life. Grace and glory may be considered as not different states, but only different degrees of the same state. Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace in the full-blown flower; grace is glory in the dawn, and glory is grace in the day; grace is glory in the child, and glory is grace in the fulness of the stature of a man in Christ.

In conclusion, we observe, first, that the opposite of the proposition in our text is true. As he who hath the Son hath life, so he who hath not the Son hath not life. The apostle does not leave us to draw the conclusion; he immediately asserts, "And he who hath not the Son hath not life." Oh, what a lamentable state are such in-strangers to a believer's deliverance from the sentence of the law, they have to meet its direful charges in their own person. How will they be able to do so? Strangers to that grace which enables believers to have their conversation in heaven while they remain in this present world, they are dead to the things of God, and feel what a weariness it is to serve the Lord, for their hearts are not right in His sight. They are destitute of that hope which believers rejoice in, or if they indulge a hope respecting future blessedness, it is a hope which will make them ashamed in the end. Thus he who hath not the Son hath not life, whatever be his outward character or circumstances.

What, then, should be your concern? for be it observed, and it is with pleasure we mention this-though your state is dangerous, it is not desperate. You cannot save yourselves, but there is an all-sufficient and suitable Saviour. Seek ye the Lord, therefore, while He may be found; call ye upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

Then how valuable is this Saviour! You need not wonder that He is called God's unspeakable gift. You need not wonder that He is called the consolation of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble. For all that we can hope for is to be found only in Him, and is derived from Him who is made unto us "wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption." You need not wonder that Christ is everything to the true Christian, seeing He is everything in Himself. He is a Sun and Shield, a Rock and Refuge, everything a believer needs. Therefore says the Apostle, "To them that believe He is precious," but not half precious enough.

"Jesus is worthy to receive
Honour and power divine;

And blessings more than we can give
Be, Lord, for ever Thine."

Then, how anxiously should you enquire whether you have the Son! Your happiness must depend upon the answer to this enquiry. We don't wonder that you should rejoice in Him with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Then the question returns, have you the Son? You have often heard of Him and read of Him, but have you received Him? You have Him in your country, you have Him in your churches, you have Him in your houses, you have Him in your Bibles, but have you Him in your hearts? This is the grand enquiry. O God, put these words into the minds, and write them in the hearts of these hearers; and henceforth may they remember that "he who hath the Son hath life, and that he who hath not the Son hath not life, but the wrath of God abideth on him"; and command Thy blessing upon the word spoken, for Christ's sake. Amen.

SERMONS

PREACHED ON

SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

457

I.

DAYS TO BE REMEMBERED.

(Preached on Sunday Morning, December 29th, 1850.)

"This day shall be unto you for a memorial."-EXODUS xii. 14.

MARCUS Aurelius was a Roman Emperor, and was one of the best of that bad body. He was a man of reflection, and speaking of the division of time he said, "We should give the future to Providence, the present to duty, and the past to oblivion." Now, we readily admit the first and the second of these divisions. Yes, we would resign the future to Providence, "casting all our care upon Him who careth for us," ever saying, "If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this or that." And we would give the present to duty, doing the work of the day in the day, and never growing weary in well doing. But we cannot consent to give the past to oblivion. No; Solomon says, "God requireth that which is past." "No," says Moses to the Israelites, "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee." And so says Moses in the words before us, "This day shall be unto you for a memorial."

It refers to the passover. The passover may be considered two ways. First, symbolically: and it would be easy to trace the resemblance between the figure and the reality; and therefore says the Apostle to the Corinthians, "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us . . . Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth."

Secondly, it may be viewed commemoratively. "Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread, for in this self same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall ye observe this day in your generation by an