day. They have their foundation in the nature of man; nay, perhaps even in created nature; and they may therefore exist in a better world. But no man, whose heart is right with God, can be altogether destitute of any Christian grace. Not one of the characteristics mentioned in the beatitudes can be wanting in the true Christian; they are not only closely connected, but one grows out of the other in the order observed by our Lord. The poor in spirit will necessarily mourn on account of sin; the mourner will be meek; the meek will hunger and thirst after righteousness; and so of the rest. The great design of the gospel with reference to man is not to develop in him one particular excellence; no, nor yet to develop in him any particular excellences; it is rather to form in the human heart the germ of universal excellence, to mould the human character after the image of God, to "form Christ in us" so that we may grow up into his likeness in all things. He is scarcely a Christian who does not prize, and is not in sympathy with, every Christian virtue. ness. Such diversities are seen every | well-being is evermore that of welldoing. The privileges conferred on Christians in the gospel are many and great, and he cannot be indifferent to them. He ought to be concerned to realize his interest in Jesus Christ; for it is only as we are one with him that the immunities and privileges of the kingdom of God are ours. A weight of anxiety must ever be pressing upon him until he can say, "I know in whom I have trusted, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." But the Christian's happiest moments are those in which he most entirely loses sight of himself and his own interests; when his soul is led out after God; when he contemplates the beauty of holiness, the infinite perfection of the divine character, the boundless love of God in the gift of Jesus Christ, and the provision which he has made for the welfare of his children. The true interest of the Christian lies in attaching himself to the idea of duty, of right, of doing the will of God from love. Let us seek our recompence in our work. We shall find that "in keeping the commandments there is great reward." We shall experience often ineffable delight in doing the will of our Father in heaven; and even when the path of duty is most steep and rugged, when it is covered with thorns and surrounded by dangers, and we have heavy crosses to bear,-even then we shall find that the path of duty is the path of safety, that he who walketh uprightly walketh surely. And in proportion as we enter into the true spirit of the gospel, our hearts are so affected towards God that there is no peace for us but in doing his will. 4. In the cultivation of the virtues and graces mentioned by our Lord, the Christian is far from being influenced by selfish considerations or mercenary motives. He does not perform the service for the reward; he does not cultivate the graces of the Spirit for the recompence which he hopes to receive either here or hereafter; he cultivates them for themselves, because they are good and beautiful, and because it is the will of God that he should do so. I do not mean to intimate that the Christian is indifferent to his happiness, or that he is required to have no regard to his highest and best interests; far from it; and the benevolence of God is clearly seen in this, that, upon the whole, obedience and happiness are found to be inseparable; the way of The Christian who attaches himself most fully to the idea of duty is far from thinking of meriting the favour of God, of purchasing or deserving the kingdom of heaven. There is one only ground of a sinner's acceptance with God-the obedience unto death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is ours only as we are Christ's. We have eternal life when we have him. "This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son; he that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." And we become one with the Son of God by faith. By faith in him we are "justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses." And the faith which justifies is a living, operative principle; it is its very nature to work, and it ever works by love. The true Christian sees and admires the beauty of holiness, and it is in accordance with the tendencies of his new nature to follow hard after it. 5. Our Lord teaches us in this discourse the eminently practical and experimental nature of true religion. How many are making the inquiry, in these days, What is religion? Where is it to be found? What would they not give to be assured on this subject! But what authority on such a subject can equal that of Jesus Christ? What can be desired in addition to his sure word? He taught the way of God in truth; and in this discourse he tells us what true religion really is; what that religion is which, as the universal Judge, he will recognize at the last day. True religion is something to be done, and something to be understood and felt. It consists not in any ceremonial observances, or in any of the proprieties of outward conduct, but in a right state of the mind and of the heart, leading to integrity and purity of life. Religion is not an outward form, but an inward life; it is "the life of God in the soul of man." All the beatitudes are expressive of states of mind; and, for the most part, of states of mind only. But wherever there is the inward life, there is always the outward manifestation of it. "Herein are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil." They are manifest to themselves and to each other, as well as to God. There are satisfactory evidences of vital piety. The apostles were not dubious as to their piety; they knew in whom they had trusted; and this knowledge they