whole extent, and followed to its glorious issues in eternity, includes the full and endless prosperity of the entire man, the perfection of his interior being, and of all his external relations.

Such is the Gospel; and therefore, if there be any disposition which in its nature and developments is utterly opposed to it, utterly irreconcilable with it, it is "worldliness." "If any man love the world," no matter what particular direction the love takes, "the love of the Father is not in him." Such is the explicit-we had almost said, the terrible-decision of inspiration. Worldliness and Christianity are not merely disturbing, but destructive, opposites. God, and the creature, cannot at the same time, and by the same soul, be chosen as good. "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon!" It is the sentence of Christ himself,-the merciful and compassionate Christ, who gave himself to the agonies and obloquies of Gethsemane and Calvary, who "gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." He who gives rest to them that labour and are heavy laden, whose yoke is graciously easy, he Himself says, "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." And yet, if we may judge of the extent of weakness and danger from the frequency of defeat, just here it is that the Christian is most vulnerable. It seems to be the weakest part of the array of "the sacramental host of God's elect," against which the enemy of God and man continually directs his strongest efforts, whether of violent onslaught or of insidious stratagem. Never should the professing believer lose sight of the fact, that if his behaviour does not furnish the indubitable evidence of decided, conquering spirituality and heavenly-mindedness, it is not consistent with the Gospel of Christ. And let us not deceive ourselves by limiting our ideas of worldliness to its more glaring exhibitions. The rich man who is clothed in purple and fine linen, and fares sumptuously every day; the avaricious man, whose only pleasure is in accumulating and retaining wealth; these, and all such as these, are worldlings. But the temper is often manifested in other forms. There are professing Christians, whose minds are all active and alive when engaged in their business,-all heavy and absent when they enter on religious duty. On worldly questions they can think clearly, speak fluently; books and papers relating to them they read with pleasure; but on religious subjects they are dull and ignorant, and over religious books they almost fall asleep. Is it not plain that their hearts are in their business? They would not carry it on by wrong means; but many, with no sense of religion, are equally careful to avoid this. More than ordinary care is here needed. Diligence in business is a duty. Slothfulness and neglect, under pretence of religion, are downright sins. The right path is a narrow one, and on each side is danger. Our duty is to attend diligently to our lawful concerns, but to keep them rigidly subordinate to those which are spiritual; and if our hearts be right, our behaviour will furnish the evidence. Between conscientious diligence, and earthly devotion to our own worldly path, though they nearly resemble each other in certain points, there are strongly-marked differences. This must be made manifest; and whether in the trade or in the house, the proofs be plainly visible, that we have set our affections on things above, not on things beneath. Where the heart is, there is the treasure; and the Christian's treasure and heart are in heaven. Whatever be his worldly position, if he be truly a believer, he cannot be worldly; for "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith."

5. The Gospel is a system designed to produce peace and good-will.-One

seeming exception to this exists, and is, indeed, mentioned by our Lord. But this has nothing to do with the pacific and benevolent temper which the Gospel enjoins. The Gospel declares war against sin, and requires its disciples to be in this respect faithful soldiers in fighting the good fight of faith. In working out their own salvation, and in promoting that of others, they will meet with opposition, they will make enemies. In this sense, but in this only, did Christ come to send, not peace on earth, but a sword; and a man's foes may be those of his own household. In matters of duty, his allegiance to Christ must be his first concern. He is to yield in nothing; to make no compromise. He will be charged with obstinacy, with bigotry, with "turning the world upside down." But the fault is not with him. It is all with those who refuse to join him in obedience to God. With this apparent exception, easily understood, we again say that the Gospel is a system of peace and good-will. When its designs are all completed, the world will be full of the glorious harmonies of light and love. Such is the beautiful picture of prophecy. Not only shall "wars cease to the end of the earth," and the dreadful trade "be learnt no more," but "the wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." In the whole compass of the written language of man, a more delightful pictorial representation cannot be found than what is here given. The coarseness, the savage ferocity, the subtle venom of sin, all disappear; and in their place we have a peace perfect and living, variety producing no opposition, but a loving harmony, with infantile purity, joyousness, and confidence. Envying, bitterness, and strife will all be extinguished; for "the envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off." National, civil, social, religious distinctions, shall no longer produce unkindly feeling and opposition; for "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim." "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord," and this knowledge causing its highest effects, as having arrived at its highest earthly character. "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." And from this the final and triumphant issue of the Gospel, its nature and tendencies are manifestly to be collected. Nor is this mere inference. Positive commandments are repeatedly given, all speaking the same language. Everything contrary to good-will is strictly and minutely forbidden; and in the same manner is everything included in it, and issuing from it, enjoined. "This commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love." And as this true knowledge of God is the knowledge of him by a soul "alive from the dead through Jesus Christ our Lord," so the absence of the love proves the absence of the life. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." But we need not multiply words. We only take the affecting, heavenly language of inspiration. Let it be read slowly; let each word have its own pause, for wide is the sphere of each. "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you,-with all malice; and be ye kind one to

