Index

1—ADDRESS TO PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS

2—CHRIST, AND HIM CRUCIFIED

3—THE RESURRECTION

4—THE SECOND BIRTH

5—A NEW CREATURE IN CHRIST

6—LIVING FAITH

7—FORGIVENESS OF SINS

8—ABIDING AND WALKING WITH CHRIST

9—THE Two COVENANTS

10—THE NEW COVENANT

11—SERMON ON REV. XXII:17

12—THE TRUE CHURCH

13—FIRST SERMON TO LITTLE ONES

14—SECOND SERMON TO LITTLE ONES

15—THIRD SERMON TO LITTLE ONES

16—FOURTH SERMON TO LITTLE ONES

17—TBE TRIUMPH OF THE CHUBOH

18—AN ADDRESS TO YOUNG PREACHERS

I was born the llth day of April, 1811, and was baptized the 2nd Sunday in May, 1826, by Elder Wilson Thompson, a member of the Regular, or Primitive Baptist church, in Lebanon, Ohio, with twelve others, who were baptized at the same time, and, as far as I can learn, they are all called to their long home, and I am, of the thirteen, the only one left to enjoy your fellowship and Christian love, and to suffer with you the trials and afflictions which we all have to bear in this world of sorrow, sin, and death. You will notice that in this book I have invariably used the name PRIMITIVE BAPTIST when speaking of the church. About the first open and full division that took place between us and the Missionary, or new order of Baptists was in the Kehukee Association, in North Carolina. The party maintaining the doctrine and order of the old Apostolic church took the name PRIMITIVE BAPTIST, because they thought it was the proper name for them to bear, and expressed what they truly were, as the church of Christ; and this name was adopted by the Baptists of the Southern States, and a large portion of those in the Western States. About the same time there was a split took place in the Presbyterian church, and the Calvinistic party took the name of Old School, and the Arminian party took the name of New School. Some of our Eastern brethren thought that, as these names distinguished between the Calvinistic and Arminian parties in the Presbyterian church, they would be proper names to distinguish between the Arminian and Predestinarian parties in the Baptist church, and so adopted the name Old School, but that name was never accepted by a large majority of the denomination. While the names Old School, and New School, might do among Presbyterians, who were a school people, and believed that no man should be allowed to preach the gospel unless he had been educated and prepared for the work in a theological school, or college. But we, as PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS, believed that God chose, called, and qualified his servants to do the work to which he had called them, and with this conviction we had declared non-fellowship for all theological colleges, or schools, gotten up for the purpose of preparing and fitting young men for the ministry. This being true, we thought the name Old School was not a proper cognomen, and would never adopt it. A great many of our churches in the Middle and Western States have never adopted either name, but still retain the name Regular Baptists, and are as sound and consistent PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS as we have, and we are all in full fellowship, and are the same people and church. If the party which we call New School have ever adopted that name I have never learned it from them. They have very readily adopted the name Missionary, and are proud to wear it, and have adopted all the modem and humanly-devised societies, associations, and conventions, with their salaried officers and traveling agencies, with schools to furnish them with an educated ministry. Against all these things the PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS, like their brethren of the 12th century, have declared non-fellowship, because they were not found in the commands of Christ, or in apostolic example or teaching, or in the pattern given us in the New Testament of preaching the gospel to every creature. We therefore claim to practice the true and primitive missionary plan, commanded by Christ and practiced by his apostles, and that Chose who have adopted their worldly systems, and humanly-devised machinery, unknown to the gospel are the antics, for, in rebellion against the command of Christ, they are getting up societies, institutions, and practices unknown to the gospel, and teaching the observance of things not commanded by Christ, which is rebellion; for the command of Christ is specific and specifies what we shall teach, and therefore every thing else is forbidden, for the rule of law is, Where one thing is specified, every thing else is forbidden.

I was with you when this modem, humanly-devised system was introduced among you in the West and South, and with what feeble ability I had as a soldier in the cause of Christ I Stood side by side with Joshua Lawrence, Stephen Card, Wilson Thompson, and a host of others, who bravely met the foes to truth and the primitive doctrine and order of the church of Christ, and in the hottest of the battle kept the banner of truth displayed, and drove the enemy from the primitive church and its communion. These brave soldiers in the cause of truth counted their lives not dear unto themselves that they might finish their course with joy, and the ministry which they had received of the Lord Jesus Canst. They died at their post, and their Fattier called them home to receive a faithful soldier's reward. Of the old band of soldiers that kept our banner displayed, and never surrendered to the enemy, fifty years ago, but few now remain. Their heads are gray and their limbs palsied with age; they are upon the verge of the grave, and feel that their discharge will come very soon; and now, in their closing days, when they look back over the war and the battles fought, there is not a truth, nor an inch of territory for which they contended, that they would now yield, and they want to die at their post, like their brethren who have passed off before them, Their hearts have been filled with sorrow, of late, in seeing some of the young ones who have come into the ministry since the war was over trying to introduce in some shape or form the new things we had to battle against, and thus make history repeat Itself. I feel confident that I express the feelings of every one of these old veterans, and give the counsel they would give could they all speak to you, when I say; Mark those engaged in this unholy work, and do not bid them God speed, nor invite them into your houses. They are nothing but the old enemy. Their dress may be a little different, but the end and object aimed at is the same, and equally without gospel command or example. Remember the warning which Paul gave when he said, "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them; Acts, xx, 29,30.

We that have had a name among you for sixty years know what we had to pass through on account of these false accusers of the brethren; the charges they brought against us to alienate the ^affections of the brethren from us, and to make us odious in the eyes of the world; and" when we hear them reiterated by those who speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them, we are familiar with the language, and know the spirit from which it comes. Sixty years ago they called us a set of ignorant bigots, who were governed by an intolerant spirit, opposed to the spread of the gospel, and every thing that •was calculated to build up Christianity in the world; that we preached nothing but dry Calvinism, and our churches were all dying out; that we were antinomians, and did not believe in good works; saying we were anti-means, and opposed to all good and efficient means now used for the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of the world. Even before that time, Mr. Benedict, in his history, called us by these names, and, in substance, said that before the stereotype edition of his history would reach the churches, our churches would be dead, and could never be resurrected again. He is dead, and his history has so sunk in repute that it is hardly known among the people. But these old, hated, and misrepresented people still live, and are numerically stronger than they were when he wrote. When you hear men, of yourselves, begin to utter these false and slanderous charges against the brethren, know that there is a wolf in your flock, and if he is not put out he will tear and rend you, for such do nothing but devour the flock, and carry off all the disciples they make to strengthen antichrist. I hope that you will hear my feeble warning, and the warning of Paul on this subject, and "watch," and use the discipline of the church; turn all such intruders out, and shut your doors against them.

There is one thing more that l must speak of in this, my last address to you all, and I believe it is prompted by love and an ardent desire for your peace and prosperity. In some of our churches the baptism of those we have excluded from our communion and fellowship is received as valid. This is an inconsistency that has already caused great trouble in some parts of the country, and must and will, sooner or later, make trouble wherever it is practiced. It is palpably inconsistent for us to receive part of their works, and reject the other parts. You will not sit down to the communion table with them, and take the emblems from the hands of their minister, because you do not believe he has any gospel right to administer that ordinance, and his church is not the church of Christ. If you are correct in that view, how can you, in any consistency, or good conscience, receive baptism administered by him, and in the fellowship of a false church? This, to me, is an inconsistency that, if persisted in, must make trouble, and cause distress in your own body, sooner or later.

There is a difficulty connected with this subject that should cause us to act cautiously, and in the spirit of Christian love. I have known several able and beloved preachers among us who were received on their alien baptism," and they have baptized numbers among us. These things are past and can not now be remedied. The only thing that can be done now, so far as I can see, is for our churches to resolve that they will not be guilty of the inconsistency any more, and upon that let peace and Christian fellowship abound among us. To attempt to dissolve these churches, and reconstitute them, would, it seems to me, cause great confusion without effecting any good. I hope the dear brethren will think upon this subject, and act with an eye single to the glory of God and the peace of Zion. A church, like an individual, may commit an error which she can not remedy and in that case all she can do is to turn from the error and do so no more. In that case we should all forgive, and let brotherly love continue. Zion's peace and happiness demand of us a great deal of Christian love and forbearance. There are vital points that do and should affect fellowship, and if we disagree upon them we can not walk together, but in mere matters of opinion we may differ, and should be very tender and forbearing with each other, for in such matters we may both be wrong. But where a truth is positively taught in the Bible, it must be subscribed to by all, or we can not walk together. To illustrate: The Savior says, "Except a man be born again he can not see the kingdom of God." Here is a truth affirmed that must be subscribed to by all if we walk together in Christian union. I can not believe that we have a church that would receive a person into its fellowship who would deny the new birth, or that the sinner has to experience such a change of affections, that he is. made to hate things he once loved, and love things he once hated. I might go on to name a number of things of equal importance, but this is sufficient to bring before your minds the point I wish to enforce. Paul tells us that we are not to make a brother an offender for a word. But a brother that loves his brethren, and respects their feelings, and desires the peace and happiness of Zion; if he uses a word that is offensive to any of his brethren, if it is not a Scripture word; or if it is, and he uses it in a sense in which the Holy Spirit has never used it, will quit the use of it if he has a proper regard for the feelings of his brethren. We may use the words of the Holy Spirit to prove false doctrine, but to do so we have to pervert them, so as to make them give a different idea from what was intended, for if used in the same way and for the same purpose as by the Holy Spirit they will always teach the truth. For instance, the word means is a Scripture word, and when used as the Scriptures use it, should give no offense to any one, but as the Scriptures have never used it in reference to the giving of eternal, or spiritual life to the sinner dead in sins, if we have the love of our brethren and the peace of Zion in our hearts, we will quit using it in that sense, and use such words as the Bible uses to convey, our ideas.

I have witnessed the wars through which our church has passed in the last sixty years. I have seen the dark clouds gather over us,that filled our hearts with sorrow, and our eyes with tears. I have heard the boasting of our enemies when they thought our little army was defeated and scattered, and could never make battle any more. I have heard their shouts of victory suddenly stop, followed by an inglorious retreat, when they would hear the voice of a Lawrence, Gard, Thompson, Carpenter, Thomas, or Clark, who never surrendered, or were driven from their post. These were dark and sorrowful days for the children of Zion. They were passing through the fires. Their harps were on the willows, and they could not realize that it was God's work to cleanse them, and to separate them from the dross, that the pure gold might shine. We can now look back and see the hand of the Lord in the matter, and how his almighty power was with and sustained the little band who stood firm and unmoved at their post, and boldly kept the banner of truth displayed in the thickest and darkest hours of the battle. I shall never forget the words of that faithful man of God, Stephen Gard, made one evening at my father's house, where they were talking about the trials through which they had passed, when he remarked, "Brother Thompson, I never doubted for one moment the final victory of truth, but for years we had been accumulating dross, until we had vastly more dross among us than gold, and it had to be separated, and we had to pass through a heated furnace to effect it. Our God is a consuming fire. He is as the refiner's fire, and the fuller's soap, and when his church has to be cleansed we must bear the consuming flames. They are for our good, and will only consume the dross."

