were by divine providence withdrawn, then they must feel that their happiness is gone, and their spirit must sink in consequence. But the promise of Christ was still true; and they cut themselves off from its enjoyment by not setting their affections on those things above which Christ had here promised to their faith.

Thus you see, that our Saviour has promised here to his disciples a peace in believing, a peace in dependence, a peace in humility, a peace in heavenlymindedness, a peace in continual communion with God. And it is that which is assured to his disciples. O, my brethren, if you live in the exercise of those graces, be assured that our gracious Lord will never let you want the peace that belongs to his disciples.

Let me, in conclusion, ask, Do we feel convinced that this peace our Lord is willing to bestow on us? Do we see its value so as to perceive, that as we have gained any advantage which would be desirable in this world by the loss of this peace, we have suffered an inestimable loss? Are we convinced that there is nothing better for the child of God, nothing more profitable to him in this present state, than to have precisely that Christian peace which our blessed Lord has here promised? If so, if this is the deliberate judgment of those whom I address to-night, let me further ask, Are we brought to the fixed resolution to seek it by all possible means? Are we prepared for every sacrifice and every conflict that is requisite to obtain it? If so, go at once to the throne of grace that he may give you peace. It is to me a happy consolation, that while addressing so many whom I believe to love the Lord Jesus Christ in spirit, though they may complain of many imperfections that attach to our present profession, you are prepared to estimate the value of that Christian peace; and perhaps, while meditating on its value, the Lord may bestow a large supply of peace to many of his servants here. O that God may multiply grace and peace amidst the multitude that compose this congregation, that they may never be diverted from it, and never long to have the appearance of grace without its attendant peace! May the Lord himself, who is the only giver of all good gifts, lead many of his servants here to avoid that unsatisfactory profession of religion, that frequent violation of conscience in little things, that low standard of religion so commonly obtaining even in the church, and desire to know all he meant to bestow on his sincere followers when he said to them "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace."

THE COMMISSION OF EZEKIEL

REV. T. MORTIMER, B.D.

ST. MARK'S CHURCH, PENTONVILLE, SEPTEMBER 14, 1834.

I do send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them."EZEKIEL, ii. 4, 5.

THERE are many parts of this wonderful book, the prophecy of Ezekiel, which, even at present, are not fully understood. There are depths in it which the mightiest mind cannot well fathom. Ezekiel was no ordinary, no common writer he was a man of a bold and daring mind; he was a man peculiarly under the influence of the Spirit of God as a Spirit of holy reproval, boldly rebuking sin, nobly testifying to the truth of God. And many passages in this wonderful book, as they bear upon the Christian minister, are such as no servant of God can read without a holy feeling of awe. For instance, that in which the prophet receives his commission as a watchman, and that in which the blood of souls is laid upon the head of the careless watchman: passages which, as they apply to the ministry of God's holy word in all ages, teach us plainly our duty. God Almighty give us grace to act upon them.

The passage which I have read in your hearing this evening, is one which will furnish, if God be pleased to assist us, with an important subject for our consideration. You have, first, the prophet's commission; secondly, the way in which the message he had to deliver from the Lord would be received-by some received, by others rejected. And then, thirdly, both parties brought to know that the message was from the Lord: to those who received it, it would be accompanied with peace and joy; and those who rejected it find, to their sorrow, at last, that the rejected message came from the God of heaven, and shall surely "know that there hath been a prophet among them." The application of all this to New Testament principles, is that which of course will suggest itself; for, you remember, that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

Mark, then, the COMMISSION. Look at the terms of the text, and you will see two things particularly deserving your attention :-"I do send;” “thou shait say: "I do send thee;" thou shalt say unto them, " Thus saith the Lord." This morning I had to direct your attention to the subject brought before us by the co.ect of the day, where we pray God to "cleanse, to defend, to pre

serve his church." If, as priests of the Lord, we have our duty to discharge. let it be remembered, that you, as a people of the Lord, have your duties also to discharge. Look at the commission which we have: "I do send ;"" thou shalt say." And here one naturally pauses for a moment to ask, Is it not an act of infinite condescension, that God should take any notice of us; that the King eternal, immortal, invisible, before whom thrones and angels worship, and do homage and service, at whose footstool they bow, whose praises they celebrate day and night; is it not an act of infinite condescension, I ask, that such a God should send any message to man? For what are we, I pray you? Poor finite creatures; of limited capacities, with tendencies to evil, tendencies to the very thing that God Almighty hates, detests, and abhors. Nor only with tendencies to these things; but in the actual perpetration of sin; committing crime upon crime. And yet God sends his message to us. Why? Because, my brethren, he knows the original dignity of the souì of man; he knows what it was before he fell; he knows what it was capable of then; and he knows what the soul of man can yet be made through the blood of the cross, and through the power of the Holy Ghost: and, therefore, God sends messages to man. I grant you, no sooner had man sinned than he was driven out of Paradise; but you soon begin to hear some tidings of mercy. In fact, when the serpent is called up for judgment, and the great Lord of all is about to pronounce his mandate, the very curse of the serpent contains a promise of mercy to the poor transgressor, man; it tells, that the seed of the woman should bruise the head of the serpent. Then soon men began to call upon the name of the Lord. You find, after a while, God speaking to the patriarchs promises, some of which (that for instance in Jacob) are still in course of fulfilment. Then the Jewish church is set up in the world, by the express order and direction of God himself. He selected the Jews to be a people, out of all others, to himself, to be especially devoted to his service and glory, to his public worship, and the ordinances of religion. And then you have a succession of prophets, down to the very time of Malachi: then indeed you have a rest-it is a long one-until the harbinger of our Lord appears. The forerunner of Christ comes, and tells the world of the approach of him with whom is the kingdom and the power, and to whom shall be the glory for ever. And from that day to this there has been a church upon the earth, instituted ordinances of religion, one day in seven set apart for the public service and worship of Almighty God. And how many messages of mercy, good people, in God's holy name, have been delivered to you from the Holy Book of inspired truth? How many encouraging promises; how many precious invitations; how much calculated, not only to instruct, but to cheer, to comfort, to edify, and to sustain you, to lead you onward, and to bear you up, in your way to the kingdom of heaven?