another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Be ye therefore followers (imitators) of God, as dear children, and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us." Such is the Gospel; a Gospel of love,—a love which expels whatever is contrary to itself,-a love which governs and fills the soul, enriching it with its own heavenly and godlike fruits. It is a religion of purity; for we are to love God with all our heart. It is a religion of peace and active benevolence; for we are to love our neighbour as ourself. And who envies himself? Who strives to give others a bad opinion of himself, to lessen his own reputation? Who is hard or cold-hearted, void of sympathetic feeling, towards himself? Who is contentious with himself, malice-bearing, or clamorous against himself? And this is the plain, unmistakeable course. I know how I love myself; and as I love myself, so am I to love my neighbour.

In this respect, also, "only let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ.” "Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke." The tendency of sin is to fill the earth with violence; and on a small scale this is seen in the tempers and dispositions of every sinner. The tendency of the Gospel is to fill the world with the blessedness of peace and good-will. Let your tempers and dispositions show this in the sphere in which you move. Fill it with an atmosphere of kindness. Pour water on strife; pour oil on love. The Gospel of God our Saviour is adorned in all things by us, when all things in us are its own natural productions. Adorn it by "lovely tempers, fruits of grace." Let no one blame religion through you, by having cause to say, "Religion has made them quarrelsome, contentious, harsh, overbearing." Rather let them know the true nature and operation of religion, by your evident sweetness of disposition, your unwillingness to wound the feelings of others, your strong and active desire to promote their comfort, happiness, and well-being. Let such language as this be, in your lips, no vain boasting, but the true expression of what is manifestly the governing feeling of your heart,—

"To every soul,-all praise to Thee!

Our bowels of compassion move:

And all mankind by this may see

God is in us,-for God is love."

6. In the Gospel of Christ a cause is intrusted to us of the highest conceivable importance, and which is to be promoted by human instrumentality. -God has a kingdom on earth, and Christ, the Mediator, is the great Head of this divine, this real administration. This kingdom he is concerned to maintain, and its final, its promised and predicted triumph. "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Enemies this kingdom has; but, "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool." It is God's cause; and therefore his people pray, when they consider the opposition of the wicked, "Arise, O God, plead thine own cause! remember how the foolish man reproacheth thee daily." It is God's work, which is permitted at certain periods to decline, or made to prosper, as wrath or mercy may then prevail; and therefore do they cry to him, "O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known in wrath remember mercy." But though, by his own providence and grace, he maintains his own cause, he commits it, likewise, as a solemn trust, to the agency of his people, to whom

