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dom of grace. He came to proclaim liberty to the captives of Satan,-emancipation from the ignominious bondage of sin. He has opened and consecrated a new and a living way' to the throne of mercy, and by giving individuality and life to his doctrines and precepts, He has demonstrated in a striking and palpable form, that the grandeur and nobility of the soul consist, not in the artificial pomp, or in the delusive glare and fashion of this world which pass away, like the fiery meteors of night, but in a mind elevated and attuned to the worship of God, and in harmony with his will. Such a mind is like the blue expanse of heaven, sublime and serene, and the radiant qualities which illustrate and adorn it, may remind us of those celestial orbs, which enlighten and beautify this lower world.

Our Lord in the prosecution of his mediatorial undertaking during his abode upon earth, performed many great and inimitable acts of authority, many miraculous works, not only expressive of his benevolence, but highly illustrative of his character, as the long predicted Messiah. His complex natures manifested occasionally such diversified appearances, as corresponded to their respective attributes. All the innocent infirmities of the one appear in mysterious conjunction with the perfections

of the other; nor is it always practicable to draw such a line of demarcation as to mark with precision the distinct operations of each: and it must be conceded, that our imitation of our Saviour's example consists not so much in the performance of specific actions corresponding with his actions, as in a general conformity to his temper and spirit in our respective circumstances of life.

It is this stupendous union of the divinity with the manhood of Christ, which harmonizes those seeming incongruities in the language of scripture from which infidels so often derive their hostile weapons of attack, as well as admirably accords with those angelic appearances and extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and in the earth, which gave such signal testimony to his commission, even in the lowest state of his humiliation and abasement. Whilst He passed over the theatre of this world, as ́ a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,' and by his lowly appearance and consecration of poverty discountenanced the carnal expectations of worldly power and aggrandizement that were entertained by the Jewish nation and even by his own disciples, there were not wanting illustrious proofs of his divinity under all the deep shades of obscurity which clouded his glory. Doubtless by his manner of teaching

(for he spake with authority, and not as the Scribes and Pharisees) no less than by the deep and penetrating matter of his instruction, he confounded his adversaries. They could not resist his answers, which were impressed with the majesty of eternal truth, and had often reference to the innermost recesses of their thoughts, as well as to their words: and upon one occasion, and in the act of apprehending Him, they fell as dead men before Him. Here we see moral suspending the action of physical power. Such is the dignity and imperial authority of goodness;-such is its restraining influence over the consciences of men. And the same omnipotent power, which thus overruled their rebellious wills, gave to the blind and to the deaf instantaneous sight and hearing, and raised even the dead to life. In the natural world also no less than in the moral world, our Saviour exercised the most absolute dominion. The winds and the sea obeyed Him. The conflicting elements, at his command, subside at once into a perfect calm. And these extraordinary manifestations of power were worthy of Him, whose inherent divinity irradiated his tabernacle of flesh with such an effulgence of glory, that his face shone upon the mount of transfiguration as the sun,-and his raiment became white and glittering as the light.' What

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CHAPTER III.

THE former statements are designed to shew, what it is to preach Christ in the most direct and explicit manner,—and this is the mode I apprehend, which has, in all ages, characterized the ministry of the gospel, and proved the grand mean of bringing men into a state of salvation.

I shall now proceed to consider, with greater particularity, what is comprehended in this statement. Independently of that wide range of erudition so necessary to an able polemic or learned defender of the faith, no inconsiderable degree of mental cultivation, of theological knowledge, and of spiritual discernment, will still be found requisite for a sound and able discharge of the Christian ministry in this more circumscribed view of its duties; and in our farther discussion of this important subject, I shall be naturally led to adopt such a line of observation as will tend to sublime and to spiritualize a cold and formal orthodoxy on the one hand, and to give on the other, a more definite and practical character to those generalizing