death of the cross:" having shown, I repeat, all this of the Saviour, he rises up in the sublimity of his great thought, pointing to one who is Ruler and Judge over all, and the faithful Rewarder of all goodness and obedience, and thus continues his discourse: "Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name."

This recognition of God, as the highest, the supreme authority and power, is clear and positive. The apostle builds his superstructure on a firm foundation. The beginning of his thought, is God. From this First Cause, proceeds all good. From this First Cause, comes every good and perfect gift. "Of him, through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory forever."

In the text, the lofty spiritual eminence of the Saviour is also recognized. The faithful apostle omits nothing which should be told concerning the position the Saviour occupies in the moral universe. While he speaks of him as subject to the Father, he yet does not teach his scholars to look upon him as like other men, or even as on the plane of the prophets. He asks them to contemplate the Saviour, as far above all other men. "God," says he, recognizing the Father as the highest "hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name." In these words he is explicit, presenting the same idea he presents in another passage, where he says: "There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

The apostle sees with a clear vision, the spiritual

elevation of the Saviour; with uplifted eyes he beholds him far above the world, seated on the right hand of God, and worthy of the love and worship of mankind. But he does not behold him as beyond the reach of human sight. He speaks of him as near enough to men to be seen. Though in the likeness of God, he is so visible, that God's children can behold him; he is so near, that the minds and the hearts of men can feel his holy and sanctifying influence. His divine and beautiful presence is so distinct to the upturned vision of his Father's children upon the earth, that in their souls they hold his likeness, as the clear lakes among the hills hold the image of the midday sun. He is seen, too, by the spirits of men in all regions beyond the bounds of this world; so that, in all hearts in the heavens, on the earth, and under the earth his form and purity will be reflected, till all his work of holiness shall be done.

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God, the Father, is too high to be seen. Who, by searching, can find out God? He is too great to be comprehended. Therefore, between himself and his human offspring, he presents his Son, the likeness of himself, the express image of his person. And so we learn what is to be known of God by contemplating the form of Christ, and by following this Exemplar in his path of benevolent life. We behold the Father in the Son. We comprehend all that the Creator reveals of his paternity, in the Son. And we ourselves, and all other men must attain the highest condition in the Father at last, through the aid and mercy of the Son. "God hath highly exalted him, and

given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father."

In the apostle's recognition of the Saviour's moral eminence, there is more implied than men generally see, or much that the multitudes of the world overlook. The apostle sees how broad the realm of the Saviour is, how far his reign will extend, and what will be the noble results of his rule. He does not behold the Saviour as hemmed in by narrow bounds; nor does he behold him with his energies fettered, or his ardor cooled, or his mercy quenched at every point in the course of his grand and holy mission. He looks up to him as the King of a boundless realm, sending forth his hosts to conquer, and bring to him, all the children of God who lead unhappy lives in the service of sin.

We cannot perceive, brief as the passnge before us is, that the apostle leaves a necessary word unsaid. With respect to every point he is plain. Short as the text is, it is one of the grandest strokes in human language. God, in his supremacy, justice, and love, and Christ lifted by the Father to the throne of the heavens, and commissioned by him to apply his power to bring all souls of all regions in homage and worship, in confession and obedience before him- what views like these can we find in the paragraphs of the wise men of the world or of the schools? What occasion is there for lack of positiveness or explicitness in teaching, or for

narrowness of view or meanness of conception, or weakness of faith, or feebleness of hope, while we have such words of broad and weighty sense, of such distinctness and power, within a compass so limited.

Oh, how the world needs the fresh and clear instructions of the Saviour and his apostles. We want now the living truths which were uttered by the holy men of old. We want the great lessons which will strengthen our faith, enlarge our hopes, and fill our souls and hearts with love towards God and mankind.

May the good God who loves us take away all veils from our eyes, and turn our ears from the jargon of creeds and the din of this world, to the sweet, still voice which leads to holiness and heaven.

"Give us the truth which swells the heart
Give us the power which saves the lost;
Give us the Christian's better part,

The love and peace of Penticost.

"O for the Prophets' sacred fire!

O for the Apostles' tongues of flame!
O for the soul of pure desire

Which glows within the Saviour's frame."

DISCOURSE XXXVIII.

UTILITY OF PREACHING.

2 TIMOTHY IV. 2.

PREACH THE WORD.

Preaching the word of God was considered a very necessary and important work in the earliest days of Christianity. Said the Saviour, after reading in the book of Isaiah: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor." Matthew records, that after the temptation in the wilderness, Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The same evangelist speaks of him further along in life, as he appeared on the mount teaching the multitudes, and transcribes for us his matchless discourse. Alluding to him still further along in his course of duty, the same writer says, that when he "had made an end of commanding his disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities." He records these as among the injunctions which the Saviour gave to his disciples: "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand." "What I tell you in dark