sustained and fitted by them for all the functions and duties of the Christian warfare.

Until you partake of this bread you have no life in you: the spirit is dead, the soul is withered and blasted, torpid and inactive, and lost to God; there is no vital union between you and the Father of Spirits, you are severed from the spring of all felicity, by being in a state of alienation from God. Then you will begin to live indeed, to know the Divine life, when you come and taste of the salvation of God, when you cast yourselves on the mercy of the Saviour, and say, "Lord, save, or we perish." Then the mercy of God will be revealed unto you, and you will one day join in singing "a new song, the song of Moses and the Lamb," which none can sing but they who are redeemed from the earth.

III. In the third place, permit me to observe, that we have presented to us, in this passage, the fitness of the season at which Jesus Christ was manifested; it is described as “the fulness of time." It was the fulness of time, because it was the period foretold by the prophets; Jesus Christ appeared exactly at the time predicted by those who "spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

It was foretold by Jacob, in his dying moments, that it was to take place before political power departed from Judah. "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Our Saviour appeared at that critical period; the sceptre had recently departed from Judah, the semblance of political power had vanished from the Jewish nation, Herod had reigned for some time, and it was evident, therefore, that He that was to come was at hand.

It was foretold that it was to be during the existence of the second temple. The prophet Haggai thus comforts those who had witnessed the splendours of the first, and mourned over the meanness of the second as compared with that of Solomon: "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet once a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land: and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts; and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." As if he had said, I can easily accumulate riches far exceeding those which Solomon collected, and which may be lavished by the monarchs of the earth in all the exuberance of their wealth, "the silver and the gold are mine;" but I will bestow on this house a nobler gift, here will I display a costlier treasure, "in this place will I give peace." There Jesus Christ, the great peace-maker, preached the gospel of peace; in that temple he wrought many of his miracles; and in its immediate vicinity, on Mount Calvary, offered himself up for the sins of the world.

It was foretold, moreover, that it should be within "seventy weeks" from the period marked out by Daniel; and though some difficulty

exists as to the mode of computation, yet, on every principle it is plain that they have long since elapsed; and the Jews are, therefore, under the greatest delusion in looking for the Messiah at a future period. Indeed, such is the antipathy of the Jews to this prophecy, that it is a popular proverb among them, "Cursed is he that counteth the weeks."

In short, all the characters of time, though they are not very numerous, as they are not equally important with some others, and were probably revealed only for the purpose of uniting the expectations of the Jews to a particular and defined period; all these characters perfectly conspire with the era of Christ's appearance. It was on this account, probably, that such a general expectation existed, when Christ came, of the near approach of some exalted personage. In former times, no one was asked whether he was the Christ; but no sooner had John begun to preach a holy doctrine than the question was put to him, “Art thou the Christ, or do we look for another?" This expectation is noticed by heathen writers as prevailing over great part of the East, but especially in Judea and the surrounding country. It was during a period of the profoundest peace; the temple of Janus was shut, and all nations were kept as in a state of watchful silence, waiting for the appearance of this Divine Person, and with ears open to catch the accents of his “still small voice."

It was also a period of considerable advancement in politics, in legislation, in science and arts, and manners; mankind were in a great degree civilized; learning had long flourished, and the most brilliant geniuses had appeared that had ever adorned the annals of human kind. It was therefore a most favourable time to prevent imposture in matter of fact. It was also an age the farthest removed from that credulity which distinguishes ignorant nations: an age of skepticism, when disbelief of all religion prevailed to a great extent among the learned. The Epicurean doctrine, which maintained the indifference of human actions and the cessation of existence at death, had swallowed up all other sects. The disciples of this philosophy denied a Deity, or asserted such an ideal one as remains in a state of torpor and inactivity, heedless of the concerns of this lower world. No period could be conceived so little adapted to the exhibition of a false, and so well calculated to put to the test the merits of a true religion. They had wits sharpened by curiosity, so that they would eagerly inquire after whatever was new; but, at the same time, they were disposed to treat with contempt that which pretended to be supernatural. They had long been accustomed to laugh at their own gods; and though they might imagine that there was some safety attached to the ancient superstitions, yet in their private life and expectation, it is evident that they did not in the least connect any serious anticipation of happiness with the worship, or punishment with the neglect, of their deities. The Infinite Wisdom saw fit to select this time to silence for ever the vain babblings of philosophy, to "destroy the wisdom of the wise," and "bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

It was a most favourable time, inasmuch as it was a period of toleration. Had it been at a later period, when men began to attach that degree of importance to religion which was its due, the infant sect might have been crushed at once. But the Divine Being was pleased to suspend the fury of emperors, and to preserve his people by inspiring some measure of the spirit of toleration in the breasts of those who held the sceptres of this world. Nero's persecution was confined, we have reason to believe, principally to Rome and its environs; and ages passed away before any great attempt was made by the rulers of Rome to put down this new religion.

It cannot be said that Christianity stole on the world like a thief in the night; it cannot be said that it owed its success to the credulity of mankind, and that if the generations among whom it at first appeared had lived now, they would have reasoned to better purpose. For the productions of that age are the admiration of this; in works of taste and imagination it has never been surpassed, and it is sometimes considered as the highest praise of writers of the present day that they exhibit a near approach to the inimitable beauties of the authors who then flourished. The earth was, therefore, in a state to receive this precious seed; He who appoints the seasons, and brings on seed-time and harvest, saw that this was a proper time in which to plant that tree of righteousness which was to stretch wide its branches till it overshadowed the world, and whose fruit was to be "for the healing of the nations.”

