cation, the only cause of our being accepted with the Father, is the atonement of his Son, made ours by faith, pleaded as ours by faith. St. James is arguing, that this faith which justifies, must prove itself by works. St. Paul proves that the merit of our own works is nothing available to our salvation: St. James, that the performance of works is absolutely necessary to show the efficacy of our faith. St. Paul shows us that we derive our title to heaven solely from the satisfaction of the Saviour; that our pardon is purchased by his sacrifice; that our sanctification is his gift through the Holy Spirit; that Christ is all and in all. St. James concludes, that as we have this hope in him, we must purify ourselves even as he is pure; that we must love as we are loved; that our faith must work by love; that we must adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. What is there in all this that involves any opposition between these two apostles? What is there but the strong and valid confirmation of the very first principles of the christian faith; the full developement of those gracious purposes of mercy, which the Son of God himself came to work out and accomplish? "The Son of man is come

"The

to seek and to save that which was lost." Son of man came to give his life a ransom for many." "God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting

life." "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."

Beautifully, also, is this subject illustrated by that expressive parable of our blessed Saviour, "I am the true vine; ye are the branches: as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine: no more can ye except ye abide in me." All of strength, verdure, or fruitfulness, that the branch exhibits, is derived from its union with the parent stock. All of virtue, and holiness, and purity, which the Christian manifests in his life, is equally derived from his union with Christ by faith. Wild branches we may have been, bringing forth sour grapes; or barren and dry stems, fit only for the burning; but once grafted into that good vine, whence alone we can receive health and sustenance, we must be fruitful branches; else this is our awful sentence: Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away;" and what is it then but a brand for the fire? We must indeed be grafted into the stock that we may live and be fruitful; but we must be fruitful to show that we do live: we must believe in Christ that we may live by him; but we must produce the fruits of holiness to show that we do live by Christ. And how encouraging is that promise of the Saviour, speaking, as before, of the merciful hus

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bandman of the parable, "Every branch in me that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." How gracious is that love which pardons, sanctifies, and saves! How infinite is that compassion which gives us a title to the happiness of heaven, and gives us also the meetness for its enjoyment! How great that lovingkindness of him, who asks only that we should yield obedience to his love, and seek his mercy, and cultivate his purity! Oh! if love can generate any corresponding emotion within the heart; if mercy can subdue the sinner, and cast him prostrate before the offer of forgiveness; if gratitude can allure to the imitation of the purity and the holiness of the benefactor; the gospel gives scope to all these high and holy feelings, in their fullest extent and energy. Is there one before me anxious for salvation? nay, is there not, my brethren? Who among you shall stand forth, and proclaim that he is not anxious for his soul's welfare? Is there, I say, one anxious for salvation? Let him seek salvation by the sole merits of Christ let him cast himself as a sinner altogether on the merit of his sacrifice, on his obedience unto death. But when he has embraced by faith that cross on which the sacrifice for his sins was offered, let him think what required that cross as the altar of atonement; and let him forsake the sins, that gave to that cross its bitterest agonies, and

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pierced his Saviour through with many sorrows. Let him reflect for what purpose he is thus ransomed from death, if not to live to holiness. Let him look forward to that heaven to which he aspires, and ask whether anything but holiness is the habitation of God's throne; and then let him seek to cultivate that holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. Let him cast himself on the mercy of God in Christ by faith, as if nothing depended on his own exertions; let him disclaim all merit but the merit of his Saviour; let him be content to ask for pardon, simply and solely as the free gift of God in Christ; and yet let him repent, and do works meet for repentance, and cultivate holiness, and seek righteousness, and employ all the energies of his soul, all the gracious assistance of the Spirit of God, as if heaven were merited by his works alone; as if his own personal righteousness constituted both his title to heaven and his fitness for its enjoyment. Humility and faith, penitence and love, patience and hope, contrition and zeal,-these form the christian character-these are the work of divine grace within the heart; and he who hath begun this good work within us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. He will recognize the faith that trusts his mercy, he will

guide us in judgment, he will receive us into glory.

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SERMON X.

THE GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES.

HEBREWS xii. 1, 2.

Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us; looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

THIS passage, which is in close connexion with the preceding chapter, and forms indeed the conclusion of its argument, is one of those most impressive appeals to the heart of his converts, which St. Paul was well able to make. It embodies one of the great principles of the christian morality; a principle which no other system of religion, considered even as a system of morals, could so powerfully and so beautifully illustrate.