same; but if you shall prove it true by the manifest testimonies of the Scripture, I do promise I will willingly embrace the same." The argument which the archbishop had to oppose was, that it is impossible for the body of Christ, from its nature, to be in many places at once. And he urged that, according to the Scriptures, Christ was seen by the apostle Paul at his conversion on earth at the time when also he was in heaven, Lambert replied that there was no proof that St. Paul saw Christ's body; he heard a voice and saw a vision, but not the very natural body of Christ. While they were disputing, and the prisoner seemed to have the better of the argument, the king and all the audience listening with the deepest interest, Gardiner rudely broke in out of the turn assigned him, and when reasons prevailed not, stopped the martyr's mouth with railing. Tonstal, bishop of Durham, spoke next; he dwelt upon the omnipotent power of God, and pleaded, “that if Christ could perform that which he spake touching the converting of his body into bread, without doubt he would speak nothing but that he would perform." Lambert answered, "that there was no evident place of Scripture wherein Christ doth at any time say, that he would change the bread into his body and moreover, that there is no necessity why he should do so. But this is a figurative speech, every where used in the Scripture, when as the name and appellation of the thing signified is attributed unto the sign. By which figure of speech, circumcision is called the covenant, the lamb the passover, beside six hundred such other. Now it remaineth to be marked, whether we shall judge all these, after the words pronounced, to be straightway changed into another nature." A line of argument so convincing as this, could not be suffered to proceed, and therefore Lambert was again silenced by rebukes and taunts. Then followed the other bishops in order, till the ten articles were, as they said, confuted, by ten disputers. The martyr, meanwhile, wearied with so many antagonists and the length of the discussion, which lasted from twelve o'clock till five, daunted by the stern looks of the king, and tormented by the most vehement reproaches, thought it better to be silent than to persist in alleging reasons to which his persecutors did not choose to listen. He therefore at last let his opponents speak without reply, except that he now and then urged a passage of St. Augustine, in which author he appeared to be well versed. At length, when it was growing dark, the king, thinking his victory complete, addressed him: "What sayest thou now, after all these great labours which thou hast taken upon thee, and all the reasons and instructions of these learned men? art thou not yet satisfied? wilt thou live or die? what sayest thou? thou hast yet free choice." Lambert answered, "I yield and submit myself wholly unto the will of your majesty." "Commit thyself," said Henry, "into the hands of God, and not unto mine." "I commend my soul," replied the martyr, "into the hands of God, but my body I wholly yield and submit unto your clemency." Then," said the king, "if you do commit yourself unto my judgment, you must die; for I will not be a patron unto heretics:" and turning to the Lord Cromwell, he said, "Cromwell, read the sentence of condemnation against him." Thus was this blessed servant of Christ sentenced to shed his blood for the testimony of Jesus. 66 The malicious purpose of Bishop Gardiner was now fully answered. He had destroyed this man by the means of his own brethren, men who agreed with him on every point save one. Satan, doubtless, by so dividing the kingdom of Christ against itself, thought to bring it to desolation. We cannot excuse the conduct of those reformers who stood against Lambert; but still the main guilt of shedding his innocent blood lies upon the king and his wicked instigator Gardiner. We now approach the last sad scene, where truly God was glorified in the midst of the fires. On the day | appointed for his execution, Lambert was carried at eight o'clock in the morning from his prison to Lord Cromwell's house; and there it is said that Cromwell entreated his forgiveness for the share he had had in his condemnation. He breakfasted that morning with the gentlemen of Cromwell's household; and as of a man preparing for some pleasant journey, his demeanour was cheerful, shewing no signs of sadness or fear. Immediately after breakfast he was led to Smithfield, "where he should offer himself unto the Lord, a sacrifice of sweet savour, who is blessed in his saints, for ever and ever." The torments he endured at the stake were excruciating, for his legs and thighs were burned off to the stumps, and the diabolical executioners drew away the fuel, so that but a little fire was left under him: afterwards two of the officers raised his body on their halberts. Then stretching forth his flaming hands, he cried with all the breath that yet remained to him, "NONE BUT CHRIST, NONE BUT CHRIST," and so, sinking down into the fire, expired. Let the voice which rang from that funeral pile be ever sounding in our ears. It should be the watchword of our Church-NONE BUT CHRIST, NONE BUT CHRIST; and, founded as she is upon a rock, Christ being himself the head corner-stone, builded up with apostles and evangelists, cemented with the blood of martyrs who died to purify her from Romish pollution -if she holds fast that she has, no man shall take her The gates of hell never shall prevail against crown. her. S. CHRIST HAVING THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE: A Sermon, BY THE REV. THOMAS SALE, M.A. "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life." It is essential to the soundness and stability of our Christian profession, that we should carefully examine the grounds upon which our adherence to the faith of Christ really rests. In the present state of society amongst us, there is great danger lest even zealous disciples of Jesus fail of being rooted and grounded in those principles of Gospel-truth which alone will stand unshaken in times of difficulty and trial. It is a subtle device of our spiritual adversary, to descend, as it were, by a subterraneous course, into the recesses of the heart, and there gradually to corrupt or withdraw the foundation-truths upon which a lively and sound religion must be grounded, whilst the superstructure, propped up by the co-operation and encouragement of our fellow-christians, remains for a time apparently undisturbed. Without frequent and deep self-examination, a person may thus go on imagining that his "mountain standeth strong," whilst in reality he has departed from Christ as the foundation of his comfort and the source of his holiness, and is depend ing on some earthly standard of excellence, by whose example and influence he is urged forward, perhaps, to zealous exertions, until the storms of trial assail him, or his contiguous supporters are withdrawn from him, and then he falls; and too often great is the fall thereof, because it gives occasion to the adversary to gainsay those doctrines by which he professed to be influenced. Experience daily teaches us that the word of the Lord, and that alone, abideth for ever. It is the doctrine of the apostles and prophets that keeps together the Church-Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; that foundation alone standeth sure; and therefore it is the duty of a minister of Christ continually to recur to those great truths upon which the Gospel is built, and to urge them upon the conscience in plain and unequivocal terms, that there may be no ground for error or self-deceit amongst his hearers. These truths form the test by which the spiritual church of Christ is distinguished from the unrenewed world that surrounds themthe sharpest edge of that penetrating sword of the Spirit, which pierces even to the discerning of the thoughts and intents of the heart, and cuts asunder the unholy alliances that are sometimes entered into therein between God and mammon. It is not therefore to be wondered at, that the distinguishing doctrines of the Gospel, opposed as they are to the natural pride and wordliness of man's heart, do, when set forth in undisguised simplicity, ofttimes prove an offence to those, who, whilst they profess to be disciples of Christ, have never become united to him by a living faith, nor experienced those spiritual blessings which result from communion with him. As they tend to confirm the faith and establish the comfort of those who are simply and entirely looking to Christ as the author and finisher of their salvation, so they are esteemed hard sayings, and viewed with hatred and suspicion, by those who would rather reduce the Gospel to the measure of their short-sighted reason, than reduce their own lusts and frame their lives according to the uncompromising standard which that Gospel sets up; and this ever has been the case, even from the days when these same truths were uttered from the lips of Him who spake as never man spake, and was himself the Truth. Of this we have a remarkable instance set before us in the text. We are told, in the former part of the chapter from which it is taken, that a great multitude of the Jews, who had witnessed the miracles of Christ, and had been struck by the wisdom and excellence of his instructions, followed him into the country to a considerable distance, when our blessed Lord, un willing that they should return home without something to satisfy their hunger, supplied their wants by a miracle; upon which they were so struck with admiration, that they at once concluded that he was that great personage whom the Jewish nation were at that time expecting, and, accordingly, determined to take him by force and proclaim him their king. Jesus, perceiving their mistaken object, withdrew from among them, and departed in the night to the other side of the sea of Galilee, whither the multitude the next day followed him, professing themselves his zealous adherents. But he, thoroughly acquainted with their feelings, took occasion to point out to them the worldly and ambitious motives by which they were actuated, and proceeded to direct their attention to those important doctrines which concerned their everlasting salvation. Our text informs us, that in consequence of what was brought forward in this discourse, many of those who had before professed themselves his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then Jesus, addressing himself to the twelve apostles, who had been his most intimate and favoured companions, said, "Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life; and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God." I. Let us notice, first, what it was which proved such an offence to these unstable disciples; and, secondly, II. What were the grounds upon which Peter resolved to remain with his Divine Master. I. 1. One reason why so many withdrew from Christ appears to have been, that they found their worldly expectations disappointed. Having been once fed by his miraculous power, they expected that he