The name of Wilson Thompson is so identified with the history of the PRIMITIVE BAPTISTS of the last seventy-five years that one can not well write about them without referring to him. He was reared in the canebrakes of Kentucky, without even a common English education, but God called him from his plough-handle to stand in defense of the truth, and, as with Gideon of old, the enemy always suffered defeat, and had to retreat in disorder when they met him and his little army. And side by side stood Stephen Gard, Minor Thomas, Stephen Oldham, Samuel Carpenter, John Lee^ and Hezekiah Stites, as brave and noble soldiers of the cross of Christ as have ever lived. Their names can never be lost in the history of our church, and they must ever be regarded as gifts of God bestowed upon us, to lead us through the severe ordeal through which we had to pass. Such men we should love and cherish in our memory for their work's sake.

War is always a calamity to be dreaded, but a civil war is the worst of all; for it can never be settled until one party is conquered and makes a full surrender to the other, or a complete separation is effected. In the time of war parties become embittered against each other, and use all their powers for each other's destruction. The country is made a waste, and ruin and desolation may be seen wherever you go. It is even so in a religious, or church war. We have witnessed it, and have seen the destruction which marked its path wherever it went. 0, how sad we have felt as we have passed the old church-houses, where in days past we had met large congregations and loving brethren and sisters, who filled the house with their voices in sweet songs of praise! But now there is no coming together of the saints there. There are no sweet songs heard within the old and crumbling walls, which stand as a sad monument of war. But, as before said, the war had come. We had been collecting dross for years, and the ancient simplicity, and beauty, and purity of the church, had become so buried under a mass of dross, of worldly institutions, societies, and systems of worldly speculation, and moneygathering, that she had almost lost the last marks of her primitive identity. But He who had said, "The gates of hell shall not prevail against her," determined to consume this mass of dross, and to separate her from it, and restore her to her original purity, as a separate people who should dwell alone, and not be numbered with the nations. In effecting this, ism after ism arose among us and carried off their parties, until the little band whose garments were not stained with their unholy things were separated from them, and could look over the sea that was between them, and sing praises to Him who had, by his power, delivered his church, and once more purged her from the dross that was concealing her beauty, and destroying her primitive identity. Thank God I the war is over, and we are separated from them, so that we can not any longer be held responsible for any thing they may do or teach. It is now our duty, as the friends of God, of truth, and of Zion the city of our solemnities, to go to work earnestly and faithfully to repair the breaches that war has made. Let us spend but little time in shooting across the river at our enemies. They are in their own territory; let them possess it in peace. But let us turn our attention to Zion, and with united effort go to work to repair the breaches, and strengthen the cords of love and fellowship, for love is the bond of union between us and our God, and love is the sweet cord that holds us together here, and makes our communication pleasant. 0, it makes the house of the Lord a sweet place to visit I It is a place of feasting, while we feel that his banner of love is over us.

"Blessed be the tie that binds

Our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above."

Beloved ones, with whom I have suffered much, and with whom I have enjoyed sweet seasons of love, and pleasure, and comforts, that have more than paid for all, be entreated to let brotherly love continue. And may the God of grace and of love, who brought again our Lord from the dead, bless you, and keep you in love and sweet fellowship; and 0, may we all feel that our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ; and may he, by his grace, give us a home in heaven, where all but love shall be done away.

G. M. THOMPSON.

To be a minister of the gospel is to fill one of the most solemn and responsible positions to which any man can be called, and no man has the right to assume it but he that is called of God, as was Aaron; Hebrews, v, 4. Paul was one of the called of God, not by man, or the will of man, but by the will of God; Gal., i, 1; Eph., i, 1. And he understood and felt the great responsibility, and he calls the elders of the church at Ephesus to bear witness to his faithfulness, and the manner of his life among them; Acts, xx, 17-21. To faithfully discharge his duty to God who had called him, and to the church of Christ whose servant he was, he felt to be more sacred to him than his own life; Acts, xx, 22-24. In this respect Paul was a model preacher, and has set an example worthy to be imitated by ministers of all ages, and it would be well for the church if all her pulpits were, today, filled with such honest, God-fearing men as was Paul. He felt that he was a debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise and the unwise; Rom., i, 14; for God had committed to him a treasure for the comfort and happiness of others, and that he would be dishonest to his God, to himself, and to those for whom this treasure was given him, if he withheld it. Tins ministry was not given to Paul for his own personal benefit, or to be a means of procuring wealth or worldly honors, for the Lord said of him when he called him to this work, " For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake;" Acts, ix, 16. And Paul says, " The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me," Acts, xx, 23. None of these things moved him, neither did he count his life dear unto himself, or stop to inquire how much money the people were going to give him, or what salary the church would pledge themselves to pay him for discharging his duty to God and paying them the debt he owed them. Nay, verily, the apostle counted not his life dear unto himself, so that he might finish his course with joy, and the ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God; Acts, xx, 24. Paul in giving his solemn charge to the elders of Ephesus says, "Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,"-to fleece the church of God? No, no! To know what salary they will bind themselves to give you per annum? Oh, no! - "to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood;" Acts, xx, 28. And the other apostles have joined with Paul in the same charge, that the elder should not take the oversight of the church of God for filthy lucre, or for worldly gain, but to feed the flock of God. Neither are they to lord it over God'& heritage, but to be examples to the flock; I Peter, v, 1-3. The old, primitive ministers and elders esteemed themselves the servants of the church, and that their great duty was to feed the lambs and sheep of Christ's fold with the sincere milk of the word, and by their life of humble obedience to Christ to give an example that should be imitated by them; I Cor., iv, 16. In the 12th century we find the church still steadfast in the apostle's doctrine on this point, and in the 5th article of their Confession of Faith, as given by Jones, they say, "We hold that the ministers of the church ought to be unblamable, both in life and doctrine; and if found otherwise, that they ought to be deposed from their office, and others substituted in their stead; and that no person ought to presume to take that honor unto himself but he who is called of God as was Aaron; that the duties of such are to feed the flock of God, not for filthy lucre's sake, or as having dominion over God's heritage, but as being examples to the flock, in word, in conversation, in charity, in faith, and in chastity." * • Jones' "History of the Christian Church."-Page 828.

Notice the language in which Paul introduces my text: "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God." He made no effort toward a display of human learning, or the wisdom obtained from the schools, but in meekness, and in the earnestness of his soul declared unto them the gospel of the Son of God. And he assigns his reason for this in these words: " My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit, and of power. That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." The gospel is a mystery, and foolishness to the unregenerated, natural man. He can not know it, and words and arguments can never reveal it to him, and beget faith in his heart in its truths; verses 7 and 8. This knowledge, and faith in Christ, only come by direct revelation from God. as he reveals them to us by his Spirit; verses 9 to 12. Words and arguments may today produce the same kind of faith in our minds that the miracles and mighty works of Christ begat in the minds of the Jews, for they believed that he was an extraordinary man, perhaps one of the prophets raised from the dead, for no man could do the works he did except God was with him. But when Christ would say, "I am the Son of God," they would call him a blasphemer, and pick up stones to stone him. This faith was rational, for the prophets had wrought miracles, and it was rational for them to conclude that be was a man, like them endowed with super-human powers to work miracles among them, but that he was the Son of God, they could not believe, and did not know, for had they known this, they would not have crucified him; verse 8. This knowledge could not be imparted by words and arguments, or by miracles wrought in their presence, but only by direct revelation, for Jesus so taught his disciples in these unmistakable words: "All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him; Luke, x, 22. Human science may guide the mind of the philosopher, the astronomer, and the geologist into the hidden mysteries of nature, and clearly reveal to his mind that there is an Almighty Power, endowed with infinite wisdom, that has brought all these things into being, and fixed their order and harmony; for Paul tells us that the things that are seen declare his eternal power and Godhead; Rom., i, 20; but the scheme of redemption, and the way of man's deliverance from the bondage of sin and death human science or wisdom can never reveal, neither can it be taught, only by direct revelation to man by the Spirit of God; I Cor. ii,10;Eph.,iii, 5. Paul says that he had not received the gospel, or his knowledge of Christ, by the ministry of men, or any other instrumentality, but by direct revelation from God; Gal., i, 12. Hence the apostle opens our text with a negative expression: "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Others may preach to you philosophy, and tickle your ears with their worldly wisdom, but I will warn you to beware of them, lest they spoil you; Col., ii, 8. For their wisdom can never impart to you a true knowledge of God; I Cor., i, 21. The success of the gospel does not depend upon the eloquence and subtilty of those who preach it, but alone upon the power of God, who quickens the dead, and opens the heart to receive and obey the things spoken by his servants', Acts, xvi, 14. We, as the servants of God, have this treasure, as earthen vessels, but the power is alone in God to give life to the dead, and to open the eyes to see, the ears to hear, and the heart to understand the glorious gospel we preach; II Cor., iv, 7. If faith came by words and arguments falling from the lips of man, it would stand in the power of man, and not in the power of God; I Cor., ii, 4, 5. Neither could it be the faith of the operation of God. Neither could it be the fruit of the Spirit of God, for it would be the fruit of the man who produces it, and would stand in his wisdom. This faith would be the work of man, and not the work of God, the fruit of the Spirit, or an evidence that the man had been born of God. Paul knew and taught that the preaching of Christ was to the Jews a stumbling block,and to the Greeks, foolishness, and that the natural man can not know it; I Cor., i, 23; ii, 14. It is hid to them that are lost, but to the " saved." the "called," the "believer," it comes in all its strengthening, comforting power, and saves them from the delusions and vain speculations of the philosopher, and wise according to the flesh, but ignorant, dead, and blind to the things of the Spirit. The true minister of the gospel wants to know nothing but Jesus Christ, and him crucified; the humble, penitent believer wants to hear nothing else, for there is Salvation in none other. He is the only name given under heaven among men whereby he must be saved; Acts, iv, 12. This name is the sweetest ever sounded in the ears of the sinner who truly knows and feels his need of a Savior. It is his hiding place, his covert from the tempest; Isa. xxxii, 2; his hope on earth and joy in heaven. Paul knew and felt how precious that name is when he said, " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief;" I Tim., i, 15.

