that GOD laid upon his Son. May the Lord condescend to apply this subject to the hearts of those that have heard. I have just touched this day the first unfolding of grace in the hearts of men; and I have endeavoured to show, though it be weak, yet weak grace is real grace, and that Christ never can despise it, and never will despise it. May the Lord condescend to write out these words upon my own heart, and your hearts; and if he permit, I shall speak next Lord's day on the durable and lasting nature of real grace in the soul of man, and that, although it be opposed by sin, Satan, and the world, all the powers of earth or hell can never destroy it, and may GOD give his grace and his blessing.-Amen. ON THE CONNEXION BETWEEN PASTOR AND PEOPLE. IT is a solemn and a beautiful association, that between a pastor and his people. The pastor has devoted himself to the office of bringing messages from God to the people; the people have pledged themselves to the receiving reverently the communications of eternity from the lips of the pastor. Woe unto the one if he be faithless and sluggish; woe unto the others if they be inattentive or unbelieving. Woe unto the pastor if he be sluggish or faithless! Of all the duties that have ever been put upon man, there is not one to which is attached a tithe of the responsibleness which hangs around the preaching of the Gospel. At a time when the judgment is sufficiently matured to decide fairly on the solemnities of the ministerial office, and with an unqualified avowal that he thinks himself moved by the Spirit of his GOD, the clergyman is set apart to the services of the sanctuary, and binds himself to the work of feeding the flock of the Redeemer. The faith which he professes to believe, he must teach it till he die. The vigour of his understanding, the labour of his studies, the fervency of his prayers, all must be gathered into one hearty dedication, and given unreservedly to the mighty work of turning sinners from the error of their ways. And if there be pause in the arduous career, if there be treachery, or time-serving, or cowardice; or if the base desire of sordid gain, and the unhallowed lust of reputation, intrude themselves into the seat of sacred functions: oh! then there breathes not upon the broad face of the earth, the man more deserving than this misnamed minister of Christ, to become a mark for the finger of indignant scorn, and to be wept over and bewailed by all that is holy and noble in creation. Woe unto the people if they be inattentive or unbelieving. Sermons die not. Every means, every opportunity, every warning, every lesson, they are registered in the book of the doomsday; and when the throne is set, and the startled dead swarm up from the sepulchres, they shall stand out as witnesses against the careless and the impenitent; and then shall it be seen that a faithful ministry, if it lead not a man to be a candidate for glory, is as a millstone round his neck, dragging him down into the depths of perdition. H. MELVILL. DELIVERED BY THE REV. J. H. EVANS, AT JOHN-STREET CHAPEL, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 23, 1832. John, vii. 45---53.-" Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived? Have any of the rulers, or any of the Pharisees believed on him. But this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed. Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them), Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth. They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look: for out of Galilee there ariseth no prophet. And every man went unto his own house." Is my former sermon we considered, | despises it; that if he were to despise that the first beginnings of grace are, oftentimes, exceedingly feeble. We traced this in the character and conduct of Nicodemus, in whom, although there was some light, it was but little light; while there was some acquaintance with himself there was but little; while there was a sincerity, yet there was a timidity; while he felt his own ignorance, yet he took with him a reasoning as well as an inquiring state of mind. "How can these things be?" We remarked, then, generally, that grace may first be exceedingly feeble in its actings, and yet though feeble, yet is it a reality-proved to be so by its abiding, in the midst of all opposition, by its overawing power, and by its aspiring tendency towards that GOD from whom it came. I then called your attention to this most interesting truth, that however weak, and however feeble, yet, when real, our compassionate Lord never VOL. V. it, he would despise the work of his own Spirit in the soul of man, the blessed effects of his own mediation, and the reflection of his Father's image; and that, so far is he from despising it, he keeps it, he preserves it, he upholds it, and makes the weak one more than conqueror, because he has loved him and given himself for him. The next point in the consideration of this subject is, The imperishable nature of real grace, that when once GOD beginneth the work of grace in the soul of man, in the midst of every hindrance, it endureth, and must endure.-" Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.-Phil. i. 6. We see this exemplified in the character and conduct of this same Nicodemus, in whose behaviour, though it is evident there was much timidity, N yet was he not altogether ashamed of Jesus; although there was much of the fear of consequences, yet he spake somewhat for him; although there was much of the dread of man, yet observe, when the Pharisees said -"Have any of the rulers, or of the Pharisees believed on him?"-his conduct seemed to infer, "I am a ruler, and I am a Pharisee," and say, Accuse him not unjustly,-This may be the Messiah of GOD." There was much timidity in his conduct, yet we see in him the abiding nature of true grace. There had elapsed an interval of two years since his former conversation with the Lord; yet, weak as was the spark, it was not extinguished; feeble as was the beginning of grace, yet it endured. And here, perhaps, this passing observation-the Lord may make a word of comfort to those who are feeble-that the imperishable nature of the least spark of grace is, perhaps, the greatest exhibition of the power of GOD, since, though all the floods and tempests of the stormy ocean come against it, they cannot destroy it. If it were some mighty furnace of fire, one should hardly wonder that the storm could not extinguish it; but when we see this little spark survive the contending elements, we see at once the mighty power of God --are taken from the consideration of the spark to that GOD that kindled it, and are enabled to see that the grace of GOD in the soul is invincible, not by any power in itself of invincibility, but by reason of the greatness of him who hath implanted it in the heart of man. The subject before us, then, is, THE IMPERISHABLE NATURE OF REAL GRACE. And First of all I would direct your minds TO THE TESTIMONY OF GOD UPON THE POINT. And then endeavour, Secondly, to show, WHY IT IS THAT TRUE GRACE IS OF AN IMPERISHABLE NATURE. And then, Thirdly, consider the subject in reference to ITS PRACTICAL BEARING UPON THE FAMILY AND PEOPLE OF GOD. Oh, that the Lord, the Spirit, may direct me to that which is personally profit, and really a blessing to your souls, restraining me from that which may be profitless, directing me to that which will lay itself on your consciences, and make you rejoice from a real experience of the greatness of that grace, which is exhibited to the chiefest of sinners! WHAT SAITH THE WORD OF GOD ON THIS MOST INTERESTING POINT? Aud here, at once, let me lead your minds to the nature of the covenant itself, as in the 32nd of the Prophet Jeremiah, the 40th verse-" And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them to do them good." If you refer back to the 31st chapter of that same prophet, 32nd verse, you read,—“Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they brake." This, then, is a covenant that cannot be broken; "not according to that covenant, which covenant they brake," but this covenant cannot be broken. This appears to be the Holy Ghost's reasoning. And then observe how the prophet writes, or rather the Lord writing by the prophet,-" I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me." That is, they shall not finally depart, they shall not altogether depart. The covenant does not hinder them from many wanderings, many causes for deep and bitter lamentation, but it actually does hinder an entire departure. "I will put my fear in their hearts," which shall be as a living principle in their souls, "that they shall not depart from me." And bear in mind, that this everlasting covenant standeth in direct opposition to the former covenant, which covenant they could break, and actually did break. If we look at the 5th chapter of the gospel of John, the 24th verse, we read—“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life." That this does not refer merely to eternal glory, but that it does include a commencement of eternal life in this world, issuing in eternal glory, but having its beginning here, is quite apparent from the remaining part of that passage" and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death anto life." Not merely “shall pass," but "is passed from death unto life," which proves, I conceive, the interpretation to be correct which I have oftentimes given of that passage"He that believeth on the Son of GOD hath everlasting life," that it is not merely in promise—not merely in anticipation, but that it has a commencement in this world. Remark, then, it is said of such a one, "he shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life." Again, if you turn to the 10th chapter of the same gospel, the 27th and 28th verses, you find "My sheep, hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." I am aware there are some who confine their ideas here to mere external enemies, but I must ask with what warrant? Is not the passage comprehensive? Does it not take in every opposition? "Neither shall any pluck them out of my hand. My Father which gave them me, is greater than