sufferer now began his triumphs. He rose a king and conqueror, having destroyed, according to the promise given to Adam, the vital parts of Satan's power. He had taken away sin, he had overcome the power of death, he had risen conqueror of the grave. The resurrection was the proof of Christ's Godhead, without which his disciples never would have devoted themselves to the arduous task of preaching Jesus the Saviour of sinners. "It is the main pillar of the Christian faith."

Art. 4.-Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again His body with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith He ascended into heaven and there sitteth until He return to judge all men at the last day.

4th.-Christ came to ascend into heaven, carrying captive our deadly foes, sin and death and hell, the powers of Satan. As David sings, He hath ascended up on high, He hath led captivity captive, and received gifts for men.

And what are those gifts? "Jesus having received of the Father the promise of the Spirit, shed it forth on men." Acts, ii. 23. How the wondrous doctrine of the blessed Trinity shines. through the whole of our religion, and sheds a glory upon every part of it. Here is God the Father, a King of infinite riches and glory, has constituted his beloved Son the High Treasurer of heaven, and the Holy Spirit is the divine and inestimable treasure. What amazing doctrines of sacred love are written in our bibles! what mysteries of mercy, what miracles of glory are these. Our boldest desires and most raised hopes durst

never aim at such blessings; there is nothing in nature that can lead us to a thought of such grace.-Dr. Watts.

The Father hath a large heart of bounty to the poor ruined race of Adam. The Son has a hand fit to be the almoner to the King of Glory, and the Spirit is the rich alms. This blessed donation has enriched ten thousand souls already, and there remains enough to enrich ten thousand worlds. The Father, what a glorious giver! The Son, what a glorious medium of communication ! The Spirit, what a glorious gift! We blush and adore while we partake of such immense favours, and gratitude is even overwhelmed with wonder.

O may our spirits rejoice in this blessed article of our religion! and may all the temptations that we meet with from men of reason, never baffle so sweet a faith.

5th.-Christ then performed all this to purchase for us the Holy Spirit. How precious and how dear is that gift! Do we value it as we ought? Do we seek from his hand, who ever sitteth to make intercession of the Father, that He will bestow it on him that asketh? How complete, how perfect is the work of Jesus! The Spirit is the crowning hope of the believer's prayer; the Spirit is God dwelling in us; the Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are children of God.

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Come, O eternal Spirit! come and visit my poor dark and disconsolate soul; come and awaken all my powers to follow hard after my Father and my God! Come and invigorate my faith, and lead me to the Mediator, the blessed Jesus! Come, open unto me the promises, and let me into the covenant of his unchangeable love, ratified and sealed with blood. If ever I find my

God, it is there, I know, I must find him. Christ is the only way to the Father. It is by the interest of his Son I shall get near to him, even to his seat. Then will I pour out all my wants, and all my woes in his sight. I will order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. Will He plead against me with his great power? No, but He will put strength in me, and assist and suffer me to prevail with him. Then when I have found him whom my soul loveth, I will hold him fast, and not let him go. I will charge all the passions and powers of my nature, not to yield to one sinful practice, nor provoke him to depart, for he is my everlasting and Almighty friend.

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Then, though I should have a thousand enemies set against me, I would not be afraid; yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for I have found my God, and my God is with me."-Dr. Watts.

The third subject of which the Creed particularly treats, is the life and immortality brought to light by the Gospel, as given to Christians in the New Covenant. Our Creed states these to be the peculiar blessings of Christians; that is, the knowledge of these blessings is confined to the Holy Catholic Church, or the Communion of Saints, meaning the universal Church; the two or three who meet together in the name of Christ; the Saints, or holy persons, who congregate to pray, to teach, to admonish one another in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs. These alone know and understand the blessings brought to light by the Gospel. Yet, after all, the value of Christianity was not to be appreciated by its temporal effects. The object of revelation is to influence

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human conduct in this life; but what is gained to happiness by that influence can only be estimated by taking in the whole of human existence. Then the effects upon human salvation, of the mission of the death, of the present, of the future agency of Christ, may be universal, though the religion be not universally known."

Yet, although we may not be able to estimate the effect of Christ's agency for those who have never heard of his atonement, we know that they to whom it is preached are subject to condemnation if they believe not. Thus

Art. 18.-" They are to be had accursed that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of nature. For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved."

When we say, then, that we believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, we state our belief in the truth of the founders of the Church, and the unity of fealty between Christ and his people when they meet in his presence, though that presence be invisible. Have you never felt your heart full to overflowing when the love of God in Christ has been preached to you? Have you never felt the overwhelming majesty and glory of the Father when his works and ways have been read to you? Have you never felt your soul exalted when the Spirit's holiness has been offered you, as the pure white garment required of the Saviour's bride-the Holy Church? Then were your souls experiencing that sweet communion with the Eternal Three you profess to believe in.

And have you never felt your heart warmed with love towards those who proclaimed to you, and those who listened with you, to the glad tidings of salvation, the riches of your inheritance? Then did you experience the sweet communion of Saints, then did you participate in that love which filled the Saviour's bosom, "That holiest, purest flame enkindled from above." That saints above commune with the spirits of saints below may be true, but we know little of this communion; on the contrary, we ought to know much, if we are Christ's disciples, of that love towards one another He so earnestly recommended. Yet so much is self bound up in the human heart, that it is only by constant communion with God we can attain this heavenly frame of mind; for only when he loves all his fellow-heirs in bliss is the Christian made perfect, only then arises that peace which passeth all understanding; a love beautifully typified in the light which beamed on Moses' face when he descended from the Mount; a love which fills us with a desire to bless all, and lead all to the same sweet source of happiness from which we have derived our own.