It implies the difficulty of the acquirement. All excellent things require application and diligence; and he who rationally expects success must be determined, and bring his mind to exertion and endurance. What pains and patience are necessary to attain human learning! "There is no royal way to geometry." And is Divine wisdom the prey of the idle and careless ? Must we labour for the meat that perisheth; and can we, without labour, obtain that meat which endureth unto everlasting life? No, says the Saviour, even in the very passage in which he speaks of "giving it"-where it is obvious, therefore, that the giving is not opposed to diligence, but desert. How readest thou? "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling." "Fight the good fight of faith, and lay hold on eternal life." But take those who, in their religion, know nothing of the privations and hardships of the soldier; nothing of the unbending alacrity of the racer; who never redeem their time; whose day is only distinguished from their night by the substitution of sloth for sleep; who exercise no self-denial; who never mortify the deeds of the body; whose souls do not follow hard after God-would it not be perfectly absurd for one of these to say-" If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead?"

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It implies variety in the manner of reaching glory. This does not apply to the procuring of the blessing. This is done already. Jesus said, as he expired, "It is finished." He made peace by the blood of his cross; and brought in everlasting righteousness and all that believe on him are justified from all things. At the Deluge people could be drowned any where; but there was only one ark. The way of salvation has been always the same from the beginning-But the methods by which this salvation is applied are various. Various are the

means employed in our conversion; and various are the courses of duty in which we actually obtain the promise. All the Lord's people obey: for he is the author of eternal salvation only to them that obey him-but they are called to obey in very different ways. One is required to act the Christian in single; another, in relative life. One fills a public station; another, a private. Some are to receive with gratitude; others are to give with cheerfulness. Some must discharge the duties of prosperity; others, those of adversity. sufferings, too, vary as well as our services. glorifies God by bearing reproach and persecution; another, by enduring bodily pain and infirmities. These have much outward trouble; and those, more inward conflict-each is to take up his cross and to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. For,

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Finally, it implies submission-not prescribing; not objecting—but referring every thing to the Divine pleasure" If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Whatever they are, I bow to them. This implicit submission is necessary to evince the earnestness, and even sincerity of our conviction. Dr. Chyne often said to his patients, when they objected to the strictness of his regimen, "I see you are not bad enough for me, yet." For if a patient really believes and feels his disease and danger, he will shew it by readiness to yield to the remedies the physician enjoins, however trying they may be. Here, indeed, the great contention lies with many. It does not regard the end-they would have heaven-but not by any means-it must be by those of their own devising or choosing. Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Jordan? May I not wash in them, and be clean? But when a man is at the point to die for ever he will acquiesce in any means of deliverance, however mysterious to his

reason, however humiliating to his pride, however adverse to his sin and sloth.

God will have the whole management of our case; or he will have nothing to do with it. And he ought to have it for this submission is an homage due to his sovereignty. We have no claim upon him; and it is wonderful mercy and grace, that he will save and bless us at all.-We owe it, also, to his wisdom and goodness: for, though he is a Sovereign, in the exercise of his prerogative, he does not act arbitrarily; but does all things well: his work is perfect.-The issue, too, is such as to justify our submission to any means in securing it. In earthly things, the honey does not always pay for the sting; nor the rose for the thorns. But here the success will infinitely more than remunerate all our services and sacrifices.And the success, also, is sure. How many cases are there, in which means, any means, may be used in vain! The race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. In every department of human enterprize, the successful candidates are few. Yea, the event in no other pursuit is infallible. But if you are like-minded with Paul, you need not fear the result. The gate of mercy was never yet shut against a returning sinner. Their heart shall live that seek God.

APRIL 9.-"Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him." Rom. vi. 8.

THE death and the resurrection of Christ, constitute the substance of the Gospel: and our concern with them, includes more than our admitting them into our creed, as doctrinal truths. They must become internal principles, and produce in us corresponding effects. He died; and we must be dead-dead to the law; not as a rule of life, but as a covenant of

works. Dead to the world: not as the scene of God's wonderful works; nor as a sphere of duty, or a field of usefulness; but as the enemy of God, and our portion. Dead to sin-This includes nothing less than our avoiding it; but it intends much more: we may be alive to it even while we forsake it. But we must no longer love, or relish it—and thus no longer live in it. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

We must be dead with him. We are dead with

him virtually. For he is the Head and Representative of his Church; and therefore what he did for his people, is considered as done by them.— We are dead with him efficiently. For there is an influence derived from his Cross, which mortifies us to sin; and this influence is not moral only, consisting in the force of argument and motivethough this is true: and nothing shews the evil of sin, or the love of the Saviour, like Calvary. But it is spiritual, also. He died to purify, as well as to redeem; and he not only made reconciliation for the sins of the people, but received gifts for men, and secured the agency of the Holy Spirit. There is no real holiness separate from the grace of the Cross. There he draws all men unto him.-We are dead with him as to resemblance. We are planted together in the likeness of his death; and therefore our death is called, as well as his, a crucifixion : "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." I am, says the Apostle, not only dead, but crucified with Christ. That mode of dying was a painful one; and a visible one; and a gradual one; and a sure one: for the moment the body was fastened to the Cross, it was as good as dead; the bones might be broken, to accelerate the event, but it was never taken down alive. All this is easily applied to the crucifying of the flesh, with the affections and lusts.

But he rose, and now lives-and we shall live with him. That is-in consequence of his living. Because he lives, we shall live also. For we are quickened together with Christ, and are raised up, and made to sit together in heavenly places. That is-in his company. Where I am, there shall also my servant be. We have much in heaven to endear it. How delightful will it be to join our friends with all their infirmities done away-But to depart, to be with Christ, is far better. That is-in fellowship with him. We may live with another, and not live like him. We may be with another, and behold his estate, but not share it. But when He who is our life shall appear, we also shall appear with him in glory. I appoint unto you, says he to his disciples, a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Even our vile body shall be fashioned like his own glorious body. And the same duration attaches to his blessedness, and ours. I am alive, says he, for evermore; and our end is everlasting life.

Finally, Paul believed all this. And let us do the same but let us believe it as he did. That is-Let us believe, that we shall live with him, if we be dead with him. Some believe it without this. But their faith is only presumption. Whatever they rely upon, whether their knowledge, or orthodoxy, or talking, or profession; they are only preparing for themselves the most bitter disappointment-if they are not dead unto sin, and delivered from the present evil world-for if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

But let us also believe, that if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. The inclusive is as sure as the exclusive; and takes in every diversity, and degree of grace. Whatever be their apprehensions of themselves, none of them all shall come