bond as our surety-Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession-He has performed the promise-And I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came unto the ANCIENT of days; and there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him. The Redeemer asserts in positive terms that he in possession of such authority-All things are delivered unto me of my Father-All power in heaven and in earth is given unto me. The angels who have kept their first estate, and the whole church in heaven and on earth, recognize him with joy in this capacity.Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. And I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne, and the beasts and the elders, saying, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Rev. v. 9, 12. The scriptures teach us that the Prince of the kings of the earth, rules his empire in subserviency to the salvation and the stability of his church. In order to conceive aright of the system of grace, we must consider it as the chief of the ways of God. "Say ye unto the righteous, it shall be well with you.' "All things shall work together for good to those who love God," In دو the inspired representation which the prophet Ezekiel gives us of the movements of Providence, in chap. i. and x., Jesus in the appearance of a man sits on a splendid throne directing the revolutions of the wheels. Even in the midst of his humiliation some rays of his intrinsic glory escaped through the mantle of his poverty. Angels announce his birth with joy; and a star directs to the spot in which he lay. While ministering on earth, he healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, stopped the rage of the maniac, and forced Satan to obey his voice. Over the winds and the waves he exercised unlimited power during his life, and while He suffered, nature trembled and seemed to mourn. To the disciple whom he loved, he appeared gloriously in the island of Patmos. He, whose vesture was dipped in blood, and whose name is the WORD OF GOD, is also, KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. From the mediatorial angel who stands at the golden altar with a censer full of incense in his hand, the righteous receive all their blessings and the wicked their punishments. He is the Governor among the nations. He rules in the midst of his enemies. The angels of light are his mi. nistering spirits, and the devils are chained to the wheels of his chariot. No weapon formed against Zion shall prosper. God hath raised his Son from the dead, and set him at his own right hand, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world but that which is to come, and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be Head over all things, to the church which is his body, the full ness of him who filleth all in all. 5. We have an evidence that the church will be finally triumphant from the victories which she has already achieved. The contest between her and the gates of hell have long ago commenced. For nearly six thousand years, the war between the seed of the woman, and the seed of the serpent has lasted. Even the leader of the church's forces, whom God gave for an ensign to the people, has been furiously attacked by the powers of darkness. Behold! the consequences Christ overcame in his death, spoiled principalities aud powers, led captivity captive, and in his exalted state gives gifts unto men. As the body to the head, so is the church to Christ. In him, all her members are more than conquerors. The breaker is come up before them; they have broken np and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: their King shall pass before them and their LORD on the head of them. Under the banner of the Redeemer, the church has marched her foremost ranks. The great trumpet of the gospel has given a certain sound and these have prepared for the battle. They have engaged ; they have conquered; and are now at rest in the full possession of their heavenly inheritance. The utmost efforts of the enemy could only kill the body and thus hasten the saints to their kingdom and their crown. A few more skirmishes will finish the contest as it respects the part of the army now engaged. Succeeding generations will follow; and from the success which has accompanied the efforts of those who have previously engaged, they may assuredly calculate on victory. They are embarked in the same glorious cause-they are clad in the same impenetrable armor-they have the same glorious and omnipotent Captain, who has already issued orders to the sentinels of heaven, "Open ye the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in." 6. There is established in the counsels of the Eternal, an inseparable connection between the divine glory and the church's wel. fare; and this shall undoubtedly secure her salvation. For his glory, God is exceed. ingly jealous. He will not suffer it to be given to graven images. He has himself connected it with the system of grace, and Zion is a crown of glory in the hand ef our Lord. Who then will attempt to wrest it from him ? The special agency of each divine person, the special honor of these divine agents, are now engaged in a common cause with the church. The promises of God shall not fall to the ground. The intercession, cannot be in vain, which the High Priest makes within the sanctuary. The Spirit which dwells in the hearts of believers is immortal and omnipotent. Once communicated to the soul of an adopted son, he never separates from him. The Father's love is sure, the Son has finished his redemption. The Spirit of grace will with equal certainty lead unto glory those who possess this great pledge of their inheritance. After that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the EARNEST of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.-Eph. i. 13, 14. Infinitely secure, then, must be this vessel laden with the riches of the divine glory-the Great Pilot will conduct her into the haven-the powers of hell shall not prevail. III. Consider the utility of this doctrine. If Jesus hath been conversing with you, my brethren, during the exposition of this text which I have essayed, ye will not be strangers to its use. You will have it here. after to say, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened unto us the scriptures? In order to help you to the practical application of it, I shall conclude these remarks by suggesting some of the uses which the discussion of the subject may an. swer: and 1. It inclines the believer to contemplate this glorious object in its proper light. Things glorious are said of the city of the Lord. God himself delights in his church. He will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Our elder brethren, of God's intelligent family-those pure spirits who have ever lived near him and have enjoyed his fellowship, are still learning more of his character from the church. They have an interest in her movements; they eagerly investigate the mysteries which have reference unto her. To principalities and powers in heavenly places is made known by the church the manifold wisdom of God. Turn your eyes, Christians, to the same object. It is inviting beyond expression. Those who were ransomed