the meaning of these words. With Christ, in the covenant, God will "freely give us all things," all things necessary for life and godliness; all things, necessary for body and soul, for our safety, preservation and happiness in time and in eternity-Such is the Gift. Such is the Covenant. In the contemplation of such mercies, of such a great and glorious work, may we not with the Psalmist resolve, may we not call upon one another, upon all men, to praise the Lord? Hath he not so done his marvellous works, that they ought to be had in remembrance? And yet how few comparatively are there who do praise the Lord for these mercies, who value this provision which He has made for the Soul, and rejoice in His Covenant! In the gift of the harvest, they joy with delight: they even express something like a feeling of gratitude for this blessing. But in the gift of a Saviour they take no delight; they hear of it with indifference; they perhaps regard it with contempt. The fact is, that they have no spiritual feeling and desire. They hunger and labour after the meat which perisheth : but as to the meat which endureth to everlasting life, they have no taste, no relish, no appetite for it. Christ "has no beauty in Him, that they should desire Him." He is not precious in their eyes. They love the world, and the things of the world. Here

their heart and their affections are fixed. And if their worldy affairs succeed; if they can prosper here, and procure to themselves an earthly portion, this is all their wish, and all their desire. And as for Christ and His Salvation, they care not for them, and feel no interest in them.

O! my Brethren, how shall such persons be roused from their aweful slumber! May the Lord in mercy quicken them by His Grace, and put a new spirit within them! O pray for yourselves. Pray for one another, that you thus sleep not the sleep of death. Pray that your eyes may be opened to see those wondrous things which God has done for your salvation; pray that your hearts may be disposed to value them, and to praise Him for them.

Surely with those among you "who fear the Lord," this is already the case. You are not in darkness as others. You, who have tasted that the Lord is gracious, and are hungering after the bread of life; who know by heart-felt experience the inestimable value of the Saviour, and desire to know and value Him better, you cannot be backward in offering up your prayers to Him who has wrought such a work in you. While others are joying with the joy of the harvest, nay, while you are partaking with them in this joy, you have still another joy with which a stranger

intermeddleth not; a joy of a far superior nature, which they know not of; a joy, at times unspeakable, and full of glory. How little does the world know of the Christian's joy! How trifling is their joy in comparison with his! You who taste his joy know its value. You know that the price of it is above gold and precious stones. You know the price at which it was bought, even the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lanb without blemish and without spot. O praise the Lord for this His unspeakable gift. Praise Him for that bread which came down from Heaven. Praise Him by living upon it; by feeding upon it in your heart, by faith with thanks giving. Bear also in mind His faithfulnes and truth. His covenant is an everlasting covenant. "He will ever be mindful of it." Remember the foundation on which your safety and security, your peace and joy are fixed, even on the promise of Him who cannot lie, on the oath which never can be broken. In yourself you are frail and change able; but in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength; and "with Him is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." Remember that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever:" and He hath said that as "He will never forsake His people," so "none is able to pluck them out of his hand." He will be with them in life. He will support

them in death. He will guide them here by His counsel, and will hereafter receive them to glory. Be strong then in the Lord, all ye who fear Him. Be patient and hope to the end. Live in the discharge of your duties, in the enjoyment of your privileges. Live in faith, in hope, and love. Let your devotion be that of the Psalmist, "Whom have we in Heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that we desire besides Thee." Let your rejoicing be that of the Prophet,

66

Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine, the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stallsYet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will joy in the God of my Salvation." *

* Psalm lxxiii. 25. Habbak. iii, 17, 18.

SERMON XV.

THE CHRISTIAN'S REST THROUGH FAITH.

HEBREWS, iv. 1.

Let us therefore fear lest a Promise being left us of entering into His Rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.

ST. Paul, in this Epistle to the Hebrews, makes great use of the Old Testament. Writing to Jews, he naturally attempts to explain to them the design and privileges of the Gospel, by a reference to the types and shadows of the Jewish law, and to different circumstances in the Jewish dispensation and history. Thus, in the chapter before the text, he had been reminding his readers of the case of their fathers in the Wilderness. Haying been brought out of Egypt under the guidance of Moses, and conducted to the very borders of the land of Canaan- the Land of Promise where they were to rest from all their labours they yet failed to obtain an