lar exercises, and the positive enjoy- ' attitude of humility and faith, which

ments of religion, are to them an end of itself. They are pleased with the excitement; they are gratified by the spirit of devotional pleasure which is produced by natural feeling, by their engaging in religious exercises, and they make that an end which is only a means; and they are satisfied with the mental excitement of appearing to come to GOD, when they never, in effect come to him, as the great end, to which these means are to lead. There are many persons dreaming away life in fanaticism and enthusiasm, like those who are indulging in this sort of spiritual luxury, not properly regarding Him to whom they are approaching. Thus, I say, these persons whatever they may profess, are not acting on the principles of their declaration.

And now, to conclude these observations: How is it with us, brethren? How is it with you and with me? Examine yourselves as to your faith. What is your belief upon this point? Do you think that the Bible goes too far in what it says about human depravity, and about our lost condition? Do you think the Bible goes too far in saying that you cannot save yourselves, that you cannot go into the presence of GoD by yourselves, that you must be introduced? That is the instruction of the Bible. Do you think it goes too far in stripping you of your claims to God's regards, and stating that you must be accepted in virtue of the work of another? Have you doubts about that being rather too bad? Your doubts cannot alter the truth it is God's truth to humble us, and to bring us to his footstool in the

must be experienced and manifested by us. Well, then, do you believe that error? Is your faith firm in all the truths contained in scripture connected with our condition? Then what is your feeling with respect to this? What is the faith of your heart as to this truth, which has got a footing in your intellect? Supposing you admit the reality of all these thingsthat all this is true with respect to human nature and the importance of the Messiah?-then how does all this affect you? Has it ever led you to GoD with repentance and faith? Have you ever gone upon the business-the express and specific business for which you ought to go? And have you succeeded, and are you living in the enjoyment of that success?—rejoicing that you are justified by faith

rejoicing in the hope of the glory of GOD? Then you may go on to increase under the influence of all this in the paths of happiness and in the paths of holiness. And I would have you to conclude the meditation by asking yourselves whether you are in the habit of indulging spiritual meditation in the contemplation of that state in which you shall see GOD, and behold that Mediator in whom you now believe, and partake of the perfection of the happiness which, in a certain degree, you have received already?

These are a few thoughts suggested by this passage, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. I commend them, with the blessing of GoD, unto your attention, and to his name shall be the praise for ever. Amen.

A Sermon,

DELIVERED BY THE REV. T. ADKINS,

OF SOUTHAMPTON.

Rev. v. 12, 13.—" Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom and honour, and glory, and blessing."

by its grandeur, allures us by its beauty. May the sacred Spirit condescend to dictate to my understanding and to your hearts, that while we meditate on this subject, we may gain materials for the information of the one and for the benefit of the other.

The subject requires no ingenuity of division: the plan which I have proposed is,

I. TO MEDITATE ON THE CHARACTER
OF CHRIST AS THE LAMB.

II. TO VIEW HIS DEATH.
III. TO CELEBRATE HIS PRAISE.
First, we are ΤΟ CONTEMPLATE
CHRIST AS HE IS REPRESENTED UNDER
THE CHARACTER OF A LAMB.

MAN is an ambitious creature, and | sublime, and while it overwhelms us a desire of obtaining some species of excellence is deeply inwrought into the very temper of the human mind. But the path to excellence is of steep ascent; and the cultivation of one part of our nature is often made at the expense of another, and an universal genius is seldom presented to the view of the world. In taking our estimate of human nature, we frequently discover that those who most excite our admiration by the gifts of their intellect, awaken our disgust by the degeneracy of their hearts. Disappointed in our search after excellence on earth, let us direct our attention to heaven to aid us in our search. The sacred Spirit draws aside the veil that hides eternity from mortal view, and presents to our attention one in whom all imaginable | virtues concentrate and shine, and who at once, by his ineffable grandeur, must command our homage, and, by his unspeakable tenderness, must awaken our love. Listen, brethren, -what sounds are those which this morning with so unearthly a nature burst upon our ears? It is the song of angels, and it is of Jesus that they sing. Oh that the employment of heaven may become, for a short period, the employment of earth; and in the temple not made with hands, and in this clay-built sanctuary, may the song be heard, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain!"

To aid our conceptions of the varied excellencies of the Saviour, the inspired writers lay under requisition all the choicest productions of nature and all the inventions of art, and combining these, they endeavour, through the media of our fancy and feeling, to instruct our judgment and improve our minds. All images of worth are, in one part of the sacred scriptures or another, employed by these inspired writers to delineate the character of Christ :-the Rose of Sharon-the Lily of the valley-the Root and Offspring of David-the bright and morning star. But oh, all nature fails to represent his worth: the stars hide their diminished heads before the lustre of this Morning Star -the sun itself hath no glories com

The subject is as attractive as it is pared with this cloudless Sun of

Righteousness-the beauties of nature | from heaven to avenge the insult, and bend low before this Rose of Sharon, to punish the impious wretch? Ah! and "nature, to make his glories known, must mingle tongues not her own." And yet, methinks, there is no one image so frequently employed as that in the words of the text: "Behold," said the precursor of the Messiah, "the Lamb of GOD which taketh away the sin of the world." The apostle Peter speaks of him as "the Lamb without blemish and without spot."

