those works do ye stone me ?" For which did they crucify him?

Now the more like any persons are to our Lord Jesus in these things, the greater is the wickedness to devise mischievous devices against them. The more excellent, the more useful. Yet against such evil is devised-against "the quiet in the land."

SURRENDERS FOR CHRIST.

We must be willing to part with our dearest and best beloved sins out of love to Christ. These he would fain have from us. Now what say you to this? Bring him thy sins. Offer them up for a burnt-offering. Say-Lord, here they are; all that are dear to me. But is here all? Is there no box of precious ointment that thou art willing to break for him? Let all go, though a "right hand," or a "right eye." This is love. This he takes very kindly. And this he calls for, Matt. v. 29, 30. Does thy soul answer-Lord, take all? Though it be mine own "iniquity," I will part with it for thy sake: with an eye to thee. Is this the language of thine heart? Then, blessed be God. I believe he, that will part with his sins, will part with any thing else.

We must be willing to part with our dearest, and best beloved selves. There is nothing so near to us as ourselves. Whatever else we give him without this, he cares not for. Give him your bodies: your eyes to read his word; your

tongue to speak his praises; your hands to lift up in his name, towards his holy temple : "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." Stretch out your hands to the poor. Employ them in a lawful calling. Give him your souls: "My son, give me thine heart." Why, Lord? What wilt thou do with it? Why, if thou wilt give it me, I will take it, and dwell in it. Give him all the faculties, all the powers of the soul. Lord, I give thee myself, saith the gracious soul. We must give ourselves to him as the wife gives herself to her husband: as the patient gives himself to his physician: as the traveller gives himself to his guide.

We must be willing to part with our dearest and best beloved relations. Sometimes God calls for these; father, mother, brethren, sisters. Canst thou say-Lord, they are dear to me, but for thy sake, and in obedience to thy command, I will part with them. A godly martyr said he had eleven arguments against suffering a wife and ten children; but, blessed be God, he could answer them all. He did so. And laid down his life for Christ.

We must be willing to part with our dearest and best beloved righteousness. When we have done anything that is good, we must not lie down upon it, and rest there. But we must see that our own righteousness merits nothing. It cannot commend us to God. Rely then on the righteousness of Christ for acceptance, as that which is enough, and enough for you. Oh!

deny the merit of your own righteousness as the matter of your justification before God.

We must be willing to part with our worldly possessions. The box of ointment was worth three hundred pence, yet the “ woman "broke it. Three ways we must testify this willingness: By our right using of outward things; serving God with them. Mercies should be oil to the wheels of our obedience. By relieving the poor members of Christ as we have ability and opportunity: "The King shall answer and unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."-By relinquishing the whole estate, or any part of it when God calls for it. God saith-Man, I must

say

have a part of thy estate. Lord, saith he, take it. I had it from thee; I give it to thee. I am freely willing to part with it. There is then a box of ointment poured on the head of Christ. It yields a sweet savour; it is of good report. We must be willing to part with the praise of men. A good name is better than precious ointment." But we must be willing to part with our good name. Do not "love the praise of men." Many stick at this. They cannot away with it. When you have any praise given you for anything that you have done, throw your crowns at the feet of Christ. Do not put them upon your own head. If you do, they will crowns of thorns.

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A PART IN CHRIST.

What is it to have a part in Christ, or with Christ? It is to be spiritually washed by Christ. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.'

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It is to be cut off from the stock of the first Adam, and ingrafted by faith into Christ, the second Adam. We are all of us born in the old Adam, and in him we continue until we are "born again:" until grace makes the change; cuts us off from the old Adam, and ingrafts us into Christ.

It is to have union and communion with him in all his covenant relations. Real union. Such as the head hath with the body. The weakest true saint is a member of, and hath a part in, the head: is a branch in the vine, and hath nourishment from the root. There is relative union, such as is between the husband and the wife; the father and the children; brother and brother. And he is not ashamed to own them, and call them his "brethren." Nay, "thy Maker is thine husband."

It is to have an interest in all the spiritual benefits and blessing of his undertaking as Mediator. These are especially four :-Favour and reconciliation with God. This we have only by Christ. He is well pleased in Christ: with all that come to him by him.-Freedom of access to the "throne of grace: a new and living way" laid open to the Father. The aids and assistances of his Spirit; as we have need of them at all times, and on all occasions.-Admission into his heavenly kingdom; whither he is gone as our "forerunner."

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SPIRITUAL WASHING.

Those that have a part in Christ have three kinds of washing.

There is the washing away of the guilt of sin by Christ's blood in justification. Every sin leaves behind it a blot, a spot, and stain. And that is taken away by pardoning mercy. "Wash me," saith David. "Make me to hear joy and gladness." And the Lord heard his prayer; see the 51st Psalm.

There is the washing away of the filth and power of sin by sanctification. This is the work of God's Spirit, (see the Assembly's Catechism,) whereby the man is made a new creature. The bent of the soul is changed. He begins to love that which he hated: to delight in that which before he cared not for. The image of God is on the man. "I will wash them." "And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning." This is a promise of holiness. And this blessed work is wrought on all that have a part in Christ. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." Water and the Spirit; that is, to be born of the Spirit working like water. The Spirit is a washing,