would again supply them, or, perhaps, imagined that he was about to come forth as an earthly potentate, and that he would raise them to wealth and dignity. Our Lord at once discovered to them their unworthy motive, and directed their attention to a higher object. "Verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves and were filled. Labour not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed." It was to be expected, that they who followed Christ with. a view to the advancement of their worldly interests would be very unstable disciples of Him "whose kingdom is not of this world." Until, therefore, they had learned the value of his spiritual gifts, they were not likely to follow him through contempt, difficulty, and persecution; and so, in the present day, one reason why we see such a want of steadiness and consistency amongst some disciples of Christ, is, that there is so much that is carnal mixed up with their religious feelings and motives. I do not here specially allude to the base hypocrite, who can hold up the cloak of sanctity to conceal schemes of villany, or use the Gospel as a stepping-stone for the completion of covetous or ambitious designs. I cannot call such a person a disciple of Christ; but even amongst those who believe themselves sincere in following the Lord Jesus Christ, a close self-examination will ofttimes detect many an earthly and sinful motive lurking in the heart, and polluting that pure stream of love to Christ, which ought to be the constraining principle of the Christian's life and conversation. How often is it found that iniquity cleaveth even to our most holy things! How prone are our hearts to look at the things which are seen and temporal, rather than at the things which are not seen and eternal! Oh! it requires much vigilance and prayer, especially in a state of society where true religion is, in many instances, honoured and encouraged, to live with our affections set upon things above, to seek Christ for the sake only of that spiritual food, those heavenly delights, which they will enjoy most fully who seek them most simply. That man's religion will ever be unstable and vacillating, whose mind is not steadily fixed on the prize of his high calling. He who will stoop down from his rock of safety, and grasp at the glittering trifles that float beneath him, may well expect to fall from the eminence whereon he has rested, and to make shipwreck of his faith. Let us, then, frequently examine ourselves, to see whether a simple feeling of love to Christ, and a desire for the spiritual gifts which he has to bestow, quickens our zeal, and gives eagerness to our steps in following him. Much reason have we to pray, in the words of David: "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou me in thy way." (Ps. cxix. 37.) 2. Another reason why so many departed from Christ was, their minds were not open to understand the spiritual import of the truths which he declared to them. Having spoken of the bread which nourished their forefathers in the wilderness, he took occasion therefrom to point out himself as that spiritual food, by which alone they might be nourished unto eternal life. "I am the living bread," he said, "which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." These expressions, by which our Lord pointed out the nature and efficacy of that atonement which he was about to make for the sins of mankind, and the means by which the benefits thereof must be conveyed to the soul, were unintelligible to them, because they viewed his words only in a carnal sense. Unmindful of their own ignorance and insufficiency, they sought not instruction from Christ, but wished to interpret his words by their own sagacity; and finding a difficulty which they could not explain, they strove together concerning them; and thus, their pride being stirred up, and their perplexity increased, the way was prepared for their apostacy. They did not regard the Lord Jesus Christ as the divine source of wisdom and truth, and could not submit to be guided by him any farther than they could have proceeded without him. Here we see a specimen of the pride of carnal reason, which, to the present day, infests and weakens the Christian Church. What lamentable instances does her past history afford of persons striving among themselves concerning the interpretation of the word of God, whilst prejudice and pride have blinded their minds against the truth! Thus this very declaration of our Lord, which points out the spiritual life and refreshment to be derived from his atonement, is, by the Church of Rome, interpreted in a carnal sense, and made the basis of an absurd and monstrous doctrine; whilst there are others, professing themselves disciples of Christ, who fly into the opposite error, and reject altogether the efficacy of that atonement which was so forcibly set forth in these blessed words, "The bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." Thus, when persons undertake to interpret Scripture without seeking the guidance of its divine Author, vain and unprofitable questions arise, which tend not to edification, but only to strife, schism, and apostacy. "It is the spirit that quickenet, the flesh profiteth nothing." If these words of our Lord were kept in view, how many errors would be avoided! how much unholy disputation would be silenced! Surely when men study the Bible, to discover, and dwell on, and magnify difficulties; when they turn over its sacred pages with an eager desire, not of becoming wise unto salvation, but of triumphing