former period could have done. At this juncture the Saviour appeared. The Life and Death of Christ demonstrate him to have been appointed to rescue wretched man from the bondage of darkness and sin. He came, indeed, in such a form, and taught such a doctrine, that he proved a "stumbling-block" to the carnal apprehensions of his own nation, and "foolishness" to the captious minds of the Greeks. But every circumstance attending his appearance upon earth was calculated to correct the false views and taste of mankind. Born in privacy, of humble parents, in circumstances of external meanness, and living retired and unknown, probably in the laborious occupation of his reputed father, but certainly in dutiful subjection to his parents, for by far the larger portion of his life, and proving hereby to a mind rightly instructed, that his "kingdom was not of this world;" yet, born above the course of nature by miraculous conception, he wanted not the acclamations of the heavenly host at his birth to reproach, as it were, the stupidity of his people, nor the homage of distant sages to reproach their ingratitude. He wanted not a harbinger to prepare his way, and make proclamation before the approaching king; but it was a proclamation of the true nature of his kingdom. He wanted not the clearest marks and evidences, that he was the very person who had been the object of the Church's expectation for several thousand years, and the subject of prophecies, types, and ritual institutions. And though the prophetical records of the nation pointed out

the very spot, the minute circumstances, and almost the very moment of his birth, yet so infatuated and sensualized were the people, though there was among them at this very time a lively and eager expectation of their Messiah, that none were found to bid him welcome, to do him homage, or to bear testimony to him, but the few spiritual and heavenly persons, whose minds were raised by divine influence above the tone of their nation, who entered into the true intent of the Scriptures, and "waited for redemption in Israel."

Before his entrance upon his public ministry, the divine wisdom that dwelt in him beamed forth with such clear indications, as to awaken surprise in the learned of his nation, and highwrought expectations in the breasts of his mother and the faithful few. When he entered upon his ministry, it was upon a life of sorrow, of want, of poverty, of meanness, and of contempt. He had nothing of the greatness and bravery of the world. A voice from heaven had uttered, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him," (Mat. xvii. 5.); yet, though he acted upon this authority," he was despised and rejected of men, a man of sor. rows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid, as it were, our faces from him: he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Is. liii. 3.)

The world has no notion of greatness and dignity but as it is connected with noise and display; but it was foretold of him, "He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the streets." (Is. xlii. 2.)

"He hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Is. liii. 2.) "His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men." (Is. lii. 14.) His life was a demonstration of the nature of the religion which he came to inculcate. It embodied it, and brought it out to the eye. His actions, more perhaps even than his teaching, were a reproach to the leaders of his nation. His modest character reproached their ostentation; his mildness, their severity; his holiness, their impurity; his spirituality of mind, their sensuality; his la boriousness, their love of ease; and the largeness of his charity, their narrow and selfish feelings. Indications there were of spiritual authority, before which the worldly, and the hardened, and the profane, and the covetous, hurried from the precincts of the Temple; the subtle reasonings of the captious were silenced, and the obstinate pride of the haughty was abashed.

His whole system of teaching was rather directed to a rectification of error, by rescuing the Scriptures from the false interpretations put upon them, and to bringing men back to a discern ment of true religion in its spiritual and vital nature, than to a full and explicit declaration of the nature of his kingdom, and the means of obtaining the divine favor. Much, indeed, he spake by way of anticipation, and which could not be fully understood till after his ascension, and that effusion of the Spirit which instructed the disciples in the true nature of his kingdom.

To pour farther contempt upon the objects of human estima. tion, and to evince without reasonable contradiction the divini, ty of the Gospel, he chose his companions, the future instruments of propagating the faith, from the unlearned and the poor. These he sent forth to announce the glad tidings throughout the province of Judea, with a charge to seek "the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ́ (Mat. x. 6.) To these he added seventy other disciples, whom he "sent, two and two, before his face, into every city and place, whither he himself would come." (Luke x. 1.) To the Jews, the person. al ministry of our Saviour was almost exclusively confined, his usual seat of abode being Gali. lee; and though his ministry was comparatively unsuccessful, yet many, who ranked not openly in the number of his followers, yielded to the authority and power by which he spake. Five hundred brethren are mentioned as witnesses of his resurrection. (1 Cor. xv. 6.)