had, not as inspired, but as believing, as spiritually enlightened men. Thus we read in the writings of St. John:-"Hereby we know that we do know him; hereby we know that we are in him; hereby we know that we are of the truth." How do we know this? It is a matter of inward consciousness. Yes; but you know it not by inward consciousness, apart from the outward manifestation of the spiritual life. The goodness of the vine is its fruit; without this you have no proof that it is good; nay, without this there is no goodness in it; it is fit only to be cut down and to be cast into the fire. Thus the apostle says, most beautifully; "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected." The love of God discovers its reality in him; it has attained to the perfection of its being in him; in him it is perfect in its kind. The tree is perfect, not in the bud or in the branches, not in the leaves or in the flowers, but in the fruit. It is even so with the Christian. As the vine is perfect when it is covered with rich and ripe clusters, so is the love of God in the Christian perfected when he keeps the word of God. The tree is for the fruit; it has answered the end for which it was planted and pruned, and cultivated, when it brings forth good fruit. And the knowledge and the love of God in man have attained their end when he brings forth the fruit of holiness into eternal life. The true measure of a man's worth is not what he knows, or thinks, or feels, or professes, but what he does for God and for the world. "Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” 6. It is the glory of the gospel not only that it reveals the true path of bliss, but that it secures our walking in it. It is delightful to contemplate the character described by our Lord in this discourse,-but how to realize it? How can we make that self-sufficient man poor in spirit ?—that self-righteous man a humble mourner ?—that proud man meek and gentle ?-that self-satisfied man hunger and thirst after righteousness? How difficult it is to bring men fully to understand this! They will have religion to consist in anything and in every thing, rather than in doing the will of God from the heart. Our Lord was represented by the religionists of his day as a profane man, a sabbath breaker, a sinner; and there are many in our day who would denounce that man's views as very lax-questionable, certainly, if not decidedly dangerous-who-that implacable man merciful?—that should represent religion as consisting, not in creeds, profession, outward rites, or church polities, but in humility, purity, integrity, charity, the love of God perfected in doing the will of God. This, nevertheless, is the truth; it is that which inspired apostles teach now; it is that which God will own at the last day. "Herein are manifest the children of God and the children of the devil; he that doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into sensualist pure in heart?-that contentious man a peace-maker? In other words, how can we bring sinners back to God? The gospel of the grace of God can do it. "The gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." Jesus, who taught the way of God in truth, is himself the true way of life. "And I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." Yes,— "There 's virtue in his name, To change the vulture to a dove, The lion to a lamb." THE REFINING OF SILVER. COMPOSED BY A PRACTICAL REFINER WHILE WATCHING THE PROCESS. "He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."-MALACHI iii, 3. UNDER what a variety of aspects and figures is the truth of God presented for contemplation! Nature, science, and art are all made tributary to portray and illustrate the dealings of the Divine Being with his people! Flowers, trees, fields, floods, earth, air, fire, water, sun, moon, and stars, serve to give light, intelligence, and interest to the multifarious, sublime, and often mysterious, truths of divine inspiration! Let us see wherein the character of a refiner and purifier of silver is analogous to God's treatment of his children. 1. The silver is in various states of alloy. When first submitted to the refiner's hands it is sometimes alloyed with copper, tin, and lead. This may serve to remind us of the various states of mind God has to do with when he undertakes the purification of his people by processes of trial, affliction, and suffering, through which he causes them to pass. Afflictions are the common lot of the children of God.—"I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord."-" Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth." When, therefore, the Divine Being brings his children into trouble, is it not because there is so much alloy intermixed with the graces of the soul, from which he is disposed to set us free ? pared, permitted, appointed by the Great Refiner, by which you are to be tried, tested, refined, and made happy! 3. This will help us to understand the severity of the ordeal through which God's children sometimes pass. The bed spoken of is made red hot and properly hardened so as to receive the silver, which is then, in its alloyed state, put upon it, and an intense flame passes over it and melts it down, and there for hours it is subject to a most powerful fire. Will not this throw light upon several passages of scripture which evidently refer to the severe trials of the children of grace, as Zech. xiii. 9, "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried;"-" Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you ;" "The trial of your faith being more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire?" 2. The refiner prepares a bed, of a hollow form, on which the silver is to be melted down. This is called, in technical language, "the test;" for upon