ylon and Nineveh, has he not been keeping back to the needful hour, as it were, a whole shelf of the library of Scripture evidences? Has he not similar designs for each new outbreak of the old abysses of unbelief in the human heart? Man excogitates new cavils, and recasts into new missiles the old spent bombs of an exploded philosophy. But God's truth and cause tower serenely on, adequate and ready to repel, with ever-growing strength, the renewed onset. God's providence is interpaging, with each new scrawling of unbelief, some new leaf of testimony. It is our personal privilege-our personal duty-our interest, and our security, and our glory, to become for ourselves, individually, the converts and epistles of this Unchanging Saviour, and of his Unwearying Spirit. Nought else will save the world—nought else will save our own souls. Then, "TAUGHT OF THE LORD," we shall be, like the old Immortal Legion, fit, not only to stand in the evil day, but to roll back, in our wedge-like position, the bands of a credulous apostacy, that believe every thing, and the bands of an Infidel apostacy, that believe nothing. To their common ground of error, the paramount claims of Human Authority-in the school or in the Vatican, or in the isolated consciousness— let us oppose, undauntedly, the more scriptural and the more rational position, the Need and Force of Divine Authority, individually consulted in the open Scripture, individually invoked in the Descending Spirit, individually experienced in the regenerate heart. "LET GOD BE TRUE AND EVERY MAN A LIAR!" The wedge, thus resting on the immutability and veracity of God, shall not be broken. From its serried flanks shall recede, baffled and discomfited, on either hand, the throngs of the Traditionist and the Rationalist. The generations pass, and their philosophies and their celebrities drop with them; but the faith of the churches, God-warranted, soars above those changes, indefectible, immutable, and invincible. "THE GRASS WITHERETH, AND THE FLOWER FADETH. SURELY THE PEOPLE IS GRASS. BUT THE WORD of our GOD SHALL STAND FOREVER." DISCOURSE XIX. ALBERT BARNES. THE remark that God never endows a man with the gift of doing more than one thing well, receives a striking refutation in the history of Mr. Barnes. It were difficult to determine whether he excels as preacher or expositor-whether he is more the plodding student or the pulpit orator-the successful pastor of a particular flock, or the theological writer and commentator for the people. Of his adaptedness for the one position, a pastorate of more than a quarter of a century with a large and influential church, is a sufficient evidence, and that he is not less skillful as the annotator and biblical critic, is evinced by the wide and increasing circulation of his "Notes" and publications of various kinds. Mr. Barnes, like most men of mark, had his origin in humble life. He was born the son of a tanner, in the quiet little village of Rome, New York, December 1st, 1798; and in early life assisted his father at his trade, and at the same time, by application to reading and study, laid the basis of a solid education. It was not until he had reached the age of twenty-two years, that he was led to a saving knowledge of Christ, when he united with the church in his native village. This was the same year (1820) that he graduated at Hamilton College, having pursued his studies there only in connection with the senior class. In November of that year he entered the Theological Seminary at Princeton, where, after a three years' course, he spent another year as resident graduate. He was licensed to preach, in April, 1824, and on the twenty-fifth day of the following February, ordained and installed as pastor of the Presbyterian church, Morristown, New Jersey. His ministry in this place, which was one of zeal and efficiency, continued for five years; when he accepted, much against the wishes of his people, a call from the First Presbyterian church in Philadelphia, and entered upon the duties of his new field, June 25th, 1830; a position which he continues to fill to this day. Mr. Barnes has, thus far, led a life of active and laborious toil. The labor which he has performed-a large part of it in the early morn, while other men are asleep —would seem to be enough to crush any constitution but one of iron. It is not strange that for a while, of late years, he was deprived of all use of his eyes, and in other respects almost unfitted for service. His Commentaries alone, in some sixteen or eighteen volumes, are a monument of unremitting industry. It must be peculiarly gratifying to their author to witness the general favor with which they have been and are received. It is stated that not less than twenty-eight thousand volumes of the "Notes" were printed in the year ending with December, 1856; at which time it was estimated that the circulation had reached, in the aggregate, about sixtyseven thousand copies. Some of them have been translated into several languages. Besides these, he has published a great number of volumes of essays, reviews, sermons, addresses, etc., of a practical or dogmatical character. Taken together, it was estimated at the time referred to, that the circulation of all his works had amounted to five hundred thousand volumes. His "Commentaries," as indeed all his works, are of a popular cast, without any great display of learning, but meeting a difficulty fairly, and penetrating at once into the core of the subject, and opening it up to the comprehension of every mind. As a preacher, Mr. Barnes belongs to the first rank of American divines. His style is perfectly neat and transparent, and his fresh and weighty thoughts are uttered with the various essentials of true effectiveness. His pulpit eloquence is of the character of a quiet, deep, wide, and fertilizing river, rather than of a rapid and rushing cataract. He enters the sanctuary with a humble and subdued air, and ascends the pulpit apparently unconscious of the presence of a congregation. While waiting the hour of service, he sits as if in meditation or prayer, with his head leaning upon his hand; and reads the Scriptures and the hymn, and leads in prayer, with careful propriety and dignified simplicity. Of late years he does not often preach from a manuscript; but his eyes rest upon the Bible, except at intervals of searching glances at the congregation assembled. It is said that the same elaborate research, the same clear apprehension and statement, the same purity, elevation, and strength of language, the same felicity of illustration which have commended his various works to popular favor, characterize his ministrations. We are happy in being able to lay before the readers of this volume, a sermon which has not before been printed, and