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And shall we

forsake them all; and follow him. not be more, infinitely more than indemnified-if we win Christ?

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MARCH 15.-" That I may win Christ." Phil. iii. 8.

AND what a prize is He! The tongue of men and of angels would infinitely fail to do Him justice. The Sacred Writers, though inspired, labour for language and imagery to aid us to conceive a little of his worth. He is the hope; the Saviour; the consolation; the glory of his people Israel. He is Lord of all. In Him all fulness dwells. In winning Him, we gain all pure, spiritual, durable, satisfying good: a way to God; a justifying righteousness; a sanctifying Spirit; a sufficiency of grace to help in time of need; a peace that passeth all understanding; a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory-we are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

If an ancient Philosopher had been asked, what one thing would entirely have met all his wants, and satisfied all his hopes and desires? he would have been at a loss for an answer. But ask a Christian this question, and, without a moment's hesitation, he replies, All I need, all I wish, is to "win Christ." Let me attain Him, and I shall I can look no further.

How blessed, then, is the winner! He is happy now. Happy alone. Happy in trouble. Happy in death-How much more happy will he be hereafter! By this acquisition he is raised above the condition of Adam in Paradise-above the estate of angels in heaven. His portion is to be judged of by what Christ is, and has-for he has gained Him-he has won Christ!!

But how foolish the despiser! How poor! How wretched! How miserable in time! How much more miserable in eternity!

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How can we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? O my soul, hear him and live "He that findeth me, findeth life; and shall obtain favour of the Lord: but he that sinneth against me, wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me, love death."

MARCH 16." When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace." Gal. i. 15.

PAUL is here referring to two events-his natural birth, and his spiritual birth-the one connecting him with the world-the other with the Church. The former of these is common to all men; the latter is confined to few. The former affords us no security from the wrath to come-"Because they are a people of no understanding, therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favour." The latter makes us heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Both these, therefore, are important; but the one is far more momentous than the other. The multitude do not think so. They keep the day of their birth, and are thankful for the continuance of life; but never inquire-Has He, who separated me from my mother's womb, called me by his grace? Has He made me not only a creature, but a new creature? Am I not only a partaker of that life whose days are few and evil, but the life which the just live by faith, and which shall endure for ever?

Yes; this is the main thing. And you will deem it so when conscience shall be awakened: when heart and flesh shall fail; and the cold hand of death lays hold of you, to bring you into the pre.

sence of the Judge of all. To this therefore attend; and regard it without delay. We would not have you indifferent to the beauties of Nature, and the bounties of Providence: but let it be your chief concern to be blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. Say, with David, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." But O, rest not satisfied till you can say, with Paul, "He called me by his grace."

Regeneration is necessary. The nature of religion demands it. The nature of God demands it. The nature of heaven demands it. Ye must be born again. Observe again. Paul, you see, had been born twice: and if you are not born twice before you die once, it had been good for you if you had never been born. Those born once enly, die twice -they die a temporal, and they die an eternal death. But those who are born twice, die only once-for on them the second death hath no power.

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Paul was as fully persuaded of his being called by grace as he was of his having been separated from his mother's womb. What a satisfaction must this be to the assured individual! All are not equally privileged. Some have fears concerning their conversion. But even this anxiety is a token for good.And let them remember, that there is a certainty attainable not only in Christian doctrine, but in Christian experience; and give all diligence, to the full assurance of hope unto the end. Let them wait on the Lord and keep his way; and read the things that are written unto them that believe on the Name of the Son of God, that they may know that they have eternal life.

Little, when Paul was born, did any know what he was destined to be. The father embraced him; the mother forgot her anguish, for joy that a man was born into the world. His birth was no way distinguished from any other. His religious

friends could not look into the future, nor conjecture the powers he was to develop, the space he was to occupy in history, the labours he was to perform, the advantages he was to render the human race to the end of time-nothing of all this could they foresee in this helpless babe. But here was the acorn of the oak. God sees the end from the beginning. Gamaliel's pupil, the zealous Pharisee, the bloody persecutor, the praying penitent, the Christian disciple, the inspired apostle-all, all were present to His view when He separated him from his mother's womb. And even then He had done virtually what He did actually in the journey to Damascus-called him by his grace. Time is nothing with Him. Design is accomplishment. Every thing has its season. All the circumstances of life, and godliness; of our birth, and our conversion; are arranged by Infinite Wisdom and Goodness. Just and true are all thy ways, O thou King of saints. He hath done all things well.

"Heaven, earth, and sea, and fire, and wind,
"Shew me thy wonderous skill;

"But I review myself, and find

"Diviner wonders still.

"Thy awful glories round me shine;
"My flesh proclaims thy praise:
"Lord, to thy works of Nature join
"Thy miracles of grace."

MARCH 17." The same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him." Rom. x. 12.

POWER and benevolence are rarely united in our fellow-creatures. Here is one who has abundance; but he has no disposition to do good: he turns away his ear from hearing the poor; and seems to live

as if he was born for himself only. Yea, the disposition often decreases, as the capacity increases; so that there are some who not only give less comparatively, but less really, than they did when they were poorer. Then it hardly seemed worth their while to be covetous and to hoard, but now they have the means, and the temptation conquers them: and in their commerce of charity, silver is used instead of gold, and copper instead of silver. On the other hand, there is many a one who has bowels of mercies; but he can only pity, and shed unavailing tears over victims of distress. He is compelled to say only, Be ye warmed and be ye filled, for he has it not in his hand to give such things as are needful for the body-his hand is shortened that it cannot save, though his ear is not heavy that it cannot hear. But some few there are, in whom the means, and the mind to use them, are found united. The Lord increase their number! These are little images of Himself, in whom we equally find greatness and goodness, the resources and the readiness of compassion. "He is over all; and he is rich unto all that call upon him."

Let me look at his greatness. He is over all. All beings of every rank are under his absolute control. He rules over all all material agentsover all animal agents: over all human agents: over the best of men; the greatest of men; the worst of men-over all invisible agents: over devils; over angels; over departed spirits. He is Lord both of the dead and the living. How astonishing then are his possessions and his dominion! A nation seems a great thing to us. But what is the greatest nation, to our earth? And what

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is our earth, to the luminaries of heaven? of these are discernible by the naked eye. When this fails, art assists nature: and Herschel sees innumerably more. When the telescope fails, the imagination plunges into the immensity beyond,

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