The sinner hears, and gives cre

triad constitutes its efficient cause. | instrument of salvation; "by grace Truth is indeed the mother of Faith. are ye saved through Faith." Hope assists in its creation, by its expectations and desires; Love nour-dence to the Faith of God; the ter ishes and reconciles, and thus con- rors of the Almighty take fast hold tributes to lay a foundation for upon him; his sins weigh him down Faith. to the dust; but hark! the voice of heavenly love is heard proclaiming, "Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." He looks upward; Hope springs up; he ventures on the Redeemer, "who justifies the ungodly;" his faith has saved him. It is counted to him for righteousness, and being justified by it, he has peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

True faith, as represented in the Scriptures, is always connected with a "good hope through grace." The truths of God's Word form the only proper objects for its exercise. Without Love there can be no good works, and "without works faith is dead." Christian Faith, as described above, is distinguished from the faith of devils, who are said to "believe and tremble" because they have no hope; and from the faith of wicked men, who "love not the Lord Jesus Christ," and who are consequently "accursed;" and from the faith of the carnal professor, who has sold the truth and has pleasure in unrighteousness.

The proper use of faith is to bring us to God, to enable us to obtain the promises contained in the word or truth of God. If Christ had not been moved by love, he would not have suffered; if he had not suffered, we should have had no promise of pardon; if we had no promises, we should have no hope; if we have no hope, we shall have no saving faith in the mercy of God. Christ is set forth a refuge for sinners; he saves all who flee for refuge to the hope set before them; but those only who believe in him, flee to him. Faith, then, is an

A celebrated divine once gave his little child an illustration of the nature of Faith in the following manner: The child had a beautiful string of beads, with which she was much delighted. Her father spoke to her, say.ng, "Come, my child, throw those beautiful beads into the fire, and I will, in the course of a few days, give you something far more beautiful and valuable." The child looked up into the face of her father with astonishment; after looking for a time, and seeing he was in earnest, she cast her beautiful toys into the fire, and then burst into tears! Here was Faith. The child believed her father spoke the truth; she expected, or had a hope, he would fulfill his promises; and confiding in his Love, she was will ing to obey him, though it cost her tears.

THE WAY OF HOLINESS.

And an highway shall be there, and a way; and it shall be called
The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. Isa.
xxxv: 8.

shall not err therein." The Pilgrim the only proper model for study and

pursuing his journey, with his garments unsullied and untorn, denotes the Christian "walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." "The fine linen, clean and white, is the righteousness of the saints." The man among the swine signifies an Apostate from God and Holiness; he has "left off to do good;" the love of the world has again taken possession of him; "he has turned as the dog to his vomit again, and as the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."

imitation; therefore, of the man of Holiness it is said, "The law of God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide." And hence it is written, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." Hence we may learn that the subject is one of great importance, since whatever we may possess beside, without holiness, no one shall see the Lord; it is the wedding-garment which renders the guest welcome at the marriage supper of the Lamb; it is the fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints. Thus it signifies a prep

Holiness in man consists in obedi-aration for eternal glory. ence to the divine commands-in loving God supremely-in loving our neighbor as ourselves. Man, by nature and by practice, is sinful, and sin is superlatively selfish. A selfishness pervades the heart, which is enmity against God. It is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, consequently the love of God dwelleth not in the selfish heart.

Selfishness is the prolific source of every vice, giving birth to oppression, falsehood, injustice, and covetousness, producing outbreaks of the basest passions, such as envy, wrath, malice, pride, revenge, which end in crimes of deepest guilt.

On the other hand, Holiness is boundlessly benevolent; it embraces God, it embraces the world. It gives to God the sincere worship of an undivided heart.

It gives to man the generous activities of a useful life. The man of holiness is the almoner of a world. The Law of Jehovah is the proper standard of holiness; the Almighty himself

Holiness and happiness are divine sisters; twins, always seen together. God has stamped the seal of his ap probation on every thing approaching to innocence and purity; it is seen in nature-the roar of the lion, the fierce howling of the wolf is the language of disquietude and of blood, striking terror into the boldest heart; while the cooing of the turtle-dove, the bleat ing of the fleecy lamb, speak the lan guage of innocence and peace. We may visit the mansions of the rich, the castles of the powerful, or the palaces of kings, yet if holiness be wanting, in vain do we search for happiness. It is not there.

We may visit the abodes of the poor, the cottage of the afflicted, the hovel of the dying. If we find the inmates in possession of holiness, there also we find happiness; poverty does not expel her, affliction does not drive her away, death even can not pronounce a divorce; united are they in life, undivided in death, inseparable to all eternity.

We have also a more sure word of prophecy. 2 Pet. i: 9.

Look where the impartial balance hangs on high,
The Almighty's word against weak man's to try;
Huge folios rare, and many a bulky bale,
Are brought, and laid upon the even scale:
Of "Council's" records many a tome is sent,
From the great Nicean, down to that of Trent;
"Creeds," "isms," creatures of the human thought,

Ancient and modern, are together brought;
And "Fathers" numerous, a learned line
From Pseudo-Barnabas to Augustine;
The Bible now, of Protestants the pride,
Is placed alone upon the other side:
Creeds, Councils, Fathers, isms, twenty ream,
Fly up like chaff, and straightway kick the beam.

A pair of scales are shown of equal | downward. Then there are Creeds balance, one side of which is loaded without number, both of ancient and with books, packages, and parchments. Here are the minutes of eighteen general councils, beginning with that held in Nice, in the year of our Lord 325, and ending with that of Trent, which began in the year 1545, and closed in 1563, with many others. There are also the writings of the "Fathers," from those ascribed to Barnabas, but considered spurious,

modern date; next follow the various isms of the day, that set themselves up against the Word of God. These are all placed on one scale; the Bible is now brought and placed on the other, when, lo! "Creeds, Councils, Fathers, and isms" are but as the dust of the balance. Lighter than vanity, they fly up and kick the beam; one Bible outweighs them all.

This emblem is designed to show those who have established human the authority of the Bible over the opinions in opposition to the Word doctrines and commandments of men. of God; witness the Jews, who, since When the lion roars, the beasts of the the fatal overthrow of their city, have forests keep silence; when Jehovah been vagabonds over all the face of speaks, the inhabitants of the world the earth. Witness the poverty, igought to stand in awe. During the norance, and misery of those parts of space of fifteen hundred years, God the world where human creeds preuttered his voice in the ears of the vail, and where the Bible is rejected; children of men. He has declared yea, witness in the case of every man his will, and sanctioned such revela- who substitutes his will for God's. tion by the repeated manifestations To the law and to the testimony, if of his almighty power. He employed they speak not according to this word, holy men as the authorized recorders it is because there is no light in of his laws, and closed the whole with the denouncement of a curse against all who should add to or diminish

therefrom.

Notwithstanding this, there have been men in all ages who have set up their will against that of the great Jehovah. They have made a record of the same, forbidding what God has commanded, and ordaining what God has prohibited. Thus, by their traditions, they make void the laws of the Eternal. What folly is this! what blasphemy! what rebellion! The words of the Lord are tried, pure, and everlasting; those of men are shortweight, corrupt, and are passing away. By the laws of God, not by the opinious of men, we shall be judged at the last day.

Terribly has the curse fallen upon

them.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,_for instruction in righteousness. 2 Tim. : 16.

29.

Search the Scriptures. Matt. xxii:

We thank God without ceasing, because when we received the Word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is of truth, the Word of God. 1 Thess. : 13.

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it. Deut. iv: 2.

If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. Rev. xxi: 18.