The circumstances of his appearance were, like those of the whole dispensation of the Gospel, adapted to try the state of men's minds, he "being set for a sign that should be spoken against,-that the thoughts of many hearts might be revealed." (Luke ii. 34, 35.) His glory was so veiled, that, while the be lieving eye could discern, and the humble heart receive him as

the Holy one and the Just," yet the proud and the carnal could "desire a murderer to be granted to them, and kill the Prince of Life," (Acts iii. 13, 14;) for "had they known," says the apostle, i. e. with irre

sistible evidence, "they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." (1 Cor. ii. 8.) And though his death was necessary for the salvation of his very murderers, and "the Son of Man went as it was determined," yet (6 woe to that man by whom he was betrayed." (Luke xxii. 22.) He was betrayed by an apostate disciple, dragged to the tribunal of his own creatures, abandoned by his nearest friends, arraigned and condemned upon false accusations, mocked, and insulted, and spat upon, and scourged, and led away to consummate at once his sufferings and his sacrifice upon the cross, the bitterness of which hour he had already anticipated in his conflict in the garden, when his agonies had drawn from him as it were great drops of blood. But over him the grave had no power. As he died for our sins, he rose again for our justification; and, after giving sufficient evidence that he had raised out of the grave that very body with which he entered it, he ascended into heaven to assume his mediatorial throne, and exercise that office of intercessor for which he had been qualified by his own sufferings, and that dominion which was the reward of his obedience.

The nature and end of their Lord's death, and the divine purpose in the separation of their nation, were very imperfectly understood by the disciples themselves; much less had they any notion of the extent of that commission which they had received, though it was expressed in such general terms, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.” (Mark xvi. 15.) But their pre

judices as Jews were to be removed gradually. Many things, our Lord told them, he had to say to them, but they could not bear them then. For wise rea sons it had seemed good to the great Head of the Church to se parate the Jewish nation from the rest of mankind, by a pecu liar hedge of distinction; not, as was repeatedly declared, for their own deservings, for, to illustrate the freedom of his act ing and its independence of any merit in the creature, he chose for this end a nation remarkably obstinate and rebellious; but to preserve upon earth, till the coming of the Messiah, some traces of true religion, and to be a picture and shadow of his especial favor to his spiritual Israel. In common with the rest of the nation, the disciples had imbibed the prejudice that pecu. liar privileges were attached to the Jews, and admitted with great difficulty the disagreeable truth, that this peculiarity of privilege was to be annihilated, the wall thrown down, and the Gentiles received into a full par. ticipation of Christian blessings. This discovery is spoken of in the Epistles as the mystery hid from ages and generations." Previously, however, to their being enlightened in this mystery, they were to receive a preparation for their mission by the effusion of the Holy Spirit. It seems that their first apprehensions of the extent of their commission were, that, after beginning at Jerusalem, they should go into all nations, but confine their ministry to the Jews dispersed in these nations. Christ had promised his disciples the presence of the Holy Spirit

under the appellation of The Comforter, or, as the word imports, an inward monitor or invigorator; and his influence upon them on the memorable day of Pentecost was not only of that extraordinary kind, which was peculiar to the first preachers of the gospel, and whereby he endued them with the knowledge of tongues, which they had never learned, and with the occasional power of discerning spirits and of working miracles, but it partook also of that ordinary influence which is common to all Christians, though carried, in the case of the apostles, to a higher degree than common, because their circumstances required it. Light burst in upon their minds; the Scriptures of the Old Testament were seen to bear one uniform testimony to the spirit, the character, and the kingdom of their ascended Master; his own words, which were forgot ten or misunderstood, or not comprehended at all, were called to mind, and, in general, fully apprehended; fears, and doubts, and reluctances were removed, and fortitude, boldness, love, and an ardent zeal for the interests of Christ and the salvation of their brethren, fired their breasts. They lost their preju. dices respecting a temporal kingdom; they acquired a deep sense of their depravity and helplessness, and of their infinite obligations to redeeming mercy, and, with affections set on things a bove, and an ardent desire to follow their Master to a better world, they went forth to exhib. it a pattern of simplicity and godly zeal to all their followers in the Christian ministry to the latest age. Little had they un