that bed the silver is to be tried, tested, purified. And is not this strikingly analogous to God's treatment of his people? Will it not fitly illustrate the preparation or the permission of the precise trials by which his children are to be tested, 4. The silver, in this stage of the tried, and refined? Can anything give process, is always covered with a slag, them pain, or befall them of an adverse or covering of dross, which the refiner character, that has not the sanction, must carefully remove or he cannot control, or appointment of their heavenly even see the silver. And what is the Father, when even a sparrow cannot end of suffering? Hear the prophet, fall to the ground without our heavenly "Thy silver is become dross, thy wine Father's notice?" Could they be merely mixed with water. And I will turn my adventitious circumstances which made hand upon thee and purely purge away Job childless, destroyed his property, thy dross, and take away all thy tin." and slew his cattle? Was there no con- Now, the refiner finds tin to be the worst trolling hand in the iron bondage alloy to get rid of, and it requires a beneath which Israel groaned so griev- hotter fire and to be longer continued ously and so long? Or could the despot in order to remove this alloy. The of Babylon have gone to such cruel heavenly Refiner, however, will make lengths with three of God's chosen ones an effectual work in the process, and if He whom they served had not per- will take away all the dross. Whatever mitted it for his own glory? And so alloy there is in connexion with the now we may be called to pass through graces of the Spirit shall be entirely remysterious providences, severe mental, moved; and such is the blessed tendency bodily, or family affliction; wearisome of sanctified affliction. Hence it is said, days and nights may be appointed, "We glory in tribulation,"—" Though some distressing bereavement, fearful no chastening for the present seemeth calamity, reverse of circumstances. to be joyous but grievous." WhatWell, look upon these as the bed pre-ever of earth, or sense, or sin still clings to our hearts shall be effectually destroyed, and we shall be made more spiritual and heavenly-minded through the suffering to which we are subject. 5. The silver, though skimmed of its dross, is not yet pure, so the fire is still continued, but at a lower temperature; and during the operation a dark crimson cloud sometimes comes over the whole surface, arising from the remaining impurities. And, O, how often are God's people thus exercised and in darkness during the season of affliction! In heaviness through manifold temptations! Clouds and darkness seem around the throne of God. Doubts are suggested, fears as to a real work of grace, or the sincerity of the heart, until some sweet promise alights upon the soul like dew upon the tender herb; then all becomes peaceful again, and sunshine, and joy. 6. When the silver is first put into the furnace, a large quantity of another metal of a baser kind, such as lead, is put in with it. This has a greater affinity for the dross, and the action of the fire the sooner consumes the impurities and leaves the silver refined. And is not this also illustrative of the refining process of the soul? How many there are, the inferior part of whose nature has been greatly consumed in effecting their purification, some by burning fever and others by wasting consumption and other diseases, until the corporeal frame is reduced to a mere skeleton; but through that very decadence, or wasting of the outward man, the inner man has been renewed day by day. 7. The expression of the passage is peculiarly appropriate, "He shall sit as a refiner." This is an important and almost necessary posture for the refiner to occupy, that he may command a proper view both of the fire and the silver in the process of refinement. The furnace is so constructed as to require it, and he is the better able to regulate the fire and increase or diminish its intensity by being in that observant posture. And, oh! is not such an observant posture of our heavenly Refiner calculated to administer the strongest consolation to the suffering child of God? Is it not expressive of the sympathy of his heart in the sufferings of his people? Does he sit as a Refiner? He is not an idle spectator. Ah, no! he is there to regulate the intensity of the fire; to watch the progress of the work; to temper the sufferings to the circumstances of the subject of them; to meliorate or quicken the flame, as the case may require; he will not injure the precious metal by an over intensity of fire, or stop the purification by diminishing too much the temperature of the furnace, as is sometimes done by an earthly refiner. He sits by the furnace-oh, happy thought!-to sympathize in their sorrow, to whisper peace to their troubled spirit, to support them when faint, rouse them when torpid, cheer them when disconsolate, and elevate them when depressed. 8. The refiner always knows when the silver is sufficiently refined by its bright reflecting quality; the whole of the upper part of the furnace is very beautifully reflected from the surface of the silver, so that the refiner could see his own image in it. The fire is then diminished; the metal is allowed to cool, and is then removed from the furnace. And so when the heavenly Refiner sees his own image, that image consisting in righteousness and true holiness, reflected by his children, he then either removes the fire by which they have been refined, or takes them out of the furnace to a world where they reflect that image in more vivid characters; and as they gaze in transport at the divine perfections, are changed into the same image from glory to glory. Let us not be discouraged by the |