not appeal for testimony to any arguments drawn from passages of Scripture which have been questioned.

The plan of some of the sermons of Dr. P. is exceedingly simple and natural. In general, however, he does not seem to have been anxious to manifest any ingenuity in his skeletons. It is remarkably true of him that he "speaks right on." He does not cleave to any single method, but adopts successive methods according to his inclinations at various times. One of the best features of his discourses is his evident desire, on every occasion, to speak in such a manner as to promote in the highest degree the spiritual welfare of his hearers. With this end in view, instead of leaving his application wholly for the closing portions of his sermon, he involves applicatory remarks, more or less, with every part. An example of one of his clearest skeletons is in the sermon on "Christ's Love for the Church." Ser. LIX, Vol. III. Text, Eph. 5: 25-27. From this text he shows, 1. The object of Christ's love, the church. 2. The proof of his love: "he gave himself for it." 3. The design of his love, that he might sanctify, cleanse and present it to himself a glorious and spotless church. 4. The means by which he effects this;-the washing of water by the word. Such clearness and completeness of method, however, is by no means common with him.

We present a few extracts, illustrative of his general. manner, for the sake of those who may not enjoy the perusal of these volumes. Our selections are taken from sermons which have not previously appeared in print.

The first is from the sermon entitled, "Christ's Priestly Office." Text, Heb. viii, 1-3. "Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. For every high priest is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices; wherefore it is of necessity that this man have somewhat also to offer." He remarks that in the Mosaic dispensation, the three principal things were the tabernacle, the priests and the sacrifices; and he shows that each of these was a type of Christ.

"Jesus Christ is the Christian's tabernacle, or he is to his people what the tabernacle was to the Jews. The true tabernacle, of which

me.

the apostle here speaks, and which, he informs us, the Lord pitched, and not man, was the body or human nature of Christ. The Jewish tabernacle was pitched by men. But the body of Christ was prepared by God. He says himself to his Father, A body hast thou prepared And he said to the Jews, during his residence on earth, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again. But, adds the inspired penman, he spake of the temple of his body. Now the temple, as you are doubtless aware, was of the same nature, and designed to answer the same purposes as the tabernacle, and differed from it only in being more permanent and substantial. Calling his body the temple was therefore the same as calling it the tabernacle. By calling his body the true tabernacle, the apostle intimates that the Jewish tabernacle was not the true one, but only a shadow or type of it. That he gives it this appellation with perfect propriety, a moment's reflection will convince us. The Jewish tabernacle was the only place on earth where God dwelt in a peculiar manner; the only place where he was accessible; the only place where he could be found; the only place where he could be approached on a mercy seat; the only place where he answered the inquiries of his worshippers; the only place where offerings could be acceptably presented to him. Hence the pious Jews, whenever they prayed, turned their faces towards the tabernacle, and afterwards towards the temple; and they addressed their prayers to Jehovah, as to him that dwelt between the cherubim, that is the cherubim which overshadowed the mercy seat in the most holy place.

Now in all these respects the tabernacle was a type of Christ. In all these respects, his body or human nature is the true tabernacle. In him alone God dwells; for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. God can be found, he can be approached acceptably, nowhere else; for through Jesus Christ, says an apostle, we have access to the Father, and in him alone are we accepted. As the tabernacle was the appointed meeting-place between God and the Jews, so Jesus Christ is the appointed meeting-place between God and sinners now. As the mercy-seat was in the tabernacle, so, an apostle informs us, Christ is set forth or exhibited as a mercy-seat, through faith in his blood. They, and they only, who come to God in Christ, will find him on a mercy-seat, or, in other words, find him ready to show mercy. There is salvation, says an apostle, and of course there is mercy, in no other. And as from the tabernacle God communicated his will, so he now communicates it through Jesus Christ. He is the only true light. In him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; and through him alone are they dispensed to mortals. As the Jews, when they prayed, turned their faces towards the tabernacle, so we are directed to pray, in the name of Jesus Christ, looking to him by faith; and as Jehovah was then addressed as one who dwelt between the cherubim, so he is now to be addressed as the God who dwells in Christ. In fine, the substance of the Gospel is, that God is in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. Well then may Jesus Christ, or his human nature, be called the true tabernacle.