I was once talking with a New School Baptist preacher about difficult passages of Scripture to preach from, and he remarked to me, "The most difficult text that lever tried to preach from is where Paul says, ' For I am determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.' The subject exhausts itself, and I can not get enough out of it to make a sermon." My reply was, "You do not look upon that subject as Paul did, or see the riches, or fullness in it he did, or, like him, you would say, "It is unsearchable;" Eph., iii, 8. This Jesus is a mysterious personage; one that human science can never comprehend or reveal. " He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not;" John, i, 10. His conception and birth was contrary to the laws of science or nature, and was a subject of prophecy over seven hundred years before it took place, for it was then said, " Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel;" Isa., vii, 14.

Ahaz was a bad man, but he was a child of Abraham and of David, and the covenant made with them, and God was called his Lord, and his God, " And the Lord spake unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God." But Ahaz refused, saying, "I will not ask neither will I tempt the Lord." The prophet of the Lord then said, " Hear ye now, 0 house of David! Is it a. small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign," a double sign, of his good will to the house of David, for of you Messiah is to be born, and you cannot be destroyed with that blessing in you. The oath and promise made to David shall be fulfilled in a glorious and wonderful manner. He shall be an extraordinary person, not born by ordinary generation, not stained with common pollutions of human nature, born of a virgin in all her virgin purity, without sin, and incontestably fitted and qualified to have the throne of his father David. The mysteries of his character, and his glorious errand on earth, are wrapped up in his glorious and wonderful name, Immanuel - God with, us; God in our nature; God at peace with us; in covenant with us. This was fulfilled in their calling him Jesus, a Savior; Matt., i, 21, 23; and in the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary: "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David;" Luke, i, 31, 32. This to Ahaz, and the house of Judah, was a sign that God had not forgotten David, or the promise, or covenant, he had made with him, and that the promise should be fulfilled in this Son, born of a virgin, and called " Immanuel, God with us." This child, though not born like other children, but born of a virgin, a thing impossible according to the law of nature, yet he shall be really and truly man, and shall be nursed and brought up like other children. Though he be conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, and is as truly God as he is man, yet he shall not therefore be fed on angels' food, but, as it becomes him, shall be in all things made like unto his brethren; Heb., ii, 17. Being born by extraordinary generation, and being truly, Immanuel, God with us, yet he does not appear in the full stature of a man, but a newborn babe, an infant, a child, a man-child, and is nursed, and shall gradually grow to manhood, and in wisdom, so as to know how to refuse the evil and choose the good; Luke, ii, 40, 52. " For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace;" Isa., ix, 6. This child, this son, Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, Immanuel, God with us, is man, the son of man, the Word made flesh, and dwelt among us. Thus being God made flesh, and invested with our nature, (sin excepted,) lie is fitted and fully qualified to do us great good, and save his people from their sins. His dignity and name are above every name. He shall be called Wonderful, because he is both God and man, and was born of a virgin, mysteries that human reason or wisdom can not comprehend; but his redeemed and regenerated people shall know him, for he shall give them eternal life, and they shall worship him as the wonderful author and finisher of their faith. As Counselor, he is justly called Wonderful, for he is both God and man. As God, he can speak and it stands fast; can declare the end from the beginning; and works all things after the counsel of his own will. As man, he is our kinsman and Redeemer. His love is wonderful. It is eternal and unchangeable, and the objects of his love are his chosen people, who were predestinated unto the adoption of children, and ordained unto eternal life. As Counselor, he is the wisdom of God, and by and through him, God gives us counsel; Ps., xvi, 7; Rev., iii, 18. He is The mighty God, or The mighty One. All power in heaven or in earth is in him, and having wisdom to declare the end from the beginning, he has power to do all his will, and can save to the uttermost. Such is the work of the Mediator, that no less power than that of the mighty God could accomplish it. He must be God in all his divine, omnipotent power, and man, without the stain of sin, to accomplish the great work for which he came into the world. Christ says "I and my Father are one." "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father;" John, x, 30; and xiv, 9, 10. Hence, whatever work lie came into the world to do, he is qualified in every sense of the word to do it. When the man, the son that was born of the virgin, was baptized, a voice from heaven testified, saying, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased;" Matt. iii, 17,, Paul, when preaching this Jesus, calls him holy; Heb., vii, 26; and iv, 15; II Cor., v, 21; and without sin. He is The everlasting Father, The Father of eternity, the author and giver of eternal life. He can speak, and the dead live. His fatherly care and tenderness towards his people is eternal, and so he is the Father of a blessed eternity to them. He is the Father of the great and blessed work of redemption, and, as Counselor, arranged it, and perfected it in the virgin-son, the Immanuel, God with us. It was the product of his wisdom as Counselor, and his love as the everlasting Father, and that love will be manifest in his blessed reign over his subjects, for he is the Prince of Peace. He creates, preserves, and commands peace. He is our peace, and his peace keeps the hearts of his people. As a king, he reigns in righteousness, and Ills reign is one of peace. He is the author and giver of all good. All the peace that is the present, or will be the future bliss or happiness of his chosen people comes from him; for the government is upon his shoulder, and his only. The subjects of his kingdom are to obey him, and to have no head, lawgiver, or king but him. His reign shall be forever and forever, throughout all the generations of time. No power shall be able to destroy his kingdom, or one of his subjects, for, " He must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet;" I Cor., xv, 25. As the son of David, he can rightfully reign on the throne of David, and over his kingdom, for God shall give him the throne of his father David; Luke i, 32, 33. When Christ rode upon the ass, the multitude cried, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And when he went into the temple, and the blind and the lame were healed, the little children cried in the temple, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David;" Matt., xxi, 9,15. This word, hosanna, seems to be a form of wishing one well, and this must have been the meaning of the multitude who, as Christ entered Jerusalem, cried, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Lord preserve this Son of David, and rightful King! Keep him forever, and let thy blessings rest upon him, for he is the King, the Lord's anointed," to reign upon his holy hill in Zion; Ps., ii, 6. He is filled with wisdom, and anointed to administer with prudence and equity the affairs of his kingdom, for he shall order it. and settle it with justice and judgment. Every thing shall be arranged for the good and comfort of his subjects, so that no one shall have any cause to complain, or to alter or change any of the laws or ordinances of his kingdom. This is the Prince of Peace, which the angel of the Lord announced to the shepherds, saying, "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be unto all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men;" Luke, ii, 9-14. This is the Jesus that Paul preached, and determined to know nothing else. For there is salvation in none other, and he is able to save, and shall save his people from their sins. For the Spirit of the Lord is upon him, and has anointed him to preach good 'tidings to the meek, and hath sent him to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Isa., Ixi, 1, 2, 3. The first Baptist preacher that this world ever had, said, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world;" John, i, 29. The law was given by Moses, and can never give life, or righteousness, to the justly condemned sinner; but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ, and through him God gives eternal life to the sinner dead in sins, and by him they are freely justified from all things, from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses; Acts, xiii, 39.

Paul would preach Jesus Christ, and him crucified. He would tell the story of the cross, and how Jesus put away our sin by the sacrifice of himself. Christ and the resurrection should be in every sermon, indeed there can not be a gospel sermon without it, for it is the foundation upon which Christianity rests, and in which the hope of every Christian is anchored. Paul's method of preaching was, first of all to deliver unto them that which he had received; how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; I Cor, xv, 3, 4.

The death of Christ, the manner of his death, and the object of it, were the subjects of prophecy, and according to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. He was the seed of the woman, that was to bruise the serpent's head, and by death destroy him that had the power of death, and deliver those, who through fear of death, were subject to bondage, and were the slaves of sin and death. It was not a mere voluntary offering, for there was a needs be for it, for without it there was no redemption. "And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance." Heb. ix, 15. The first testament was not dedicated without blood. "For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book and all the people, saying, This is the blood of the testament which God hath enjoined unto you." And under this testament without the shedding of blood is no re-remission, for almost every thing under the law was purged by blood. All the offerings and sacrifices under the law were typical, or a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of things, and these sacrifices and offerings, which were made continually every year, can not put away sin, or make the comers thereto perfect. Where sin is put away, there is no further remembrance of sin, or no further offering for sin, but in the repetition of these offerings there is a remembrance of sin again every year. " The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing." Under the law the priest standeth daily ministering, and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never put away sin. Christ, by his one offering, has made an end of sin, has perfected forever them that were sanctified, and hath obtained for us eternal redemption. His blood is the blood of the new testament, or covenant; by it sin is put away, and freely forgiven. "Now, where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin." The atonement is made, the redemption price is paid, the debt of his redeemed is paid, and they are purchased by his blood; Acts, xx, 28. This glorious work of the Savior is described by Isaiah more like a historian than a prophet. The fifty-third chapter of his prophecy, is a gospel sermon, a full description of Christ in his humiliation, his sufferings, and death; how he was ' rejected by men, as a root out of dry ground, as having no form or comeliness, no beauty or loveliness in him, that they should love him, or desire him. The time was fulfilled, when the King and Deliverer should come. All Israel were in expectation, but they were looking for him to come in pomp and worldly splendor, of high and noble parentage, worthy to be looked upon, and to fill the world with wonder and admiration. But this man is a carpenter's son, and belongs to the poorest and most illiterate part of the community. They could see nothing in him to love or admire, but would look upon him with contempt and hatred, and reject him as an impostor. Thus it is with all the unregenerated world. They can see no beauties in Christ; nothing to draw their hearts to him, and cause them to love and worship him. To know him is to have eternal life, and this life is the gift of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah knew this, and said,'" Who hath believed our report! and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?" This knowledge can only be had by direct revelation from God, hence the preaching of Christ is to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness. To the unbelieving Jew Christ looked mean, contemptible, and despicable. They could see nothing in him that looked like a king, or a great deliverer. Christ was the "I AM," the JEHOVAH, the" brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person" yet the world knew him not, for they had^ no spiritual life, or understanding, or sight, by which they could know him, or see his beauties. Christ had the beauty of holiness, and good ness enough to make him the desire of all nations, but the far greater part of those among whom he lived, saw none of these beauties, for they were spiritually discerned, and they as natural men, could not know them. The men who seemed to hate him worst, and persecuted him with the greatest severity, were those who were educated in the religion of the Jews, had read and professed to believe the prophets, and were looking for Messiah, the Son of David, who was to sit upon David's throne. But in the meek and unassuming Jesus, they could see nothing to love, or to make them desire him. They judged of men by the sight of the eye, and their natural appearance, and they could see nothing in him that they should desire him,, therefore they despised and rejected him.

