequence to our eternal hopes, so long as this single one remains sure; but if this one could fail us, all the rest would profit us nothing. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain, we are yet in our sins; and they who have died in the faith of Christians, have ventured their souls upon nothing, and have died to rise again no

more.

The importance of the resurrection of Christ is a thing which we must each learn for ourselves; it will not be felt by our being assured by others that it is important. But few persons of any education reach the age of manhood without having an opportunity to learn it, whether they choose to avail themselves of it, or to neglect it. I mean that there is a time, even before we commence the active business of life, when we are led to hold question with ourselves, and to ask what we are living for, and to what are we tending. need not be either sickness, or any great calamity, which will lead us to this state; the same effect may be produced by happiness of an unusual kind, as well as by suffering. Nay, it need not be produced by either, nor by any remarkable outward circumstances; it may be merely the natural effect of our own minds, feeling their powers, and keenly

It

alive to the wonderful aspect which life wears, even when regarded in its common course of events. But be the exciting cause what it may, the effect is almost sure to occur: we commune with our own hearts, and think of life and death, and ask ourselves what will be our condition when sixty years are over; whether, indeed, we shall then have died for ever, or whether we shall but have fallen asleep in Christ, to be awakened by him when the number of his redeemed is full.

It is then that the words of my text assume a very different character to our ears; then it seems no slight, no ordinary blessing to be assured that the Lord is risen indeed. That vague belief in our immortality, with the expression of which we are so familiar, will do well enough for our careless and prosperous hours, when nothing assails it; but it is too weak for a season of real trial. It has been truly observed, that those ancient writers who have written most eloquently and beautifully of their hope of an eternal life, appear to have found little real comfort from it, when the evils of this world pressed them hardly. And this seems to me no other than what might have been expected; for the natural arguments in favour of an eternal existence may be met by other reasons on the contrary side; and in a matter of such moment, when we practically feel its importance, a mere preponderance of