from the death, gathered into Christ himself as their head inseparably. connected with them, the man Christ surrounded with all the effulgence of the Godhead, seated upon the throne of the universe ; the winged seraphim the ministers of his pleasure; death and hell cast into the lake of fire, the gates of glory opening to the ge. nerations of the righteous, they enter with joy and gladness. Oh, God! with thee they are happy and safe. 2. This doctrine is calculated to wipe away the tears which bedew the church's cheeks, and disfigure her in the presence of her children. If she calculate on natural causes, the prospect before her is gloomy. Unbelief threatens to wrap around her the mantle of destruction. The heavens blacken, the earth trembles, the mountains are cast unto the midst of the sea, and the waters roar; but, there is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God. The promises in the hand of the Spirit convey peace and joy unto the soul. Confer not, my friends, with flesh and blood. The text directs your hopes to the agency of your Savior. Go up through the wilderness leaning on your beloved; and in the light of his countenance the church will appear beautiful as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, and terrible as an army with banners. In the world you shall have tribulation; but in me you shall have peace. Be of good chear, I have overcome the world. 3. The words of our text, strip the menaces of her most powerful enemies of all their terror. The heathen indeed rage, and the people imagine a vain thing. The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulerstake counsel together, to plot against the Lord and his Anointed. When such formidable combinations are seen formed against the church from without; when corruptions and distractions prevail within her walls, it is not surprising that her friends should be alarmed; but let not fear palsy the arm of in. dustry in her service. The Lord reigneth, let the earth be glad. A sight, of Immanuel building his church, animates, invigoratesand cheers the soul. They appear to be more for us than they who are against us. Their vociferous threats die on the distant breeze; their arrows fall to the ground without a stroke. Our heavenly Father hath declared of his Son, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever-a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. He hath appointed him to rule in the midst of his enemies." -By a public decree he hath commanded the nations to submit to his authority. "Be wise, ye kings, be instructed, ye judges of the earth-kiss the Son." And he hath sanctioned the decree, by threatening destruction to those who will not comply with its behest.-"Lest ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little." You will recognize therefore, brethren, in him, who during his humiliation was a servant of rulers, in his present exalted state the Supreme Ruler and Judge. Why need you fear the threat of your adversary? Your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name. All the treasures of wrath, as well as the treasures of grace, are at his disposal; the instruments of the Lord's indignation are in his hand. All judgments, the partial distribution of punishments in this life, and the irrevocable sentence, which stamps with eternity the wo of the wicked, are administered by the Mediator. He hath given him authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man. John v. 27. 4. This doctrine is useful, in order to encourage us to fight the good fight of faith. Yes, brethren, I am not afraid toinsist, in your hearing, upon the power of the enemy; I am not afraid to assert in positive language your own weakness, while I have it in my power to present you with such a powerful Ally. Jesus shall build his church, the builders shall not lose their labor. Trust ye in the Lord Jehovah for ever: in him is everlasting strength. The cause of truth is his. Can you believe the infidel, with the power of a false philosophy, shall be able to effect what the whole force of superstition tried in vain tear the Bible from the bosom of the church? Did your King in all his glory, appear in your assembly with this book in his hand, bidding defiance to every adversary, would you be as. sured of the safety of the sacred scriptures? Be then assured of it. Jesus, though not visibly, is really present in his church. His stately steppings are heard in his sanctuary. He is as a wall of fire round about her and the glory in the midst of her. The efforts of your internal enemies are also great. The struggles of corruption within are fierce and obstinate. The temp. tations of the world have many attractions; but fear not the united efforts of all your enemies. Follow up the defeat which Jesus gave to the powers of darkness; and like those who have already conquered push the victory. You do not meet the enemy naked and defenseless. You have the whole armor of God. Your fellow-soldiers are the excellent of the earth. The Son goes before you and the God of Israel shall be your reward. Isa. lii. 12. How shall I part with you, my brethren, without asking you, respectfully, on whose side are you? I am authorized to set forth the safety of the church and of all her sons and daughters; but not, all they who say Lord, Lord, shall enter into his kingdom. I cannot assure any of you personally that he is in a state of safety. The church shall enter to bliss, but many a fellow-worshiper shall be left without when the door is shut. Oh! brethren, give all dili. gence to make your calling and election sure. I can assure you there is sufficient merit in Christ's blood to cleanse from all sin-that there is in your Father's house bread enough and to spare-that you are all welcome, invited, commanded to believe in his Son whom he hath sent: and that he who believeth shall be saved; shall have all the security which the text promises to the church; shall have grace here and glory hereafter. AMEN. LIFE OF JOHN KNOX, THE SCOTTISH REFORMER. [Concluded from page 261.] "The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance." - Psal. cxii. 6. When the general assembly met in December, 1563, Knox took no part in the proceedings, till the business was far advanced. He then introduced the subject of the charge and prosecution against him for convoking the brethren, and entreated their judgment-whether he had been guilty of usurping authority to himself, or had merely acted in obedience to the authority of the church. The courtiers vehemently opposed the discussion of the question; the assembly, however, took it up, and determined that Knox had acted on the authority of the assembly, when he issued the letter for which he had been prosecuted. During the sitting of the next general assembly, in June, 1564, Knox and several of the brethren were called to a conference with Maitland, the queen's secretary, and other courtiers. Knox was accused of speaking disrespectful. ly of the queen. Maitland, his accuser, was learned and subtil, but was quite overmatched by the plainness, honesty, and intrepidity of Knox. In August, Knox was commissioned to visit the churches in Aberdeenshire; and by the following assembly, he received |