agents have not collectively talent enough to produce such a book. In this book, man is

taught to act diametrically in opposition to his own nature; and to see a man thus act, is a greater wonder than to behold the Thames flow upwards to the sun. No; we are not afraid of enemies; truth must prevail; wait a little, and it will be seen, that he who is the author of all truth, will put all enemies under his feet. Is it not singular that the apostles should speak of themselves "as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things ?” It is a paradox, but easily solved, and proved by the experience of every true believer. They were themselves infinitely rich, as possessing the wealth of the Messiah: they carried that wealth about with them to enrich poor sinners, in preaching a crucified Saviour-a dying, risen, triumphant, and interceding Saviour. They possessed the unsearchable riches of Christ, and preached them to others: hear what the apostle says, "For I am the least of the apostles: that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God: but by the grace of God I am what I am; and his grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me." In the words of the text, I shall consider,

I. THE ESSENTIAL WEALTH OF JESUS,

II. HIS MEDIATORIAL WEALTH,

III. THE BELIEVER'S WEALTH IN HIM, and

IV. THE BELIEVER'S ETERNAL

OF THAT WEALTH.

POSSESSION

I. THE ESSENTIAL WEALTH OF JESUS, is spoken of in scripture in terms that would be blasphemous and absurd, were he not God. The Bible was given, not to teach us new things, but to bring us to God. When I consider infinity and eternity, and knowing he must possess all, it would be much to say of him that he possesses infinity and eternity;— yet this is comparatively little ;-but the wealth of Jesus is his essential Deity as one with the Father. It is much to say of Jesus he possesses himself: no moral agent, who is a created being, possesses himself. Under the covenant of grace, too, we are more especially not our own, but bought with a price: from this the apostle draws the best conclusion, therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit which are God's. He is the only being who is absolutely at his own disposal; but sin aspires after the independence of the Deity. If it were possible for God to give independence to the creature, it would, if it were possible, destroy Him. The wealth, then, of Jesus is his own es

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sence, infinite wisdom, infinite power, love, truth, holiness: the essential wealth of Jesus shines in the Old, as it did in the New Testament. It may be easily proved that God never spoke to fallen man but in Jesus, the angel of the covenant. (I mention two or three instances.) He led the Israelites through the wilderness, "And did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ." "Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents."-1 Cor. x. 3, 4, 9. He appeared to Joshua, Josh. v. 13-15. Manoah and his wife.-Judges xiii. Mark the prophecies: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts."- Malachi iii. 1. Blessed Jesus! he descended from heaven and appeared as the babe in Bethlehem: the wise men prostrated themselves, having been enlightened to see his glory, and they gave him the honour due unto his name. The wants of the believer require that all the perfections of Jehovah should be found in Jesus. This leads me to the second point:

and

II. THE MEDIATORIAL WEALTH OF JESUS: his essential wealth is the source of his mediatorial fulness: when he descended he possessed the wealth of Deity; "who, though rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich." He came to purchase eternal blessings for his church. Every Every thing in the covenant of redemption is purchased. In the Jewish œconomy the Jew had no right to retain a purchased possession, if the kinsman of the person who sold, offered him the price for it: this is a type of Christ. We are, therefore, required to seek everything through Christ; because he has purchased all for us. He was rich-infinitely, essentially, unchangeably rich, as God, yet for our sakes became poor-poor in circumstances; "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be made rich." 2 Cor. viii. 9. Who could be infinitely rich, and yet infinitely poorer than the poorest in hell, at one and the same time? who but Jesus? And this was the case when he was suspended on the accursed tree between earth and heaventhe wonder of angels and devils-all the comfort of his Father's presence taken away, and the torments of hell poured into his bosom.

And if he were not God how could he have rendered an infinitely glorious sacrifice, and have perfected an infinitely precious righteousness? Never till then was there a being who loved God in the midst of his desertion, "It is finished" who can tell what these rich words comprise? If we were not so much the creatures of sight and sense as we are, how would this view of the Saviour's mediatorial fulness withdraw us from earth to heaven. He not only redeemed his people from destruction, but he has purchased heaven for them. By his redemption our nature is now exalted infinitely beyond all finite being. The hosts of heaven and hell are in his power, and he possesses all things for his church: his riches are infinite, comprising every thing we want, and that, in an infinite degree. May God supply all your need, according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Did Paul preach the unsearchable riches of Christ as a mere man, or as a creature greater than man? Oh the unsearchable folly of the Socinian ! were he anything less than God, the language of St. Paul would be blasphemy: the poverty of any finite being is infinitely greater than his riches: it is his poverty that is infinite; then is there in Christ everything we stand in need of. We have an infinite satisfaction offered to the offended justice of a