pel word, if the terms of Scripture had not been thus comprehensive. We could not justly complain of your not coming to Christ for spiritual and eternal life, if we either disbelieved or were uncertain about your welcome. The following statement of our Divine Saviour should put an end to all strife on this point, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out." (John vi. 37.) O then, what an ample provision is made for the necessities of the whole world in the free gift of God's own Son! And how suitable as well as sufficient! The Child born, and the Son given, becomes a propitiatory sacrifice for sin. He makes atonement; offers up his life a ransom for many, by which He purchases and effects the redemption of man from the thraldom of sin, accomplishes our reconciliation to God, our recovery to righteousness; so that now, "being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. v. 1.) This justification by faith in a given Saviour is the fundamental doctrine, and takes the lead in the Christian's personal experience of divine grace. And according to the value and importance which any man attaches to this chief gift of grace in Christ Jesus, will be his estimate of the blessed argument laid down in the text. This argument is our second point. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things!" Under this strong form of inquiry we possess the direct and obvious conclusion at which the Apostle arrives. God having given, freely given, his own Son, how shall He withhold, how shall He not freely "give us all things?" Otherwise set aside this conclusion, question it, limit the ample grace, throw in your own narrow conditions and exceptions, and you would render the whole covenant of redemption imperfect and precarious; you call in question the consistency of God Himself; you limit the Holy One; you thereby pronounce Him a Being as fickle and capricious as man himself—a faithless promiser, who has pledged Himself to bestow upon you the very best of his gifts; yea, who has verily placed it before your eyes upon the wondrous cross; who has thus laid a founda

tion for your faith, elect, precious, and sure, and yet you would represent Him as one likely to throw all this expense of mercy and love away by withholding that grace and divine influence, by which alone the soul can take possession of the inestimable benefit, be built up on Christ as the rock of his salvation. Consider then with close attention the Apostle's statement. When he justly concludes that God, having given his own Son, will freely give us "all things," we surely cannot for one moment reasonably suppose that this expression "all things" includes the wild, and clamorous, and sensual lustings of the unrenewed mind, nor even such a portion of earthly things, however lawful in themselves, which any man may desire to possess. The meaning of the expression is plainly this, that God will give us all things needful to us in and through his own Son, whom He has given as a pledge of all other blessings that we can possibly require for time and for eternity. "All things" therefore that naturally follow in the train of that grand engagement and work of Christ-"all things" that enter into the warrantable desire and expectation of every true Christian-" all things," every needful grace and disposition for the right application and true experience of the Saviour's mercy and inestimable benefits-all such things shall by no means be withheld, but shall be freely given to us by the God of all grace; whereas, "all things" contrary to godliness and the nature of that great gift of a Saviour, who came chiefly to deliver us from this present evil world, can neither be desired by the Christian, nor can they be found among the promises of the Christian's God.

But now, when we enter and survey the ample field of Gospel promise, when we enter there under the influence of a pure and simple faith in the Word of God, we do not come with the sordid cravings of a worldly mind, saying with the multitude, "Who will show us any good?" but we come there with an impression and conviction of deep spiritual need, we come there in poverty of soul, hungry, to be fed, empty, to be filled by that liberal hand which is able to supply all our need according to

his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Phil. iv. 19.) Coming thus to a throne of grace, to Heaven's boundless store, pleading in the name of Jesus, God's unspeakable gift, how shall we not speed even to the full supply of all our necessities? Behold, He waits to be gracious, it is the same Lord over all, who is rich unto all that call upon Him in truth. Such is the ample scheme of God's infinite mercy and grace in Christ Jesus. He, who hath the key of David, who "openeth and no man shutteth," unlocks to us his "unsearchable riches," declares to us the will of his Heavenly Father, who hath given to us, by an inviolable promise, "all things that pertain to life and godliness." Most true, indeed, it is, that without Christ all other things might have been given in vain, and that without Christ no spiritual benefit could ever have entered into the possession and experience of a disinherited world, but with Him "all things." "Out of his fulness we may all receive, and grace for grace." (John i. 16.) Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. This then is the sum and substance of all that can be said upon the whole subject. God has not spared his own Son, but has delivered Him up for us all, this is the fact, and also the doctrine. Christ was crucified amongst us, for us, in our stead, and for our salvation. All things, therefore, that are necessary to and consistent with the attainment and experience of this great salvation, shall also be given to all who unfeignedly seek the heavenly gift, for to this God has graciously pledged Himself by giving to us his own dear Son. So that ever since the revelation of the Son of God as the Saviour of mankind, the question might well be this:-Not how can God give any thing to man, but how can He withhold any thing? What real good is left unpromised to those who by faith possess Christ as their all-sufficient Redeemer and portion? "The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Ps. lxxxiv. 11.) And then as to the perfect freedom of every gift thus bestowed. This

follows as a matter of course, for if God freely gave his own Son, and promises to give all other things in consequence of that gift, then all those other things are given freely, altogether unmerited, without money, and without price. Behold then, oh believer, behold in God's own Son given for your salvation, not only the greatest gift, but also the certain pledge of every other that can enrich and bless your soul for time and for eternity! Consider well the infinite costliness of that gift, as presented to a needy world on the cross of Calvary. What stronger warrant to justify and confirm our most enlarged expectations can you require, or a God of all grace in any wise supply? The cross of Christ is the visible source and centre from which shine forth in clearest radiance those exceeding great and precious promises, which include in their ample and boundless extent "all things" that pertain unto life and godliness both here and hereafter.

Let me, then, in conclusion, select from the revealed Will and Testament of a God of all grace, your God and Father in Christ Jesus, a few passages in further confirmation of our argument. "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. xxi. 22.) Again, "All things are possible to him that believeth." (Mark ix. 23.) Another statement of remarkable force and spirit occurs in 2 Cor. iv. 15: "All things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God." So again, "Godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come." (1 Tim. iv. 8.) And yet once more, observe with blessed hope and deepest gratitude the authoritative and express terms in which Jesus Christ Himself, the faithful and true witness, assures to all his true-hearted servants the utmost possible extent of present grace and of future glory. "He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life

freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son."

5-7.)

(Rev. xxi. S. B.

SLAVE AUCTION IN AMERICA.

"Who maketh thee to differ."-1 COR. iv. 7.

DR. D and I entered a large hall on the basement story of a house, and where a great number of people were assembled. About twenty gentleman-like men stood in a half-circle around a dirty wooden platform, which, for a moment, was unoccupied. On each side, by the wall, stood a number of black men and women, silent and serious, as was the whole assembly.

Two gentlemen entered hastily; one of them, a tall, stout man, ascended the auction platform. He took the auctioneer's hammer in his hand, and addressed the assembly much as follows:

"The slaves which I have now to sell, for what price I can get, are a few house-slaves, all the property of one master. An unexpected loss obliges the gentleman to part with his faithful servants: the slaves are, therefore, sold, not for any faults which they possess, or for any deficiencies. They are all faithful and excellent servants, and nothing but hard necessity would have compelled their master to part with them. They are worth the highest price; and he who purchases them may be sure that he increases the prosperity of his family."

After this he beckoned to a woman among the blacks to come forward, and he gave her his hand to mount upon the platform, where she remained standing beside him. She was a tall, well-grown mulatto, with a handsome but sorrowful countenance, and a remarkable modest, noble demeanour. She bore on her arm a young sleeping child, upon which, during the auction, she kept her eyes fixed, with her head cast down. She wore a grey dress made to the throat, and a pale yellow handkerchief, checked with brown, was tied round her head.

The auctioneer now began to praise this woman's good qualities, her skill, and her abilities, to the assembly.