him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon him." (Isai. xxvi. 3.)

O what blessedness is this!-God, who made heaven and earth -- whom once you knew not-loved notserved not; God, without whom you lived, regardless alike of his favour or his frown; God against whom you daringly rebelled, and impiously blasphemed this God so great in power-so glorious in holinessso dreadful in wrath; so despised, insulted, neglected --has called you by his grace-drawn you with the cords of love-delivered you from the bondage of corruption -- raised you to the dignity of his people-instated you in the privileges of his family-and crowned you with loving-kindness and tender mercies. "This God," "O ye redeemed of the Lord, is your God for ever and ever; he will be your guide even unto death! ” (Ps. xlviii. 14.)

The redeemed of the Lord, have laws to regulate their lives and conversations, which are not enjoined upon any others. Examine those recorded in the fifth, sixth, and seventh of Matthew-and say, are not they who obey them" a peculiar people"--and are they not "zealous of good works?"-Examine the thirteenth of first Corinthians, and say, are not they who walk after that rule "a peculiar people "--and are they not "zealous of good works?"- Examine the closing chapters in the Apostolic Epistles, and say, will not they who maintain a conversation such as is therein enjoined, be "a peculiar people" in the world, and can their zeal for good works be questioned?

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They have promises, in which none but they are interested-Promises of present peace, and future glory: promises of wisdom to the ignorant—of strength to the weak-of succour to the tempted-of deliverance to the assaulted by Satan-of triumph to those who resist him! Promises "of the life that now is and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. iv. 8)-promises of “every thing pertaining to life and godliness" (2 Pet. i. 3)-promises of gracious, affectionate, and intimate communion-of oneness with Christ-of seeing him— of being like him-of reigning with him throughout the eternal ages! (John xvi. 26, 27; xiv. 20; 1 John iii. 2; 2 Tim. ii. 12; Rev. xxii. 5.)

Such are the blessed privileges of the Lord's Redeemed such honour have all his Saints-Well, then, to them may be applied the language of the venerable Moses, when he had reviewed the Lord's past mercies to Israel, and his prophetic soul realized their mercies yet to come,-"Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency." (Deut. xxxiii. 29.)

And now in this view of Redemption is there anything which can obstruct the proclamation of his love in all its blessed broadness? Is there anything which should make us diffident of announcing "to every creature" the glad tidings, that "there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared?" Is there anything that contradicts the predestinating purpose of God, in announcing, "Whosoever cometh unto him he will in

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no wise cast out"-that " '-that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners"- that he who knew no sin became sin" for those who were wholly sinful, that such "might be made the righteousness of God in him?" Nothing! His command is, that these tidings of great joy shall be preached to every creature. (Mark xv. 15.) This message is his only ordinance for separating the wheat from the chaff-the good seed from the bad—the precious from the vile. It is the Spirit's "sword"—that weapon of ethereal temper by which he subdues the rebellion of the natural heart and brings it into subjection to God- it is the "great trumpet" which gathers his elect from the four winds of heaven—it is the "light" which makes manifest the children of God and the children of this world-it is the "voice" of the Good Shepherd which calls his sheep unto the fold-it is the discerner" between those who are Christ's and those who are not-it is the "testimony" of the Spirit— the way of truth"- the "law of liberty," "the power of God" unto salvation to every one that believeth. Who is excluded?- from the proclamation-none, but they who exclude themselves! from the blessing-none, but they who judge themselves unworthy of eternal life" who wilfully reject the counsel of God against themselves." (Acts xiii. 46; Luke vii. 30.) God's purpose to save the redeemed only, although that purpose be unchangeably fixed, cannot be our guide in the declaration of the Gospel. Who are not the redeemed we cannot tell-but that they are just as others, children of disobedience and of wrath, until the word of

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life, in the hand of the Spirit, quicken them, is amply testified in the sacred record; and to such indiscriminately do "the servants of the Most High God declare the way of salvation" in order that "they who are ordained unto eternal life, may believe," (Acts xiii. 48) "and believing have life by the Name" of Jesus ; (John xx. 31) who gave himself for them, that he might redeem them from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

CHRISTIAN LIBERTY.

"Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

2 COR. iii. 17.

In this sublime chapter the Apostle institutes a comparison between the Mosaic and the Christian oeconomy; and by various arguments establishes the superiority of the latter over the former. The law, which impressed upon the Sinai covenant its peculiar character, was "written and engraven in stones;" the gospel, which characterized the New covenant, was “written in the fleshly tables of the heart."