he has given, not the weapons of a carnal warfare, but those which through his own power are indeed mighty. They have his oracles, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, the Gospel, which is "the power of God unto salvation." In the warfare in which the Lamb "goeth forth conquering, and to conquer," he associates his people with himself; "for they are called, and chosen, and faithful." And all whose hearts are right with God, feel that God's cause is their cause. They are deeply interested in it, and they labour to promote it. They know and they feel that, by the advancement of this cause God is honoured, and that in no other way can true and lasting benefits come to man. Love to God, therefore, and love to man, produce zeal for the establishment and spread of the Gospel. Nay, zeal is nothing else than love to God and man operating in reference to the influence and spread of divine truth, according to the divine command and promises. The prayer of their hearts is," Hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." And as when they pray for their daily bread, they recognise the providential law of industrious labour; so when they pray that the kingdom of God may come, they recognise the evangelical law of pious zeal. They weep over the miseries and sins of men; and seeing a certain way for their removal, in that way they engage with all their hearts, subordinately to God's own administration, and therefore are they "workers together with him." A Christian without zeal for God is a Christian without faith, without hope, without love, that is, no Christian at all. A Christian without zeal for the conversion of men, and the spreading evangelization of the world, is a Christian without benevolence, that is, we again say, no Christian at all. A merely human philanthropy is seldom, if ever, sincere, and is most frequently the product of a selfish vanity. But even when sincere, it is at best vague and powerless: too often it is mischievous. That philanthropy alone is genuine which bears God's image and superscription. In no other is there the enlightened combination of the minute and the vast, the theoretic and the practical. Seeking the happiness of individual man, its views are extended to the happiness of the world; and while it labours to convert the sinner from the error of his ways, it labours to make the whole earth full of the knowledge of the Lord. The Gospel reveals the universal love of God in the gift of his Son to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. Its wonderful declaration is, "God delivered up his Son for us all; and with him he will freely give us all things." This Gospel is commanded to be preached in all the world, unto every creature. In its construction by heavenly wisdom, and in its association with heavenly influence, it is the power of God unto salvation. Here is a universal and most dreadful disease; but here is a universal and most glorious remedy. Men are dishonouring God by a wicked and unnatural rebellion,-Christ, the Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, commits his light and truth, associated with the sevenfold Spirit, to his church, that church thus judging, that if one died for all, then all were dead, and that he died for them, that they might live to him. Need we ask, what line of conduct is demanded for consistency with the Gospel, under this aspect considered? Carelessness · on this subject shows at least some fearful defect; a torpor that we know not how to reconcile with the spirit-stirring truths of the Gospel; a narrowness that we cannot reconcile with their vastness. But we are not concerned to reconcile such perfect disagreements. Our question is, What conduct is suited to the revelations and provisions of the Gospel?-suited to those solemn declarations, that Christians are the light of the world, the salt of

the earth? There can be but one reply:-An active, steady, yet ardent, quenchless, and practical zeal, for the honour of God, and the salvation of man. The first great inconsistency with the Gospel is the neglect of our own souls; the next, an inconsistency so great, so direct, so obvious, as certainly to be in theory utterly, unaccountably irreconcilable with the possession of vital godliness,-the neglect of the souls of others.

7. One other aspect of the Gospel shall be considered, and with that, our instances of its character, as a practically influencing system, shall be concluded. It is a revelation of the eternal future. We mean not that it merely contains an account of the future, better confirmed, and more fully stated, than had been done elsewhere, but that (including, of course, the books of the anterior dispensations) it is a revelation, and a revelation of that of which nothing is known with either clearness or certainty from any other source. That the heathen world was totally destitute of all real knowledge on the subject, is a fact beyond all controversy. Obscure and confused notions as to some sort of a future existed; but this was all; and the investigations of the philosophers only tended to scepticism. Searching argument the fables commonly received could not for a moment sustain; but though human wisdom found itself obliged to reject them, it could not supply their place. Cicero seems at length to have come to this, that as among men everywhere and always there are opinions, feelings, and practices which imply that death is not the extinction of existence, and that as what is thus universal and constant can only be attributed to a law of nature, so it was probable that there was a life after death; but what and how, he was unable to say. How different the condition of those who are in possession of divine revelation! By the Gospel of Christ, life and immortality are brought to light. The general question is unfolded in all the particulars which we require to know for our present guidance, and as far as our mental faculties, embodied in this mortal flesh, are capable of apprehending them. We live when we die. Our death is the departure of our spirit; and departed spirits immediately enter the paradise of God, to dwell in Abraham's bosom, in the communion of the saints in light; or they lift up their eyes in hell, tormented in its quenchless flame. Nor is this all. Days roll on till the last day of all shall come, and with it the resurrection of the dead, and the universal and final judgment of mankind by our Lord Jesus Christ. Of that judgment the whole procedure shall have reference to human conduct during life, which is always represented as a state of trial. We shall every one give account of himself to God. By Him that sitteth on the great white throne, before which the dead, small and great, shall stand, the books shall be opened, and the dead be judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works. And that judgment shall be followed by a changeless eternity, either of misery or blessedness. The wicked shall go away into everlasting punishments; but the righteous into life eternal.

Such are the awful, but clear and indisputable, disclosures of the Gospel. Our conduct, therefore, is perpetually preparing for the unalterable destinies of eternity. Well is it represented as a perpetual course of sowing,scattering as we pass onward the seed which, though it may be forgotten by us, is imperishable, and shall bear fruit which we shall have to reap in eternity. We may sow to the flesh; and then of the flesh we shall reap corruption. We may sow to the Spirit; and then of the Spirit we shall reap life everlasting. Grandly, awfully sublime are these scenes; but their tremendous importance arises from this, that we are anything but mere