irregular appetites, no improper passions

He never once in his life preferred his gratification to the glory of God: he denied himself the refreshment of sleep to engage in the duties of devotion; and he denied himself the pleasure of solitude and retirement, in order that he might attend to the claims of those who often very unreasonably addressed him. "He pleased not himself;" he always did the things that pleased the Father: and he was our religion incarnate. He could say, My meet is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work."

Through him, secondly, as their teacher. O! never man spake like this man. He has set before us those arguments and those motives which have the greatest tendency to turn us away from sin, and to turn us towards the blessed God, so that we may be dead to the one and alive to the other. What threatenings, what promises, has he given! What addresses to our hopes and fears, to every passion in our bosom, and every principle in our nature! He drew back the veil that concealed the future, and showed man a world in flames, a descending judge, the judgment fixed, the wicked going away into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.

Through him as their dying friend. We know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be made rich." We know that he "loved us, and gave himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour." And can I refuse to live according to His pleasure who has laid me under such infinite obligations, who loved me and gave himself for me? Is it possible for me to love, is it possible for me to live in, that which crucified the Lord of glory?

"No, my Redeemer; they shall die;

My heart has so decreed:
Nor will I spare the guilty thing

That made my Saviour bleed."

Thus do we see in his cross the evil of sin; and thus, as the Apostle says, we become dead, and thus alive: our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed; that henceforth we may not serve sin, but that we may be alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Through him as their meritorious Saviour. What we mean is this: when he died he not only died to atone for their sins, but he at the same time obtained for them that grace which they require in every time of need, for the purpose of trial, and duty, and conflict. Now how is it that this support which they possess comes to them? The Apostle tells us that he " has redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." It comes, you see, through his sufferings and death. But it was not the immediate design and effect of his sufferings and death that the Spirit should be given immediately to individuals, but that the whole dispensation of it should be lodged in his possession, and that the administration of it to the end of the world should be annexed to his office. Therefore it is so often called "the Spirit of Christ;" not only the Spirit which he possessed, but the Spirit which he procured for us, and which he communicates to us: it is thus we live, it is thus we walk. We walk in the Spirit: and how is it we mortify the deeds of the body? Why, says the

Awstle, “If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the hody ve shail live."

We therefore see the importance of the Lord Jesus, and how every fuing in the Gospel is combined with what the Apostle calls "the truth as it is in Jesus." Every diversion a minister makes in his doctrine is a step taken out of the way of usefulness, and every object that a sinner pursues in neglect of him is an observing of lying vanities, and a following of his own lusts. Allow me, therefore, to ask, What think you of Christ? I know what you ought to think, but I am afraid there are some of you who do not think of him at all. Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by? Are his sayings and doings nothing his glory, his grace, nothing? How is it that he occupies so little of the creed and of the practice of many? It must arise from their ignorance or their disbelief of the Scriptures, which assure us that he is "exalted at the right hand of God, to be a prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel, and remission of sins." Or it must be from their not being duly sensible of their need of him; for "they that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." We learn from the Scriptures that he came forward in our behalf: there we find that he is "the days-man" between God and us, laying his hand upon us both: there we find that he "gave his life a ransom for us;" that he was "delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification:" that he vanquished sin, death, and hell; that he is the resurrection and the life; and that he is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption; as it is written, "He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord"— that is the Lord Jesus; and reckoning yourselves to be "dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord."

You have been by the three foregoing particulars reminded of what Christians are: but the Apostle would have you consider yourselves, estimate yourselves, RECKON YOURSELVES" AS SUCH; such is the force of the passage; and there are three reasons to be assigned for this.

First, you should reckon yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, in order to maintain the conduct that is suitable to such; for your conduct should correspond with your character and your condition. The way to know what you ought to do is always to consider what you are; for our duties grow out of our condition and our relation. "If," says the Apostle, "ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God." "Seeing that ye look for such things, what manner of men ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.' Christians, you are not to live like others; much more is expected from you than from others; God, his ministers, the church, and the world, all come forth and say to you, What do ye more than others? Hence this is so often enjoined: "Let your conversation be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ:" " Walk worthy of God, who has called you to his kingdom and glory."

"

Secondly, you should reckon yourselves to be such, in order to keep you from wondering at the treatment of such. You are not likely to be, if you are such as these, the friends of the world: you are apostates from their cause, and you will never forgive it, you censure and condemn by your tempers and lives those who five in sin and without God in the world; and is it not likely they wil. censure and condemn you? You oppose them, and they will oppose you

as fa, as they have the power. They wish to be in darkness, and you flash the light upon them; they wish to be asleep, and you by your Christian diligence arouse them they will not easily forget or forgive all this. Says the Saviour, "Ye know that it hateth me;" and why did it hate him? What he said to the Jews he could now say to many empty and inconsistent professors of religion, who live so much in the world: "The world cannot hate you" (because they were so much like it); "but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil."

Thirdly, reckon yourselves such in order that ye may rejoice in the portion of such. O! how great is the goodness which God has laid up for them that fear him—which he has wrought for them that trust in him before the sons of men! If the world frowns on you, he smiles; if they condemn you, he is near to justify: such a life as we have been speaking of demands self-denial and sacrifices; you will be more than indemnified for them if there be any meaning or truth in this Book. You may be losers in his service, but you can never be losers by it. If any reliance is to be placed on the Word of eternal truth, "there is no man who hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting :" for "the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace, and glory; and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."

Now I am fully persuaded there are persons here this evening who are justified in reckoning themselves to be in this number, reckoning themselves to be "dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord." But is this the case with all of you? Have we not reason to fear it is otherwise with some, with many? You are "alive" indeed, but is it not to sin? And if so, what a taste does it imply in you! To be alive to folly, alive to madness, alive to rebellion, and alive to treachery! Alive to sickness and disease loathsomeness and putrefaction; the dog returning to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire! All these are expressions which the wise God has employed in the Scriptures to express that thing which you love, and which you roll as a sweet morsel under your tongues. But what will be the result of this? Why, as is your way such will be your end; as is your master such will be your wages. It will soon be said of you, "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of these things is death,' "but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."

And are you not "dead"-dead to God? What a taste does this imply! Dead to infinite perfection-dead to the source of all purity-dead to infinite goodness and mercy-dead to Him who alone can save, and succour, and bless, you! If you were alive to God, God would be alive to you, and make all things work together for your good. If you are without God, God will be without you if you are without him in time, you will be without him througa eternity. O that you were wise, and would consider this! O that Goa woule give you "repentance unto life;" that returning to Him from whom you have so deeply revolted, you may be able to say like those of old, "Other jorns besides thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name."

THE AXE LAID AT THE ROOT.

REV. J. LEIFCHILD,

CRAVEN CHAPEL, REGENT STREET, NOVEMBER 15, 1835.

"And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree that bringein not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."-MATTHEW, iii. 10.

We learn from the context that these words had respect to the Jewish nation. Its time of trial was drawing to an end: it was arriving at a crisis in its history. It had had many religious privileges, and it was still visited in mercy. "But now," says the Baptist to the scribes and pharisees and priests, those corrupt and wicked leaders of the people, who had come out to hear him preach in the desert-" Now," says he, " patience is drawing to an end; the last trial is to be given; and if that fail of its end, judgment will rush in."

Every body knows, when he walks through a garden or an orchard, and sees the husbandman's axe lying at the root of a tree, that it is a sign he has marked that tree; that unless a change in the tree make an alteration in his mind, it is marked for destruction. Thus, John the Baptist said to the whole Jewish nation, "Now also is the axe laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." How true this was then, you well know: they rejected the mercy that was sent; they still abused their religious privileges; they were puffed up with pride and conceit on account of them, instead of being turned by them to humiliation and reformation. They still continued, as a nation, impenitent; and therefore the Roman axe of Titus Vespasian came and cut them down; and they have been cast into the fire of persecution and of separation until this day.

But now the crisis of the proceedings of the Almighty with them as a nation, is but analagous to the course of God's proceedings with other nations, and especially with religious nations. Are there no changes among us; no forewarning events going on among us, as a people and a nation? No premonitions of a reckoning being about to be entered into with us on the part of God, and of those purposes of God, long deferred and suspended, both with respect to ourselves and other countries, being speedily brought to an issue? Verily there are many things of this kind upon the stage at this moment: we are in the midst of the shaking of the nations; but we are in danger of looking off from these, and being swallowed up each one in his own personal concerns; or if not so, of looking at them superficially, at their immediate influence on different parties, instead of looking at the design of God in them. The design of them, and the use to be made of them, by those whose eyes God hath opened, and

whom he makes privy to his purposes of judgment as well as of mercy, is, that they at least may escape themselves, and then labour to be instrumental in effecting the salvation of their fellow men.

Let me glance, first, at the words in their immediate relation to the Jews; and, secondly, apply them to ourselves as a nation and individuals, both for the purpose of awakening Christians to their duties, and all to that state of thoughtfulness becoming the portentous times that are rolling over us.

Need I make an apology for referring to these things in a religious point of view? What! are we, as a religious people, to abstract ourselves from the nation to which we belong, and to feel no interest in the world around? Did the prophets do so? Did the apostles do so? Or are we always to forbear from noticing the admonitions of God's providence? That is one of the pages both of history and prophecy, which God has so amply laid open before us for our instruction and edification.

What, then, are we to understand by " the tree," and the "fruit" of it, which the Baptist here says is to be cut down? Every man is a tree in the Scriptures. "Make the tree good, and the fruit shall be good also:" that is, the human individual. But more frequently it is taken to signify men collectively. How often is a whole nation represented under this image? Sometimes it is called “the vine, which the Lord hath planted and hedged about:” at other times, a goodly plant;" and sometimes "a goodly cedar." In the symbolic language of Scripture, the trees of a country stand for the great people, the nobles, magistrates, and aristocracy; while the inferior sort are regarded as the grass, and the herbage. Briefly you are to understand by the trees in the text, the whole Jewish nation and polity.

This tree had fruit which was to fall with it. The most probable opinion of commentators is, that the fruit was intended to signify the covenant which God had made with them in their religious state. Not only had he given them laws for their polity as a people, at the time of their coming out of the land of Egypt, which have served for the foundation and model of the laws of most other people, but he entered into a near and gracious relationship to them, covenanting, if they would walk in his statutes and keep his ordinances, to be their God; to give them revelations and prophets, and inspired teachers, the protection of his inward grace, and the influence of holy example and exalted hope. Did he fail? Read their history. Was ever any people like them? Whoever had any revelations like them? Whoever heard such voices from heaven? Who had such a knowledge of God in his works, and among whom did such illustrious personages arise as amongst them, from time to timemany of whose names are yet known, and are yet to be known throughout the earth, as the synonyme for all that was excellent, virtuous, heroic, and unrivalled in the Book of Life? Never was there such a goodly tree planted in the midst of the wildernesses and forests of this world.

But the bulk of this people were always prone to rebellion and obstinate. Hence there were frequent breaches made upon them by judgments from above. Thus, under the judges, how did the Philistines lop their boughs and damage their roots! And afterwards, under their kings, how frequently they suffered for their idolatry and wickedness from the surrounding nations! Then came Nebuchadnezzar, God's axe, who sinote down that very temple in whose fair