THE

NEW TESTAMENT HISTORIES.

"THE subject we have entered upon seems to me to increase in interest, my dear friends," said the pastor, as he opened his Bible, and then looked around on his assembled people. "Our portion to-day," he resumed, "will be a part of the 16th and 17th chapters of St. Matthew; and I earnestly hope a blessing from on high may be with us, that the closer we follow the footsteps of our Lord, the more fully may be bestowed upon us the hearing ear and the willing mind, inducing us to search deep into those precious truths contained in the Bible, and which are written for our comfort, encouragement, and direction.

"After Jesus had healed the daughter of the Syrophenician woman, cured multitudes of lame, blind, and maimed, and again fed many with the scanty fare provided for himself and his disciples, he came into the coasts of Cesarea-Philippi. This is supposed to have been the same place which was formerly called Laish or Dan; it was situated in the north, and had been rebuilt by Philip the Tetrarch, Herod's brother, and called by him 'Cesarea,' in honour of Tiberius Cæsar, the Roman emperor; but in order to distinguish it from another city of the same name, which was in the south, he added his own name, Philippi; hence the word, Cesarea-Philippi. Thither Jesus resorted

for peace and retirement; and being at length alone with his disciples, he asked them, 'Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?' Observe the humiliating title he gives himself, the Son of Man.' Sixty-one times it is to be found in the Gospels, in reference to some part of his work or character, and uniting, as it were, his two natures, human and divine, for verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham,' that thus becoming the Son and servant of his heavenly Father, he might redeem unto himself a peculiar people, who should be his joy and crown of rejoicing for ever and

ever. In reply to his inquiry, the disciples answered, 'Some say that thou art John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.' (Matt. xvi. 14.) Hence, it appears that no one seems to have had really just apprehensions of his divinity. Those who valued him the most imagined that again one of their prophets had returned to earth. And as the Jews were then, as now, in constant expectation of the reappearance of Elias, or Elijah, they thought that perhaps he had already arrived in the person of Jesus."

"But why do they expect him again, sir?" said Mr. Hill.

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"In compliance with the view they take of Malachi iv. 5, 6," replied Mr. C―; Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.' Before we part to-day, I shall have occasion to enter more fully into this subject; we will, therefore, proceed with the consideration of the important question next put by our Lord-But whom say ye that I am?' (Verse 15.) Oh, my people! think upon these words; the happiness or misery of your souls hangs upon your reply. If, with the self-righteous Jew, you look upon Jesus as a prophet only, woe unto you; if, with the Socinian, you regard him merely as a man, a teacher of morality, but without his union with Deity, woe unto you; if, with the Papist, you accept him as your Saviour, but not your entire Saviour, your Mediator, but not your only Mediator, woe unto you; or if, with thousands of persons, you take him as a kind of half Redeemer, looking to your own good works, your own righteousness for acceptance, and for him to supply your deficiencies, again I say, woe unto you. But may none of these refuges of lies be yours. May you have grace given you from on high to say with Peter, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' This comprehends the whole of your salvation, the terms of your acceptance with the Lord Jehovah. 'No man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost,' who imparts to him this heaven-born, life-giving faith; not a cold, dead belief, which merely contents itself with the acknowledgment of his sacred Person and character; but that happy, bright, glorious feeling, which is imparted by the Spirit from on high, and is an earnest of eternal

life. How evident is the difference! how fully does such faith as this prove its origin! We cannot believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Anointed of the Father, but by the Spirit. He first convinces us of sin, and then applies the remedy; he enables us to find in the dear Saviour the very assistance we require; we feel we are alienated from God by wicked works, (Col. i. 21 ;) but through him we are reconciled; for in this blessed book, now in my hand, I read, "If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins.' (1 John ii. 1, 2.) Again, I learn that 'he casts all my sins behind his back,' (Isa. xxxviii. 17,) as not caring to look upon them; yea, moreover, he 'sends them into the depths of the sea,' (Micah vii. 19,) where surely they might be sought for in vain; but the meaning goes still further, for thereby I understand that they are washed away in the blood of my Redeemer, no more to rise in judgment against me.

"Such, my friends," continued the pastor, "is the vast, comprehensive meaning of Peter's words, a confession which he was enabled to make for himself and brethren, through the gracious influences of the Holy Spirit. But though, as I said before, such was its meaning, Peter at this time had no idea of its full extent. He did not understand the doctrine of the atonement, as we shall soon perceive; he knew little or nothing of the evil of his own heart; he continually forgot himself, and the impetuosity of his character was being perpetually exhibited, while the fearful sins he fell into a short time afterwards call forth our sorrow and dismay; at the same time, the pardon he received from his gracious, insulted Master excites our wonder and increases our love to him, and distrust of ourselves. 'And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' (Verse 17.) Our Lord, in reply to Peter's confession, said, 'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona,'-or Simon, the son of Jona; thus reminding him of his origin, that he might be sensible of the mercy that called him, and made him to differ from his parents and kindred. And is it not well for us, also, to dwell upon the same subject? for us to 'look unto the rock whence we are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence we are digged?'" (Isa. li. 1.)

"What is your meaning, sir?" said Hyford; "I cannot follow you here. From what rock was I hewn, for in

stance; and out of what pit was I taken? sir," added he; "but I never listen for myself."

Forgive me,

any one but

"So much the better, my friend,” replied Mr. C———. "I wish every one would follow your example, and then we should more frequently see a blessing attend our labours. It is the duty of the Christian minister and teacher, continually to remind his people of their origin, as lost, degraded and polluted by sin; to teach them to contemplate the natural hardness of their heart, which in the Bible is compared to a 'stone,' a 'nether mill-stone,' ' adamant,' as expressive of the impossibility of making any impression, and of the stubbornness of the natural heart, which is enmity against God.'"

"True enough," said the farmer; "and this was the character of my heart, for many years; I now see the kind of quarry I came from, and the deep pit of guilt and pollution I was drawn from. I required strong cords to pull me out, dear sir," added the old man, with his eyes full of tears; "but they never broke or let me go, for they were twisted by the love of my God and Saviour, and never loosed their hold until they had tied me firmly to himself."

"Nor even then,” replied Mr. C―; "for the cord of love that drew you at the first, must still be entwined around you, leading you onward, step by step, through all the devious windings of your pilgrimage, across the deep river of death, and even to the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem."

"Dear, dear," said Hyford, "what a mistake I made to snap short my precious cord, and fancy I could go on without it! No, sir, the same love which plucked me out of the pit at first, must and will be with me to the end, for I know he will never leave me nor forsake me. But what next did he say to Peter, sir?"

"Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven;' and how true it is," added Mr. C- - "No human teaching, no depth of learning, no mental research, no earthly wisdom, can cause a man to know Jesus, who is made unto the believer wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' (1 Cor. i. 30.) No; this is the immediate office of the Lord the Spirit, his own sacred prerogative, imparted to none besides; for while the heavenly Father says of a wandering sinner, 'I have seen his ways, and behold they are perverse and vile before me;' and the loving Saviour adds, 'I will heal him, yea, wash.