over an adversary; when they pervert and mistake its holy declarations, they forget or neglect the principle which our Lord here lays down. "It is the spirit that quickeneth." His gentle gales breathing over the word of revelation will smooth down its difficulties, and waft its cheering truths into the soul, to revive the lowly and contrite spirit. Let us, then, ever bear in mind, that we constantly need the influence of the Holy Spirit to open the eyes of our understanding," that we may see wonderful things out of his law" (Ps. cxix. 18). And whenever we feel within us a captious spirit, ready to seize on the difficulties of Scripture, or to dispute with our fellow-Christians about its doctrines, let us pause, and ask ourselves, Whether we are looking in a humble and teachable spirit to Him, who alone will guide us into all truth; lest, by following our own notions, we be permitted to "stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while we look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness." (Jerem. xiii. 16.) 3. But I conceive that the chief cause of offence to the people, who, on this occasion, withdrew from Jesus, was the plain, humbling truth which he declared to them. "No man can come to me except the Father, which hath sent me, draw him." This, it seems, was a doctrine which they could not bear to hear. They had probably been zealous observers of the law of Moses, and placed much confidence in their privileges as the children of Abraham, and the favoured people of God; therefore, to be told that the only way of acceptance with God was to believe on Jesus-to eat his flesh and drink his blood; and, when they murmured at this saying, which they did not understand, to be told that they were unable of themselves to comprehend and embrace the plan of salvation, and that God alone could quicken their souls, so that they must be saved entirely by his grace,-this was so directly opposed to their self-righteous notions, that they at once deserted Jesus, and walked no more with him. Although they had witnessed his miracles, admired his instructions, and had just before professed their firm belief that he was that prophet that should come into the world; yet their prejudice was sufficient to overcome all this forcible evidence, by which they had so lately been convinced. And so, to this very day, there is no one doctrine of the Bible that has met with so much hatred and opposition, as that of the complete sovereignty of God to bring unto salvation those whom he will, even because it seemeth good in his sight. That every one of those who are elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. i. 2.), owe their salvation entirely, from beginning to end, to his distinguishing grace and mercy, who giveth eternal life to whomsoever he will; and that the most attractive and amiable of mankind, the wisest and most profound scholar or theologian, however he may be loved or admired by those around him, is, in the sight of God, condemned and guilty, and dead in trespasses and sins, until the Lord himself renews him by his quickening grace-this is a truth plainly and positively stated in the word of God, and as plainly laid down as the doctrine of our Church ;* and yet it has been denied, misrepresented, and evaded; and to this day it frequently calls forth the bitter opposition of those who, like these Jews of old, place confidence in the flesh. To many, who, like them, are eager to inquire, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God," this doctrine is a grievous stone of stumbling and rock of offence. Not a few, I fear, have, through aversion to this, as an enthusiastic and dangerous fancy, been driven away from the profession of the Gospel, which they kept up so long as these humbling truths were disguised, or equivocally stated to them. If there be any one here that views this as a hard saying, I would affectionately entreat him to study the chapter from which the text is taken, and compare it with other portions of the New Testament, earnestly praying for the enlightening influence of the Holy Spirit, that he may be led to the truth; and whilst he remarks the fatal influence of prejudice in the case of the persons mentioned in the text, let him beware of presuming to question the declaration of Him whose word is truth. II. But we must proceed to consider, secondly, What were the grounds upon which Peter determined stedfastly to follow Christ. 1. "Lord, to whom shall we go?" He here states his firm conviction that none but Christ could lead him to salvation; as though he had said,-"O Lord, if after all the blessings which we have received from thee, and the proofs of thy power, thy wisdom, and love, which have been vouchsafed to us, we should refuse to proceed in the path along which thou art leading us, because it is beyond the powers of our reason, and we cannot go on without thy perpetual aid and direction, whither shall we betake ourselves for peace and salvation? Shall we trust to the dictates of our own reason? It has often led us into error, and cannot look through the shadows of death. Shall we go to the heathen philosophers? They have become vain in their imaginations-their tenets are absurd and licentious miserable comforters are they all to one who seeks a heavenly country. Shall we go to the Scribes and Pharisees? We have already toiled too long beneath the heavy burden of traditions which they have imposed upon us, enslaving our souls, and rendering the word of God of none effect. Shall we go to the law and the prophets? This