He was a man of sorrow, and acquainted with grief. He was despised and rejected of men. The shepherds found the babe wrapped in swaddling-clothes, lying in a manger. His reputed father was a poor carpenter, and his mother a poor virgin, both of the house of David, but that royal and illustrious family was reduced and sunk, so that Christ being born of such poor parents, he might be esteemed a root out of the dry ground, and of Galilee, a country of small repute, where nothing good, nothing great, could be expected to come out of it. The Jews were expecting that when Messiah should come, he would make a public entry, and come in pomp, and with observation; but instead of that, he grew up as a tender plant, before God. He was a tender plant that one would have thought might easily have been crushed: and so thought Herod, when in his exceeding wrath he slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under; Matt., ii, 16. But God preserved him, and he grew in stature and in wisdom, so that at twelve years of age he confounded their learned men with his questions and answers; Luke, ii, 47. He had no form nor comeliness, nothing which one might expect to see in the Immanuel, God with us. They that saw him could see nothing in him more than in another man. Moses, when he was born, was exceeding fair; Acts, vii, 20; Heb., xi, 23. David, when he was anointed, was of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look on. But our Lord, in his person, or manner of appearing in the world, had nothing of sensible glory, or that was calculated to meet the expectation of the Jews. His gospel was not preached with the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in all plainness and simplicity, and his doctrine was objectionable to them, for it exposed their depravity, and robbed them of all their self-righteousness. It was expected that he should live a pleasant life, and have a full enjoyment of all the delights of men, which would fill the expectations of men, and gather crowds of admirers around him. But on the contrary he was a man of sorrow), and acquainted with grief. His life was a life of misery, poverty, and distress, so that he could say, " Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head;" Luke, ix, 58. Seeing his poverty, sorrow, deep distress, and humiliation, the prophet says, " Surely, he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." Sin had brought the curse on us, that we should eat in sorrow all the days of wr lives; Gen. iii, 17; and our sins were laid on him, and his was a life of sorrow. He was unsettled, had no home, no resting-place, no downy pillows for his head, a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief, through his whole life. He was hated, persecuted, and rejected by men, and treated as one not worthy to live. He was of a tender spirit, and sympathized with the sufferings of humanity, and was among them doing good, healing their sick, giving sight to their blind, and raising their dead, and in return he received their hatred, their mockings, and persecutions, so that it was said he was never known to smile, but that his countenance always showed sorrow and grief. Who can read the life of our Lord and Savior, and witness the conduct of men toward him, and doubt the total depravity of human nature, and that the unpurged heart is wicked above all things? All these sorrows Jesus bore without uttering a word of complaint. 0, what a lesson is here before us for Christians to study! To learn to be patient in tribulation, and not to murmur or complain if the world hate us, and persecute us, for righteousness sake; but like Moses, esteem the reproaches of Christ greater honors than the world can give us. And why should we complain to suffer for him who has suffered so much for us? Let the world " deride and pity;" let them hate and persecute me, I will bear it all, and not complain, but rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer for his sake. Jesus our Savior was a man of sorrow and grief. He had to meet and resist the temptations of the devil, and to bear the persecutions of the world. He knows what sore trials and temptations mean, and he knows how to deliver them that are tempted. His sympathetic and loving heart will be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, and his almighty power will deliver us from every temptation and trial. " 0, what a friend we have in Jesus!" He is a present help in time of trouble, and will never leave or forsake us. Let us not then complain if we have to follow him through scenes of sorrow, affliction, and distress, "if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together; Bom. viii, 17.

"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered;" Heb., v, 8. In the life of Christ we have an example of obedience that should be studied and imitated by us. The hatred of the world, persecution, the sword; or the stake, should never deter us, or keep us from a faithful discharge of duty to him who hath called us to his service, and by his grace separated us from the world. As lively stones, or transparent, reflecting stones, we should give evidence by our life of obedience that Christ lives in us, and that we are led by the same Spirit that was in him. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God." What must have been the feelings of Christ when, as an obedient son, he could look up to his Father, and say, "I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, 0 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." There is a sweet reward felt in the soul of the obedient child of God that is worth more than all the joys of earth. This was felt by the dying Stephen, and by Paul and Silas in the prison at Philippi, and will be felt and enjoyed by all in the way of obedience. Christ kneeled down and prayed, and taught his disciples to pray, That ye enter not into temptation; Luke, xxii, 40. Christ has set us the example to pray, and 0, what a privilege it is! When the soul is overwhelmed with sorrow and distress, we can carry it all to God in prayer. When Christ prayed there appeared unto him an angel, strengthening him, and 0, what strength and comfort has often been felt by the poor, distressed, and afflicted child of God, at the throne of grace! To that throne let us often go. Christ, both by example and precept, has taught us to forgive them that trespass against us, and to pray for our enemies, to be good, kind, and affectionate to all, and especially to the poor and needy, and to comfort those who are in trouble.

" When Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of tills world unto the Father," he taught the disciples a great lesson by laying aside his garments, and taking a towel and girding himself with it, and pouring water into a basin, and washing the disciples feet, and wiping them with the towel wherewith lie was girded. And after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments and was set down again, he taught them, saying, "Ye call me Master, and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you;" John, xiii. In this we are taught a lesson of humility, for if our Lord and Master has humbled himself to wash his disciples feet, so ought we, not only in heart and feelings, but practically, observe the example our Lord and Master has set.

On the night in which our Lord was betrayed and delivered into the hands of his enemies, he ate the supper of the passover with his disciples, and when the supper was ended, "He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you;" Luke, xxii, 19, 20. This, like baptism, is a commemorative ordinance. In this we commemorate the broken body and shed blood, and in baptism his burial and resurrection, which is to be done but once and that in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. But the supper is to be repeated often, for as often as we do it we show forth his death until he come again. The apostle has taught us that this should be done under a strict examination of ourselves, for it is not designed to satisfy our natural appetites, or to feed our bodies, but in remembrance of Christ our Pascal Lamb, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and whose blood cleanseth us from all sin. 0, how often, when we have set at the table of the Lord, and taken these emblems in memory of him, have our spiritual strength and comfort been renewed! Here we commemorate the broken body and shed blood of the Testator, and that the will or testament is now in force, and the estate is made sure to all the heirs. After they had taken the bread and wine, they sang a hymn and went out into the Mount of Olives, and he taught them concerning his death and resurrection. And then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, "And saith unto his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter, and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful, and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tarry ye here and watch with me. And lie went a little further, and fell on his face and prayed, saying, 0, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt." Here was sorrow such as the world never witnessed before, for while at prayer, he sweat as it were great drops of blood falling to the ground. In his soul he was suffering the pains of death, and there is no suffering to be compared with soul suffering. It was in Gethsemane that Jesus said, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." The prophet was evidently looking to the sorrows in Gethsemane, when he said, " Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed," etc. It was here he prayed unto his Father, " 0, my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt.'1'1 It was in suffering he learned obedience, and here, in the exceeding suffering of his soul, he said, "Not my will but thine be done." " The bitter cup shall be taken-I have come to do thy will." The spirit of obedience was in the prayer, and an angel from heaven appeared unto him, strengthening him. In obedience he submitted to the frowns of Heaven, and to be bruised of the Lord, and as Shepherd of the flock the sword of the Lord was awakened against him; Zach. xiii, 7. His persecutors, who witnessed his sorrows, supposed that he was suffering for some great sin of his own, but it was for our sins the Lord bruised him, for, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." He was the Shepherd and owner of the flock, and he must bear the penalty due to their sins. They were laid upon him, and by him must be put away; and in obedience to that will, "He was made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them, that were under the law." To do this the law must be honored, its penalties borne, and full satisfaction made. Could we this day stand by him when he prayed, and see the sweat fall as drops of blood to the ground, and hear him cry, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death," we might learn the heinous nature of sin, and the awful penalty under which we, as sinners, lay.

The sufferings of Gethsemane now end, and the scene changes, and he says unto his disciples, " Rise, and let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me." And Judas approached him and kissed him, and the band that were with him laid hands on Jesus, and took Mm, and they led him away to Caiphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders were assembled. "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death." They sought for false witnesses against him, but found none. "At last came two false witnesses and said, This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days. And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee? And Jesus held his peace." Here the words of Isaiah were literally fulfilled; " He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: lie is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is he dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." "When the morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor:" "And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing." He silently and quietly bore their insults and cruelties without a word. "When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified." This scourging was the cruel scourging of the Roman law inflicted upon a criminal justly condemned to die, and it is thought by some that Pilate made it very severe, hoping thereby to touch their sympathies, and obtain the release of Jesus, but they cried the more vehemently, " Crucify him, crucify him." And the soldiers took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered the whole band of soldiers, and they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe, and platted a crown of thorns and put on his head, and a reed in his right hand, and in derision bowed before him, mocking him, and said unto him, " Hail, King of the Jews." And they spit upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. And when they came near to a place called Golgotha they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall, and over his head was written, tl THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS." And with him were two thieves crucified, one on the right hand and one on the left, and Jesus between them, to mark him out as the vilest and most worthy of death. From the sixth hour to the ninth darkness was upon the earth; and about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And Jesus cried again, and 'said, " I thirst," and there being a vessel full of vinegar they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon a hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus, therefore, had received the vinegar, he said, "It is finished," and gave up the ghost. The bitter cup has been taken, the pains of death in its severest form has been suffered, the penalty of the law has been met and satisfied. The redemption price is paid, and the sins of his people are put away. The offerings and sacrifices of the Old Testament are ended, the vail of the temple is rent. No longer need they bring their heifer, or lamb, as an offering for sin. No longer need their priests enter the holy of holies and sprinkle the blood of their victim before the worldly sanctuary or mercyseat. It was finished when Jesus died upon the cross; the atonement was made. All the types and shadows ended in the substance. The law is satisfied, its curse is borne, its power to condemn the redeemed is gone. The door of mercy now stands ajar, and the meek soul who lies prostrate in the dust, filled with grief and despair, may now look up and hear the blessed words: " I will be merciful to your unrighteousness, and your sins and iniquities I will remember no more." The blood of the new covenant is now shed, the covenant confirmed, and the inheritance made sure to all the heirs, so that not one shall be lost or fail to obtain his eternal inheritance. He bore the sins of many, of all that the Father had given him, who, if they had borne them themselves, would have been sunk to the lowest hell. 0, how this should abide in our minds, and how often we should meditate upon it! for whenever we think of the sufferings of Christ, we must see him bearing our sins. This view should melt our hearts, and fill us with love, unutterable love to him that loved us, and gave himself for us. He was numbered among transgressors in all of his life, for he was called and counted a Sabbath-breaker, a drunkard, and a friend of publicans and sinners; and in his death he was numbered with thieves, and died on the cross between them. And in the extremity of his sufferings he made intercession for transgressors. He prayed, "Father, forgive them" showing thereby, not only that he forgave poor, perishing,, transgressing sinners, but that he was now doing that upon which their forgiveness was founded. That prayer was the language of his blood, crying, not for vengeance, but for mercy; even for poor, rebellious sinners. Can we today by faith,

"Look back and see

The sorrows he did bear,

While hanging on the shameful tree,

And hope our guilt was there?"