all; and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." If you read the 8th chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans, 30th verse-see in that glorious chain, link within link-" Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called;" the same persons-" and whom he called, them he also justified;" the same persons- "and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”—The same individuals are throughout spoken of; so that they, who are effectually called, shall be eventually glorified. In the 1st chapter of the Epistle to the Philippians, the 6th verse, we find Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ." However feeble that work may be in its first beginnings-however small in its first openings, yet "he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it unto the day of Jesus Christ." He will perform it, he will perfect it, and will not suffer sin, nor the world, not Satan to destroy it. Mark in the 2nd chapter of the first Epistle of John, 26th verse, "These things have I written unto you, concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie; and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." Can language be more expressive? Can infinite wisdom speak more forcibly-more precisely -more definitely than he has here spoken? "Ye shall abide in him.” Observe also in that same chapter, the 19th verse, "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us." It is put here "they would no doubt have continued with us," but we know in the original it is, they would have 66 continued with us;" there is no sort of hesitation, it is an absolute certainty, "they would have continued with us, but they went out, that they might be made manifest, that they were not all of us." Can any thing be more explicit than is the testimony of the word here, that where there is real grace it is of an abiding character? It may be assaulted, it may be tried on the touchstone, it may he laid in the furnace, but the gold, though in the midst of the fire, shall be proved to be gold; while the dross shall be burnt, the gold shall be proved to be GOD's own gold through time and eternity. And hence those figures to which I have in a previous sermon alluded, "The water, that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." Oh how beautiful an unfolding is here concerning the nature of true grace! It is not as a dense stagnant pond, full of scum, full of mire; it is a clear running well springing up, not only springing, active, vigorous, putting forth its energies, but mounting up to GOD, to the GOD that gave it, to the Great Source from which it came. "The water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." This is one of those beautiful figures which the Holy Ghost has employed in that most beautiful of all books, the Bible, to set forth this very truth under consideration. however the means of grace may be dried up-whatever vicissitudes and change of seasons this little seed may be exposed to, it is incorruptible; and every child of God that hears me is a living witness of it, and shall bear eternal testimony to this truth. Hence we find the Apostle asserting, that this forms the true reason why the people of GOD will not live in sin-it is because that seed that is in these remaineth-"Whosoever is born of GOD, doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him ; and he cannot sin, because he is born of GOD." He cannot live as the ungodly live; sin is no more his atmosphere; it is no more his meat and his drink; he cannot now follow an ungodly multitude. Ask him his happiest moments, they are with GOD; ask him his greatest trials, they are from Satan; ask him his most ardent desires, they are for conformity; ask him the highest idea he has of Heaven, it is never to sin against GOD. Here, then, we clearly see that true grace in the soul is an imperishable principle. It stands exposed, it must be allowed, to great ebbs and flows, changes and vicissitudes. Like the sap in trees, in winter it may be driven down to its root, and take off as it were a tendril, and the little green may scarcely appear, yet is there union with its parent stem-and that union is indissoluble. Oh, were it not for this, the angels, methinks, Hence, again, we find in the 1st should be told to ring their harps only chapter of the First Epistle of Peter, when souls were brought safe to glory, that the seed is not only uncorrupted, and not when they were first conbut incorruptible--"Being born again, verted! If their rejoicing could be so not of corruptible seed, but of incor- soon turned into mourning, methinks ruptible." There is a great difference they ought to delay their hymus, and between the thing uncorrupted and not praise and sing and adore till incorruptible; that which is uncor- they saw that soul safely landed in rupted may be corrupted, but incor- eternal bliss. But is there one whose ruptible cannot be corrupted. What-heart is touched this day? Is there ever other things may corrupt-what- one soul who is converted to Gop this ever decay may take place elsewhere day? Is there one proud lofty sinner |