which we are sure will be read with interest and profit. The theme is novel, and it is handled with a master's skill. THE INFLUENCE OF THE GOSPEL ON THE IMAGINATION. "Casting down imaginations, and every high thought that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." -2 CORINTHIANS, x. 5. THIS is to be done, according to the context, by the weapons of spiritual warfare with which the gospel furnishes us. It is not by carnal weapons, not by military force; but by an armor which the gospel supplies. The war is to be made on wrong opinions, on false philosophy, on reasonings or imaginations which tend to inflate the mind, and to corrupt the heart-the strongholds of sin. The object of the gospel is to achieve complete victory over the whole realm of mind and heart; to lead every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, or to subdue all to him. The sentiment of the text then is, that it is the design of the gospel to make war on the prevailing opinions, doctrines, sentiments, philosophy, and imaginings, in the world, which stand up against the dominion of Christ over the human soul. From the wide range of thought into which we might be led by the text thus explained, I propose to select one single department, in order to illustrate the effects of conversion. It is its power of the imagination, or its influence in promoting a pure fancy. We shall consider, I. The influence of this faculty of mind upon the formation of character; and II. The power which the gospel exerts in making it pure. I. The influence of the imagination in the formation of character. 1. In illustrating this head, my first remark is, that it is probable that in numerous cases, if not in all, the imagination has more to do with the formation of character than any other faculty of the mind. It is constantly operating in bringing various objects before us; in giving them their peculiar color and attractiveness; and in seizing upon the affections of the heart. It takes us away from the cold, dull, tame realities of life, where there may be little to interest or attract us, or where there is much to pain us, to ideal scenes, which we may make just what we please. Its operations, either for good or bad, are constant and almost incessant, and almost omnipotent. The conscience acts comparatively rarely, and on great occasions. The reason and the judgment with most persons are allowed much less influence in forming their opinions than prejudice, and passion, and feeling. The memory has less influence in forming the character than the imagination-for there are, with us all, fewer things that we delight to remember, than that we hope to enjoy. Could we take our characters to pieces as we may a watch, and look at all the secret springs and influences that have gone to mold our views, we should probably be surprised to find how much the influence of the imagination has had to do with making us what we are. This remark in regard to the constancy of its operations, has peculiar importance in relation to the young. It is then that the character is formed; and it is then that the fancy is most vivid and controlling. The young have little to dwell upon in the past, for memory has, as yet, left few traces in their souls; they have not learned to look with distrust on the bright picturings of the future; for their anticipations have not been sobered by the disappointments and sadness of life; they are not often placed in circumstances which demand the stern application of the decisions of conscience and reason, and they allow visions of fancy to float before the eye of the soul, and the mind to be molded by their small, but fascinating forms. The characters of not a few persons are made up of mere imagination. "The lunatic, the lover, and the poet, Are of imagination all compact. One has more devils than vast hell can hold, The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling Doth glance from heaven to earth-from earth to heaven, And as imagination bodies forth The form of things unknown, the poet's pen Turns them to shapes, and gives to airy nothing A local habitation and a name." How many entire characters are there in the world, which have been formed wholly under the influence of romance, in which there has been nothing drawn from real life; nothing from the sober maxims of truth! Who can estimate the number of such characters which are forming under the influence of the novels poured from a prolific press every day in our times ? 2. My second remark is, that the imagination is evidently designed by the Creator to produce an important effect on the character and happiness of man. It is intended to raise us from the dull and tedious monotony of the realities which are around us, and to elevate us to the contemplation of higher and nobler objects. It is designed to place us amid anticipated scenes, which will be fitted to exalt what is groveling; to purify what is gross; and to remove what is debasing and corrupt. It is the power to create scenes of rare beauty; to collect and blend the charms of nature, which exist singly in reality; to place together in one group the choice thoughts of sentiment and devotion; to unite in the same person excellences scattered among many in real life, that shall lead us to contemplate a perfect character; to arrange circumstances that shall fill up the conception of unsullied purity and happiness in some scene such as the earth has never witnessed, and to hold these beautiful images before the mind until the heart shall love them and the soul shall pant for what it has not been permitted to enjoy. Such a power is evidently one that is adapted to have an important connection with religion-for relig ion relates much to the future and the unseen, and its influence on the soul is derived in a great measure from appeals made to the eye of faith, and not to the eye of sense. The things of religion are mostly in the invisible world. Its design is to raise the soul above the objects of time and sense, to the contemplation of anticipated beauties and glories there. 3. My third remark is, that the imagination, as it is actually exercised by the great mass of men, is little fitted to elevate or purify the character. There are operations of this faculty, corrupt in the extreme in their tendency, of which I can not speak. But there are also those exerting a vast influence to no advantage, which it is not improper to describe. Let any one look into the chambers of his own soul, and mark what is habitually passing there, and he will be sensible of the influence of this faculty on his character. Look at the amount of time which is spent in mere day-dreams as unreal as the dreams of the night, and as profitless. There are few-are there any y?—who have not spent more time by far, |