"2. Jesus Christ is the Christian's High Priest; or he is all that to his people which the Levitical priests were to the Jews. This is repeated again and again in the epistle before us. Now the office of

the Jewish high priest is thus described by the apostle: Every high priest is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sin. Accordingly we find that this service was assigned exclusively to the Jewish priests. They were, in an inferior sense, a kind of mediator between God and his worshippers. They only were allowed to approach him, and to offer up sacrifices. No other man, however holy or highly exalted, not even the most pious of the Jewish kings, was allowed to offer his own sacrifice, or to enter the sanctuary. Uzziah, in other respects a most exemplary monarch, was struck with leprosy for only attempting to do it. Especially was it the work of the high priest to make an atonement for the sins of the nation once in a year, by offering up a sacrifice and carrying the blood into the most holy place, and there sprinkling it before God. And not only the sin-offerings, but all other offerings, were to be made by the priest alone. If one who had received any providential mercies brought a thank-offering to God, he was on no pretence allowed to present it himself, but the priest received it at his hand, carried it into the sanctuary, and there presented it before the mercyseat, to him who dwelt upon it.

"In all these respects the Jewish priests were most strikingly types of Christ; and he is, as the apostle styles him, the Great High Priest of our profession. He is the one great Mediator between God and sinful men; and there is no access to God, either for our persons, our services, or our prayers, but through him, nor can they be accepted, unless offered up by him. I, says he, am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father but by me. Hence an apostle informs us that the spiritual sacrifices which Christians offer up, are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ; and another apostle exhorts us, whatever we do, in word or deed, to do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to the Father by him. It is also his work and prerogative alone to make atonement for sins. The Jewish high

priest made a typical atonement for the sins of the Jews only; but Christ, says an apostle, is a propitiation for the sins of the whole world. And as the Jewish high priest, after offering a sacrifice for atonement, went into the most holy place in behalf of the nation and as their representative, so Christ, as the apostle informs us, has entered not into holy places made with hands, but into heaven itself, there to appear in the presence of God for his people. And as at the hour of prayer, the Jewish high priest offered up incense in the sanctuary, while the people stood praying without, that their prayers and the smoke of the incense might ascend together, so St. John in vision saw Christ, as the great angel of the New Covenant, offering up the prayers of all saints with much incense. It is owing to his merits and intercession alone, that the prayers of his people are accepted and answered and he ever liveth to make intercession for them. The word such in our text refers to a previous description of what was necessary to qualify one for the office or work of our high priest. Such a high priest, says the apostle in the context, became us, or was necessary for us, who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. And such a high priest we have, one who is perfectly holy in heart, harmless in his conduct, and undefiled or unspotted by the pollution of the world, and who is seated at

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the right hand of the throne of the Majesty on high. It appears, then, that every service which the Levitical priests typically performed for the Jews, Jesus Christ really performs for his people. Well, then, may he be styled and regarded as our Great High priest.

