of the promise abideth sure: 'where I am there shall also my servant be1."

There is a fund of instruction in this brief exhortation of the Apostle, and, adapted as it is so well to the present season, it may be made applicable to its spiritual purposes with the greatest advantage. The spiritual deliverance celebrated this day, was the redemption of a whole world from sin and the power of the grave; and the agency by which it was brought about was the agency of Jesus Christ's resurrection.

Man was under the bondage of sin. His flesh could do no good thing by reason of that severe taskmaster, a deceitful heart. "He had a king over him, which was the angel of the bottomless pit," ""the spirit which now worketh in the children of disobedience." At length came deliverance from this grievous thraldom. Sin was not allowed to have complete dominion over us. The faculties were set free. The passions were enabled to escape from bondage, and a way was opened for the soul to fly.

"

And man was under the bondage of affliction. He was "born to trouble as the sparks fly upward." He was overtaken with it at every turn. He suffered from it in every shape... He "looked for some to have pity on him, but, there was no man; neither found he any to comfort him." At last came deliverance from the power of this s enemy, Affliction lost its ability to afflict, and an influence sprung up, which could "wipe away tears from off all faces"."

And again, man was under the bondage of death. That inexorable tyrant was sweeping one generation after another

1 John xii., 26. • Job v., 7.

1

2 Rev. ix., 11.

3 Eph. ii., 2.
• Isai. xxv., 8.

• Ps. LXIX., 20.

into the grave, and none knew how to escape, delay, or withstand his coming. But a time came at last, when the bitterness of this bondage was made to cease, and a reasonable prospect held out of its being eventually swallowed up altogether in victory. And all this was brought about by the agency of Jesus Christ's resurrection. His resurrection proved him to be omnipotent, as his life had before proved him to be sinless, and his death infinite in love. His resurrection proved him to be the Son of God, as his incarnation had declared him to be the Son of Man. His resurrection proved him to be a sacrifice well pleasing to God, an infallible publisher and unerring bringer to pass of prophecy, a most sufficient Saviour, and a most truly royal Prince of peace.

And above all, his resurrection has established ours, and afforded assurance unto all men of a day of general judgment, when all men shall rise again with their bodies. But although "Christ who is our life, shall then appear;" and we also, it is to be hoped, shall “ appear with him in glory," still do sin, sorrow, and death, and those evil things for the sake of which the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience, in a certain abridged sense, remain until the day of general judgment.

Then shall there be great destruction, and a most complete victory over all enemies. He whom in the days of his flesh man despised and the nation abhorred'," shall come forth "clothed with a cloud, a rainbow on his head, his face as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire." He who stood before the governor in a human form, shall be seen “sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven3" He who appeared before an earthly tribunal as a malefactor, shall be seen erecting his own tribunal, and arraigning a whole world. "All things shall be subdued unto him;" "all things shall be put under him." Death, the last enemy, shall himself experience the destruction he had been so long inflicting. Time. and chance, and every thing transient, and perishing, and contributing to evil, shall be brought to nought. Sin and sorrow shall disappear amid the ruins of their place of sojourn; evi shall cease; imperfection shall be done away; "the wicked shall be turned into hell";" and the author of evil into the tor ment that he made for others.

This doctrine may well teach the

1 Isai. XLIX., 7.
2 Rev. x., 1.
41 Cor. xv., 27, 28.

members of a Christian

3 Matt xxiv., 30. "Ps. ix., 17.

family to "seek those things which are above," to "set their affection on things above," to "mortify their members which are upon the earth." And why? Because, says the Apostle, this preference of things above, this mortification of things on the earth, is the only true sign of the soul's resurrection from sin. Unless the affections are thus raised heavenward, and detached from all things earthly, we are not spiritually risen, and unless we are spiritually risen we shall not rise with Christ to heaven, or appear with him in glory hereafter. A risen Saviour requires a risen disciple. A Saviour gone into heaven requires his people in spirit to follow him, that where he is, there they may be also. Be it our care then, such being the unalterable condition of man's participation in the resurrection, to become spiritually conformed to Christ, and to walk in newness of life. But do we show these signs of true spiritual vitality? In our original nature we are children of wrath and servants of sin. Has this inbred corruption undergone a change? Are we awakened from our sleep-uplifted from our prostrate condition-raised from our death of sin to a life of righteousness? Do all our thoughts, feelings, affections, occupations, now take the upward course of a risen Saviour, and with him continually dwell? Is it the chief study, the evident object of our existence to devote ourselves, soul and body, to heavenly things? Can any one with justice say of us, that we are not thus pre-occupied, but that we mind earthly things, serve carnal lusts, follow our own wayward wills, and yield implicit submission to all those worldly vanities, to which we are often affirming, with our own mouths, the venof God to be due? Or what is far worse, can God, who geance "looketh on the heart and seeth not as man seeth'," note any of these evil affections abiding in us? Can he, although the world cannot, see in us "a heart exercised with covetous practices," a heart unrenewed, "dead in trespasses and sins," "in bondage under the elements of the world?"

Let us inquire seriously into all these things, and "the Lord give us understanding in all things"." May he "purge out the old leaven" if it be still in us. May he quicken anew the spiritual principle if it be in any wise dormant. And so let us "keep this feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." And let us ever remember, in particular, that upon this spiritual resurrection with Christ, will our appear

1 1 Sam. xvi., 7.

22 Tim. ii., 7.

3 1 Cor. v., 7.

ance with him hereafter in glory in a great measure depend. And what is the glory in which we must all desire to appear? Surely that which the death and resurrection of Christ, to-day celebrated, has purchased for the faithful. And can any comparison, however forcible, illustrate it? The rest of the most peaceful Sabbath passes away. The bliss of the most permanent earthly enjoyment comes to a close. The grasp of the most gigantic human intellect knows a limit. The intensity of the most ardent natural love waxes cold. The strength of the most vigorous old age waxes feeble. But the rest, the joy, the knowledge, the love, the life of the Paradise above, are unsatiated and unsatiable. "The tree of life," transplanted from the earthly to the spiritual Paradise, "yields her fruit every month'." Watered and tended by the Lord of life, and for ever nurtured with the light of his countenance, she "stretches forth her branches unto the sea, and her boughs unto the river," and the glorified partakers of her bountifulness know no end thereof.

MONDAY IN EASTER WEEK.

FOR THE EPISTLE.

34 Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.

36 The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all :)

37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached;

38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

Acts X., 34 to 43.

39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:

40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;

41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead.

42 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

It is not deemed sufficient by our Church to appoint a full service for the anniversary of the resurrection without at the

1 1 Rev. xxii., 2.

same time ordaining some further honour to be done to a risen Saviour on the two days that follow.

The portion of Scripture selected on this occasion is well calculated to answer the end in view, inasmuch as it is an exposition of the doctrine of the resurrection, through the medium of Peter's address to Cornelius. Cornelius was the first Gentile convert, and it was very natural, that to him and his company it should be deemed expedient to address a very full "declaration of the things most surely believed" among the Jewish disciples. What a comfortable assurance does this address contain, that in the call of the Gentile Cornelius, God is ascertained, beyond a doubt, to be no respecter of persons, and to "accept in every nation them that fear him and work righteousness."

After recapitulating the facts and doctrines connected with the history of Jesus already widely circulated, and of which he asserts that he and his brother Apostles were witnesses, the Apostle at length comes to the main point in his address, the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. This he establishes on the ocular testimony of the chosen friends and familiar companions of Jesus, even of those "who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead;" and thence he deduces the doctrine of a general resurrection and judgment, a belief in which unto salvation the prophets have testified to be the only condition, on which, through the name of Jesus, remission of sins can be granted'.

The Church having provided this service, with the view of keeping up, in the souls of her children, the devotional feelings of the Sabbath service, imposes upon them very appropriately the obligation of bearing it in mind through the week. The disciples of Jesus cannot well complain of being called together in public or private too often, on too many days, or in too many places, to celebrate with due solemnity so great an event as the completion of their redemption; and accordingly on a day appointed for public worship, do we, duly sensible of its necessity, meet together in private, anxious, it is to be hoped, to hear all information connected with the soul's peace, ready to receive the risen Saviour as a Saviour now and a Judge hereafter, hopeful of a remission of sins through the name that alone justifies, and thankful for that comprehensive mercy which accords acceptance to "all men every where" who "fear God and work righteousness."

1 Jerem. xxxi., 34. Micah vii., 18, 19.

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