adapted to the end. To win souls to Christ by such a course of procedure? Never! The Holy Spirit is grieved when Christ is dishonoured, and his commission is disregarded; and, as our attempts to do his will must fail, if the methods we employ are not those which he has prescribed to be useful as the ministers of his word, and as the stewards of his mysteries, we must preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. There is no getting away from the facts, that, as Christ is exalted, souls are saved; and that as he is thrown into the shade, the sunlight of God's favour is withdrawn. We must preach Christ, or the Holy Spirit will forsake us, and leave both us and our congregations to pine in desolation. "The truth as it is in Jesus" is mighty, not only because it is adapted to the miseries and wants of men, but because of the power with which the Divine Spirit accompanies it. To this order of ministration he is pledged; he can and will work with those who exalt the Redeemer. "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved, it is the power of God." "Christ the wisdom of God, and the power of God." "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds."

Will my younger brethren forgive me, if I press upon them the necessity of their preaching Christ with all plainness, and of preaching him constantly, in order to secure the presence and help of the Holy Spirit both in their studies, and in discharging their public functions. By preaching Christ, I do not mean a useless repetition of his name, nor a dull, monotonous manifestation of the truth that relates to any one of his mediatorial offices, neither do I mean a servile pandering to the appetites of those who are never satisfied except the few facts in which they profess to delight are presented to their view in every sermon, and almost in the same unvarying aspects. But I do mean an unceasing exhibition of the Lamb of God in those relations which he bears, in the economy of redemption, to his Father; to the holy angels; to the hope, peace, joy, purity, strength, and everlasting salvation of man. "Christ is all and in all;" and the freeness and fulness of his grace demand that in our ministry there should be an unrestrained setting forth of his glory. And the compass which the scheme of human redemption allows its students to take is wide, the range of inquiry which it throws open is without limit. Redemption, in its nature, causes, and consequences, supplies us with materials for our work which we can never exhaust, which we may always use with advantage to the purposes of our calling. Here is variety; and if we must vary our ministrations, and about this there cannot be two opinions, let the infinite relations of the cross supply the phases with which we seek to attract the "sinner's wandering eye," and to interest those minds which have found rest in God. The resources of all worlds

are laid under contribution to the purposes and glory of Christ; his ministers therefore, may avail themselves of all the legitimate illustrations which philosophy and science supply to the inquiring mind, of the revealed truths of religion. But to place illustrations almost upon a level with the facts to be elucidated and confirmed, is to attach equal importance to primary and subordinate truth, if not to explain away so much of the mystery of the Gospel, or to conceal it, as to leave a discourse on Christian doctrine with but little more life and beauty, than are to be found in some essays on moral philosophy. "Tell it not in Gath," even if it be true, that the ministry of some is becoming meagre, wanting the fulness and the unction of the ministry of our Puritan ancestors. Dear brethren, now is the time to redeem the qualities we have lost. Let the sons of the prophets imbibe the spirit and embody the sentiments of their fathers, and may great grace be upon us all.

Before these remarks are closed, it may not be inappropriate to advert to the importance of the general views we have taken of the Gospel ministry as they bear upon the sympathy which ministers and people must have with each other in order that the authority of the teacher and the attention of the taught may be sustained, and that their fellowship may be sweet and refreshing. The law of adaptation must be observed in the formation of pastoral relations, or ill consequences will result to the unity and peace of both the shepherd and the flock. When a minister has completed his course of study and is about taking the oversight of a church, the question as to his general fitness for the work of the Lord, need not be agitated that point is supposed to have been settled, first by the judgment of his pastor, and then by those honoured brethren by whose training he has been disciplined for the work. But the question of appropriateness must be determined, I mean his fitness for a special sphere of labour; otherwise he may accept a call from a people, without any fair prospects of either comfort or usefulness. In looking through the country, we gather impressions that this great and wise law of adapting means to ends, has sometimes been grossly violated; and the consequence is, that ministers, not being in the sphere for which they are qualified, are inefficient and unhappy. It is surely no disparagement either to the natural or acquired abilities of a brother, to say that he cannot occupy that lofty position, that he cannot bear the toil of that station, that he is either too refined or not sufficiently refined, for that congregation. God has distributed differing gifts, just to meet the varying wants of his people; and if care be taken to ascertain his will, the man will occupy the post which infinite wisdom hath appointed for him.

But the law of adaptation is itself dependent on those great principles of government which are laid down in the New Testament, by the Head of the church, for the guidance of both ministers and people;

