But what now is the evidence of this affinity and alliance? How may you know that you are "of the household of God?" Do you remember the address of our Saviour when told that some of His relations wanted Him? He said, "Behold my mother and my brethren, for he who doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother"; that is they are equally related to Him, they are equally beloved by Him.

But we must draw to a conclusion.

Let this view of the Church of God, "fill us with joy and peace in believing." For think you not that He who is the Father of mercies will provide for His children?

Those who belong to this family should learn to love as brethren; and act so as to induce those who see them to exclaim "Behold how good and how pleasant a thing it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." "By this," said the Saviour, "shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Now this has been the design of the "Evangelical Alliance." Its great and blessed design has been realized already in a great degree, and must accomplish great good. The members of many religious communities have met together, and while agreeing to hold the Head, their own particular opinions have disappeared. They consider all as their brethren, and as one in Christ Jesus," who agree in the truths which form the essentials of the Gospel. I have, during my absence, had an opportunity of attending one of its meetings; but, unless you had been there, it is impossible to convey an adequate idea of the impressions produced by the largeness of the assembly, by the quality of the speeches, and by the spirit of devotion which was displayed; of the pleasures produced, and the tears drawn forth by the speakers, who seemed to be all but inspired. You may deem it extravagant, but I thought then, and think the same now, that it would be worth Christians' coming down from heaven to see what was then seen, and to hear what was then heard. This subject shows us that religion is a social thing, as well as personal. Let there be no selfishness prevailing in us, but, like “the household of faith," may we look no more "on his own things, but every one also on the things of others."

This subject also preaches humility. You were once "not a people, but are now the people of God." It also preaches thankfulness, for, you are now no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the house

hold of God." The subject also preaches joy. "Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King." We hail you as the blessed of the Lord, who have reason to "rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory."

But what shall we say to others? May there not be many here, who know nothing of all this? Alas, you are "strangers and foreigners." This is your unhappiness, but it is also your fault and your guilt. "Some have not the knowledge of God; I speak this to your shame." It would not be their shame, unless it were their sin; and it would not be their sin, unless they could have escaped from it. The blessings of the Gospel were placed within their view and within their reach, and yet the Saviour complains of them, "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." The gates of this city are now open! the doors of this house are now unclosed; and a thousand voices are heard to exclaim, "Come in, come in; and He will receive you graciously and love you freely." "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." That door will soon be shut, and the Saviour will exclaim, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and ye are not saved."

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X.

THE WORD OF CHRIST.

(A Sermon preached on behalf of the British and Foreign Bible Society, on Sunday Morning, March 9th, 1845.)

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom."-COLOSSIANS iii. 16.

A PREACHER of the gospel has various duties to perform, and in the performance of them he is not to be governed by his own feelings, or the opinions of his hearers, but, commending himself to every man's conscience, in the sight of God, he is to declare the whole counsel of God; to keep back nothing that is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. Sometimes he is to alarm, sometimes he is to encourage, sometimes he is to inform, and sometimes to admonish. With regard to many, especially those who are favoured with the means of grace, they require to have their pure minds stirred up by way of remembrance. They know the truth, but their experience and practice do not keep pace with their knowledge. Our Saviour therefore says, "The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." It is seldom necessary to have a monitor in the exchange, or in the market, or in the warehouse, or in the shop, but in divine things there "precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; here a little and there a little." And the minister must often say to his people, as the Apostle does to the Hebrews, "I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation"; and what does he say to you this morning? "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom. If such an exhortation were necessary for these Colossians, in whom the Gospel had not ceased to bring forth fruit from the day they heard it, and knew the grace of God in truth, can it be needless for us?

Let us then consider, first, the subject of attention; secondly, the manner in which we are to regard it; thirdly, the motives which should excite us; and fourthly, the bearing of the whole upon an institution concerning which we shall have to give notice at the close of the exercise.

I. THE SUBJECT OF ATTENTION. "The word of Christ." I need hardly say this means the Scripture. In Paul's commendation of Moses, he says, he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, esteemed the reproach of Christ as greater riches than the treasures in Egypt. Why did he call this "the reproach of Christ?" Because he endured it in His cause, and for His sake, and for the sake of His people who where His mystical body. It was therefore called the reproach of Christ, because of its relation to him. So the Scripture is called the Word of Christ because of its relation to Him; and this relation is twofold.

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First, It has a relation to Him as the Author. Holy men of old wrote as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." And whose influence was it that inspired them? Hear Peter: "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently; who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow." All revealed knowledge is from Him. As the apostle says, "He is the author and the finisher of faith;" the word "our" in this passage you will find to be in italics. "The faith once delivered to the Saints." He began it in Paradise and ended it in the Isle of Patmos, and then said, "I testify unto every man that heareth the word of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book, and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

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Secondly, It has a relation to Him as the substance for it is not only a revelation from Him but a revelation of Him. In some places it points to His divinity, in some to His humanity; in some places to His birth, in some to His death; in some places pointing to His suffering, and in others to His glory. Wherever on this holy ground you hearken you immediately hear a voice saying, "Behold the Lamb of God which taketh

away the sin of the world." Wherever you look you see a star going before you that stands over where the young child was. Wherever you open these sacred pages, His name is as ointment poured forth. Whenever, as Ministers of the Gospel we preach the Word, we hold forth this all-sufficient Saviour in whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, in whom we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places; we hold Him forth as descending from the throne to the cross, and as ascending from the cross to the throne. This is the grand theme of revelation. There is something in it infinitely delightful, wonderful, and sublime. While, as to us, it is "all our salvation and all our desire."

Let us divide the word of Christ into five parts, and we shall see how He is all and in all therein.

Take the historical part. Here you see Him in Isaac, as a type of Him who was slain for us; in Joseph, as the Saviour of His father's house; in Moses, as the law-giver; in Aaron, as the high-priest; in Joshua, as the conqueror; in Solomon, as the prince of peace; in Zerubbabel as the restorer of the Temple.

Take the ceremonial part. The sacrifices under the law were shadows of good things to come, of which the body was Christ. We read of the rock furnishing the Israelites with refreshing streams in their travels through the wilderness, and, says the Apostle, "that Rock was Christ." We read of the

manna which came down from Heaven, and this prefigured the living Bread, of which if a man eat he shall live for ever. And every victim bleeding upon the altar proclaimed Him as taking away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. He was the true tabernacle-the tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man. He was the real Temple, in whom dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

Take the prophetical part. To Him gave all the prophets witness; and said the Angel to John, "The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy."

Take the promissory part. Is this Book of God filled with exceeding great and precious promises? "All the promises of God in Him are Yea, and in Him, Amen, to the glory of God, by us."

Finally, take the evangelical part. We see Him in Moses and the prophets. And if Moses wrote of Him, how much more did Paul; and if He be found in the book of Leviticus, how much more in the four Gospels, and in the writings of