the agonies, that he underwent for a disobedient race; he could preach to people, who had seen the fulfilment of these things, who thus were eye-witnesses of his veracity. Unlike Noah, who was also a preacher of righteousness, he could appeal to things, that had taken place; Noah could only prophesy, that such things, at some future time, would be accomplished; but St. Paul could remind those, whom he addressed, that the great work had been done, that sin had been atoned for, that the grave had been conquered, and that the victory was fraught with blessings to all generations. It was then, by what God had done for us sinners, it was by what Christ had suffered, that he exhorted the Romans to present their bodies a living sacrifice. "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice" a living sacrifice" in opposition to legal sacrifices, which were first slain, and then offered up to God upon the altar.

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Under the old dispensation God was pleased to accept the sacrifice of some

living animal vicariously for the sins of the people. But when the time was fully come, he sent his Son, as the great sacrifice for sin. "Without blood there is no remission of sin.' The sin of the forefather was so great, that God required a great sacrifice to make an atonement for it. He required the life. The Son of God laid down his life for the sins of the people-he shed his blood upon the cross, and thus obtained remission of sin— so that now there is no condemnation to them, that believe-Jesus Christ hath removed the deadness, that was in the creature, and hath substituted for it life and immortality. All, that was dead, is now alive. We were dead in trespasses and sin, but now are we alive in Christ Jesus our Lord. "As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive." An active principle is at work in the believer, calling forth the affections of the soul, and fixing them upon the Saviour in return for all that he hath done and suffered for guilty man. Before, where all was dead and motionless, now in the believer all is energy,

and zeal, and love. Christ is dwelling in the creature, he in us and we in him, and thus can we appreciate the full meaning of the Apostle, when he beseeches us to present our bodies a living sacrifice. We are to present them with Christ dwelling in us, not with the dead nature, but with the life-the life which is in Jesus, which vivifies and makes these mortal bodies temples of the Holy Ghost. I beseech you, brethren, by the compassion of God, by the grace of God, by the mercies of God, and by all that God hath done for you, to present your bodies a living sacrifice. There is indeed an almost irresistible demand upon us, to estrange ourselves from the objects of this world, and to fix our affections upon the world to come-to present our bodies to the Lord, with the new life glowing in us-with the Adamite nature subdued, with all that was base, and sordid, and carnal extinguished-with the love of God, as the indwelling affection of the soul; -we say, that there is a demand upon us to present our bodies a living sacrifice,

which only the wicked and heedless man can resist.

We bid you look upon our Saviour on the cross, to see what he hath done, and what he hath suffered :-we bid you mark how the love of God hath visited the heart of the poorest amongst us, by bringing about the great work of salvation-by restoring to man all that man had lost-by throwing open the kingdom of heaven to all those, who die blessed in the Lord; and by erecting an altar, around which the weary traveller can lay his burden and find rest. We bid you open the sacred page to see all that God hath done for us, and all that Christ hath suffered. Yet over that fulness of beatitude, which is reserved for us, a veil is hung, which human eye and human imagination cannot pierce; which shall be drawn aside, when this corruptible shall put on incorruption;-and when the obscurity of mortal intellect is removed, we shall see things as they really areeven those good things, which God has prepared for those who love him. We

bid you then pray for the Spirit of God, to remove the dark film, that you may see with the eye of perfect faith the great glory and mercy of Jehovah in concentrating his love on the creature. There is a manifestation of power, which belongs only to Deity--there is an effusion of love, which could only proceed from the Almighty-there are works of compassion, of which only Jehovah could be capable— there is a great and marvellous scheme of salvation, which could only be accomplished by the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross-there is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, after the Son had ascended to the Father of all which an account is to be found in the sacred volume. By all that it contains therefore," by the mercies of God, I beseech you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." The exhortation of St. Paul is, that we present our bodies a living sacrifice. Now a sacrifice generally conveys to the mind the idea of death, but the Saviour hath died, and died to atone for sin. What sacrifice then can the