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but have everlasting life." This announcement contains the very pith and marrow of the glad tidings of our salvation.

When the world by its wisdom knew not God, in process of time the Creator of the universe-the God who made every living, breathing, moving thingclothed Himself in human nature-submitted to be born of a pure Virgin (thus becoming Son of God and Son of Man)-endured the sufferings of infancy, childhood, youth, and manhood-fulfilled the law in its every tittle-worked out a perfect righteousness-yielded himself to buffeting, and scorn, and agony -atoned by his death for the sins of the whole world-became the curse, the sin-offering which your sins and mine demanded for their expiation-grappled with death, and hell, and Satan-remained awhile in the grave a conqueror at rest—and then sprung up from its cold custody by the might of the indwelling Deity-presented his human nature pure and spotless unto the Father-ascended unto his mediatorial throne; where now he lives, the Advocate of all his pilgrim followers-the Intercessor who will save unto the uttermost all who come unto God by him.

These statements, brethren, in the course of our ministrations among you, it will be our duty to prove point by point. They are far too numerous to be entered on at length this afternoon: at present we will only ask you, Is it not "good," when the soul has just caught a glimpse of its sinful estate, and of the awfulness of its offended Judge, to feel that this Judge has acted as a merciful Father; that he hath pitied it in its ruin, and provided for its rescue? Is it not "good" to feel that our sorrows and our guilt have been borne away by another, all-powerful to atone, all-able to sympathize? Is it not good to feel, that, though poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked, we have an all-prevailing Advocate with the Father, who has reconciled the world unto its God; who shed his blood for every single unit of the tribes of mankind; who hath defeated Satan; and hath thrown wide open the doors of that prison-house wherein Satan chains down the millions of our race?

When we are thoroughly convinced as to these first principles of revelationthe depth of our ruin; the alone method of our restoration; the character, offices, and work of the Mediator; the perfect Godhead and the perfect manhood of this our Surety-the slain, the risen, the crucified, the glorified; when we have listened to the tidings of this full and free redemption, adapted so exactly to the wants of every sin-burdened soul; then must we proceed most diligently to inquire, how we may each individually become partakers of the blessing. It will never advantage me to prove that a Saviour hath died for me, and a pardon is offered me, unless I know how I may seek this Saviour, and apply for this pardon. True, the door of my dungeon may be opened; but unless I know the way to break my chain, and cast off my prison-clothes, I shall never be admitted among the citizens of the Eternal City.

The Almighty, in his Word, represents me as by nature a criminal, through breaking his law; and hence, as a prisoner, chained down by his justice. Hence some change must pass upon my feelings, and my affections, and my character, before I can be admitted as a guest at his table. So strongly is the necessity of this change laid down in the Word, that it is called "a second birth"—a "putting off the old man with its affections and lusts," and " new man created afresh, in righteousness and true holiness."

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be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." By what process, then, is this change to be effected? How is this slave of sin to be transformed into Jehovah's freed-man? After representing the soul as actually dead in trespasses and sins, it cannot be called upon to stir itself in its charnel-house, and lay hold by its own palsied strength of life eternal.

Now, the Almighty has not left this part of the economy of grace unprovided for. The same God, who as the Father in Heaven, first loved us in the earliest days of our ruin-who clothed himself in flesh, and as God the Son paid down the ransom, abolished the curse, and won back the heritage of glory—this same God still carries on the work of free grace, and as God the Spirit undertakes the special office of acting on the wills of mankind; of enlightening their blindness; of shewing them their danger, and their refuge; of turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. This Holy Spirit addresses himself to every one who hath an ear. He is come to convince and to reprove the world, to alarm the conscience, to awaken it from its deathsleep, and to become the Converter, the Sanctifier, the Purifier, and the Comforter of the saints.

