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Christ, the most amazing demonstration of love to sinners, the wonderful means of reconciliation and intercourse between God and his rebellious subjects, Luke ii. 14. He gives thanks to God for interesting him in Jesus Christ, for qualifying him to do all things unto the Father by Jesus Christ, and for accepting and even rewarding him for such services, 1 Pet. ii. 9. He gives thanks to God for rendering the services required, and the means of performing them by Jesus Christ, pleasant to a taste once thoroughly corrupt, improving to a renewed but not perfected creature, and preparatory for the nobler exercises and enjoyments of heaven, Col. i. 12. He gives thanks to God, even the Father, by the Lord Jesus Christ, for marvellously bringing glory out of the moral darkness, for bringing holiness and bliss out of the moral transgression and wretchedness man had by sin introduced into the world, Rom. v. 15-17.

I can only suggest the heads of the Christian's thanksgiving as he doeth all things to the Father by Christ through life. Life would not illustrate the subject; eternity will be unequal to it; the tongues of glorified spirits and of angels will come infinitely short of its excellence and sublimity. But I trust not a few are inclined to adopt the language of the grateful apostle, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ." I trust many form the resolution of the

Psalmist, "while I live I will praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God, while I have any being."

How precious is this text! Let us all examine ourselves by it. I have seen it convince the deistical, who imagined they had served their Maker suitably, of ungodliness, the Christian in name only, of formality, those resting in the good things of a prosperous life, of unthankfulness to the Father of mercies, and on the bed of death awaken a desire of that salvation from sin as well as from misery, which the Lord Jesus alone can give.

Let us all examine ourselves by the text. I have seen it clear up the doubts of the fearful Christian as to his state, lift up the head of those bowed down, and fill the mouth of the sorrowful with heart-cheering thanksgiving.

Let us all examine ourselves by this text. I have seen it show the Christian the defects of devotedness to God, of faith in Christ Jesus, and of gratitude for innumerable and precious blessings; and humble, and quicken, and invigorate, to prosecute the perfection of holiness.

Let us all carry the text about with us as our rule of life, and carefully apply it to our thoughts, and words, and actions. Let us never rest till our end is undeniably God, till our means of living to God is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and till our prevailing temper is thankfulness.

SERMON XXI.

JOHN xvi. 15.-" He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you."

IN these words of our Lord addressed to his disciples he sets forth the respective offices of the three persons in the Godhead in the economy of grace. "The things of Christ," which he calls " mine," are the truths of the new covenant, essential to salvation, of which he is the substance, treasure, and dispenser, they are also " the things of the Father," not excluding the Son and the Spirit of one essence, with whom they originated, and according to the counsel of whose will they are made known and executed," of these things," the Holy Spirit shall receive or take such as are agreed on in the council of peace," and show them" to the disciples. He comes from the council of peace as its grand accredited agent; his message to the objects of divine love is an exact report of the will of the Father and the Son, as well as his own; and is made to them with an efficacy that is effectual to the end for which it is appointed: "He shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath

are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you."

Several of our Lord's promises to his disciples evidently refer to each of the three characters of apostles, teachers of the gospel, and true Christians, which they sustained, consequently, the meaning of them will differ as do the characters to which they apply. Thus, when he says to them, "Lo, I am with you alway, to the end of the world," we must understand that our Lord was with them in a sense peculiar to themselves as inspired apostles, in another sense peculiar to them and all qualified ministers of the gospel, and in a third peculiar to them and to all who believe in Jesus, to the salvation of their souls. In the same manner would I apply the promise in the text. Το them as apostles the Holy Spirit "showed the things of Christ" suited to the occasion, whether they were recorded in the Scripture, or had been told them by their Lord, or then existed only in the mind of God, and were necessary to complete the intended revelation of his will: he showed them at once and in such a manner that instantly they comprehended, believed, and wrote them with divine accuracy. To them as representing the ordinary ministers of the gospel, who were to succeed them in their office of constituted dispensers of the word and ordinances, the Holy Spirit so "showed the things of Christ," when they diligently employed their talents in investigating and declaring the mind of God, in a de

pendence on his grace, that they fulfilled the duties of their office with wisdom and faithfulness. And to them as representing all who believe in Christ, to the saving of their souls, the Holy Spirit " showed the things of Christ” in a manner common to them and to all the faithful; and which I shall attempt to explain and improve in the remaining part of this discourse. And when we consider ourselves, as well as the disciples, addressed by our Lord in these words, with what interest, with what delight should we meditate on their import, fraught with blessing to every soul who desires to know "the true God and life eternal," " the spirit of truth the comforter will receive of mine, and show it unto you!"

I purpose to speak, 1st, Of the things of Christ; 2d, Of the gracious office which our Lord promises that the Holy Spirit will perform in regard to these things for the people of God,-he will show them unto them;" 3d, Of the evidences and benefits of this office when performed by the Holy Spirit ; and, 4th, Of the improvement of this subject that hearers of different descriptions should endeavour to make.

I. In enumerating "the things of Christ," I shall confine myself to those most commonly employed by the Holy Spirit to begin or carry on the work of salvation. Of these the

1st is, His original glory and gracious undertaking in the character of their surety to save the ob

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