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us be content with any system which does not give us the blessed experience of "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost."

Can we owe all

Notice also THE EFFECT OF OBTAINING THESE BLESSINGS. They have an assimilating power. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children. Oh, what bliss, what glory for a poor fallen sinner to be raised from the dust, to be changed and renewed in the beauty of the Lord! God is light, and God is love. Oh, what glory to be full of light, and full of love! our hopes of salvation, all the joys of immortal bliss, to the free unmerited grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not show grace to others? Impossible. Can we delight in the love of God, and rejoice in his favour, and yet be selfish, cold, and hard-hearted to others? Impossible. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. Can we be partakers of the Holy Spirit's communion, have we the mind of the Spirit, do we know the love of the Spirit? and yet do we not long to spread the knowledge of that love to others? Impossible. Love is ever diffusive. Each Christian must be a vessel of mercy to others; they must be as lights shining in a dark place, as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life. Yes! If full of love ourselves, we must show love to others. Oh that each person who reads these lines may take to others a rich blessing! May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy

also may

Ghost, be with all his people, to bear them among their fellow-men. May you carry these blessings far and wide, into your families-into every circle, into every place. May you take the savour of them wherever you go. This glorious blessing was not confined to the Apostolic age, it is for all, for high and low, rich and poor all may be endowed with it, and so be enriched with better blessings than any that this world's wealth can procure. The promises are as fresh now as in the day when first given, in their power to bless. They never fail. All who partake of them diminish not aught from them; yea, the more there are that partake of them, the more joy increases. That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye have fellowship with us, that your joy may be full. It does not take from the warmth of the sun that it shines on all regions, and crowns all lands with its blessing; so neither does the fulness of the blessing treasured up in Christ, lose any of its fulness, by all partaking of it. Kindle your lights at this flame, and then seek to be the bearers more and more to others of the same joy; and light and love will spread till they fill our earth while we ourselves are rejoicing in them; we shall increasingly be a blessing to our homes, our families, and our friends. Carry them also to your bitterest enemies-to those who most oppose you, meet them with this Divine atmosphere around you, and bless them also. It is not Episcopacy, it is not Presbyterianism, it is not Congregationalism,

that is essential, and indispensable. It is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost-this is essential, this is indispensable. It is my hearty prayer for all my brethren in the ministry of every name who preach the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only Saviour, that they may more and more shine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life.

These are the blessings which Christians should communicate to all around them. I remember well at the close of the year 1815, when about to embark at Portsmouth on a visit to the Missions of the Church Missionary Society in Africa, a dear minister and brother wished me, before going, to visit a venerable Christian near at hand, who was lying on his death-bed. I went, and told him I was going among the benighted Africans, and asked him, what message I should take to them. "Take," he answered, "the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, and you will take a full blessing.”

May we go forth with such a blessing, and send it throughout the world. Let us strengthen each other by standing firm in gospel truth. Shew forth his salvation from day to day; be full of love to all men. Give God the glory due unto his name. Honour the testimony of Jesus, the free salvation wrought out upon the cross. Great and effectual doors are opened.

The removing of obstacles is unprecedented,―the advancement of science wonderful,—and steam-navigation

and railways, and the increase of our empire, have opened the whole world to British Christians. How needful, then, is it for us to rise to this glorious work with all our hearts and souls, and to use all the means which God has given us, and to make sacrifices in this blessed cause. We possess the only true light in a world full of darkness; we know the only peaceful voice in the midst of the tumults and agitations which disquiet the nations. How guilty then are we, if we do not tell to others of the Saviour whom we have found, if we communicate not to others the benefits which we have received!

CHAP. III.

THE MAGNIFICENT SEED-TIME FOR THE FUTURE.

We have now seen how Christians are blessed of God with the grace of our Lord, and the love of the Father, and the fellowship of the Spirit, to communicate blessings to others. All these privileges are not bestowed upon them in partiality: or for mere selfish enjoyment. All this is not that they may be isolated beings, glorying in their privileges, and regardless of others, but it is that they may be endowed with beneficent feelings, capacities, and powers, which will make them a full blessing to others.

The doctrine of our free salvation by the grace of Christ, received into the heart through faith, and experienced in the soul, is the only sure spring of streams of blessings to flow from us to our fellow-men. It is after the most glowing description of our salvation by grace, that the Apostle says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained, that we should walk in them. Here we see the truly scriptural and solid foundation for our being fruitful in good works; the doctrine of a free salvation and the new creating power of God in Christ Jesus.

But, besides this, the light of prophecy quickens us with the hope of future reward. Let us not forget the practical improvement which our Lord himself makes of his return in the parables of the faithful and evil servant; the ten virgins; the talents and the account of the last judgment. Matt. xxiv., xxv. We shall thus see many quickening and encouraging motives to good works in the doctrine of the pre-millennial and speedy Advent of our Lord. If this doctrine were fully received into the hearts of Christians, all our charities would speedily experience the blessing of its enlarging power on our hearts.

It may be well here, however, to notice more distinctly that real secret of all the labours of TRUE CHRISTIANS, that we ARE THE WORKMANSHIP OF GOD CREATED IN CHRIST UNTO GOOD WORKS. It is a beautiful, most instructive and encouraging view of our real situation.

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