imaginations or temptations. 2. It would render us entirely independent of the dangerous example of those professed Christians, who, by following the imaginations of their own hearts, and the desires of the flesh, would lure us from the path of duty. 3. It would prevent all delay of duty, or modification of our conduct, on account of a want of feeling, which, we have seen, God has never recognized as a standard of our actions. Observing this rule, we have only to inquire, what we shall be, and what we shall do, receive the answer which God has written, and go forward.

4. Humble, but prompt confession, is so absolutely necessary, that no man can either attain unto, or retain the salvation of God without it. The reasons why confession is not made by many who seek the Lord, are, generally, either pride of heart, which shrinks from some requirement, or despises some feature of Christianity, or the fear of falling into some mistake; or, of backsliding from the attainments which we are called to acknowledge. Remove these difficulties, and confession is made without any hesitation; let them remain, and they incur the frown of God.

Confession implies public acknowledgment, 1. Of the doctrines of the Bible. 2. Of our desires and purposes to embrace them. 3. Of the grace to which we have already attained. From the clearest conviction of duty, we record it as a most important truth, that the least equivocation with respect to either of the above points, will effectually close the heart against the Spirit of God; for, "whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I, also, deny before my Father which is in heaven." But, on the contrary, a frank performance of this duty will contribute to our faith, and open our bosoms to the most propitious smiles of heaven. "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

5. Finally, we should act from but one motive, and that should always be defined in the following, or similar language: "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Two eyes, in the service of God, are equivalent to none: the whole body shall be full of darkness. Hence, great care should be taken in the regulation of the motives from which we act. Christians sometimes act from mere impulses which arise in social life, without any special object in view. This course is exceedingly dangerous; exposing the soul to a torrent of temptations, which sweeps it away from Christ, like a bubble upon a wave.

Again: we are in danger of mixing our motives with references to the opinions of men. Whenever we pause one moment in the path of duty, to inquire what men may think, or what they may say, we are suddenly bewildered with double sight, and led away captive. Some act from mere sense of duty, without any well-defined design to glorify God; and still another class perform duty from the fear of backsliding; not that they care so much for dishonoring God, and injuring the Church, as that they dread the backslider's fate. Soon, such service becomes an irksome drudgery ungrateful as hatred, and irregular as the dreams of guilt.

While it is contended that all the above motives taken together cannot sustain the soul one hour, it is admitted that no Christian should disregard the good opinion and friendship of his fellow-men, or be indifferent to his own. personal welfare, or the claims of justice. But the central star, which fixes his eye, must be above all such considerations; and he must pursue it with steady gaze, resting all the interests of time and eternity upon the decision of this one, simple question, "What will please God?" Here, and here alone, is absolute safety; for though he may err, his heart remains uncondemned, and his conscience void of

offense, and he still finds free access to Him "who is touched with the feeling of his infirmity."

By such a course, the Christian will be enabled to exercise strong faith, and glorify God, as did Abraham. Having left the cypress shades of unbelief, and established principles which, while they exist, interdict the possibility of return, he never can be " entangled in the yoke of bondage." But even here he cannot stand still; for such is the nature of the Christian warfare, that he who will not retreat must fight; so that all the powers of his faith are called into constant exercise, and every faculty of his soul is developed by perpetual conflict. He, consequently, becomes acquainted with every device of the enemy, and counts it all joy when he falls into divers temptations, accounting the discipline of his soul of more value than the ease and pleasure of the most quiet retreat. Again: the war can have but one termination. To make a truce after the conflict is begun, is impossible, and retreat he will not; it, therefore, only remains for him to fight till the battle turns in his favor, and he is enabled to rejoice over the spoils of the enemy. So far from coveting peace, he provokes every foe with constant aggression, and invades every inch of territory within his reach.

Such was the faith that delivered oppressed Israel, overthrew the walls of Jericho, subdued kingdoms, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, and summoned the earthquake to the rescue of the imprisoned apostles. With this faith, the believer, "out of weakness is made strong-waxes valiant in fight," and is enabled "to put to flight the armies of the aliens." Or, turning away from scenes of conflict, he is led into " green pastures and beside still waters," there to inhale fresh odors from rosy bowers, pluck ripe fruit from living vines, and bathe in sunny fountains; while earth becomes to him a paradise restored. Finally, it enables him to leave the world with

out regret, shake hands with death as with a familiar friend, lift the vail of eternity, see God with open vision, and rest for ever in his bosom.

SERMON X.

BY REV. MICHAEL MARLAY.

CHRIST VIEWED AS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.

"Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," John i, 29.

THESE words were spoken by John the Baptist, who was the son of Zacharias, a Jewish prophet, himself an accredited prophet, who, according to the testimony of Christ, was equal, if not superior, to any who had appeared before him. He began his ministry in the wilderness of Judea, about the time there was a general expectation among the people of the Jews that Messiah would appear; and, on account of his elevated moral character, and the eccentricity of his life and manners, the Jews concluded that he must be the Messiah, and sent a deputation from Jerusalem to ask him who he was. John promptly answered, declaring that he was "not the Christ." When they pressed the inquiry further concerning his character, and the nature of his mission, that they might give an answer to those who sent them, John declared himself to be "the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord." While Jerusalem and all Judea came to John's baptism, Jesus, also, came from Galilee to Jordan to be baptized of him; but John forbade him, saying, "I have need to be baptized of thee." Jesus further explained the design of his thus coming to him, "that they might fulfill all righteousness;" whereupon John made no further objections, but baptized him: "And, lo,

the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and, lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Not long after this, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, upon which occasion he uttered the words of the text, and assigned as the reason for his thus confidently proclaiming Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah, that "he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost." In treating this subject, we will,

I. CONSIDER THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST.

II. THE WORK HE CAME TO DO.

III. DIRECT ATTENTION TO THIS EXTRAORDINARY PERSONAGE.

1. The character of Christ, "the Lamb of God." In giving this character, we shall not attempt any analogy between the animal named in the text and the blessed Lord, because we cannot allow that any of the attributes of character belonging to the Messiah are found in the lamb; nor do we believe that such attempts are either honorable to the Savior, or calculated to advance the interests of religion. When the great Creator instituted the sacrificial service, as a type of the sacrifice of Christ, who is called "The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world," he saw proper to select the lamb; especially in the case of the passover, and the morning and evening sacrifices. Hence the propriety of calling the great antitype the "Lamb of God."

It will be recollected, also, that the type was not only to be of this description of animals, but that the particular animal was to be perfect of its kind. So the promised Messiah was not only to be of the seed of David, according to the flesh, but was to be a perfect man, in every