plying that he will be disappointed, that he will not complete his designs, that he will not answer the demands and fulfill the orders of Infinite Benevolence. Looking at his face, so full of grave and beautiful meaning, and beholding the fruits already produced by his works, we see the import of the words: "His fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and he will gather the wheat into his garner, but the chaff he will burn in unquenchable fire;" "He is like refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap. And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." We see that such words imply too plainly to be misunderstood, that Jesus the Son of God, will save the lost, that he will subdue all things unto himself, and utterly remove from the world the burdens of sin; that the task which the Father has sent him to perform, is to him a possible thing, and that he will compass and finish it.

Whatever the effect on human character wrought by other views of the Saviour, the effect of this view, it seems to me, must be the grandest and best. If there be any power in example, and if Christ's example is beheld in this view, how can we be otherwise than made better and happier by it? Religious teachers will call the attention of the world to their various and contradictory speculations; yet, notwithstanding what may be said of their loftiness and splendor, how vain are they all! and why should we heed them when there is such a character of love to study?—

when there is such justice before us to contemplatesuch a heart of benevolence before us sending out its warmth and vitality to our hearts-such "a face of ineffable sweetness, meeting our faces and shining upon them such a voice, a voice of unequalled melody, filling our ears and our souls with heavenly music, and teaching us to show our love for God, by doing all we can for our erring and suffering fellowman?

as one

In what we accept as the true view of the Saviour, in the view of the New Testament, he is not shown to us as a cold, and an austere judge, withdrawn from the world, severely overlooking it, and preparing himself to say on some future dramatic day of trial, what will strike some with despair, while others will be lifted up with joy and extacy; but he is here shown as our nearest and most loving companion, as our daily, hourly, our perpetual attendant and guide, of great Majesty and Love so near to us all that he becomes to us a better self- a better soul within our souls a guardian angel into whose face we can always look and find an answering light, whose voice we can always hear appealing to what is noblest and best within us, whose hand we can always feel leading us to the highest good, and whose heart, ever beating, ever throbbing with our own hearts, we can touch at any moment and be electrified and filled with spiritual life.

This picture of the Saviour is a beautiful one. It is an image of love and power. It cannot be looked at and not be felt. Let the men, and women, and

children of our world but see him as he is, and as so near them too, that he comes to them to pour his love into their hearts, that he accompanies them hour after hour, day after day, and year after year, that, forever, he is their closest and most charming companion, their noblest and most cheerful friend, their most just, most faithful Guide and Teacher, reproving and correcting them when they err, smiling and approving when they triumph over sin, and they will be disposed to obey him, they will respect his authority, they will follow him in the way of everlasting life. Our obligations are great. Much is demanded of We cannot shun the path of toil. We must work. This is the law of God. But we are not alone. God has sent to us a Helper, a Guide, who will do more to save us from sin than we can do for ourselves. Feeling his sacred Presence, and beholding everywhere the workings of his reforming spirit, and contemplating the effects of his power, and foreseeing the end of his labors, we can say with hopeful, courageous hearts, and in the darkest hours: His "fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and he will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

us.

DISCOURSE XXVII.

THE POWER OF THE CROSS.

JOHN III. 14, 15,

AND AS MOSES LIFTED UP THE SERPENT IN THE WILDERNESS, EVEN SO MUST THE SON OF MAN BE LIFTED UP; THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.

When the children of Israel were bitten by serpents, Moses "made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived." This is the record in the book of Numbers. The Saviour, referring to this piece of history, affirmed that "as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life."

In these words he foretold his own death, his crucifixion, and the work which should be. wrought by the power of the character he should present to the eye of the world on the cross.

In simple terms, his meaning was this: Those who were bitten by poisonous, deadly serpents, in the wilderness, were healed and lived, if they but observed

the command of Moses, and looked at the brazen serpent which he lifted up in their midst. So, when I shall have been crucified, and shall stand above the world in moral perfection, whosoever of the race of man shall behold me, shall see and know me, shall acknowledge and feel my spiritual power, shall be saved from sin, shall become like me in spirit and form, shall henceforward walk forth in my shape, and shall be filled with my undying life.

According to this exposition, the Saviour's purpose is to save mankind by the moral influence of his character, by the attractive power of his spirit; not by any arbitrary means; not by taking upon himself their sins, and suffering in their place; not by a process which shall make their sympathy and willingness, their faith and love, their thirst after righteousness, needless.

According to this exposition, Jesus is the Saviour of mankind, because he shows himself upon the cross as a perfect moral character, as one whose love is infinite and omnipotent, and whose goodness will attract the souls of men to holiness. The extent to which his moral power will be exerted in this direction, is made known in these grand words spoken by himself: "I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

Accepting this view, we do not look upon Christianity as a scheme, to be carried out as though we were all machines, and could have no part in fulfilling the purposes of God; but as a great influence of truth and benevolence, feeling its way from the character on the