How varied the answers, even amongst profeffed Christians, to the question, “ What think ye of Chrift?" Some, it is to be feared, rarely think of Him at all. He is banished from their thoughts and love, as if He had never died in their behalf; others have totally indiftinct thoughts of His perfon, character, and office. As God, we ought to regard Jefus Chrift as worthy of all our worship and honour. Nor lefs fo in His mediatorial character as the Sacrifice; for as fuch He is celebrated by the heavenly hoft, "Worthy is the Lamb that was flain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and bleffing."

The true Chriftian may regard his Lord, in His human nature, as condefcending to share all his infirmities as ready to fym

"in

pathise in all his afflictions" in all things

tempted like as we are, yet without fin "—

as exhibiting in His character all tenderness,

all love a readiness of access, which re

pels none-a fulness of mercy, which disappoints none- riches of goodness, which fend none empty away. We fhould think

of Him as the rifen Head of the Churchas the Bridegroom of His fpiritual Bride— as absent indeed—as having gone to receive a kingdom and to return; but ftill as watching over every affliction, every toffing tempeft which affails His beloved. He is the friend of forlorn finners. If out of the depths of fin and guilt they cry unto Him, He pities and forgives. Indeed, honour and glory accrue to Him by the pardon of every penitent finner. We fhould think of Him as looking forward to that time which is yet to come, when, as we pray in His own. prayer, His kingdom fhall be come-when all the kingdoms of the world fhall be reftored to their rightful Ruler and Lord

when the earth fhall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the fea-when He shall poffefs the heathen for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His poffeffion-when He fhall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerufalem, and before His ancients gloriously. And, dear brethren, when the thoughtful mind is perplexed at the difcord which prevails where love and oneness should rule, we should remember that, as mourning the abfence of its Lord, the Church cannot but be afflicted, though ftill not caft down. The eye of faith fhould gaze forward in humble longing for brighter days. It should not be dazzled by what presents an appearance only of the future glory of the Church -not captivated by that Babylon which faith in her heart, "I fit a queen, and am no widow, and fhall fee no forrow." "Her plagues," brethren, "come in one

day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for ftrong is the Lord God who judgeth her." (Rev. xviii. 7, 8.) Instead of entering her precincts, the Lord's true fervants fhould obey the call, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her plagues." Keeping ourselves lowly, in reverent trust in our all-fufficient Redeemer, we turn a deaf ear to the blandishment, to the sensuous allurement, which beguiles and bewitches the unwary; and, taking heedful warning by the fall of others, fhould prayerfully and watchfully guard our footsteps from the attractive approach to a deceptive path, fhunning even the first outset in doctrines which naturally, honestly, and confiftently lead their teachers to precisely that refult which, at the firft, they only dreaded, and in imagination, at least, opposed. Let us cleave to our great High Priest, “a

Prieft for ever, after the order of Melchizedec," who hath entered into the holiest for us; who, after He had offered one facrifice for fins for ever, fat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expecting till His enemies be made His footstool." The teft of being Christ's friends is, that we do whatsoever He commanded us; the result is, to enter into His glory. "Me the world hateth," faith Christ. To be of the world is to hate Chrift. To hate Him is to be His enemy. To be His enemy is to be swept away, paft recovery, by the blasting of the breath of His displeasure.

Finally, what think ye, brethren - what know ye, of Chrift? Is He your Redeemer

friend

-your all? Do you

know

your Him to be fuch, and value, and love Him accordingly? Theory is of no use. Have you made, each one, perfonal appli

cation to Him? To be anything, He