place, to consider in what consists the fellowship which Christians have with the Father and his Son, and with each other.

II. Here, my brethren, we approach a subject calculated to fill the soul with wonder and joy. Here, too, we may well feel the darkness of our minds, and realize the narrowness of the circle which confines the extent of our moral vision. Here reason fails, and faith, "which is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen," asserts her undivided empire in the heart. Recal to your minds the emphatical words of our Saviour, in his prayer for all his disciples," that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us," "that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one." What a stupendous thought! The infinite, the eternal, the incomprehensible Jehovah, the high and holy One that inhabiteth the praises of eternity, and his Son, "who is the brightness of the Father's glory, and the express image of his person," condescend to unite themselves with every believer in Jesus. Man is admitted to communion with his Maker. By faith in Christ, "he is joined unto the Lord, and is one spirit with him."

The precise nature of this oneness, which Christians enjoy with their God and Saviour, "it hath not entered into the heart of man to conceive." It is, however, most real, intimate, imperishable, endearing. To

say, that it involves no mystery, is to oppose the direct testimony of Scripture; and to reject this truth, because it is mysterious, is as absurd as to deny that "in God we live, and move, and have our being," because we do not perceive, and cannot comprehend, the mode of our existence in him. We should, indeed, be careful, on the one hand, not to run into unnecessary mysticism and obscurity, in contemplating religious truth; yet we should as cautiously avoid, on the other, the unhallowed boldness of a rash spirit of inquiry, which will not deign to own that it now sees but "through a glass darkly;" which pretends to draw aside the veil that conceals the hidden things of God from our view, and already to walk in the brightness of that future world of light, whose inhabitants will know even as they are known. Let not such, my brethren, be the presumptuous character of our speculations. Let us remember, that here "we walk by faith and not by sight." Let us rejoice in the consoling truth, that all the sincere disciples of Jesus have fellowship with each other, and with the Father and with his Son, although the nature of this communion may be too deep a subject for our limited understandings to fathom. And let it be one excitement to our Christian progress-a star like that of Bethlehem, to direct and animate our steps toward heaven-that there, these clouds of obscurity will be for ever dissipated, and a clear light be shed on the present mysteries of providence and grace. Said our Sav

iour to his disciples, "In that day," referring to the day of resurrection, "ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." Still it may be profitable to push our inquiries a little farther into this interesting subject, which we may do safely if we take for our guide the word of God. There, is disclosed to us the important truth, that "hereby do believers know that they dwell in God, and he in them, because he hath given them of his Spirit." By this Spirit they are all created anew in Christ Jesus, and are made partakers of the Divine nature. And this nature is love. "God is Love: and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him." Here, then, is no room left for doubt or mistake. Communion with God, although inexplicable in its nature, discovers the reality of its existence by its effect. This effect is a holy love occupying the heart and regulating all its affections and desires. It is opposed to that selfishness which is the natural growth of the human heart, which seeks the gratification of its own sinful propensities and desires at the expense of the happiness of others, and in direct repugnance to the best good of all the intelligent creation. It holds no fellowship with those who make the enjoyments of this vain and transitory world, its riches, its honours, and its pleasures their chief good. On the contrary, this divine love, which constitutes the oneness of the Christian character, and forms the bond of union between Jehovah and all holy beings, is directed to Him

as alone able to satisfy its boundless desires. It delights to dwell on his character as displayed in the works of creation, of providence and redemption. It is filled with awe of his power and majesty, with admiration of his wisdom, with humility in contemplating his purity, with dread of his justice, and with gratitude for his mercy.→→→ It rejoices in submission to his will. It relies with confidence on his strength. It trusts implicitly in his promises. It longs to be made the humble, yet cheerful instrument of carrying into effect, within its own limited sphere of action, his wise and benevolent purposes. The believer, under the influence of this divine love, often soars to Heaven on the wings of devout meditation, and becomes swallowed up in the view of the riches of the goodness of God, through a crucified Saviour. He is lost in holy admi ration of the wisdom which devised, and the benevolence which executed, the wonderful plan of Redemption. He remembers, too, at what price he was bought, and by whom it was paid. Jesus appears to him "the chief among ten thousand, and altogether lovely." Christ dwells in his heart by faith; and being thus rooted and grounded in love, his unceasing prayer and endeavour is to be enabled" to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that he may be filled with all the fulness of God."

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The same love which thus directs the affections of the believer to his God and Saviour, enkindles them also with good will and charity toward his fellow-men. He forgets not the declaration of the Apostle, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen ?" "If we love one anothGod dwelleth in us." The believer, therefore, is careful to "put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering." And these dispositions towards his fellow-men, and especially towards those who are of the household of faith, he manifests by assiduously and affectionately endeavouring to promote their best interests, both spiritual and temporal. He "visits the widows and the fatherless in their afflictions." He feeds the hungry, and clothes the naked. Above all, he is anxious to administer the bread of life to those who are ready to perish. How does he long that all men should "taste and see that the Lord is gracious!" How would he persuade those "who labour and are heavy laden," who are sick of the vanities and delusive pleasures of this world, and burdened with a sense of their guilt, to resort to Jesus Christ, and "find rest unto their souls!" And while he sees how many neglect the invitation of the Gospel, and reject that Saviour whose blood was poured out to procure remission of sins, and the hope of pardon and reconciliation to God for our miserable race, how