This "carpenter" and son of a carpenter, fearlessly reproved sin in high places, regardless of sneers and persecutions. He came on earth, indeed, to wage eternal war against vice, and while he threatened destruction to the hard hearted, he graciously held out the scepter of pardon and peace to all who would come to God by Him.

Though He never did harm, neither was guile found on his lips, He "was despised and rejected of men," and 'was, emphatically, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Earthly possessions He had none. "The foxes have holes," said He, "and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath no place to lay his head." This is He, who had been "rich in heaven, but for our sakes became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich.” He 66 came down from heaven not to do his own will, but the will of his Father who sent Him." Still He advocated no violent measures to render his institutions victorious. "A bruised reed" was not to be broken, the smoking flax was not to be quenched, and neither was his heavenly voice to be "heard

in the streets or upon the house tops," to carry his kingdom forward to honor and glory. His mission to earth was one of love, and his design was to subdue the stout heart and stubborn will, by acts of unparalleled kindness.

The meekness and condescension of the Messiah, surpassed that of all others. He entered the haunts of poverty and vice, with remedies from above, and wept with the afflicted sisters at the grave of a deceased brother. That he was a prophet superior to all who had preceded Him, is apparent from his unostentatious predictions in regard to his death, and resurrection, the destruction of Jerusalem, and

the overthrow of the Jewish nation.

Yet He was doomed to the cross, not for his own, but the sins of others.

After laboring thus, night and day, for more than three years, he was betrayed to his enemies by a false friend. In his trial, truth was trampled in the dust-justice was scoffed at-false witnesses swore away his life, and his condemnation was extorted from the governor of Judea. Jesus was

condemned to die; he stood alone in mock robes, forsaken and friendless, yet he murmured not. He " came to seek and save the lost," and his own precious blood was to be the price of our redemption. To Calvary, near Jerusalem, his enemies led Him, and while he gazed upon his timid, yet tearful followers, He said: "You daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but for yourselves and your children; for if they do these things in the green tree, what shall be done in the dry?" He died between two thieves; but the insult to heaven was so monstrous that, the sun vailed himself in night's thick darkness; the rocks were broken about Jerusalem, and the vail of the temple on Zion's hill was rent in twain from top to bottom. Jesus died. His mourning and heart-stricken friends, begged his body of Pilate, and placed it in Joseph's new tomb. A guard of iron-hearted soldiers was placed at the sepulcher, to prevent his disciples from taking away his body, and reporting, as his murderers pretended, that He had risen from the dead, as He had said He would do.

The soldiers stood firm the first and second day, but on the third morning, at God's majesty, they cowardly fell as dead men, the angel rolled away the stone from the mouth of the sepulcher, but he was not within. The Jews paid the soldiers to report that, while they slept his disciples stole away his body. Such is the absurd and incredible testimony, which must be received, or the world must confess, that God raised his beloved Son from the tomb.

He appeared first to Mary Magdalene in the Garden, then to the eleven, next to "above five hundred who saw him at once," and last of all, to Paul, who was adopted out of due time.

He ate, drank, and conversed with his disciples, who were to be his witnesses to the nations. When He assembled them on the mount of Olives, to deliver his last and great commission for the salvation of 'sinners, He said: "All authority in heaven and in earth is given to me, go ye, therefore, teach all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them

(the baptized) to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, (to confirm your word) even to the conclusion of the age."

Mark informs us, that "They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following."

Such is the Gospel of Christ, written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and all true ministers of the word, have preached and relied upon these facts for the conversion of the world.

The reader will please notice that, the object of the Gospel is to produce faith in them that hear it; and we may add, the effect of this faith of Christ, is to work an entire revolution of the affections and feelings of the soul toward God and man.

"These things are written," said the beloved John," that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name."

When our object is to convince men of the truth, we are to preach, "Christ and