a few

sinner? I believe I am speaking this to not Corneliusos. You are devout men and women, and fear God to such an extent as makes you depart from flagrant iniquity. You conform your ways wonderfully in some things, outwardly, to the ten commandments. You pray

and give, and your prayers and alms are come up for a memorial before God. He would not have you standing in the outer court. He has sent me to-day to ask you to come in, but you can only do so as a poor sinner. Oh, be washed from sin; be saved by the pardoning grace of Jesus Christ to-day!

While Peter yet spake these words—there is a new name brought in here. I have talked of Cornelius and of the audience. I have talked of Peter and of Jesus. I have talked of God the Father, but here is another name. While Peter yet spake these words about Jesus, "The Holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the word," on Cornelius and his kinsmen and his near friends round about him. There was no visible flame, as at Pentecost; but they felt the fire in their hearts. Cornelius possibly had only heard of Jesus as a name of reproach and rebuke and blasphemy. Now, Jesus leapt up into his heart as his Friend and Saviour, and Redeemer and God. That is the miracle of the Gospel. That is the miracle of to-day. That was the miracle wrought for me on a day never to be forgotten.

I heard these words, or truths conveyed in words like them, and the Holy Ghost fell along with the word; and that Jesus, who before was only a name in history to me, became my Redeemer, who died for me, who lives for me, who is with me here, and intercedes for me yonder. That is what the Holy Ghost does. If you know Jesus Christ, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto you, but the Holy Ghost. Peter was there, as the preacher is here; and the sermon, with its appeal and arguments and illustrations; but the Holy Ghost gives the increase and blesses the word. The Holy Ghost brings forth fruit unto everlasting life; and without Him fruit cannot be.

I am not going to leave you in a puzzle. I used to get puzzled between Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I was told (and it is true), "You are saved by Jesus. He died; He has done the work; His blood and righteousness are your salvation; and you have nothing to do but to believe in Him." But I was also told I could not trust Him without

the help of the Holy Spirit; and what between looking to Jesus and the Spirit one gets into a little dilemma. My friend, you have nothing to do with the Holy Spirit-not now. You have not to do directly with Him. The Holy Spirit does His work by getting you to look to Jesus; but when, by this sermon, He lifts up Jesus before you, and seeks to fasten the eyes of your understanding upon Him, this word comes in as the explanation of the great result that follows. As an explanation to serve for all time, and to give us the assurance that it was not the eloquent preacher, nor wonderful arguments, nor special appeals, but the supernatural work of the Holy Ghost on an otherwise dead and dark heart, that revealed to us Jesus as our Saviour, who loved us and gave Himself for us. So do not

be in a dilemma.

I preach to you Jesus; but I tell you to encourage you that there are more at work upon you than myself. The Holy Spirit is preaching to you Jesus. Would you obey the Holy Spirit and satisfy all that He requires? Then simply say in your heart, "Yes, I take this Jesus to be my Saviour, I give up myself into His hands."

Then all Godhead is satisfied. Oh, how familiar! Will you believe Him today? Come to Him. Here is no room for the display of eloquence. Will you believe in Christ to-day? Hear the word of this salvation: believe in Him to-day; trust in Him to-day; then thy sins are blotted out. It will have to be done some day, if ever it is to be done. While these words are being spoken may the Holy Ghost fall upon your hearts, and all who receive the word will be saved! God could save the whole congregation at once. May God come and save this twelve hundred in Regent Square! It would only be a lift for the little finger of such a mighty Saviour. We can hardly take it in. We think God comes to pick out one here, and another over there. We think that God's election is a narrow thing. We have forgotten the sweep and scope and embrace of the Gospel. We have forgotten that there is One amongst us to-day whose arms are long enough and whose heart is big enough to draw all within these four walls into His embrace and keep us there for ever and for ever. O Blessed Spirit, we have lifted up Christ! Now, let sinners find a refuge in His cleansing blood. Amen.