Let this question rise in every heart to day: Am I one embraced in that prayer? If so it will be answered, for the Father always hears him, for he prays not for the world, but for them that the Father hath given him; and all that the Father hath given him he will raise up at the last day. He shall have the glory of an everlasting Father, for under that title he came into the world, and he will not fail to answer to it when he goes out of the world; and in the great day he will say, "Here am I, and the children which God hath given me."-Not one of them lost. The Redeemer shall have a seed to serve him, and bear up his name; Ps., xxii, 30. He died to purchase and purify them unto himself; Titus, ii, 14. Through him eternal life is given unto them, and they are born of God. His Spirit by its quickening, lifegiving power is the Author of their regeneration, and impresses his image upon them, and by it they are sealed heirs of promise. He died, but he rose again from the dead. He did not leave his children fatherless orphans, but took effectual care to secure to them the blessing and the inheritance of sons. Christ is their everlasting Father. His love is unchanging and eternal, and he loves them to the end, and will not leave them to the care of another, but will be their Father at all times, and they shall be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation. His church is his bride, his beloved. He gave himself for her, that he might redeem her from all iniquity, and make her a glorious church, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. The gates of hell shall never prevail against this church. As long as the world stands it shall remain in its spotless purity. It shall not be married to the world or any of its institutions, and shall have no husband, head, or lawgiver but Christ, who is of God, made unto her wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Christ is her Creator, her Maker, her Father, her Husband, and her Redeemer. She is the price of his own blood, and he will never forsake her. Christ is the justifying righteousness of his seed. " He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification," and, "By him they are freely justified from all things." "In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power."

0 how unsearchable are the riches of our Jesus! The treasures of his grace are inexhaustible. He clothes the naked with robes of righteousness and garments of salvation. He feeds the hungry with the bread of life, and leads the thirsty to fountains of living water. He opens the prison door to the prisoner, and sets the captive free. He binds up the wounded and broken heart, and comforts all them that mourn. He calls the weary, heavy-laden souls to him, and gives them rest. 0, sweet rest from all their sins and guilt! None that come unto him are sent away empty. He leads his flock as a shepherd, and carries the little ones in his bosom. He makes them to lie down in green pastures, and when they pass through the valley of the shadow of death, when all is darkness and gloom, and they can see no way of escape, he is with them. He safely leads them through, and spreads a table for them in the presence of their enemies. He makes their cup to run over with joy. When they are called to pass through the fire he is with them, and the fire shall not burn them, neither shall the flames kindle upon them. If they pass through deep waters, and are tossed upon angry waves, he is with them. The waters shall not drown them, neither shall the billows overflow them. In every trial and temptation he will make a way of escape. He is a present help in time of trouble, and will never leave nor forsake his children.

Dear child of God, what a friend you have in Jesus! Do you wonder that Paul determined not to know any tiling but Jesus Christ, and him crucified? Does not the name of JESUS fill your heart with love, inspire your drooping soul with confidence, and drive darkness and doubt from your mind?

" Dear name, the rock on which I build,

My shield and hiding place,

My never-failing treasury, filled

With stores of boundless grace."

0, do you not this moment feel that if you had ten thousand hearts they should all be his?

" Do not I love thee, 0 my Lord?

Behold my heart and see;

And turn each cursed idol out,

That dares to rival thee."

Dying sinner, is there nothing in Jesus that charms thy heart? Is he a root out of dry ground to thee? Can you see nothing in him to love or desire? Is your heart too hard to be moved when you hear of the cross, and what he suffered on it for poor, condemned, and helpless sinners? I know your sad condition. I have been where you are today, and I know nothing but power Divine can melt and soften the hard and stony heart; but from my heart to hearts I can humbly cry, God be merciful to sinners! 0, may the Spirit move and melt the heart of stone! This is all I can do.

" But now is Christ risen from the dead, and be-come the first-fruits of them that slept; "I Cor., xv, 20.

The apostle has affirmed in our text a great and vital truth; one upon which the whole Christian system rests. It is the foundation-stone upon which is built all our hopes and prospects for a better life than this. This doctrine was opposed by the Sadducees and the disciples of Epicurus, and the Corinthian church had become divided by these philosophers, and were disputing among themselves, some denying the resurrection. The apostle commences his argument by simply declaring what the old gospel was, and how they had believed it, and were saved by it, if they had kept in memory the things they had believed, unless what they believed is all a falsehood, and so in believing it they believed in vain. "For when I came to Corinth I preached unto you the gospel as I received it: 1st, That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; 2nd, That he was buried; 3d, That he rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures." This was the beginning, the middle, and the end of Paul's gospel; and it would have been happy for the church if the teachers of the gospel in all ages had made the apostle their example in this matter. It is a remarkable truth, that all attentive readers of the Acts of the Apostles must observe, that there is not a single sermon there recorded but Christ and the resurrection is the substance of the whole discourse; and it would be better for us today, and for the cause of Christianity, if we would pay less attention to the learning of the schools, and follow the example set by the Primitive or New Testament preachers.

The three points which constitute the gospel preached by Paul is the foundation-stone upon which the Christian temple stands. Remove this foundation, and the whole super-structure falls,—every thing belonging to the Christian religion is a myth, a falsehood, a delusion. All our hopes of a future life are false, and when we die, we die like brutes, and that will be the last of us. Your friends, your brethren, your fellow-sufferers, who have fallen asleep in Christ, have perished.

1st, That Christ died. It is a fact stated by the apostle. It is not an argument, a conclusion, or speculation, or mere opinion, but a fact witnessed by the senses; for they had witnessed his trial, his crucifixion, and his death. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, have all recorded his death, and have stated where he died. The very mountain is named on which he was crucified. The day upon which it was done is named, by whom lie was condemned, and all the circumstances connected with his condemnation and crucifixion are so stated that there could have been no difficulty in disproving them all, if they had not been true. It is unreasonable to suppose that the Jews and Romans would have suffered such a statement to be published and circulated at home and abroad uncontradicted, if it had been untrue. But this truth was never denied by Jew or Roman, Sadducee or Pharisee, all have acknowledged that he did die. It was witnessed by them. Their own eyes looked upon him, upon the cross, and heard him cry, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

2nd, He was buried. The witnesses to this state and name the very man who requested his body for burial; whose tomb it was that he was laid in; and that a guard of soldiers was placed around it to guard it, that no one should steal away the body. All these things are stated in such a way that it would be no trouble whatever for their falsehood to have been shown, if, indeed, they were false. But not one of his most inveterate enemies, Jew or Roman, has ever denied these facts; except what was said by the soldiers who were appointed to keep watch, who said, "His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept." This fact is noticed by the witnesses of the resurrection, and the priests and elders are charged with giving the guards money if they would so report, and promised them if the thing came to the governor's ears, they would intercede and persuade for them, that no harm should befall them. (It was death, by the Roman law, for a soldier to sleep at his post when on duty as a guard.) We have no evidence that this charge was ever denied by the priests, elders, soldiers, sanhedrim, or any writer, or witness of that age. Let this testimony have what bearing it may on the resurrection, it proves that he was buried, and that the place of his burial was no secret; his tomb was known and watched. And this brings us to the last point in Paul's gospel.

3d, That he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. This is the first thought proclaimed in our text. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept." And I propose to discuss it in that order; first, the resurrection of Christ; second, the resurrection of the saints. The resurrection of Christ is affirmed by the apostle and a host of witnesses referred to, who are all ready to testify to the same truth. But he does not leave it by making this general reference to witnesses, but tells us that Christ, after his resurrection, was seen by Cephas, then of the twelve, after that of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain ready to testify, and after that he was seen of James, and then of all the apostles. " And last of all lie was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." We have the facts of the resurrection here stated, and the evidence adduced. Now for the arguments derived from the evidence submitted. For this evidence to be properly weighed and estimated by us, let us remember that Paul had bitter enemies at Corinth; old materialists, and Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, and the immortality of the soul. Now, as the enemies of Paul, and the opposers of his doctrine, they would scrutinize every thing he would say, and, if possible, detect any error, weakness, or falsehood that might appear in his arguments. Of this the apostle was conscious, and mark how he challenges them: "How say some among you that there is no resurrection, of the dead?" He is bold and defiant Surely, in this shrewd and polished city of Corinth, learned in all the science of the age, which was complimented by Cicero as the lumen totius Graecice, the eye of all Greece —surely, if Paul is vulnerable, if what he has stated as facts were false, and his arguments weak and inconclusive, the "eye of all Greece" will see it, and the ambition, the hatred, and wounded pride of his opposers will prompt them to publish it, and expose him before the world. But they are silent; not one fact affirmed by Paul is denied by them.

The apostle has here named the witnesses by whom this act is to be proved, and has stated what they will testify. I shall first notice the character of the witnesses, and second, their opportunity of knowing the facts to which they testify, and the circumstances under which they testify which evidence their sincerity.

1st, The character of the witnesses: Who can read the New Testament, and learn the character of these witnesses, and not admire the wisdom of the Savior in the selection he made? Had he gone into the palaces of the rich, the learned, and influential, and made his selection, the whole story of the cross might have been treated as a cunningly-devised fable, the invention and product of human wisdom. But he chooses the poor, the illiterate, and those who have no worldly influence, and the account given of them is that they were dull of understanding, not capable of making up and connecting a system of deception that would confound the wisdom of the world. In fact, worldly wisdom was not necessary, for it was not opinions, and scientific questions that they had to settle. It was facts, such as they could see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and handle with their hands: to have good ears, good eyes, and the sense of feeling, was important. Men who had followed fishing all their lives, who had been reared upon the waters, amidst the sound and roar of the waves, must have good hearing, or they would not hear the word of alarm, or the command when given. They must have good eyes to see objects and determine their shape and size; and a keen sense of feeling that they may determine when any thing touches their vessel whether there is danger in the touch. It is reasonable to suppose that those reared and trained fishermen had educated and cultivated these senses, and these were the essential things to qualify them to bear testimony to the facts of which Christ had selected them to be the witnesses. Christ charged them with sloth of understanding, and it seems that they never comprehended his teaching until after his resurrection, ascension, and descent of the Holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost. The highest ideas they seemed to have of Christ and his kingdom were temporal and earthly. Although he had plainly taught them that he would be put to death, and that they would be persecuted and brought before the kings and rulers of this world, and by them be condemned, they seemed not to comprehend it, but looked upon Christ as the one that was to tree Israel from political bondage, and make her the mistress of the world. The resurrection of Christ from the dead seemed not to have entered their minds. When Mary, Joanna, and the other women, visited the sepulchre, very early in the morning of the first day of the week, and found the sepulchre open and empty, they were astonished, and could not think what it meant: and, "Behold two men stood by them, in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen;" Luke, xxiv, 4-6. These women bore the news to the disciples, who were equally astonished. " And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. Then arose Peter, and ran to the sepulchre, and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to pass;" verses 11, 12. The same day two men went to a village called Emmaus, and on their way they talked of the things which had happened, and Jesus himself drew near and went with them. " But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. And he said unto them, What manner of communication are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulcher. And when they found not his body, they came saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. And certain of them which were with us, went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. Then he said unto them, 0 fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken; Luke xxiv. 16-25.

