world: but before passing to the sanction thereof, it seemeth good to gather it into one, and, with a word of advice and warning to set it forth; as they were wont in ancient times, and are wont still in the island of Japan, to post up in conspicuous places brief summaries of the laws for the information of the people.

The Gospel is intended to honour the law and to patronize holiness-being not an end but an expedient for an end. The advancement of human nature in the holiness of the law-that is the end; the Gospel of Jesus Christ-that is the instrument. To gain this end, it catches fallen nature softly upon every side, and gently elevates it with the breath of instruction and affection into favour with God. Thereunto God's moral nature appears. in human guise, performing before the eye and heart of man, upon the stage of human life, a drama or representation of God's true sentiments and feelings towards our kind. Along with which attractive representation of the divinity, Christ brings the elements for constructing in every man a new heart and life;-new principles of conduct-new hopes-new ambitions-new interests; and he brings likewise new graces of character-meekness, humility, forbearance and charity; and new institutes of life, the particulars of the moral law; and withal he brings new rewards-peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Ghost, increase of grace and assurance of everlasting glory. With all which, as his instrument, he would take a purchase upon the sunken fabric

of human nature, and raise it up towards the dignity from which it fell.

Now it must be confessed, that with all this moral machinery, which is, we believe, the best that divine wisdom could devise for the work, the work is not completely accomplished. After all, the Gospel doth not secure perfect obedience to the law upon the part of man, but it bringeth him up to the highest pitch of excellence that his nature is capable of. It doth not lead him again into the innocency of Eden, or bring upon his soul the primeval sinlessness left upon it by the creative fingers of God. The best Christian that ever lived is a poor creature compared with Father Adam, while yet he trode the earth in the majesty of innocence with all the lower tribes attendant on his steps-his body purely attempered to the scene, his soul replete with celestial instincts-angels of light his visitants, and God himself cheering his yet unsullied habitation. And, by how much Mother Eve was fairer than all her daughters, by so much was she more pure, more tenderly affectioned, more modest, more chaste from the throb of passion or the tinge of shaded thought, than the purest vestal or the holiest matron that hath ever lived. It was for them to render perfect obedience to the moral code of Christ. It was for Christ the Son of God, the second Adam, to render it obedience also. Ours it is to be content with humbler attainments; to do our utmost in the strength of the Word and the Spirit of God; and, having done so, to be humbe, full of confession and

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prayer, full of trust in Him, who after he has done the most upon us here below, hath promised to complete his work, by acquitting us in the day of judgment, and saving us from the wrath to come.

So that, after all, it comes to this, that we do our best:-but then it is with evangelical instruments that we do our best. We do our best after taking to ourselves the whole armour of God: the moralist doth his best without that armour. The saint, possessing himself of all knowledge and hope and grace which the Gospel reveals, doth his best; the moralist, neglecting these, and leaning to Nature alone, doth his best. The one honours God throughout, the other honours Nature throughout; the one is a disciple of Christ, the other a disciple of reason alone; the one therefore may look for favour at God's hand, whom he hath in nothing undervalued, the other may look for disfavour from God, whose instructions he hath set aside; the one may look for success, being guided by the higher wisdom and moved along by the stronger affections of the Gospel, the other has no success to expect save from the urgency of endeavours and the strenuousness of resolutions. The moralist is like a ship spreading her canvass without wind to fill it; the Christian spreads the same canvass, and has all the moving power which the Gospel can give. Moreover the moralist bows himself to a task; the Christian cheers himself to an office of love: the one as he advances becomes highminded, as he fails becomes heartbroken; the other as he advances

becomes thankful and glad, as he fails becomes humble and watchful, but not heartbroken: the one knows of no acquittal of his daily, hourly offences; the other knows of a Redeemer: the one, when nature sinks beneath the effort, knows not any fresh supply; the other in the midst of his weakness knows of grace that is sufficient for him, and of strength that is perfected in weakness.

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But, though it be not complete obedience that is obtained under this constitution, we are not to conclude that the constitution is imperfect:-on the other hand, it hath no weak part which we can discern. It saves the character of God, upon the consistency of which all his intelligent creatures hang dependent, by presenting a law reaching out in all directions to the sublime of moral virtue; while at the same time it exhibits his tenderness and love to his creatures in the person of his Son and the merciful overtures of the Gospel. It sets before our eyes the ideal of every thing perfect, familiarizing our knowledge with the perfection of virtue, strewing the path of virtue with promises, and planting at the goal the rewards of eternity;-which will, if any thing will, stimulate us to put forth our best. And, that the enthusiasm thus begotten, by being compassed about with weakness and aiming at impossibilities, may not speedily expend itself, the constitution of the Gospel, broad as human feeling, comes and lays affectionate hold on every good sentiment and substantial interest, and putting life into every sinew of the mind, gives it wherewithal to sustain its

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enthusiasm after holiness unceasingly. over, to catch every favourable breeze for setting out, it is aye ready, like an open haven, to receive us, overlooking delay, welcoming us to refit however disabled, filling every sail, and giving us assurance of speeding well. This is the beginning of it; and the continuance of it is by the same cheerful and blessed encouragement. That indemnification for past offences which gave us heart to begin, being equally applicable to present disabilities and errors, gives us heart to carry on.

We do not reach the commanded, it is true, but we do never satisfy ourselves with having done the best. We are alive to the things which are still before, and strive to reach them. Our imperfections make us humble and meek and fervent in prayer; and could no more be wanted than our attainments, which make us conscious of the love of God, and the resemblance of Christ. But these imperfections do not hang in heavy arrears upon conscience, but pass away through the mercy of our God in Christ, and as they recur they draw us near to Christ through the sense of weakness and forlornness without him. So that the evil and the good, the attainment and the failure, come in for their share in cultivating our completeness in the stature of Christ.

In fine, the dispensation of the Gospel answereth to man's condition, as heart doth to heart, or face to face. It is a stimulus to our advancement; it rallies us when driven back, and breathes hope in the most perilous extremes. But, though it be a refuge in