The fulness of the time was come: hence we remark that the event here referred to was the most important that had ever distinguished the annals of the world. The epoch will arrive when this world will be thought of as nothing, but as it has furnished a stage for the "manifestation of the Son of God;" when his birth, his death, his resurrection from the dead, his ascension to glory, and his second appearance, events inseparably connected, will concentrate within themselves all the interest of history; when war and peace, and pestilence and famine, and plenty and want, and life and death, will have spent their force, and leave nothing but the result, the permanent, eternal result of Christ's manifestation upon earth; when every other distinction whieh has marked the individuals or generations of our race shall be swept away, and all shall be alike distinguished in the annals of the universe by the new and awful character of being associated in the same nature with the Son of God. In the effects of this gracious interposition you are all interested; of its fruits you are invited to partake; you may now reject the offer, you may now refuse this great salvation, but the period of neglect will soon be over-you may now think lightly of the Saviour, but these thoughts will soon be ended. The moment you enter eternity you will see things as they are; the greatness of Christ will present itself to your eye, the vastness of his redemption, the importance of his mediatorial work, the infinite felicity of being saved, the unspeakable misery of being lost,the thoughts of these will dwell with you for ever. Those who now neglect the gospel will never cease to curse the infatuation of putting

away from them the proffered mercy, and judging themselves unworthy of everlasting life. Now, with drowsy attention, with thoughts dissipated amid a crowd of vanities, you hear the record of this great doctrine; you have Christ set forth by his ministers as crucified among you; you hear with listless and careless minds these glad tidings, that "God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." But let eternity disclose itself to your view; let a short period be passed either in the enjoyment of the beatific vision of God, or in the dark regions of despair, and how will these subjects then appear?

Eternity will not be too long either to rue that neglect which has plucked down ruin on yourselves, or to rejoice in that grace of God which has made you wise unto salvation. All the happiness, and splendour, and glory which shall then be realized by all the ransomed people of God are so many fruits of the purchase by Christ's death. There is not a single blessing which shall then be enjoyed which is not to be ascribed to the love of Christ in dying for our iniquities, and "washing us from our sins in his own blood." "What think you of Christ ?" The time will come when you must think very seriously of him. Some of you, I trust, have thought of him to great and happy effect, have trusted your salvation in his hands, and are 66 looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God." Remember that whatever be the state of your hearts towards him, you must stand at his judgment-seat; at his tribunal we must all appear to give an account of the reception we have given to his apostles, to his ministers, to the words of eternal life contained in this book. Then those only will have peace and joy who will possess the consciousness that they have embraced Christ; that they have trusted in him in life and in death, have walked in communion with him, kept his precepts, imitated his example, and laid up all their hopes in him, as the Saviour of sinners.

I cannot close without reminding every person present of the awful consequences of remaining under the law. Recollect, wherever you are, that if you are not vital believers in Christ, if you know not what it is to have trusted your souls in his hands, and to be justified by faith in his blood, you are under the law. Rejoice not as others rejoice, you have nothing to do with joy; it would be madness in you to taste of joy till this grand impediment to your happiness is removed. If you are under the curse of God, what have you to do with joy? The joy of a maniac dancing in his chains, the joy of a criminal on his way to execution, is reasonable in comparison with the joy of the man who says, "Soul, take thine ease," while the wrath of God hangs over him, and he knows not how soon it may fall.

Let us, then, all flee to the Saviour; let us, without delay, lay hold of the great atonement; thus shall we "be justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses." Christ is ready to receive us; Christ says to every one, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Oh,

"seek ye, then, the Lord while he may be found, call 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."

XXI.

POINTS OF AGREEMENT IN THE STATE OF THE RICH AND THE POOR.*

PROVERBS Xxii. 2.-The rich and the poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.

[PREACHED AT CAMBRIDGE, SEPTEMBER 20, 1829.]

THIS book consists of a number of short sentences and aphorisms, that relate to human life and manners, and to virtue and vice. It is not necessary for us to attempt to trace any particular connexion between the passage which has just been read and the surrounding context. What was the train of thought by which the inspired writer was conducted from one of these truths to another, it is unnecessary anxiously to inquire. It is obvious there was some law of association which governed his mind, though it eludes every attempt at investigation on our part, and would lead us into a useless and intricate research. The doctrine which is to be deduced from the words you have just heard read is, however, worthy of our most serious regard. It declares there is a natural equality in mankind, notwithstanding the diversified appearances of some of them, and the different stations they are destined to occupy in the present condition of being: it assures us that the rich and the poor meet together, that they coincide and agree in many of the most important circumstances, and that the differences which appear to exist between them are, for the most part, of a superficial, and therefore of a transitory nature. "The Lord is the maker of them all." The sacred writer thus introduces all of us into an equal and common relation to God, who is the great Parent of us all. We are the creatures of the same hand, the subjects of the same government; we occupy the same economy of Divine Providence; and, as to our destination, we all stand in relation to the same future and eternal state of being. These two distinctions and divisions of society have existed in every period. It is impossible to avoid them: and any attempt to establish an equality of possessions in the present world would be replete with disappointment, confusion, rapine, and misery. The greatest disturbances mankind has ever experienced have arisen from abortive attempts of this nature: nor can any one

*Printed from the notes of J. R. Mills, Esq.