And while this One God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, is thus engaged in rescuing us from death, he demands of each conditions of acceptance. He will not save us in our sins. The Father will not accept us in our polluted state: he will have us cleansed and sanctified before he will admit us into glory. And this cleansing and purifying we must obtain by putting our trust in the Great Atonement. He is exalted to give repentance and remission of sins: "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." "God now commandeth all men everywhere to repent." "Present your bodies," says St. Paul," a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." By their fruits ye shall know them." "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

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It may be further proved, that though the man must believe, the man repent, and the man work the deeds of love and holiness, yet God must give the faith, and the repentance, and the newness of life: so that from first to last salvation is entirely of free grace. Man is of himself unable to procure, by any merits of his own, the favour of his God: he is justified solely through the merits of his Redeemer. The Spirit unites him to that body of which the Redeemer is the Head: his faith is the instrument on his part by which he becomes united to the source of spiritual life; and his good works are necessary in proof that he does live. All pretensions to being born of God, when no fruits of love to God or man appear, when the world can discern no difference between the daily life of the ungodly and of the professor of godliness, are vain and worthless. Saving, justifying faith, must be a working, practical, and energizing thing: and it must work through love: it must establish the law; it must assimilate the mind to the mind of Christ Jesus; it must go forth daily to battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil; and it must, upon the whole, win the mastery over the world; otherwise it is false, and hypocritical, and delusive. And when once the sinner has been so renewed by the Spirit, that he hath put forth his hand, and laid hold on the Rock of ages, then what tears of repentance, what sighs of contrition, what struggles against corruption, will daily be manifest! The newborn energies will grow and flourish; the process of sanctification will be

gradually going on; the privileges of adoption will be more and more precious; till at lengt1 the new-born babe will grow up unto the full stature of the spiritual man: and, awaiting in peace the hour of his departure, be taken to his rest; and on the resurrection morn he shall spring up burnished and beautiful, and walk to and fro, as a king and a priest, through the paradise of God.

And is it not "good" for the contrite sinner to be able to " prove" from the Word, that the Creator of all things calls himself his Father; pities and loves him even in the days of wickedness; encourages him to come at once just as he is, without any preparation of worthiness, or works, or merits; urges him to apply at once for a spirit of repentance and of faith, to the appointed Advocate of sinners; offers him the grace of His Holy Spirit to convert, and renew, and sanctify, and preserve him, and unite him, once and for ever, to the blessed company of the righteous. For these are righteous, not through any doings or desert of their own, but through membership with Him who is our Living Head-the Lord our righteousness.

Having thus treated, but briefly, some few of the "all things" that may be proved good-we must defer others till some future opportunities. The approaching festival of Easter will necessarily connect itself with the scenes of the Crucifixion and Atonement-with the doctrine of the resurrection, the ascension, and the out-pouring of the Spirit: and we shall ever be anxious on festival Sundays to draw your attention towards the event to be specially celebrated for these special occasions should be made days of festival for the soul.

But we must pass on to point out, secondly, soME ENCOURAGEMENTS TO "HOLD FAST" THESE GOOD THINGS WHEN PROVED.

Let each hearer before me be mindful to prove for himself the truth of what has been spoken. Let him offer up the silent prayer-" Open thou mine eyes, O Lord, that I may see wondrous things out of thy law :" and then when he hath waited thus humbly for the Spirit's teaching, let him be careful to “hold fast" the soul-saving truth.

When thou hast proved that thy God is a being of justice as well as of mercy, then hold fast the truth; lest the deceitfulness of thy heart persuade thee that he will overlook thy failings as unworthy His notice. When thou art tempted to pride thyself on thy freedom from gross sin, and upon the fewness of thy failings, and the multitude of thy virtues, then dash away the delusive draught of flattery, and "hold fast" the truth that thou art ruined and wretched in the sight of thy Maker; that in thine own natural estate thou art unable and unwilling to cleave heartily unto the Lord. Atonement for thine iniquities thou must not attempt: the worthiness of thy works thou must not plead: thy sorrow for the past, and thy promises of amendment for the future, cannot of themselves propitiate God's favour. "Hold fast," then, unto the mighty truth, that there is but one way for a sinner to come acceptably unto the mercy-seat; even through Him who is appointed the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He only can grant what the sinner needs. He only can satisfy what the law demands. Christ Jesus the Lord is Messiah unto the Jew, and King and High Priest unto the Gentile. "Look unto him and be ye saved all the

ends of the earth." "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not "Whosoever believeth"-" Hold fast," we perish, but have eternal life." encourage you, unto this word "whosoever." There is no restriction in the free mercy of Jehovah: the blood of the Mediator was shed, and the body of the Mediator was broken for you, and for me, and for every outcast of the family of Adam. "Hold fast" also unto the soul-saving truth, that a man cannot believe without the indwelling of God the Spirit. He is the only converter, and sanctifier, and comforter of souls; call upon him in every time of need, and he will send down sufficiency of grace.