While the enemies of Christ knew that he had taught the resurrection, and securely fastened the tomb and guarded it with soldiers to prevent its being robbed, and his resurrection being reported, his disciples seemed not to have thought of such a thing, and were overwhelmed with astonishment when his resurrection was reported to them, and none of them would believe it until they had seen him with their own eyes. When those who had seen Jesus told it to Thomas, one of the twelve, he said unto them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe;" John, xx, 25. It seems that none of them were willing to believe that Christ had risen from the dead; the thing looked to them unreasonable, and was what they were not looking for, or thinking of. Let those in whom they had the utmost confidence, and would believe any thing they said about other things, tell them and solemnly affirm that they had seen the Lord, yet they would not believe. Now look at the character and conduct of these witnesses, and who can question their veracity! First, they were poor and illiterate men, not capable of concocting a deep-laid plan of deception; second, they did not expect any thing but a temporal deliverer in Christ; third, they did not think of his resurrection, or comprehend the benefits to be derived from it, and would not believe it when reported to them by their nearest and dearest friends. Nothing but to see him with their own eyes would satisfy them, or make them believe. Is this the caution of men who will bear false witness? This brings us to examine:

2nd, Their opportunity of knowing the fact to which they testify. I need say but little on this point, for we have already seen that three or more of the women, and two of the men, visited the tomb and entered it, early in the morning of the third day after the crucifixion, and found it empty, the body gone. That he was dead, and buried there, they all knew, and that his grave had been guarded by soldiers, they knew. They saw the place where the Lord lay, and the linen clothes in which he was buried lay by themselves, but the body was gone; and this filled them with wonder, for they knew not what it meant. "Then the same day in the evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you;" John, xx, 19. Then he exhibited unto them his hands and his side. Then they knew it was the Lord and were glad. But Thomas was not with them, but when he met the other disciples they said unto him, "We have seen the Lord," but he believed them not, and said unto them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." After eight days the disciples were again together, and Thomas was with them, and Jesus entered the room and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be unto you." And, addressing Thomas, he said, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands: and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing." This was the second time he had met with them and shown them his hands and his side. But after this he showed himself a third time, at the sea of Tiberias. Here he conversed with them, and took bread and fish and gave them, and after they had dined Jesus gave Peter the command to feed his lambs; John, xxi, 1-17. On one occasion when he met with his disciples, they were alarmed, supposing that it was a spirit, but he told them to handle him and see, and, "Behold my hands and feet; it is I, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me have;" Luke, xxiv, 37-13; and he did eat broiled fish and honeycomb with them. Thus he was with them for the space of forty days, showing himself alive by infallible proofs, they seeing him often, conversing with him, examining his person, his hands, and his side, and eating with him. Every opportunity was afforded them to detect a deception if there was any; and they would certainly have detected it had there been any, for they would not believe without this infallible proof. Honesty is written on every act of the disciples, and no witnesses ever had a better opportunity of knowing the truth of the things whereof they affirmed, and one of them affirms that they bear witness of that "which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled;" I John, i, 1. This brings us to notice:

3d, The circumstances under which they testify. The pages of history may be searched, and the apostles and' first propagators of Christianity are the most extraordinary men the world ever saw. As historical writers, and laborers to establish and propagate the gospel of their Master, they have a character perfectly sui generis. They were selected from among the poor and illiterate, without wealth or influence. They witnessed the worldly poverty, the persecution, and ignominious death of their Master. The worldly kings, rulers, priests, and elders, were their deadly enemies. Prisons, the whipping-post, the cross, and the flames, were the penalties before them if they proved loyal to Jesus, and bore their faithful witness before the world. But none of these things moved them, and they would not "count their lives" dear unto themselves so that they could bear their faithful testimony. Their patient endurance of the severest tortures and death, and their boldness in the midst of them all, surely give incontestibie evidence of their sincerity. But it may be said that thousands have suffered death, and tortures of the most barbarous character, rather than to renounce opinions that were •evidently false. This is doubtless true, and proves beyond a doubt that they were honest in their opinions. But there is a marked difference between the two. Those who have suffered for their opinion, suffered for what they had reasoned out, voluntarily chosen, and become confirmed in. But not so with the apostles. They testified to facts that they had seen with their eyes, had handled with their hands. It was not conclusions drawn from reasoning, or mental or philosophical investigation, but facts exhibited to their senses of seeing, hearing, and feeling. We may be as honest in our opinions as Paul was when he verily thought he was doing God's service in. persecuting the saints, and our opinions may be equally false as were his. But when we state facts seen with our eyes and handled with our hands, there can be no mistake. We either state what we know to be true, or to be false. The witnesses of the resurrection of Christ have knowingly stated a truth or a falsehood, and they have done it under circumstances calculated to impress every candid mind with confidence. There was no earthly inducement to cause them to make such knowingly false statements, but every thing to the contrary. They must be deserted by friends, hated by the world, suffer the wrath of kings and governors, and all the tortures that cruel and unfeeling persecutors can inflict upon them. The courage and patience shown by these witnesses under their tortures, show that the things they stated were true; and that supernatural and miraculous power sustained them. Mr. Addison says, "I can not conceive a man placed in the burning chair at Lyons, amid the insults and mockery of the crowded amphitheater, and still keeping this seat; or stretched upon a grate over coals of fire, and breathing out his soul among the exquisite sufferings of such a tedious execution, rather than renounce his religion and blaspheme his Savior. Such trials seem to me above the strength of human nature, and able to overbear reason, duty, faith, conviction, nay, and the most absolute certainty of a future state. Humanity, unassisted in an extraordinary manner, must have shaken off the present pressure, and have delivered itself out of such dreadful distress by any means that could have been suggested to it. We can easily imagine that any person in a good cause might have laid down his life at a gibbet, the stake, or the block—but to expire leisurely among the most exquisite tortures, when he might have come out of them, even by a mental reservation, or a hypocrisy which was not without the possibility of being followed by repentance and forgiveness, has something in it so far beyond the force and natural strength of mortals, that we can not but think there was some miraculous power to support the sufferer."

Let it not be forgotten that it was for publishing facts, sensible facts, and not for propagating opinions, that the witnesses of the resurrection suffered martyrdom. To suffer martyrdom for opinions proves the sincerity of the martyr, but it proves the facts when the person dies in attestation of a sensible fact. Call up in your mind the number of witnesses who testified to this fact, and for it suffered the tortures described by Addison, and not one of them admitted that they were mistaken, but with their dying breath said, "He has risen from the dead, and we are eye witnesses of the truth." How could such testimony, given under such circumstances, be disbelieved?

But it will be said by the skeptic, These disciples were the friends of Jesus, and had been taught by him what they should publish after his death. To this I answer, It is, true they were his friends, and believed him to be a temporal deliverer that should deliver Israel, but of his resurrection they had no thought, and when he was put to death all their hopes in him were put to death, and they all returned to their old occupations, feel-that they were deceived. This is confessed by Peter when he says, " Hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead;" I Pet., i, 8. All the visions they might have had of an earthly kingdom and earthly honors had passed as a myth from their minds, and they were content to return to their fishing, and live by it. They had no thought of the resurrection, and would not believe it until they had seen the person of Jesus, handled him, examined

his hands and side, and found every mark possible to identify his person. Witnesses never could more conscientiously and critically examine a fact to know it was a fact than did these witnesses.

It will be objected, however, that these witnesses were interested witnesses. If Jew or pagan believed this fact, the moment he confessed it he forfeited the respect and friendship of all, and put his own life and all he had in jeopardy. Now to the mind of a fair logician every convert made to Christianity in those days is a disinterested witness, and a most credible one, too. The apostles were the most competent and credible witnesses the world ever saw. They resembled in no point persons carried away by enthusiasm, attachment to opinions about which honest men might differ; but as men whose sole business it was to proclaim facts which had been submitted to the cognizance of all their senses. They do not merely affirm that they only saw the Savior after his resurrection, but they urge the matter by every other kind of sensible and incontrovertible proof. They proclaim that he repeatedly and familiarly conversed with them for forty days, and that during that time he had by many infallible proofs shown himself to be the identical person whom they had seen crucified, and concerning whose identity there could not exist the shadow of a doubt. Their testimony differs toto celo from any testimony on the subject of speculative opinions. Their sincerity is also a sincerity sui generis, of its own peculiar kind. I have been thus particular in presenting the circumstances under which they testified, to show that they were unimpeachable, and that no witnesses that ever testified to any fact were entitled to more credit, or stand before the world freer from any just charge of interestedness or deception. Their testimony not only proves the resurrection, but the resurrection of the identical body that was crucified, and torn, and wounded upon the cross, and buried in Joseph's new sepulchre.

This brings us to consider, The resurrection of the saints. However abundant may be the proofs in the Bible of a universal resurrection of the good and the bad, the one resurrected to life and the other to damnation, the apostle in this chapter is only discussing and proving the resurrection of the saints, or those, resurrected to life and a blessed immortality and that is the point we now have before us, and all our arguments will have reference to the saints, or those resurrected to life and immortality.

