jects, without an open and daring rebellion against the laws both of heaven and of earth.

Not so, however, with respect to the genuine Christian faith. The inflexible and uniform practice of this involves no difficulty. Those who embrace it, may freely and fully develop its principles by their works, and still not do one act of indignity against any law of their Maker, of their country, or of their own nature. It takes hold upon God as the Father and the Friend of all; upon Jesus as the Savior of all; upon each human being as a brother upon heaven as the ultimate home, and love and good-will, and kind offices, as the endless employment of universal man.

Such, in brief terms, is the faith of the real Christian; and such also is the faith of the real Universalist. They are one and the same; and what a tide of order and peace would roll through our towns, and cities, and hamlets, were it fully and uniformly exhibited in the lives of those who profess it; could every avowed Universalist truly adopt the language of the apostle, "The life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

Could we, one and all, thus live, what a beauty and glory would gather around our communion! And we ought thus to live. We have the best faith in the world, and it ought surely to be shown by our works. And this may be done. It is only to commence loving God with all our heart, and our neighbor as ourselves, and then to keep straight forward, through life, and for ever, turning neither to the right hand nor to the left. This is all; and O! that every brother, and every sister, throughout our widely extended and rapidly increasing connexion might this day firmly resolve to do thus. I would

to God it could from this moment be truly written, and in letters imperishable, on the sun and the moon; on all the stars; on every mountain and hill; in every valley; upon every creature and every object; all around and everywhere-UNIVERSALISTS SHOW THEIR FAITH BY THEIR WORKS!

TRUE GROUNDS OF CHRISTIAN REJOICING.

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SERMON VII.

THE TRUE GROUNDS OF CHRISTIAN REJOICING:

BY REV. MERRITT SANFORD.

"Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven."-LUKE X. 20..

So spake the great Teacher on an occasion of peculiar interest. He had sent forth his disciples as "lambs among wolyes," to teach the principles of his religion to a perverse and persecuting generation; and, notwithstanding the errors and prejudices with which they had to battle, wherever they went, they had met with success; they had found the gospel "mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strongholds;" and they now returned to their Master to tell of their conflicts, and relate the results of their mission. With joy and rejoicing, they said unto him, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." This he spake fig uratively, signifying that he foresaw the success of the gospel in defeating its adversaries. That this was his meaning, is conceded by the ablest commentators. Newcome says, "By this language, Christ signifies the rapid propagation of the gospel." And John tells us that "by the term Satan, Christ meant all the adversaries of the gospel, who are afterward

called serpents, scorpions, and the host of the enemy," and that "Satan's falling from heaven signified the fall of those adversaries from the political heaven, that is, from power and authority in the world." Moreover, Jesus continued and said to his disciples, "Behold" (speaking in the same figurative manner), "I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

zens.

A word of explanation may be needed here also. It may be asked, what is meant by names being written in heaven? I answer, allusion is here made to the custom, which prevailed in some countries, of writing the names of the inhabitants of cities in books, or registers, when they were born, or when they become citizens. The names of dutiful and upright citizens were kept on these records, to testify that they had the approval of the civil authority, and were entitled to all the privileges of good citiBut those who were turbulent and rebellious, had their names blotted out of those records, as a testimony against them, that they were denied the honor and privileges of dutiful citizens. Agreeably to this, in the Scriptures, those who are faithful to the divine commands, and are good stewards of the manifold grace of God," are said, by a figure of speech, to have their "names written in heaven," because they received the approbation and merit the blessing of God. Thus, it is said of Christians, "their names are written in heaven," and their ર names are in the book of life." When, therefore, Christ told his disciples to rejoice, because their names were written in heaven, his meaning was,

that they should rejoice in being faithful and good stewards in his moral vineyard, or in living and acting in such a manner as to have a conscience void of offence in the sight of God.

Consider now, what is taught in this lesson of the great Reformer. His disciples were filled with joy, at the prospect of getting the victory over their outward enemies. They saw that the gospel was destined to be triumphant, and that it would sweep away the errors and false doctrines of ages; and they thought it a matter of great rejoicing. Their Master confirmed them in these expectations, but he added a caution, lest they should think more of the downfall of error, than of the spread and prevalence of the truth: "Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven." As if he had said, "Although your triumph over the enemies of the gospel is certain, yet glory not so highly in their downfall, as in building up the gospel itself. Count it less joy to tear down the old castle of error, than to erect the temple of truth on a permanent foundation. Rejoice not so much in gaining the victory over your religious opposers, as in getting the mastery over yourselves, and living in agreement with the dictates of my peaceful and heavenly religion."

The principle, here laid down by our Savior, admits of a very important use, and a wide application. In all the efforts of man at revolution, at reformation, or improvement, he is in danger of falling into the very error which was the stumbling-block with the disciples of Christ, when they first entered on the work of revolutionizing the world by the power of the gospel. He is in danger of delighting more in the overthrow of his enemies, than in the wel