Henderson & Spalding, Geneal Printers, Marylebone Lane, London, W.

"SANS EYES, SANS TASTE, SANS EVERYTHING” -BUT GOD AND HOPE.

A Sermon

DELIVERED IN REGENT SQUARE CHURCH ON SUNDAY, MARCH 16TH, BY THE

REV. JOHN MCNEILL.

"And even to your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you."-Isa. xlvi. 4.

You will sympathize with me, my friends, in the difficulty I feel in preaching from a text like this; not because it is a complicated utterance, but because it is so open and selfevident; not because it is thin, with too little in it; but because it is so wide, and deep, and full. That is my difficulty. There is so much of God in it that I am steadied somewhat between desire to preach it and despair of being able, in any sufficient degree, to bring out its fulness. That wonderful "I" occurs in the short compass of our text some half-dozen times; so you will sympathize with me. What man or angel is fit worthily to preach a Scripture that rings throughout with the voice of God, a passage that is so peculiarly shining with His immediate presence. “Even your old age I am He; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, No. 19.

to

and will deliver you." May the Lord, the Spirit, ring out this text from the page, and may His voice sound into your very hearts!

If only the ears of our hearts somehow or other catch the echo of these blessed tones, catch something of this splendid emphasis regarding the presence of God, and the power of God, and the perpetual salvation of God, then the eldest shall have their strength renewed, and the youngest shall have theirs multiplied like the strength of ten. Why I have directed your thoughts to this text to-day is not far to seek. If you stood here where I stand, you would see how our company is adorned with not a few white and whitening heads. The Lord, since last we met here, has taken to Himself a sister, or mother, rather, from that "Bright Band." For the comfort of those "who are alive and remain "well, for the comfort, and instruction, and stimulus of all, I turn to this portion of Scripture.

I do not mean to speak here of our friend's years and labours, except to say, in one word, that they were long, abundant, and self-denying. My hope is rather that through our sister's departure, the Lord has created among such an atmosphere as shall give special brightness and blessedness to the gracious words we are considering this morning.

We are speaking, then, to those who have come to what is called poetically "the vale of years"-to our aged friends. Sometimes the pulpit speaks specially to the young, to children; sometimes specially to young men and women; sometimes, again, it speaks specially to those in middle life. To-day the pulpit addresses those who are advanced in life; who have gone onward, far along the pilgrim journey. The end to them is drawing near; somewhat sensibly, and almost visibly, the road is getting

shorter, and the terminus, the bound of life, is coming more clearly into view.

Notice, first of all, then, that the comfort, the solid, substantial comfort, in God's estimation, for the aged pilgrim, is this-the thought of His own presence. "I am He." God Himself is seen here to be thinking for you, and feeling for you, if I may put it so. Eternal God although He be, without beginning of days, or end of years, yet He knows how you feel and what you feel; He understands how the burden of years tells upon you physically, mentally, emotionally, imaginatively, and every way. He knows how sorely the burden and battle of life press upon you. He understands all this as I, for example, do not and cannot understand it. If I had not God's Word in my mouth to-day, I might not know what to preach; you have so far outstripped me in years and experience. It would be an impertinence in every sense for me to dare to speak if I had not God's Word; but I have God's Word, and God's Word at its best, for an aged pilgrim.

He sees what you need, and therefore this message. You well know these things, of course; but I wish to establish you in the present truth. Therefore, I call your attention to this splendid emphasis; this bringing out of the personal "I"_" I am," "I have borne," "I will carry," and "I will deliver," as long as danger and need require deliverance and relief. Think, then, upon this thought. Your eyes are waxing dim, and the burden of years is getting heavy upon you; allow me to come and remind you to-day of that God in whom you have put your trust. He is entirely unaffected by the flight of time. "Thou art the same: and thy years shall not fail.” Your sight grows dim; His keen as ever. You arm is