world." They then proclaimed the name of Jesus Christ our Lord with boldness and power:-and then, my friends, the truth, as it is in Jesus, was preached to Jews and Gentiles; they were admonished, they were informed that, although God had winked at the times of ignorance, though he had long borne with the transgressions and darkness of the children of men, it was added, “But now he commandeth all men every where to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

The awfulness of the accountability of man, the certainty of a future judgment and a state of retribution, and the resurrection from the dead, in connexion with this great doctrine of retribution; these were the prominent doctrines that they preached, Christ and the resurrection; and, in unfolding the condition of mankind, the great and important truth was brought into view of our fallen and degenerate state, and condition; that we are by nature children of wrath, even as others; and not only so, but we are represented as in a state of death by nature; for although the Apostle evidently makes a distinction between the consequences of the first offence in the fall, as derived from our ancestors, and our own actual transgression, yet he brought into view this important truth, "That death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned," that death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression.

Being then by nature in a state of death, our very passions and propensities being in a state altogether changed from that in which man was

made in the beginning, when he was created in the image of God, to hold sweet communion with his Creator, the apostle brings into view the language of the psalmist, "thou madest him a little lower than the angels, thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thine hands," "but now," says the apostle, "We see not all things put under him." No, we see man in a fallen degenerate state and condition; and by nature we have no faith, we have nothing by which we can arise from this state of death and darkness, into a state of acceptance with Almighty God.

Now the means of redemption, and the necessity of redemption, are fully set forth in connexion. with the fallen condition of man, "The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." "Now we see not all things yet put under him," saith the apostle, "but we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour, that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." O the riches of the love of God in Christ Jesus our blessed Lord, for our redemption from this state of death and condemnation, for, "as by one man sin entered in the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Now for our redemption from this state of death and condemnation, he "who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men,

and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

Here we find that in this dispensation of unerring wisdom God has been pleased to exalt his Son Jesus Christ, that there may be redemption for the children of men, and for the advancement and display of his divine glory.

These were the great objects brought into view by the messenger from heaven, who appeared encircled with the divine glory to the shepherds watching over their flocks by night; when he said, "Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people; and suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will towards men. Now this is peculiarly, my dear friends, the ministry of reconciliation, it is the reconciliation of man with Almighty God; it is the reconciliation of the rational creation of God, one with another, that order, harmony, and happiness may prevail, instead of disorder and confusion; instead of that awful immorality which is now disgracing the rational creation, in which man is separated from God his Creator, and in which men are separated one from another.

O the practical excellence of the gospel of peace and salvation by Jesus Christ; it is he who is the only door into the sheepfold, he is the only medium, the only means of admission within that enclosure

which is encircled with the walls of salvation, and the gates of praise; and all those who attempt to climb up in any other way will be accounted as thieves and robbers.

When the scriptures point out the accountability of man, the awfulness of a future final retribution, and that we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, we are brought to understand the importance of repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood. We have an assurance of the love of God to us in the coming and suffering of the Lord Jesus Christ for our redemption; and not only so, not only are we informed of the divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ and the propitiatory nature of his sufferings, but of his office as Mediator and intercessor, as was typified by the figures of the law; for the law not only appointed and required an atoning offering, declaring that without the shedding of blood there is no remission, but there were priests, and intercessors, and mediators, between the transgressors and Almighty God, and these were anointed for their holy office. And the character of Christ in a pre-eminent point of view is the Anointed, for this is the meaning of the term Christ; he is our great high priest, and we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who ever liveth to make intercession for us. And what a source of consolation is it that "If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ the righteous;" and my friends in bringing into view the deeply interesting subject of justification and

reconciliation with Almighty God, the apostle declares, "It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth; it is Christ that died."

And we are not to forget this; it is to be borne in remembrance by us, as it will be commemorated in the anthems of the redeemed.—“Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood." "It is Christ that died," saith the apostle, "yea rather, who is risen again, who is ever at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us; "it was in the assurance of this truth, that he made that strong declaration of triumphant feeling, rising above all discouragements, and every thing of a casting down nature:"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? as it is written, ▸ for thy sake we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." Such was the persecution of them in that day, but under a feeling influence of his power, and those blessed and glorious prospects unfolded in the gospel of Jesus Christ, he says, "Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us for 1 am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Here is the triumph of those, who felt a confirmed and unshaken faith in our dear Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ; but, my friends, in the opening of the gospel dispensation, which indeed is good tidings of great joy, which brings in all its unfoldings glad tidings to our view, we are brought to understand the important doctrine of the gift of