"I do send;"" thou shalt say." We have no business to go and preach unless God send the outward call of the church, and the inward call of the Spirit. And hence our own church asks all its candidates for holy orders-the bishop puts the question-" Dost thou believe that thou art inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon thee this office?" O, solemn question! solemr solemn question! "I do send;" "thou shalt speak."

But what shall they speak? They shall speak, "Thus saith the Lord The authority for the message is "I do send;" the nature of the message is

what the Lord hath said. Now you find our blessed Saviour, when commissioning his disciples, does not leave them at liberty to say what they please. No. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach ali nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

But let me turn to consider, in the second place, THE WAY IN WHICH THIS MESSAGE, WHICH THE PROPHET HAD BEEN COMMISSIONED TO DELIVER, IS TREATED. A two-fold way: some receive it; others reject it. Concerning the apostolical ministry, concerning the word preached by the apostles, some believed the thing spoken, and some believed not. O, my brethren, this congregation has many divisions. We might divide it, for instance, into those who are rich, and those who are poor; into those who are ignorant, and those who are intelligent. But there is a day coming which will make a narrower division; which will divide you into sinners and saints. When the Son of man cometh, do you know (you ought to know), where you shall be? "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory; and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." Some of you who hear the word spoken, receive it; others of you reject it. Let us dwell upon this different treatment which the message from God receives. "Whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear." Let us look at the case of those who hear, and then at the case of those who forbear.

There are some among you, my Christian hearers (thanks be to God!), who do not only hear, but receive. The word preached is not preached in vain among you. You hear, that is (as "to hear" signifies), you receive. You receive it as the message from God. There is the point. They greatly mistake who go to hear sermons as they go to hear a tragedy. No, no; when you come to the house of prayer you are coming to another sort of house: it is not a house of sinful amusement, not a house of sinful pleasure, where one mere mortal is aiming to entertain his fellows, to excite their approval, and call forth their plaudits; no; but it is a house where one poor sinner stands up in the name of the ever blessed God, and delivers language for which he that delivers it, and they to whom it is delivered, must give an account at the last terrible and solemn day of judgment. Can you say you have never heard this Gospel? Have we never, in this place, testified repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ? Then woe to us. I do not know a more awful thought than that which stands connected with an unconverted and irreligious clergyman. Of all the miserable men upon earth, that poor wretched man is most to be pitied who delivers the message to others without having received it himself: to be appointed to an office which is to lead others to heaven, and yet not to walk in the way to it himself!

My dear hearers, I do trust, through God's mercy, that there are many here who have not only heard, but received the truth. If so, what effect has it produced? What is one of the first effects where the Word of God is really and truly received as a divine message? Does it generally make people very

happy? I think not; my observation is quite of a contrary character. Where God's Word is received as a message from him, it generally begins by making people first thoughtful, then unhappy it leads to many a silent tear, to many a secret sob, to many a quarter of an hour of painful anxiety and distress of mind. The feeling is this:-" If the Bible is true, where have I been going? what have I been doing? If I must be converted or perish, what proof have I that I am converted; and if I never am so converted, where shall I go?" This feeling often leads to deep sorrow of heart; and he that never wept over his sins has great reason to fear lest he should perish in his sins. It is a good sign when we sow in tears; for the Scriptures say, blessed is "he that goeth forth weeping, bearing precious seed, he shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." For mark; true religion-the message from God-will begin by making people serious, and then by making them unhappy: but it goes on by taking away their unhappiness. It finds out the disease; it points out all its symptoms, and says, "You are a dead man if you do not go to the good Physician :" but then it takes the sin-sick soul to the good Physician-and what then? (Thanks be to God, my brethren, many of you know what then.) What then? Why, then there is a peace to the worldly man unknown.

"O'tis more than tongue can tell,

Only to believers known,
Glorious and unspeakable."

"Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Now this is all the work of the divine message, and which we must deliver to the people at the peril of our own souls. Have you then received this message into your hearts? If so, I give you joy, as well I may, if this is

the case.

But look again, there are others that forbear. There are preachers that do not declare this message: they may be very amiable, very moral, very kind, very affectionate if that would take you to heaven we would not attempt to press any thing else upon you; if that would deliver you from sin, and put you in possession of the blessing, the delights, the joy, and the peace, and all the other consequences connected with the Gospel, we would not press that Gospel upon you but we know it will not. Who then are they that forbear? "Whether you will hear, or whether you will forbear," our duty is the same: we are to go on. O, how these prophets did go on: how they preached, and how they suffered! And, looking into after times, look at the apostles; how they preached, and how they suffered. How boldly did they testify of Jesus; how continually did they appeal to him; how confidently did they declare to the people, that there was no salvation in any other name-that there was " none other name under heaven given among men whereby they could be saved,' but the name of Jesus. And how they suffered! How boldly did the martyrs testify; and how they suffered. They were persecuted in every land: but the world soon found that persecution, instead of conquering, was, in fact, promoting the cause of Christianity, so that it passed into a proverb, that "the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church."

But are there not among you many who have heard God's holy Word delivered for many years, but who have not received it? That is, for instance, we have told you from God's Word, “ Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise