when compared with the feeble tapers which the human intellect in various parts of the world has lit up.

ence to the labours of antiquarians. | on a summer's morning, so the light of There was a time when the infidel philo- Scripture has appeared more glorious sophers of Europe affected to have a great perception of the blow that was to be given to revealed religion by the disclosures which should be made from Now I will quote to you, as I have Chinese literature. Now one of our own already done, the testimony of another Christian missionaries has mastered the layman on this subject, and that one shall Chinese language, has produced a lexi- be the testimony of our own countryman, con containing all the words of that ex- so eminent for oriental literature and good traordinary tongue, and has opened up morals-I allude to Sir William Jones. all their literature. And, with all this He says, "The Scriptures contain, indedone, have they found any thing that can pendently of a divine origin, more true oppose the testimony of Scripture? Have sublimity, more exquisite beauty, purer they found one "musty record" that can morality, more important history, and put down the wise and faithful sayings finer strains both of poetry and eloquence, of sacred writ? Oh, no! And then than could be collected within the same Egypt was to be a mighty source from compass from all other books that were whence we were to derive information to ever composed, in any age, or in any put down revelation. There was the idiom. The two parts of which the mysterious zodiac, which was supposed Scriptures consist are connected by a to settle the Mosaic chronology for ever, chain of compositions which bear no and to show the world was I know not resemblance, in form or style, to any what age. All these things are explain- that can be produced from the stores of ed; and, instead of yielding any thing to Grecian, Indian, Russian, or even Arahelp the infidel cause, it has yielded every bian learning. The antiquity of these thing to help the Christian cause. Bel-compositions no man can doubt; and the zoni, in visiting the tomb of Zammas, unrestrained application of them to events found a representation of the Jews held long subsequent to their publication, is in captivity, marking the truth of what is a solid ground of belief that they were contained in the Kings and Chronicles genuine productions, and consequently concerning the triumph of that monarch inspired." Now this is not the declaraover the Jewish people. tion of some uneducated Christian minister, but it is the deliberate judgment of the greatest oriental scholar, perhaps, our country has produced-a man whose statue adorns our own cathedral, and whose name will live as long as British literature continues. This man declares that the Bible contains more true sublimity than could be found in all the other books that were ever composed in any age or country. Now the testimony of another individual to prove this shall be from the writings of Chateaubriand, the most distinguished member of the French literati of the present day. He says, "The productions most foreign to our manners, the sacred books of the infidel nations, the Zendavesta of the Parsees, the Vidan of the Brahmins, the Koran of the Turks, the Edda of the Scandina vians, the Sanscrit poems, the maxims of Confucius, excite in us no surprise;

I might say, also, that the word of God has been tried by a third order-not only by these critical investigations, and by these antiquarian researches, but,

3dly. By philosophical and moral discoveries. As I have already said, all the philosophy of China has been opened, all the learning of the Hindoos has been opened; all the simple children of nature in the islands of the South Seas, and the inhabitants of South America, ever knew -all the people of Africa ever knew, has all been brought to light; and what has been the result of the combined discoveries of the human mind in reference to morals and religion? Why, we have found that they have been poor-that they have been unsatisfactory-that they have been confused; and, as the light of the sun appears more glorious by the glimmering of the gas-lights in the streets

we find in all these works the ordinary Oh, my friends! I am no enemy to chain of human ideas: they have all general knowledge; I am thankful to the some resemblance to each other, both in Society for Promoting Useful Knowtone and ideas. The Bible alone is like ledge; I am thankful to the Society for none of them; it is a monument detached Promoting Religious Knowledge, for from all the others. Explain it to a Tar-putting forth penny, six-penny, and shiltar, to a Caffre, to an American savage; ling publications, inviting you to read put it into the hands of a bonze or a der- them; but let me remind you that time vise: they will all be equally astonished is short-that the opportunities for readby it a fact which borders on the mira- ing are but limited, and that this, the culous. Twenty authors, living at pe- greatest and the best of books, this book riods very distant from one another, com- which is "a light to your feet, and a posed the sacred books; and though they lamp to your path," which guides you in are written in twenty different styles, yet the way to heaven, and in the way to these styles, equally inimitable, are not immortality, invites you to peruse it. to be met with in any other performance. And shall it lie upon your shelves, coverThe New Testament, so different in its ed with dust, untouched, forsaken? Let spirit from the Old, nevertheless par-me entreat you, then, to form the habit of takes with the latter of this astonishing reading some portion of God's word every originality." day-to remember that this blessed book Now these are not the testimonies of can, by the Spirit, enlighten your minds. priests; they are the testimonies of lay- Oh, then, cry, "Lord, open my eyes, that men-of men who have travelled in every I may behold wondrous things out of thy part of the globe, and who have become | law!" If you come to it with a teachaacquainted with the literature of all na- ble mind, you shall find that it will intions; and what they, as scholars, pro- struct you in the clearest morality—that nounce concerning this book, we, as it will supply you with the most blessed Christians, are able to confirm. The consolation-that it will transform your good Spirit of God has made it to our mind from sin to holiness-that it will souls the foundation of our hopes, and form the foundation of your hopes of a the solace of our days. blessed immortality. Let me entreat you, then, to remember these words of the Redeemer-he who is able to save sinners: "Search the Scriptures," said the Son of God, "for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and these are they which testify of me."

After having shown you, as I have thus attempted to do, that the word of God has been tried by a threefold process, and come out of the furnace like gold seven times purified, I would make a personal appeal to you, and say, How is it that you venture to neglect such a book as this? God has preserved it; God put it into the hearts of our pious ancestors to translate it; God put it into the hearts of men, of our own time, to print it so extensively, by the labours of the Bible Society, that now every individual may possess, at the smallest possible price, the word of God in his own tongue. This book is declared in our text to be pure as silver, tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times; and this book now invites your attention.

Should there be any one here disposed to take up this book to trifle with it, let me quote to him two lines from a poem penned by one of the greatest geniuses that have adorned our empire, and whose intellectual light has just been lost to us. He says, in a beautiful little poem on the Bible,

"Better had he ne'er been born

Who reads to doubt, who reads to scorn."

God grant that you may read to believe and to obey! Amen.

THE ASCENSION.

THE humiliation of the Son of God was now drawing rapidly to a close. He had "accomplished his decease at Jerusalem:" he had risen victorious from the grave and, during forty days, he had been living among his disciplesconvincing them, "by many infallible proofs," that he was indeed restored to life. There remained but one more thing to be done that for which he had prayed, in John xvii. 5—" And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." This prayer, as you have heard in my text, was fulfilled; he "ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things," and become Head over his church for ever.-The text sets before us,

and Lazarus! Whom he loveth, "he loveth unto the end :" and as they are to see him no more, they shall be of those who see him the last. It is one of the manifold proofs of the Saviour's kind affection. Love him, brethren, as that pious family did, and you shall see greater things than this. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him, and he will show them his covenant."

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2. He solemnly blesses his disciples.He had by his deeds been blessing them, from the first moment of their acquaintance with him; for he had converted their souls, and had instructed them in the things relating to his kingdom. But he now does it by an express outward act. With uplifted hands, he calls on his Father to protect, comfort, sanctify, and prosper them.—If you would know what gifts that blessing included, you may see

I. THE LAST ACTS OF THE REDEEMER them fully enumerated in John xvii.: he

ON EARTH.

could ask no greater-he would ask no less-than are there recorded. "Neither prayed he for these alone, but for them also which should afterwards believe on him through their word." Happy believer! who can by faith see those hands of love still stretched over him, and apply to himself the Saviour's blessing! May such be your privilege and mine: for I wot that he whom thou, Lord, blessest, is blessed indeed. At length,

1. He selects a suitable place from which to take his departure. He had conversed with his friends at Jerusalem, "in an inner chamber," "when the doors were shut.... for fear of the Jews;" and if secrecy was desirable then, it was now much more so. The last glorious display was not intended for malicious Pharisces, for unbelieving Sadducees and Scribes. Evidence enough had been given to them, and more would hereafter 3. He ascends up to heaven.-Here was be added. The public ministry of Jesus no imposition! St. Luke, in another ended with his great sacrifice; and what place, tells us that the act was done remains of earthly intercourse shall be "while they beheld." My text describes devoted exclusively to his friends. He the circumstantial order of the event. therefore led them out" from Jerusa-"He was parted from them"-literally, lem, "as far as to Bethany."

It has been argued that this could not be the town of Martha and Mary-because that Bethany was two miles from Jerusalem; whereas the apostles are said to have returned from this sight only "a sabbath-day's journey"—that is to say, one mile. But why may we not suppose that he first visited the town of Bethany, even if he did afterwards return part of the way, before he ascended up to heaven? The supposition is far from being improbable; and, if such were the fact, what a touching circumstance was here! He cannot forget Martha, and her sister,

"he stood aside from them;" both to prevent interruption, and that all might see the whole transaction. Then he was carried up ;" moving towards heaven in full view of the whole party, till, at length, "a cloud received him out of their sight." Carried? by whom? By hosts of invisible beings—" angels that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word." For now was fulfilled that which was spoken of the Lord by David

"The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy

place. Thou hast ascended on high, behold them "continually in the temple, thou hast led captivity captive." Doubt- praising and blessing God!" continually less there were angels assisting on the that is, at every appointed service. occasion; for we find two of them returning, in visible form, to comfort the disciples with a promise, that he would hereafter come again in like manner from heaven. As, therefore, we believe that he rose from the dead, so also do we believe that he is "gone into heaven. . . . angels, and authorities, and powers being made subject unto him."

II. THE FIRST ACTS OF THE REDEEMED

AFTER HIS DEPARTURE.

Surrounded as they were by formal and ignorant worshippers, how different their views, hopes, and feelings!-Yet such, brethren, as theirs were-such, by divine grace, may yours also be. What though others gain no blessing in public worship, in hearing the word, in the holy communion; yet this need not be the case with you. Only look up to the Lord of the temple, and he will make it a Bethel to your soul. "In the breaking 1. They worshipped him.-Remember of bread" Jesus himself shall be "known that! The appointed teachers of the of you," if by faith you seek him. O, Christian religion "worshipped" Christ then "enter into his gates with thanks-it was their very first act after they had giving, and into his courts with praise: ceased to behold him. And do not sup- be thankful unto him and bless his name. pose that it was merely some respectful For the Lord is good; his mercy is everinclination of the body-such as is meant lasting; and his truth endureth to all in our marriage service. No-it was generations."-Rev. J. Jowett, A.M. holy adoration, as to the invisible God; and accompanied, doubtless, by such words as Thomas was once permitted to use without censure" My Lord, and my God!" Had they given such honour to the two angels, they would have met with a rebuke like that which St. John afterwards received under similar circumstances" See thou do it not!.... worship God!" But in worshipping Jesus, they did worship God; and were therefore blameless.

2. They were filled with joy—great joy. O how different from what they had once anticipated! "Now I go my way to him that sent me; and because I say this, sorrow hath filled your heart." But now, when he does this, they are "filled with joy." Whence this difference? It was because Jesus had now opened their understanding to discern the mystery of his sufferings and his glory. The Comforter, moreover, I am inclined to believe, was immediately sent down with his sanctifying influences; although for his miraculous gifts they had yet to wait ten days longer.

3. In the use of appointed means they sought and expected his gifts of grace.-In Jerusalem were they to receive the "promise of the Father;" therefore they at once returned thither. On their arrival,

PAGANISM.

THE dead are not always forgotten by the pagan negroes: they resort annually to their graves, and offer food and liquor to their departed relatives. A negro mother in Jamaica was known, for thirteen years, to make this annual visit to the grave of her daughter, and, in an agony of feeling, to offer her oblation. Thus

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they sorrow without hope." We respect the strength of the affection; we lament its downward, earthly tendency: all the thoughts of that poor mother were in the grave with her child, and the only object of that unabated love was the mere dust of a dissolved frame. Such is heathenism! Melting and mournful thoughts steal over the recollections of the bereaved Christian mother too, and time has no power to dry up the fountain of her tears; years may pass away, but the memory of the forms over which she has hung with maternal fondness suffers no decay; it keeps its place to the last hour of the most extended life. But, when she thinks of her children, she thinks of them as in heaven, not as in the grave; and, urged onward by this hope through her remaining pilgrimage, she hastens to embrace them again in the kingdom of God.-R. Watson.

S

SERMON XXII.

THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE.

BY THE REV. JOSEPH SOMMERVILLE, MINISTER OF ST. JOHN'S CHAPEL, GLASGOW.

"Choose ye this day whom ye will serve."—Josh. xxiv. 15.