not. If these are the fruits of Christianity, I am not ashamed of it. It opens the ear that is deaf to the music of heaven; it opens the eye that is blind to angelic beauty; it casts out evil passions; it subdues and sanctifies the heart; it raises men to the dignity of God's sons, and to the responsibility of God's freemen; it beautifies the desert, and makes the very wilderness rejoice and blossom as the rose.

If you look at its more direct influences, you will see how little reason you have to be ashamed of it. Those hospitals for the poor those retreats for the maimed, the wounded, the reduced-those asylums for the aged, the most precious jewels in our country's crown, are all the offspring of Christianity. In heathendom such things were not; and I am not ashamed of a gospel that has borne such fruits as these.

If we look at the consolations of the gospel, we shall find no reason to be ashamed of it. This religion of ours alone can give that peace which passeth understanding. Have you been bereaved of your relatives or friends?-has not Jesus seized the opportunity, and lifted your affections from trailing on the ground, and made them cluster round himself? Is it not true that your greatest losses have often been your greatest gains? The greatest sufferer will have the greatest weight of glory. The loss of an earthly treasure will make you look for a heavenly one. The loss of the beloved below will make you cleave closer to the heloved above. If this religion thus comforts them that mourn, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, but rejoice in accepting, professing, and proclaiming

it as the wisdom of God and the power of God unto salvation.

But if we look at the prospects it holds forth, we shall see no reason to be ashamed of the gospel. It tells me that the soul of the Christian no sooner leaves the frail tent that is deposited in the grave, than it joins the cherubim that are around the throne. Cicero, the most gifted of Latin orators, said he could not persuade himself that the soul did survive the body, but it was so dear and delightful a thought, that though he could not prove it, he still held it fast. What Cicero guessed, the Bible has enunciated as absolute fact. And not only so, but it tells me that the body I have left behind in the grave is not a castaway, but that every atom of its dust is redeemed by precious blood, and that it sleeps sweetly, waiting for the first tone of the resurrection trumpet, when the mortal shall put on immortality. And it tells me also that earth shall come under a more glorious genesis, that its bleakest deserts shall yet blossom as the rose; that Nature, long a weeper, shall lay aside her ashen garments, and put on her Easter robes; and the wild wail of sorrow that, like a melancholy minor, runs through all the sounds of nature, shall melt in that last and lofty jubilee, "Hallelujah, the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!" If these be the prospects of the gospel, surely every Christian must say, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ."

But, you ask, how are we to show this? First, by personal acceptance of the gospel. Christianity demands, not compliments, but the supremacy of the human heart. Either this religion is everything, or it

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is nothing. Does this religion penetrate your heart ? Is it, not a profession that you loosely hold, but the wisdom and power of God governing your heart, your conscience, and your life? We shall show that we are not ashamed of the gospel by our conduct. Never does the Christian faith shine with so impressive a splendor, as from the quiet, unobtrusive life of a true Christian. If we be not ashamed of the gospel, it will not be with us an exhibition for a holiday, a splendid procession, an anniversary display,' paraded upon the Sabbath, but it will go with us in every winding of the world; it will make Sabbath days cheerful, and working days holy; it will not be profession, but practice. Religious meetings are not religion; a text upon every panel of your house is not religion; crucifixes and images are not religion. Religion is a life, not a creed; it is a character, not a profession; it is that which gives tone, shape, direction, impetus, to the least that man does in his private home, and to the loftiest deed that he performs before the world. Some say, "Business is business, and religion is religion, and we wish the two to be separate;" but the very persons who say so bring their business into their religion. This they do not object to; what they do not like is bringing their religion into their business. Now it appears to me that business without religion is just time exhausted of eternity, or humanity trying to get away from God.

We do not advocate a religion of display, parade, or ostentation. This is offensive to God and hateful to But what we do advocate is a religion so conscious of its own dignity and truth as to be superior to

man.

all the influences of fear or favour amongst mankind; a religion too meek to obtrude itself, but too noble to shrink from declaring itself-not pretence, not profession, and yet not timidity, a religion that shall boldly say, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for whom, blessed Lord, have we in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth we desire beside thee."

IX.

Passover Tidings.

I CLOSE the interesting truths I have endeavoured to unfold in this little volume with a statement of the good tidings which Christ our Passover warrants us to make known. They are these:

"Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2 Corinth. v. 20, 21.

The Apostle presents himself, together with those who were associated with him, as ambassadors for Christ," as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be you reconciled to God."

What is an ambassador? What are we to understand by the application of such a name to the ministry of the gospel of Christ? An ambassador is one delegated by his sovereign to represent his country at a foreign court, and to bring the things that relate to his nation before a foreign power, to explain them, and to present them as they are and as they ought to be. He is not called upon to devise measures, but to declare measures previously determined. He is not