will send us back to thee, as it at first directed us to thee. With thee, then, O blessed Master, will we remain, assured • See Articles 9 and 10. that if thou canst not make us happy, nothing else can." Such was the resolution of Peter; and such, too, will be the feeling of all those who have been driven to Christ by a sense of their need of a Saviour, and have found him all-sufficient to heal the wounds of a sinstricken conscience. He who has once been sheltered from the storm beneath his everlasting arms well knows the value of his precious name. He is assured that there is salvation in none other, and will pray to be kept closely united to him, whom he has found a very present help in time of need. The shipwrecked mariner will not willingly loose his hold of the rock on which he hangs, whilst he beholds the foaming surge dashing beneath it. The manslayer will not venture forth from the city of refuge, whilst he perceives the avenger of blood with his sword drawn at its gates. And so he who has felt the guilt and danger of his sins, will not willingly depart from Christ, whom he has found able to save to the uttermost. He may, indeed, in unguarded moments, suffer his affections to be estranged from his Redeemer, and venture forth from his city of refuge; but what does he find? Like the dove sent forth by Noah, his mind hovers over the waves of this troublesome world; clogged by its unholy influence, it finds no resting-place; an aching void is felt, which the world can never fill; and thus it is constrained to return to that ark in which it before found peace. A Christian who has experienced the burden of a guilty conscience, and at length has found peace in Christ, may well say, when tempted to turn away from Christ,-"Oh, my Saviour, whither should I go, if I were to depart from thee? I have tried what my unassisted reason could do for me, and it has only hurried me into deeper perplexities; I will no longer therefore look to that for peace. Shall I strive to garrison myself within the ramparts of infidelity? Conscience follows me into its inmost recesses, and writes bitter things against me, and the battlements of that accursed stronghold cannot exclude the voice of God speaking vengeance to my soul. Shall I plunge into the dissipating pleasures of the world? Alas! they will banish my fears and cares but for a season, after which they return with renewed force upon me. Shall I again recur to the law for righteousness, and strive to live up to its holy precepts? Alas! I have been tried in the balance, and found wanting the more attentively I view my past life according to this standard, the more I perceive my own utter corruption, from which nothing but the blood of Christ can cleanse me. To thee, therefore, my Saviour, will I stedfastly cleave; for, lo! all they that are far from thee shall perish; but it is good for | me to hold me fast by God."" May this be our determination. They who are Christians in name only, may esteem it a slight matter to forsake that Saviour, of whom they have no spiritual knowledge. Nor will any one duly appreciate the blessings of his Gospel, until he has felt the burden of his sins grievous to him; but if God has led us to a knowledge of ourselves and our true state by nature, we shall find none but Christ able to satisfy the wants of our souls. 2. Another reason why Peter determined to remain with Jesus, was, a conviction of the value and importance of the doctrines which he had taught them and his fellow-disciples. "Thou hast the words of eternal life." The apostles had had continual opportunities of being instructed in the things pertaining to the kingdom of heaven by their divine Master, who explained to them more fully in private the doctrines and the parables which he delivered to the people. They knew that Jesus had brought life and immortality to light, and opened to them the gate of heaven. He had promised to give unto them eternal life and being persuaded that he was both able and willing to perform his word, they were ready to commit all their interests into his hands; and though, probably, they could not then understand all the doctrines which he delivered to them, yet they clung to the plain promises which he had set before them, and regarded these, rather than points which were at present beyond their comprehension, trusting that in due time all would be made plain to them; and herein they set us a useful example. One of the most powerful means of checking doubtful or discontented thoughts concerning the truths of revelation, is, to recur to those grand truths of the Gospel from which we have already derived comfort and strength. It is an experimental sense of the power and grace of Christ in the heart-the refreshing hope of salvation through his merits, conveyed to the soul by the Holy Spirit, that affords the strongest testimony to the divine authority of Christ. The gracious promises of the Gospel, when they have been duly received into the heart, carry with them the most forcible evidence of their Divine origin in their sanctifying effects, and clearly point out their author as the Christ, the everlasting Son of God. Oh, then, ye who have been made partakers of the grace of Christ, and have tasted that the Lord is gracious, if ever hereafter, amidst the coldness and apostacy by which you may be surrounded, you feel your faith wavering, and your love growing cold, consider the mercies which you have experienced through the Gospel; think of the comfort, and peace, and joy, which the promises thereof have in |