is convinced by them, believes their sufficiency, reposes on their truth; and all the manifestations of God's compassion in Christ may be admired and be praised, but never will be realized and bring forth fruits of peace and righteousness, but by personal, active, appropriating faith.

And do you ask for warrant and encouragement to such a faith? Where shall we find it, if not in Him who has come forth as our friend and favourer? if not in that one act of his, which not only procured, but which assures to us, the introduction which we need? Do men repose themselves on human friends, frail, weak, and uncertain, as they are, and not on this divine, all faithful patron? Do we trust in other acts of kindly interference, and are satisfied; and not in this stupendous act? Do we yield our doubts and fears, and still our every anxiety, upon the assurances of man-and can we stand out against the promises of Christ, the Son of God? What can hold if these fail? What single act of friendship can be trusted in, if this, which is the aggregate of all acts of friendship, is to be mistrusted ?-this, which is commended too, by every variety of figure and illustration-which is not merely proclaimed to us with solemn annunciation, but is repeated, argued, clothed with every form that can at

tract; which not merely shines out upon us in one broad ray of heavenly consolation, but is reflected on us from every side, by every means of repetition, till its full concentrated force shall melt the very soul into adoring faith.*

For mark!-all the varied statements concerning Christ as our Mediator; all the names and titles which are assigned him; all the several characters which he assumes-all draw the mind to this one point, He is our friend with God! And again, all the various figures which set forth the work of Christ, all the images under which it is expressed, and the forms by which its hidden and transcendant substance is made comprehensible by our understandings, and influential on our hearts; all these, again, run up into one most simple truth: all this leads us up to one glorious fact: this namely, that Christ makes us friends with the Father: introduces us to the personal enjoyment of his favour. In a word, all the various cases in which men have trusted, or can trust, are made the symbols and the representatives of that one case which is the sum of all other truth and certainty; and all the various states of mind in which men most completely realize this certainty, and enjoy its "the glad stream

Flows to the ray, and warbles as it flows."

corresponding peace, are made illustrative and experimental of that one state of mind which is the sum of all other confidence and peace.

For example: Did the Israelites believe the assurances of God when He was about to send abroad the destroying angel, and to slay the first-born of the Egyptians? Did they sacrifice their lamb in hope, and sprinkle of the blood upon their dwellings, and rest in quietness within, assured and certain that "when the Lord passed through to smite the Egyptians, and saw the blood upon the lintel, and upon the two side posts, the Lord would pass over the door, and would not suffer the destroyer to come in unto their house to smite them ?" Did they maintain their peace in that tremendous night, and if a momentary misgiving came across their mind, remember the blood which they had sprinkled, and sink again to rest?-then, Brethren, recollect," Christ, "Behold our passover, is sacrificed for us!"

the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!" As that blood of sprinkling was to their deliverance from the destroyer, so is Jesus to the saving of our souls!

Or, again: Did the Jews, when they had sinned against their holy law, and were unclean, and banished from the presence of Jeho

vah, proceed in faith to use the remedy prescribed by Moses ;-did the penitent bring the sacrifice appointed to the altar, and lay his hand upon the victim, and look up in trembling hope to the ministering priest, who slew for him the animal, and sprinkled its atoning blood before the vail of the sanctuary; and then return in sweetest quietude, rejoicing in the Lord? Then, Brethren, hear the argument of Paul, "Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, neither by the blood of calves and goats, but by his own blood: He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For, if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?" As the legal atonement to the re-admission of the Jew to worship God: so is Jesus to your admission to the Father, to his love, and to his service!

Or, again: (for every sort of symbol is vouchsafed for our encouragement; the most general as well as these special ones)-Does an enemy,

a banished rebel to his prince, hail with gratitude the amnesty vouchsafed him, and joyfully accept the reconciliation offered him? "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them!" Or, does a criminal whose mind is awed and softened by the dread array of justice, leap for joy at the announcement of a free and gracious pardon? "We are justified,"-acquitted, that is, the charge against us cancelled, our punishment remitted-" we "we are justified by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord." Or, is there yet one state of mind more exquisite than all these representations will image to us: one in which the fullest confidence and peace are yet mixed up with the deepest reverence and obedience one which contains within itself the impossibility of being abused, and while it sheds the most inspiring freedom through the heart, impels that freedom along the path of holiest devotedness?-is there the quietness unspeakable of the filial mind reposing on the bosom of its Father, one with Him in thought, affection, will? Then Christians recollect, "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name; which were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man,