And do we need encouragements thus to "hold fast?" Then turn to the epistles to the seven Churches of Asia, and ponder on the promises to all who "hold fast" unto the end. Days of weariness and days of fainting may be in store for us all; but "to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." "Remember therefore how thou hast received, and heard, and hold fast, and repent." There are blessings in store for thee, the glory of which surpasses all description. Amid the storms and billows of life, thou shalt find the security of having thy bark lashed to the Rock of ages.

"Hear, once more, the message of thy God. "Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.' "Thy crown," says thy Lord. And can it be that, after proving man thus helpless, and guilty, and ruined, he should be told of a crown as his own, and a kingdom as his own? Can it be that, after having humbled the natural man in the dust of corruption, we are to exalt the spiritual man to the glory of immortality? This, brethren, is the mighty encouragement to hold fast. Though thou art now dead in trespasses and sins; though thou art self-righteous and self-satisfied yet once let the Spirit stir thee, and unite thee by a living faith unto that body of which Christ Jesus is the Head, then art thou an heir of God-joint heir with the Son of God—and shall sit on his throne even as he is seated on his Father's throne: and however wretched, and forlorn, and persecuted, here, thine shall be a crown, and a diadem, and robes of glory on that bright morning of springing from the tomb-the magnificent coronation day of the saints; and then shalt thou offer this song of thanksgiving: "O Lord, we praise thee that thou didst urge us to prove all things;' for now, by thy grace, we have held fast; now, by thy grace, we have won our

crown."

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YIELDING OURSELVES UNTO GOD.

REV. J. HAMBLETON, A.M.

CHAPEL OF EASE, HOLLOWAY, APRIL 12, 1835.

"Yield yourselves unto God."-ROMANS, vi. 12.

THESE words exhort to what is the bounden duty of every Christian. The Bible allows no compromise with sin; no halting between two opinions; no neutrality in the Christian warfare. It makes, indeed, allowance for timid doubts and feeble efforts: it provides for cases of temptation and depression; it tells how the weak may be made strong, the fainting revived, and the backslider restored. Yet, as to the grand choice, the resolution, the course of life, God in his Word speaks very plainly: "If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal-if the world, if Mammon, if pleasure-follow them." And so here in our text: "Yield yourselves unto God." The duty, and the motive which persuades us to this duty, shall be our present subject.

But why is this our present subject? I answer, It is one important to all of us at any time; and not the least to my young friends preparing for confirmation. If there are any here who think they hear too much of confirmation at this time, I must beg of them to bear with me. It is a serious thing to have the ministerial responsibility of preparing more than one hundred souls for the public profession of the Christian faith: I feel that they need all, and more than all, I can do, by public and private instruction, exhortation, and prayer, lest any among them should, after all, fail of the grace of God. I feel that such a season may be eminently blessed to many others also. The Christianity they are going to profess, is what some of us have professed for years past. What ought to be penitence, faith, obedience, and devotedness in them, ought to be of the very same character in ourselves. Hence I do expect, through God's grace, a season of revival of genuine religion amongst us. Looking for that grace, I do, and will, hope, that this may prove quite a spring-tide to our congregation: that while the warm beams of the vernal sun are every day causing the buds to swell, and the blossoms to burst forth, in the natural world around us, the brighter beams of the Sun of Righteousness will shine into all our hearts; revive and quicken the work of grace within; re-animate the aged with the fervour of youth; fill with new energy the Christian in middle life; and so penetrate and pervade all our youth, that we may have from among them a large accession, not of Christians in name only-not of churchmen, or protestants, or religious professors, in name only; but of humble penitents, true believers; meek, intelligent, and devoted Christians, prepared by the grace

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