The doctrine of the resurrection is learned from the Bible, and the Bible alone. There is nothing in nature or human science, apart from revelation, that would ever beget the thought of a resurrection of the body in any rational mind. In fact human philosophy contradicts this, and teaches that our bodies die, return to the earth, fertilize it, and pass into the composition of other bodies, and that their resurrection would be impossible. This doctrine was taught in Paul's day, and he refers to it, and shows how human philosophy is at fault upon this subject, for he says, "Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die: and that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain; it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: but God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body." This is no resurrection, but is a propagating after its own kind. The life, nature, and character of the thing produced are not changed, but are after the kind of seed sown, for to every seed is given its own body, and it will only produce after its own kind. For the apostle further shows that, " All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds;" II Cor. xv, 36-41. These all propagate after their own kind, and if this is the resurrection, the body raised would not be the same body that was sown, but-it would be after the same kind, nature, and character. But in the resurrection of the dead it is not so, for, "It is sown in corruption, it," (the thing sown,) "is raised in incorruption: it is sown in dishonor, it," (the same thing again,) "is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: it is sown a natural body, it," (the same thing again,) " is raised a spiritual body;" verses 42-44. Then it is very evident that the doctrine of the resurrection is not taught in the sowing of seed, or the propagating of bodies. Neither is it taught in the changing of the caterpillar, and the appearing of the beautiful butterfly. This is transmigration, or the passing of one thing into another, or of one substance into another body. This was the doctrine of Pythagoras, who taught that the soul passed into another body, and is the doctrine of all in the present day who deny the resurrection of the body. To deny the resurrection of the body is a total denial of the doctrine of the resurrection, for there is nothing but the body that dies and goes into the grave. This is clearly taught by the Savior when he says, "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell;" Matt., x, 28. And it is clearly affirmed by Paul when he says, " We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord;" II Cor. v, 8. The souls of the martyred saints that were seen under the altar, were in a conscious, sensible, state, although absent from their martyred bodies; Rev. vi, 9. The resurrection applies only to that which dies and goes into the grave. Death is the consequence or penalty of sin, for the apostle says, "Wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that," (margin, in whom,) " all have sinned;" Rom., v, 12. Thus death passed upon all of Adam's posterity, for all sinned in him, and all inherit his fallen, corrupt nature. This fact should be written in your minds and not forgotten: That we inherit the corrupt nature of Adam, because we were created in him, and had a seminal existence in him; but we receive the righteousness of Christ by imputation, because we were legally represented in him. If we were created in him when lie was created, and had a seminal existence in him, and proceeded from him as a progeny, or generation, then his righteousness would be inherently ours. The modern Arian, two-seed party teach that Christ in his mediatorial headship of the church was the first thing God created, and simultaneously and identical with his creation the church was created in him, and seminally existed in him. And as they have falsely represented, and labored to make the saints believe, that that faithful old servant of Jesus, who stood high in the confidence of all the churches, was with them in their unscriptural doctrines, I shall here give a quotation from his own pen that should forever silence them, and make them blush with shame for their misrepresentation. He says, " Many have talked and written much about a spiritual headship of the church, which they say was created before all worlds; that is, this spiritual life and immortality of the church, was created long before creation, and the church, as a spiritual seed in this spiritual head, life, and immortality of the church, was also created in, and simultaneously with this spiritual, immortal creature. All this fabric is outside of the Bible, and God has never revealed it in that book, and neither we nor our children have any use for it, so we will let it pass back under its native shade." (Life of Wilson Thompson, page 462). Thus it will be seen that he denounces this "simultaneous creation" doctrine as untrue and is out side of the Bible." They who represent him as believing their heresies are slanderers of the dead, and deserve not the confidence of any good and fair-minded people.

The Mediator between God and men is affirmed by the apostle to be, " The man, Christ Jesus; " I Tim., ii, 5; not some spiritual existence that was neither God nor man. He is called the man of God's right hand, that he had made strong for himself; Psalms, lxxx, 17. This man was made of a woman, made under the law to redeem them that were under the law; Gal. iv, 4, 5. God was his Father, and he was the Son of God, as no created being ever can be. For it was said to Mary, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God;" Luke, i, 35. And the angels sang to the listening shepherds, " For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord;" Luke, ii, 11. In this man dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; Col. ii, 9; and he was God manifest in the flesh; I Tim., iii, 16; and he was the Word that was made flesh and dwelt among us; John, i, 14. This man was made flesh; and a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death; Heb. ii, 9; and as man he could carry our sorrows, bear our sins, hunger, thirst, and suffer weariness, pain of body and soul, all for us and in our room and stead, as our legal representative and substitute, and not at all on account of any sin or depravity of his own nature, for he was holy, harmless, and undefiled; Heb., vii, 26. This man was put to death in the flesh, bore our sins in his own body on the tree, and put them away by the sacrifice of himself; Heb., ix, 26. His soul was made an offering for sin; Isa., liii, 10; and his body a sacrifice; Heb., ix, 26. Thus, after a life of strict obedience and suffering, in which he fulfilled all the precepts of the law, he died the shameful, lingering, and painful death of the cross. His God forsook him, and there was none to help him. So he paid the penalty of the law by his death. He died according to the Scriptures, and was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures; I Cor., xv. 3, 4. "So by man came the resurrection of the dead;" verse 21. It was as man, and Mediator between God and man, that Christ died for his people; and the same man was resurrected from the dead, and in his resurrection from the dead was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness; Rom., i, 4. "The union of Christ and his church was a legal union, a oneness in the life and nature of Christ as man and Mediator. This oneness of nature as man was not the nature of man after his fall, but the uncorrupted nature of man before his sin." *(Life of Elder Wilson Thompson, page 464. The Elder here negatives the ETERNAL VITAL UNION heresy, and teaches it to be a legal, or covenant union or oneness, existing between husband and wife, shepherd and sheep, surety and principal, and shows that by covenant arrangement Christ died as surety, or substitute for bis people.)

The resurrection of Christ is laid down by the apostle as the foundation upon which rests the resurrection of the saints. He then proceeds to introduce his witnesses, who, as as we have seen, for clearness and harmony of testimony, are unparalleled, and then, in effect, seems to challenge those who doubt the resurrection of Christ to enter their protest while the witnesses are alive, and can be examined and cross-examined; but no man ventured to accept the challenge. This, with Paul, was the great, the vital question of Christianity; "For if Christ be not risen, the dead rise not; and if the dead rise not, they that have fallen asleep in Christ have perished; we are found false witnesses for God; your faith is vain; you are yet in your sins; your baptism is vain, a foolish and unmeaning ordinance, commemorating an untruth. All the pains and persecutions I have endured by land and by sea, among false brethren, and among wild beasts at Ephesus, in the prison at Philippi and at Rome,—they are all in vain, for I shall die as a brute, and be no more, if there be no resurrection of the saints." And well we may say, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead," and has, according to the promise of God, spoiled the grave; Hos., xiii, 14; and hath brought life and immortality to light. The bright bow of hope hangs over the tomb where the body of the saint lies, and we morn not as those that have no hope.

It was the body of Christ, the same body that was crucified and buried, that was resurrected, the first-fruits of them that slept; and as he is, so shall we be, for the whole crop will be like the first-fruits. The apostle uses the resurrection of Christ's body to prove the resurrection of the mortal body of the saints. "But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you;" Rom., viii, 11. It is therefore the mortal body that is to be quickened and raised from the dead. It that is sown mortal shall be raised immortal. The man of Uz, when sorely afflicted, and overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, would look beyond the troubled scenes of life, and the dark prison-house of the grave, and say, "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though, after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God; whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me; " Job, xix, 25-27. The sweet singer of Israel, when looking at the prosperity, the wickedness, and oppression of the wicked in this world, and his own sorrows and afflictions, would envy their condition, and feel that his lot was hard; but when by faith he would look beyond this stormy sea, and see the happy land prepared for the Lord's poor and afflicted ones, and feel the Spirit's witness that he had a portion there, he would sweetly sing, "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness;" Ps., xvii, 15.

Modern Sadducees deny the identity of the resurrection, saying, "The body is of the earth, and will return to the earth, and that will be the last of it." But the apostle, in arguing the resurrection, says, "These vile bodies;" " quicken your mortal bodies." It is that which is sown mortal, shall be raised immortal. The graves shall deliver up the dead that are in them; Rev., xx, 13. Jesus says, "All that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth;" John, v, 28, 29. All this shows that it is the identical body that is sown,—that is sown a mortal body,— that shall be raised from the dead. But it shall be raised a spiritual, incorruptible, and an immortal body. This change shall be effected by the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead. Flesh and blood, in its present depraved state, can not inherit the kingdom of heaven, neither can corruption inherit incorruption. Corruption was no part of our original nature, but was brought on us "by sin, and was never redeemed, but the man, soul and body, was redeemed by Christ, and will be delivered from all this corruption, which is called by the apostle the " old man," or, "the body of the sins of the flesh." Corruption is not essential to the existence of man. He brought it on himself by disobedience, and will be cleansed from it by the blood of Christ. So it will never be raised with the saint, but will be put off, and immortality put on. The work of Christ was not to restore man to his former state of natural purity, which he lost in Adam, for that would not prepare him for the spiritual kingdom of God, for the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit, neither can he know them. Natural purity could never prepare us for heaven, hence we must be born of the Spirit,—be made spiritual. This change is wrought in the nature and condition of the soul in the new birth, or regeneration, which is also called a resurrection from death in sin; Eph., ii, 5; Col., ii, 13; John, v, 25. In this new birth, or resurrection from death in sin, the nature and affections of the soul are so changed that it is prepared to enter into and enjoy the spiritual comforts of the gospel. In the resurrection the body will be made spiritual, and prepared to enter into and enjoy the spiritual kingdom of God. Hence the apostle says, "We wait for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." When this shall be accomplished the work of Christ in the redemption of his saints will be finished, and he will deliver the kingdom up to the Father.

Now the man, soul and body reunited, spiritual, immortal, and incorruptible, enters into and possesses that spiritual, immortal, and incorruptible estate, now reserved for him in heaven. In the resurrection of Christ as the first-fruits of them that slept the apostle shows more clearly the resurrection of the dead, the change which will be effected in it, with the glorious results which shall be realized by the victorious saints, when Christ shall come in the shining clouds of heaven, in power and great glory, to receive them and welcome them into the kingdom prepared for them. We must notice that a mere resurrection does not change the nature of the body, nor immortalize or spiritualize it. This is clearly proven in the resurrection of Christ, for he said to the disciples, "Handle me, and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see me have." This not only proves the identity of the body, and that body not yet made spiritual, or a spiritual body which his spirit had assumed, but the identical body that died on the cross. The resurrection of the body, and the ascension of the body into heaven, are very different things. The intermediate space between the resurrection of Christ and his ascension to heaven was absolutely necessary to give his disciples the fullest opportunity to test the real identity of his bodily resurrection, that they might be prepared as witnesses to testify with certainty, and also to give him opportunity to teach them the nature of his kingdom, the gospel they were to teach, and the field of their labor, and to distinctly show, in the order of time, all the process of the resurrection of the body itself, and to show, as the "first-fruits," all the change necessary to be wrought on the body to prepare it to ascend to heaven, and enter into its spiritual and immortal enjoyments. The character and appearance of this glorious change was exhibited to Peter, James, and John on the mount of transfiguration, and in his ascension was manifested in the presence of them all, as he entered the cloud; Mark, ix, 2, 3; Acts, i, 9. It was the same body that was transfigured, his raiment shining exceeding white as snow, so that no fuller on earth could whiten it, that died on the cross, was buried, and rose from the grave, and forty days afterwards ascended into heaven, and of this truth all the apostles and hundreds of the saints were witnesses.

