ferings and death tenderly affect his heart. He grieves for the ingratitude of men in the rejection of the Saviour. He views the work to be too great and arduous for men or angels to accomplish, in their own strength. The word of God, the sacred scriptures, open to his view in a clear and beautiful manner, and he longs to tell poor sinners of the preciousness of Jesus; and his mind is overwhelmed with a sense of his own unworthiness and inability to engage in such a work; and is often confounded at the thought of going forward in such an undertaking; and yet necessity is laid upon him; he cannot keep back. The word of the Lord is like fire, shut up not in his flesh, but in his bones. He is weary of forbearing; he must speak; he cannot stay. In his greatest weakness he feels a confidence of the sufficiency of God, and a persuasion that he will support him in the work. The promises of God are precious to him in view of his trials; and the love of Christ, and the glory of God, constrain him to devote himself to the ministry of the sanctuary. These, and similar exercises, are commonly termed an internal call to the work of the ministry, and may be relied on with as much certainty, asto matter of fact, and viewed to be of as much importance, as the gracious work of God's spirit, or the religious experience of individual believers, is a matter of fact and of importance, to qualify them to become church members. And the work of the Holy Spirit, to make application of the mediation of Christ, is as necessary to our salvation, as that mediation itself. He shall take of the things of mine, and shall shew them unto you. There may be persons, and no doubt are, who have been deceived themselves, both ministers and people; and others who have imposed themselves upon the church in their professions. And these spurious exercises have been seized upon by the enemies of the Gospel in its power, as proof that there is no such thing as experimental religion in the bible. But the objection is totally unfounded, and the argument entirely fallacious. What should we think of the talents and reasoning of a man, who should assert this proposition: All is not gold that shines and draw this inference, therefore there is no true gold in the world: Or affirm, this is a counterfeit bill, therefore there can be no creditable bank in the world, nor any genuine bills in circulation. There may be shining ministers, who are destitute of the fine gold of the Gospel tried in the fire, and yet there are more, constrained by the love of Christ, who do not handle the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And there may be also many spurious professors of religion in circulation; but there are many more, who are always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life, also, of Jesus might be made manifest in their body. The fact and importance of Christian experience, and an internal call to the work of the ministry, are unquestionably essential, and should be insisted on as such, to the very existence and order of the church of Christ.

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But 2d. An external call, or a man's success and usefulness in the work are justly considered as providential evidences, that he is a true labourer in the Lord's vineyard. By an external call, I do not mean a request from any town, parish or society, but an opening in the providence of God to communicate the word of life to the people. These calls are sometimes very limited. It has often been the case, that some of the most useful ministers have begun their work in private circles of Christian friends, or in conversation upon the scriptures in conference meetings. Such meetings have been edified. The brethren have seen the gifts of individuals. They have been encouraged to go on from step to step, till an effectual door has been opened to them; and they have been imperceptibly introduced to a large field of Gospel labour. Some have been distinguished by a reformation gift; and their consequent success in the conversion of sinners. Others by a gift of edification; and their consequent success in building up the walls of Jerusalem. Others by a gift of government; and their consequent success by perseveringly strengthening the things that remain in churches, reduced to a low ebb, and labouring under difficult and embarrassed circumstances, till a favourable change has been effected in their condition. These are providences which constitute a man's external call to the work of the ministry.

3d. Perseverance in the work is another evidence. It is not unfrequently the case with young converts, while their hearts are warm with the love of their espousals to Christ, that they have an ardent desire to tell their fellow men, what a dear Saviour they have found, and think they are called to the work of the ministry. Nothing will satisfy them for a time, but they must preach. Farther experience, however, often convinces them and their friends, that this is not the case, and they relinquish the pursuit. Others may actually enter upon the work without a call to engage in it. Some may be deceived themselves upon this subject, and others, from selfish motives; but when the novelty of their new employment has lost its charms, and temptations and persecutions arise, they generally decline in the work. "Their call runs out," and they give it up. But the good minister of Jesus Christ, although sometimes pressed out of measure, does not faint. His sufficiency is of God.

The Church and her Sacraments. The Gospel is sufficient, not only for the conversion of men, and the establishment of the ministry, but it is made effectual for the perpetuity of the Church, and the administration of her sacraments. In this view of the subject, we feel a consciousness of the superior excellency of the present to the former dispensation, and a firm persuasion of the ultimate success and triumph of the Gospel in every part of the world. These subjects are included in the minister's hope. The giving of the law is called the ministration of death; because it exhibited the law in its purity, the penalty of which binds over to death the transgressor. This was attended with glory. The

splendour of the divine majesty, and the abundance of his grace, appeared in the brightness of the countenance of Moses; the rich and costly garments of the high priest; the furniture of the tabernacle and vessels of the temple; all of which represented the hidden treasures of the gospel. But the present dispensation greatly exceeds in glory; because the treasures of wisdom, grace and glory are actually, not typically, and much more abundantly bestowed upon the church by Jesus Christ than by Moses. Hence this hope is called the ministration of the spirit. And because it exhibits the way of righteousness and works effectually righteousness in us, it is also the ministration of righteousness.