and to these principles absolute obedience must be paid. We must not educate carnal ministers for carnal congregations. A worldly indolent church is not to be encouraged to seek a worldly indolent pastor; nor is a grovelling drivelling minister to be sanctioned as he seeks to form a connexion with a people of similar predilections and habits. The church of Christ is a spiritual body. Its guides must be holy men. The growing spirituality of the church very much depends upon the vital and intelligent piety of its ministers. It seems fitting that those who teach the truth, should in their spirit and conduct, exemplify the nature and designs of truth. God blesses his people through their pastors; and if they are to be strengthened with all might in the inner man, these must be strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus. Ministers must lead. How bright then should be their light! how pure their spirit! how consistent their conduct! Still, the church, having life, hath dispositions and appetites, to which her ministers must mete out, according to the ability which God giveth; and we cannot hope to do our people good, unless we are in sympathy with their best and holiest feelings and desires. All pious people are not equally intelligent and spiritual, neither do they agree on all questions affecting dogmatic and didactic theology; but all spiritually-minded Christians, whether their rank in life be elevated or low, are one in their attachment to the doctrines of the atonement and of Divine influence; and they feel, too, that their acquaintance with the former, and their enjoyment of it, depend upon their experience of the latter. They all love the cross, and they all depend upon the Holy Spirit to guide them to the cross. They will not allow either Christ or the Spirit to be dishonoured; and the more fully and the more frequently we bring the love of both before them, the greater is their joy in the truth, and the stronger is their attachment to us its ministers. Sermons on the person and glory of Christ, and on the character and work of the Spirit, are never ill-timed nor unacceptable; so that if we would win the affections and confidence of our people, we must preach the truths with which they are in sympathy, for which they pant, and which are as refreshing to their spirits as cold water to a thirsty traveller of other lands. Oh what a mistake it is to imagine that we can edify them in love, by disquisitions and dissertations that have no relation, or only a very distant one, to saving truth; and that we can convert souls by arguments and inferrences about which they know or care as much as they do about the abstruse elements of metaphysical lore! What a relief, what a help, it is to the preacher to know that he is touching a chord which will vibrate in the hearts of his hearers, that he is opening a spring to which they will rush for refreshment and purification, and that he has found the ore for which they are in search! And this is the case, when he makes full proof of his ministry as a servant of Christ. Besides, the churches of our order, with here and there an exception, are composed

of the middling and of the lower classes of society-persons who, having many duties to discharge, many trials to endure, many conflicts to sustain, require the aliment that will support, the balm that will soothe, and the grace that will encourage them. They are not always to be fed with milk, nor always to be nursed as babes, nor to have their attention exclusively confined to elementary principles. Their heritage is large, and through the length and breadth of the promised land they are to be conducted; but let them go where they will, they need Divine guidance and Divine support. The guilt and the feebleness of every day will bring them into fellowship with the blood and with the Spirit of Christ. Without Christ they must perish, without the Spirit, even though they have Christ, they must languish. They want to be counselled, to be encouraged, to be roused, to be calmed; but they will respond to no statements and appeals so freely, as they will to those whose obvious tendency is to lead them away from the world, and to bring them into more direct and vital contact with spiritual things. "The love of Christ constraineth us." "It is the Spirit

quickeneth."

Let us then, dear brethren, be determined to give prominency in our ministry to the great truths of the Gospel; let us present these truths in their harmony and dependence; let us discuss them with holy earnestness and melting tenderness; let us speak as those who have handled and tasted and felt the good word of life; let purity of motive, integrity of purpose, singleness of aim, simplicity in thought and expression, inspire and govern all our studies, and all our addresses; let Christ be the starting point and the goal of our race; let us draw direct from Christ the instructions we impart; let us honour the Holy Spirit and promote the accomplishment of his designs, by setting Christ forth in his beauty and glory; in a word, as we hope to spend an eternity in contemplating his person, in studying the mysterious developements and wonderful processes of his love, in rendering the honour which is due to him from a glorified nature, and as we hope for all this in communion, not only with the entire family of God, in general, but with that part of it in particular to which we now minister the word and grace of our common Lord, and to which we may yet be made useful, let us teach them the song of Moses and of the Lamb, and thus call up the feelings that will serve as pleasurable reminiscences, when the sorrows and imperfections of earth have passed away, and the light, and the peace, and the joy of heaven shall have come. Let us speak to our people about Christ now, as we shall wish them to think and feel about him in a dying hour. As we love his name and value their souls, so let us evince our attachment and record our estimate by a firm, honest, unflinching advocacy of the truths which derive all their glory and power from him, and which convey his love and image to all believers. Then, with the presence of our Lord, with the people who

have received the atonement, and by the guidance of the Spirit, to whom we are all indebted for life, knowledge, and purity, we shall pursue our course in peace, reach the sepulchre with honour, and at last be received into his kingdom, in which, as kings and priests, we shall reign and worship for ever. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

D. G.

DEATH OF THE CHRISTIAN.

TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF THOLUCK.

How still is the grave,

How cool is the air about it!

If the body sleeps so quietly,

How blessed must be the spirit!

THERE lies the garment which the mortal pilgrim wore through the whole period of his pilgrimage, in sunshine and in rain. O what thoughts crowd upon the mind when we stand before a corpse— thoughts which come to us at no other time! We could then have so much to say, so much to hear, so much for which to ask forgiveness. But his ear hears not, his mouth speaks not. How differently should we act to all men, could we anticipate how we shall feel, when they lie before us in their grave-clothes upon the bier!

Soul purified in the furnace of affliction, thou art now with God. Oh! when now the bands fall from thine eyes, when faith is changed to sight, how will it be with thee! When from the mouth of the Lord, upon whose hand thou hast leaned when thou couldst not see his face, thou shalt receive the welcome, "Come, thou faithful servant, into the joy of thy Lord;" when this joy of thy Lord shall illumine thy spirit, "how will it be with thee!" The fruit has fallen because it was ripe. Blessed spirit, it was appointed to thee to ripen up on earth; thou hast learned fully the value of human life, its labours and its sufferingsand hast not learned in vain; what thou hast laboured upon without, has been also laboured within. All thy toil in the world was at the same time a preparation of thy soul for the temple of God. When at evening after a hot day the waggon laden with fruit enters the barn, all the inhabitants rejoice. Thus I imagine thee, serene, blessed spirit, entering the house of thy heavenly Father, and the inhabitants of heaven rejoice. Since there is so great joy in heaven, lamentation upon earth must be hushed. Could thy voice be heard from the place where thou now art, surely it would say nothing else than "Weep not!" Therefore must we dry up our tears.

Thou didst not belong to us when thou wast upon earth; thou wast thy Lord's. We should therefore be thankful that thou wast lent to