Here let us compare the image and the original. The lamb is an appropriate symbol of innocence and meekness, apparently as unable as unwilling to resist any injuries that may be inflicted: it bears them with a meekness and passiveness which have won for it the image we have employed. But view for a moment this symbol as illustrating the excellencies of Jesus. Never were the lamb-like virtues brought to so severe a test, and never were they so strikingly portrayed. A recluse in his cell may reason justly on the duties of forbearance and forgiveness, but it is difficult to carry into practice the dictates of sober solitude: yet Jesus gave not only the theory but the practice of every possible virtue. He chose, as a test of his excellencies, twelve disciples to be witnesses of his life and heralds of his death. Of these one denied him, another betrayed him -and they all forsook him and fled. His motives were questioned- his character traduced—his miracles assigned to diabolical influence-he was persecuted even unto the death-nor did they cease till they had pierced with a spear that heart which had never beaten but with benignity and love. "He was led as a lamb to the slaughter." See that brutal officer taking advantage of his defenceless situation to smite him with the palms of his hands-and shall not fire descend

brethren, we know not what spirit we
are of. How different was the dis-
position that dictated the reply; "If
I have spoken evil, bear witness of
the evil: but if well why smitest thou
me?"
Go to the cross of Calvary-
see there the heartless multitude.
Hear ye not that fiendish cry, “Thou
that savest others save thyself?"-
and will he not call down from hea-
ven twelve legions of angels to crush
instantaneously beneath the weight of
his power, those insects of existence
that rise against him? Behold the
lamb-like virtues of the Son of GOD:
his last breath was expended in prayer
for them, and he gave vent to the
feelings of compassion, and to the ago-
nies of the moment, in these words-
"Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do." Adorable Lamb
of GOD! may we follow thee, though
at an infinite distance, in those steps
thou hast honoured by thine example.
Whilst thou art a Lamb to forgive
and to suffer, may we not be spoilers
nor tigers of the flock. May we bless
them that curse us, and pray for them
that despitefully use us. And if there
be any contest, may it be the heroic
effort to overcome evil by the diffusion
of good.

II. MEDITATE ON THE DEATH OF CHRIST. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." Let us view this part of the subject in the following order.

First, He was slain decretively in the purposes of Jehovah. To the allcomprehensive mind of the Deity the future lies clearly known, and he saw even before the creation of man, his disgrace and fatal fall; though his prescience had no influence on the moral mind of man: for the prescience of the Deity and the accountableness of man are perfectly harmonious,

(To be continued.)

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of the Deity: whereas the very opposite is the case. The love of God was the fountain from whence the satisfaction of Christ took its rise; and that sacrifice became an honourable medium through which mercy, without money and without price, might descend to the vilest of the vile.

Secondly, He was slain emblematically by the sacrifices under the Levitical dispensation. It would have been incompatible with the wisdom of the Deity, to have allowed those who lived prior to the incarnation, to have been ignorant of that event; or that that event should burst at once upon the world like the sudden appearance of a meteor in a stormy sky. To enlighten the minds of those who lived previous to the coming of Christ-to usher in, by a successive develope

though the reconciliation may not be | view it as the purchase of the favour clearly discerned by us. That which his eye foresaw, his compassion determined to counteract; and hence, he appointed his Son to be the substitute of man. He determined to raise a new spiritual empire reflecting his glories and resounding his praise; and as the only way by which this could be effected, he gave that Son to take upon him our nature, to suffer, to bleed, and to die. Without arguing the point whether any other would have been available, we maintain that if it could, the Deity would never have given up his Son to suffer and to die. We assert therefore, that Christ was appointed to be slain in the annals of eternity. Every part of the undertaking, from the cradle to the cross-from the incarnation to the ascension was arranged according to the council of that mind whichment, the God-like scheme of recannot err. Especially does this apply to the very fact of his death. "Him being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of GOD, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain." And on this principle it is the Apostle speaks of him as "the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world."

This part of our subject may serve to correct an error into which individuals are disposed to fall with reference to the atonement of Christ, who VOL. V.

demption-GoD appointed sacrifices to be offered; between which and the victim they represented, there is so striking an agreement that if Scripture were silent on the subject, reason would discover that the one was an emblem of the other. Some, referring to the origin of sacrifices, tell us they arose in priestcraft. I would ask these sagacious expositors, Who were the priests in the days of Cain and Abel when sacrifices were offered; and what priestcraft could

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