Some contend that it is by virtue of the resurrection of Christ that the race of men universally will be raised. This is questionable and speculative, and the apostle does not so argue the question. He clearly shows that if Christ is not risen, the dead in Christ rise not; they have perished, for Christ, as the first-fruits, exhibits what the whole crop shall be. For in his resurrection, "life and immortality," (not life and damnation,) "are brought to light in the gospel." It is evident that the saints shall be raised first, and the apostle says that their resurrection will be because of or by the Spirit of him that raised up Christ from the dead dwelling in us. In regeneration we receive the very Spirit by which, or because of which, our mortal bodies will be raised and made immortal and spiritual. This blessed resurrection is made sure to all the saints through the resurrection of Christ, the "first-fruits," who in his death destroyed him that had the power of death, and in his resurrection spoiled the grave; who burst its vault, and triumphed over it; who has in his own hand the key to unlock the gloomy prison, and bring the prisoner out of the pit wherein there is no water. And he, having received power from his Father to quicken and raise up the dead, will quicken, revive, and raise up their sleeping dust, changed, spiritualized, and immortalized. The last enemy, which is death, will then be destroyed in the person of all his saints, and in their bodies that were once mortal, corruptible, and subject to pain and death, but now spiritual, immortal, and incorruptible, and beyond the power of sickness, sin, pain, or death. Beyond the stormy sea of death, and freed from the dark prison-house of the grave, their feet planted securely upon the bright and shining shore of a blessed and glorious immortality, with their vile bodies changed and fashioned like the glorious body of Christ, their Lord and Redeemer, they will be filled with divine delight, with heavenly ecstacies, and with immortal voices they will shout the victory and sing, Death is swallowed up in victory! 0 death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?

"This glorious hope revives

Our courage by the way,

While each in expectation lives,

And longs to see the day.

"From sorrow, death, and pain,

And sin, we shall be free,

And perfect love and friendship reign,

In blessed eternity."

Blessed be God for the doctrine of the resurrection! And blessed be his holy name for the incontestible evidence he has given us, that these vile bodies of ours shall be changed, and made like the glorious body of our Lord' and Savior. With soul and body in that glorious, divine, and heavenly image, we shall be satisfied, and have all that our immortal powers could desire or ask for. Then we shall know as we are known; shall see as we are seen. That which is in part shall be done away, and we shall fully possess that which is perfect. White robes, made white in the blood of the Lamb, shall adorn our person, and palms shall be in our hands, and we shall be crowned with crowns of rejoicing. Sorrow and sighing have fled away forever, and all tears are wiped from our eyes, and with immortal voices we will cry, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever!" " Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth!" The marriage supper of the Lamb has come, the bride arrayed in her bridal garments has entered into the bridal chamber. Her winter is over, the storms and trials of time are past; no longer shall she wet her pillow with tears, and mourn the absence of her Beloved; no clouds shall rise between them, or doubts or fears destroy her peace. It was the hope of this blessed resurrection that sustained the poor, persecuted, and tortured women, who refused deliverance, feeling that to die was gain, and that their wounded, tortured, and mangled bodies might rest awhile in the dark and gloomy grave, but there was a glorious resurrection, and that He who has said, " Because I live ye shall live also," would resurrect their dust, immortal and glorious, like his glorious body. It is this hope that looks beyond the stormy sea, and makes us patiently bear the trials of this present life, and sing as we pass along,—

" I would not live alway, I ask not to stay

Where storm after storm rises dark o'er the way;

The few lurid mornings that dawn on us here

Are enough for life's woes—full enough for its cheer.

" I would not live alway, thus fettered by sin;

Temptation without, and corruption within:

E'en the rapture of pardon is mingled with fears,

And the cup of thanksgiving with penitent tears.

" I would not live alway, no—welcome the tomb;

Since Jesus hath lain there, I dread not its gloom.

There sweet be my rest till he bid me arise,

To hall him in triumph descending the skies.

" 0, who would live alway—away from his God,

Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode?

Where rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains,

And the noon-tide of glory eternally reigns.

"Where the saints of all ages In harmony meet,

Their Savior and brethren transported to greet,

While the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll,

And the smile of the Lord is the feast of the soul."

This is the hope of the saint, and while I am speaking I know that there are many in this house, that by faith are looking beyond the river to that shining shore, and longing to rest there from the storms and billows that now toss their little barques, and fill them with fear and trembling. But, "Fear not: the waves shall not overflow you, nor the waters drown you." Every wave makes one the less, and brings you nearer the shore. Sorrow may last for the night, but joy cometh in the morning. The night will soon pass, and the day that has no night will soon break upon us, and in the shining robes of heaven we shall enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb, and will sorrow no more. 0, it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but when He shall appear we shall be like him, and shall see him as he is. For he will come, and the dead in Christ shall rise first, and they that live and remain shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, and we shall all be caught up with the Lord in the air, and so shall ever be with the Lord. "Comfort one another with these sayings."

Dying sinner, you, too, will be resurrected. The sea, the grave, the rocks, and the mountains, can not hide you from Him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the face of him you have slighted, for they that pierced him shall see him. You that live and die in sin shall hear his voice, and shall be resurrected unto damnation. 0, my soul! what a word to sound in the ears of an ungodly sinner, who is living without hope, and without God in the world! The day is coming when all that know not God, and obey not the gospel, shall be forever destroyed from the glory of his power, and sink down where the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. This, dear sinner, is the certain doom of all who die in their sins. None can deliver you but Jesus, and the gospel presents him as a full and complete Savior, able to save. 0, that the Spirit may enlighten your minds, and that you may be led to feel your need of Christ, and with a broken heart and a contrite spirit come to him, for he will never cast any such away. 0, if you are burdened, weary, and heavy-laden with sin, Jesus says, "Come unto me, and I will give you rest? But if you are hard, unfeeling, and in love with sin, and delight in the road that leads to death, I have not a promise for you. I have not an encouraging word, but must take my seat, grieved in heart on your account, and leave you in the hands and to the tender mercies of a just God, who will deal rightly with all his creatures.

" Marvel not that I said unto thee. Ye must be born again; " St. John, iii, 7.

There are many things spoken "by the Savior to his disciples, and written by the apostles in their epistles to the churches, that apply to Christians, and to Christians only. In explaining scriptures it is important that we should notice to whom the address is made, and apply the instructions and comforts to such characters or persons as the speaker or writer was addressing. To take the invitations, promises, and encouragements addressed to awakened sinners, mourning and seeking souls, and apply them indiscriminately to all men, is a perversion of the word, and giving the children's bread to dogs. But there are scriptures that have a universal application to all the sons and daughters of Adam, and we should labor to en- force their solemn truths upon the minds of all. My text belongs to this class of Scripture, and teaches a great truth applicable to every man and woman belonging to the human family, be they great or small, rich or poor, learned or unlearned. If they are born of Christian parents, reared up under religious instruction, trained up in the Sabbath-school, and human skill exerted upon them to form the religious character, however good the character may be, and how ever much and closely the forms of religion may be observed, the truth of my text still stands in all its solemn force: "Ye must be born again."

The man to whom the Savior addressed this language was a ruler among the Jews, and of the Pharisees, a religious sect among the Jews, who were very strict in their religion, and he, being a ruler among the Jews, was, doubtless, taught in all their religion. His religious training and character had not prepared him for the kingdom of God, hence Jesus said to him, "Ye must be born again." Our children are gifts to us from the Lord, and it is our duty to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and to train them up in the way they should go. It is doubtless true that parents can do much in forming the moral character of their children, and I fear that there is often a criminal neglect on their part in rearing and educating them. The most lasting impressions written upon our minds, and those that have the most influence over us through life, are those received in childhood and youth. In a large majority of cases the character that follows us through life is formed around the hearth-stone of the parental house. The example and teaching of the father and mother, and the associations they select for their children, have much to do in molding the character of the child, which will follow it through life. I often hear parents say, "I can not talk to my children," and I wonder why it is so. If they live before them as they ought, and set that religious and moral example that is worthy of imitation, why should it be a task to them to talk to their children, and give them parental advice and instruction?

Visit the man whose head is frosted by time, and who is just ready to fall into the grave, whose character is unstained by dissipation and crime, and ask him to whom, of all earthly beings, he is most indebted for the moral principles which have governed him through life, and saved him from disgrace and shame, and in a large majority of cases the answer will be, "My mother." Dear friends, while I am talking many of you can call to mind the the prayers, the advice, the kisses, and the tears of a mother, whose body now rests in the cold grave, and can see the controlling influence they have had upon you through life, and feel to bless God that you had a good, pious mother, who was not ashamed to pray with her children, to talk to them, and if a tear started in their eyes to kiss it away with her soft lips. Many of us have had such a mother, and we often visit the little mound of earth that covers her from our sight, and read the name upon the little monument that points out her resting place, and drop a shower of warm tears upon the dust that covers her, in grateful remembrance of the best earthly friend we, ever had.

I verily believe that mothers can do more to mold the morals and form the character of the child than the father can. It is on her lap we receive our first ideas, and she breathes into us her own nature and character. There is a responsibility resting upon a mother that I fear is not always fully realized by mothers. Fathers have their responsibilities, for they are every day of their lives, in their deportment and conversation, writing on the minds of their children moral sentiments that are to follow them through life. Some of us will never forget the prayers of our father, and the deep impression made upon our minds, as we saw him when rising from his knees wipe the dropping tears from his eyes. He had been praying for his children, and that God might give him grace and wisdom to live before them as a father should live before his children. Those prayers were not breath spent in vain, for they have followed us through all our after life, and have often come up before us as a warning voice when we were tempted to depart from the paths of virtue, truth, or honor. I would, today, and at all times, use all the arguments I am master of to encourage parents to be untiring in their efforts to bring their children up in the way they should go when old, and they will feel themselves abundantly paid for all their labor, when in age they are surrounded with a family respected by all the good, and in their moral life, and high standing in society, reflecting honor on the parents who reared them. The influence that education has upon the life and actions of men has long been understood, and over fifty years ago, Dr. Ely, in urging upon his denomination, (the Presbyterians,) the necessity of establishing colleges and schools in the Mississippi valley, said, "Give me the control of the schools in the United States, and I will soon control the ballot-box and the pulpit of the nation." If this be true, how important that we should educate our children right, and, as far as possible, keep their minds free from all errors, either in religion or politics. Religious sentiments imbibed in youth, and received from the lips of parents, are hard to throw off, and are apt to stick by us as long as we live. But when we have given our children all the religious and moral culture in our power, and have done all we can to form their religious and moral character, and to prepare them for usefulness in society, we must not forget to impress upon their minds that all this will not make Christians of them; that human culture and human instrumentality can never prepare the to see or enter into the kingdom of God. To be made a citizen of that kingdom, and enter into its enjoyments, a man must be born again. He must be resurrected from his de