derstood of the expected influ. ence of the Holy Spirit. Some indistinct ideas they had, no doubt, by this time acquired of the true nature and intent of his effusion; but it is highly probable that worldly hopes and expectations still occupied their minds; but, as "they continued in prayer and supplication" for the promised blessing, it was not long withheld.

The progress of the Gospel in Jerusalem, after this effusion of the Spirit, was great and rapid. Such were the effects of this extraordinary effusion upon the apostles, that, while some wondered at the miracle, others mocked them as intoxicated with wine.

But Peter directed them to the prophet Joel for an explanation of what they saw and heard. In his interesting dis course upon this occasion, which is recorded in Acts ii. he labors to convince his hearers of sin, and, the divine blessing accom. panying the word, multitudes being pricked in their hearts cried out, in the spirit of true penitents, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" The apostle replies as a miuister of reconcili ation, in fulfilment of what his Master had declared to be his purpose, "that repentance and remission of sins should be preached to all nations, begin. ning at Jerusalem." (Luke xxiv. 47.) Three thousand souls were added to the Church. From a miracle wrought by Peter and John upon a lame man, Peter took occasion again to preach repentance and remission of sins. The Church was increased to 5000. The apostles being brought before the Sanhe. drim, Peter with undaunted cou

rage charged upon them the death of Christ, and asserted the great truths which he had before testified to the people. The assembly enjoined silence upon the apostles, but they boldly urged the superior authority under which they acted; and, returning to their companions, united with them in fervent prayer for courage and success. And their prayers were answered. The falsehood of Ananias and Sapphira was an occasion of impressing the Church with reverence and godly fear. Signs and wonders were wrought in great numbers by the apostles, "in the name of the holy child Jesus," and multitudes were added to the Church. The apostles were committed to prison, and again brought before the Sanhedrim, and this opportunity was seized by St. Peter of again declaring the truth to the great council of the nation. How much is the effect of divine grace upon the mind of this apostle to be admired! He who dared not to avow his Master in the face of a simple maid, now boldly charges home the murder of him upon an enraged assembly, and attests that there is salvation in no other name! The Sanhedrim would have proceeded to vio. lence, but were diverted by the wise counsel of Gamaliel, and contented themselves with causing the apostles to be beaten, and dismissing them with charge to speak no more in the name of Jesus. "And they departed," says the sacred histori. an, "from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they

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ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ." (Acts v. 41, 42.)

There is something in the picture which the first chapters of the Acts of the Apostles draw of the rising church, upon which the mind dwells with singular satisfaction. The simplicity of her doctrines, the faithfulness of her pastors, the subordination of her members, the strictness of their unity, the fervor of their charity, and the purity of their conversation, exhibit the true nature of christianity. If the scoffer reproach us with the divisions, and disorders, and corruptions of the Church and her members, we will refer him back to this account of what christianity once was; and we will boldly assert, that this it still is and ever will be, so far as it is in reality received. Our own minds may be perplexed and confounded when we enter into the subtle and endless wranglings of after times, and our own hearts sicken at the prostitution of sacred things to every wicked inclination of man, but we will revive ourselves by turning back to drink at the pure fountain of truth and holiness.

The means of propagating the faith have ever been the same. The history of the Church demonstrates that success has accompanied the preaching of the Gospel, in proportion as the Ministers of the Church have held forth the doctrine of the Cross with fidelity and fervor, and her members have adorned it by their charity and purity. And if "the kingdoms of this world" are to become "the kingdoms of our God and of his Christ," we must expect it will be accomplished in the