The success of the gospel the apostle, no doubt, likewise had in view, when he uttered the words of the text. This is certain. It remaineth, All the powers of earth and hell can never extirpate the gospel; for this reason it excelleth in glory; and consequently is sustained by all the attributes of Jehovah. As its resources are the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ it can never be exceeded by any display of excellency nor bestowment of favours; and therefore its promises are absolute and its success certain. The question, perhaps, may here be asked, will not this gospel finally become universal, as it respects mankind? To which I reply; this question does not reach the case of the sinner, even if it were true in the sense in which it is commonly used. By universal salvation is generally meant exemption from future punishment, and possession of future happiness. This doctrine is exhibited for the hope of man, without any regard to his present condition of sin or holiness, Now suppose it were true, merely as a matter of fact, it would afford no consolation to a mind pressed with sin, and longing for deliverance by the holiness of the Gospel. To believe in universal salvation, and to desire it merely because it is supposed to be so, would be no salvation to burdened sinners in the present time, They feel sin. They must have immediate deliverance in some way, or they are wretched, The sprinkling of the blood of Christ, in its application to the heart, affects it and gives relief, Sin becomes odious holiness desirable. The sinner is satisfied with this salvation, and nothing else. It is in vain to talk to him about what is supposed will affect him in eternity. He feels sin and hell are inseperably connected; and unless he is saved from the former, ho feels it is impossible there should be any exemption from the lat ter. The only safe and scriptural way of exhibiting salvation, is in connexion with holiness. So far as we have evidence of deliverance from sin, so far only can we rationally and scripturally indulge in the hope of salvation. But it may still be urged, as the opinion of some, that men will be universally delivered from sin, and consequently all saved. This opinion stands opposed to the general tenor of the scriptures, and seems incompatible with the views exhibited by the Apostle of the gospel in the context, For he asserts the present dispensation exceeds the former in glory,

If the spirit and grace of the Gospel had been as generally be. stowed upon mankind in the early, as in the latter ages of the world, there could have been no excess of glory ascribed to the Gospel of Jesus. If all were to have been saved, the instant sin entered into the world, the Saviour would have burst from the skies in all the fulness of his grace, and overwhelmed from the beginning of the world every human heart, by the tenderness of his compassions and glories of his love. The gradual developement, therefore, of the plan of salvation, shows that all are not saved. Many must have gone down to the pit of despair, in the early ages of the world. Hence the expressive distinction of the Apostle, in regard to the two dispensations, The former is the ministration of death. The latter is the ministration of the spirit, The letter killed, but the spirit giveth life. Let us bless God we live in a period of the world, in which there is an abundance of the spirit and grace of the gospel bestowed upon the children of men, and that our children are looking forward to the increasing manis festations of the glory of the gospel of Christ,

A question may here arise also, as to our sufficiency in God in respect of the sacraments of the Church. In reply to this, I can only notice the practice of open communion, commonly so called, and which is so warmly advocated by one of the most eloquent and powerful writers of the present day. The principles upon which our brother Hall founds his arguments are not correct, Even, therefore, could he prove the positions he has taken, his arguments would not carry conviction of the scripturalness and utility of his object, The ministry of John, I assert, if not without fear of contradiction, certainly without fear of refutation, was under the gospel dispensation, Proof. 1. In Isaiah we find the following prediction of John, The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert an high way for our God, Isaiah, 40, 3; and in Mal, 3, 1, a corresponding prophecy respecting the same person. These predictions were fulfilled in the ministry of John. For it is to this subject Mark applies the passages; and the same evangelist assures us, that the fulfilment of these prophecies was the begin, ning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Mark 1, 3. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, What? Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths strait,

Observe. As it is written. The Gospel began, according to prophecy, in the ministry of John, the Baptist. The evangelist Luke, by his care in this particular, has fixed exactly the æra of the commencement of the Gospel,

The time of John's public appearance is distinctly marked by him; for he tells us the year of the Roman Emperor, in which it happened, and mentions, not only the Procurator of Judea, and the High Priest, who then officiated, but the several contemporary Princes, who reigned in the neighbouring kingdoms,

Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, Pontius Pilate, being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Phillip tetrarch of Iturea, and Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the High Priests, the word of the Lord came unto John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The very year is marked by this Evangelist, in which the Gospel dispensation began. It was the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius. 2. The character of John shews that his ministry belonged to the Gospel dispensation. He was sent to prepare the way of the Lord. The allusion is to the custom of eastern monarchs, who, when about to travel into other countries, sent a pioneer to announce their approach, and prepare for their reception. The character and ministry of John corresponded precisely to this custom. He announced the coming of the Messiah, and prepared, by his ministry and baptism, the people for his reception. By his administrations, Christ was manifested to Israel. He pointed them to the king of Zion. Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. But it would have been a very singular thing for an eastern monarch to have sent a person, as his harbinger, to prepare the way of his journey, who did not belong to his kingdom, nor officiate in the period of his reign. My opinion decidedly is, that the Gospel dispensation began in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Cæsar, by the ministry and administration of John the Baptist.

3. The unavoidable difficulties which attend the contrary supposition. If we suppose it began at the death or resurrection of Christ, or at any subsequent period, then it follows with certainty, that the sacrement of the Lord's Supper is a legal, and not an evangelical institution: and I cannot see how the example of Christ is any more binding upon us, than that of Abraham or Moses, in so far as the present dispensation is supposed to have given it force. If the practice of free communion be supported at all, by rational or scriptural arguments, it must be on the ground of christian forbearance, and on this ground only. That it is the duty of Christians to exercise a large and an unbounded affection towards all, who love the Lord Jesus Christ for the truth's sake, is evident from the Scriptures, and is perfectly consonant with every benevolent heart. But, considering the present state of imperfection and error, and that Christian love is for the truth's sake, there is a point at which forbearance is limited, and beyond which indifference is a crime. And what is the point of limitation fixed upon by the elegant writer alluded to? It is not a sacrament of the King of Zion, but a worldly ecclesiastical establishment; a law religion. Churchmen and dissenters cannot forbear one another, as to an ecclesiastical hierarchy, and yet a sacrament of the New Testament is to be classed among the subjects of Christian forbearance. This will not do, my Brethren. The principle on