"3. Jesus Christ is the true sacrifice, of which the Jewish sacrifices were only types. This is intimated in that clause of our text which says, it was necessary that he also should have somewhat to offer. What he had to offer, what he did offer, we are informed in the context, as well as in many other places. He offered up himself, his body, his blood, his life. He was, says an apostle, sacrificed, or offered up as a sacrifice for us. On the nature and design of the Levitical sacrifices, and the benefits which the Jews derived from them, we have often dwelt; and with them, you are, we presume, well acquainted. You are aware that, as the apostle remarks, all things were under the law purified with blood, the blood of the sacrifices, and that without shedding of blood there was no remission of sin. If an Israelite was betrayed into any sin in consequence of which his life was forfeited to the divine law, he was permitted to bring a lamb as a substitute to die in his stead; and if he brought it in the exercise of repentance and faith, to be offered up by the priests, it was accepted, he was forgiven, and his life spared. And it was by carrying the blood of the sacrifice into the holy place, and then sprinkling it before God, that atonement was invariably made for the sins of the nation. These sacrifices were however only typical; they had no efficacy in themselves to atone for sin. They owed all their efficacy to their reference or relation to the great, meritorious and efficacious sacrifice which was made by Christ, when he offered up himself on the cross. By this offering he made a real and not a typical atonement for sin. In consequence of this offering, every penitent believer is freely and fully forgiven. He is justified by the blood of the Lord Jesus. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. And as the blood of the sacrifice was presented and sprinkled before God in the most holy place, so Christ, says the apostle, not with the blood of bulls and of goats, but with his own blood entered in once into the holy place, or into heaven, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Hence, in allusion to the Jewish sacrifices, his blood is called the blood of sprinkling. Thus it appears that Jesus Christ is the true tabernacle, the true priest, and the true sacrifice, of which the Jewish tabernacle, priests and sacrifices were only types; and that as such, he procures for his people really all those blessings which these institutions procured in a typical manner only for the Jews."

1.

The discourse is closed by several remarks, as follows: From these truths those who are tempted to despise or ridicule the Jewish rites and ceremonies, or to regard them as unworthy of divine appointment, may learn their error. 2. The subject furnishes a proof of the divine origin and truth of the Scriptures, and it shows us how exactly the Old Testament and the New correspond. 3. Since God took care, under the former dispensation, to

shadow forth, in so many ways, the dwelling of the Godhead; Jesus Christ, his priesthood, sacrifice, atonement and intercession, we have reason to believe that he regards these truths as fundamentally important," etc., etc. But the peculiar power of Dr. P.'s preaching is seen chiefly in his hortatory discourses, or in those parts of other discourses, in which he found it possible to slide from discussion or argument into persuasion. We will quote some passages from a sermon to ministers, preached, probably, on some special occasion, though the volume, unfortunately, informs us neither of the date nor the occasion. It is on "the gospel, glad tidings,"-1 Tim. "The glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." The points presented are that the gospel is, 1. Tidings. 2. Glad tidings. 3. Glorious glad tidings. 4. The gospel of the blessed God. Though the plan, in itself considered, is not the most promising, in respect to the ability of the preacher, nor at all artistic, the subject is treated in a very interesting and effective manner, and we doubt not must have produced a deep impression upon the auditory. Having completed the discussion, which, by the way, is nearly as full of personal application as any part of the discourse, he proceeds thus:

"The view which has been taken of the gospel of Christ, suggests many highly important and interesting remarks; but the time requires me to omit them, and proceed to the customary addresses.

"My fathers and brethren in the ministry, is the gospel which has been committed to our trust the glorious glad tidings of the blessed God? How delightful, how honorable, then, is our employment, and how unspeakable are our obligations to him who has called us to it; who has allowed us to be put in trust with the gospel; that gospel, which was first preached by himself to our first parents in paradise; that gospel, which it has been the highest honor and happiness of prophets to predict, of apostles to preach, of martyrs to seal with their blood, and even of angels to announce and celebrate! Only to be permitted to hear this gospel is justly considered as a distinguished favor. What then must it be to preach it? Those who experience its power to save, who are allowed to taste the blessings which it imparts, feel as if a whole eternity would be merely sufficient to pay their mighty debt of gratitude to the Redeemer. What then ought we to feel through whom that saving power is exerted; by whose instrumentality those blessings are conferred; and who, receiving mercy of the Lord to be faithful, are enabled to save not only ourselves, but them that hear us! Well may each of us say with the apostle, I thank my God for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Well