and blessing, even "manifold more" than all he has relinquished, “in this present time, and, in the world to come, life everlasting." Again, were he to give the last, best proof of strong attachment, (for "greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,") and to offer himself a sacrifice unto death: even here he would but seal that gracious promise to himself; "he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal." In all these cases, however, the will is taken for the deed: and happy is that man, in whose heart the Lord can read the language of the Psalmist; "Thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee."

On a full review, then, of this whole matter, how glorious a prospect lies open to the awakened soul. Well may we use the language of our Church; "We bless thee for our creation:" for “the lot is fallen unto us in a fair ground; yea, we have a goodly heritage." It is, indeed, a blessing to have been born. For to have been called into a state of conscious being, is to be made spectators of a scene, witnesses of, and participators in, a scheme of things, where the whole is filled with the goodness of the Lord; where infinite love is unchangeably and eternally seated on the throne of universal empire; and where the end of all that is, is to promote the glory of God,

in the happiness of his creatures. "What shall we then say to these things?" What, but "praise the Lord, O our souls; and all that is within us praise his holy name."

XVII. ON THE RESEMBLANCE OF THE SOUL, IN ITS PRESENT STATE, TO A BIRD IN THE EGG.

There is not, in the compass of nature, a more lively emblem of the soul, imprisoned in this mortal body, than, (homely as the comparison may appear,) that of a bird in the egg. The little animal, though thus confined, is in the midst of the scenes of its future life. It is not distance which excludes it from the air, the light, and all the objects with which it will so soon be conversant. It is in the midst of them, though utterly shut out from them; and, when the moment for bursting its enclosure comes, will be ushered into a new world, and translated into scenes unknown before, not by any change of place, but by passing into another state of existence. So it is with the soul. It is now, in a certain sense, in eternity, and surrounded with eternal things. Even the body to which it is attached, stands out, on the surface of this globe, in infinite space. Besides, the spiritual world envelopes it on every side: it is encompassed

with a cloud of witnesses; innumerable spirits encamp about it; and God is as intimately present to it, as to the highest angel that beholds his face in heaven. Nevertheless, to realize to itself the nearness and the presence of these eternal objects, at least to know them as it will know them hereafter, is a thing impossible. Why? Not because any tract of space is interposed between the soul and them, but because the spiritual principle, while united to flesh, is, by the laws of that union, so incarcerated in the body, as to be denied all means of intercourse with those scenes which lie around its prison walls. The hand of death alone can unbar the door, and let the spirit out into the free air, and open day-light of eternity. There is one important particular more, in which this analogy holds. Unless the embryo is vivified while in the egg, it can receive no vitalizing principle after. If the shell is broken, the young bird comes out dead. Thus it is also with the soul. Unless impregnated with spiritual life, before it leaves the body, it will come forth still-born into eternity, and continue for ever dead in trespasses and sins.

XVIII. ON ROMANS, V. 8, AND 1 JOHN, iii. 16, 17.

These two passages appear to me decisive on the great point of our Lord's Deity, though they make no direct assertion respecting it. The first of them is as follows: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Now, if we read this verse alone, it appears quite irrelevant to the matter in hand. But let us take it in connexion with the foregoing verse, and see how the two stand together. In this passage the apostle is manifestly comparing, or rather contrasting, the philanthropy of man with the philanthropy of God. "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die." A man may be upright, just, and every way deserving our esteem. But if this be all, however he may gain our respect, he will hardly conciliate our affection: still less will he be the object of that devoted love, which would make, for his sake, the sacrifice of life. "Yet, peradventure, for a good man some would even dare to die." In some remarkable and special instances, where every amiable quality, and every attractive grace, have shed their united lustre upon one favoured mortal; and where the person of that individual, has, in addition to its own inherent

excellence, been endeared to any one, by long tried friendship, and by acts of the most generous and disinterested affection;-why, in such a case, we may conceive, and history has furnished some rare examples, that a man, thus bound by obligation, and constrained by love, would even dare to die for such a friend and benefactor. Thus far, and no farther, can human philanthropy extend. "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners;" while we were neither righteous nor good; while we were not friends, but enemies; while we were in rebellion against his authority, and defiled with impurities abhorrent to his nature; "Christ," (that is he, God)" died for us." Unless Christ be spoken of here as God, the passage has neither consecutiveness, point, nor meaning. No. The apostle's manifest intention is, to contrast the love of God to us, with the love which we are capable of feeling to one another; to shew how infinitely the former transcends the latter; and to give an instance of this, in that which is the last, best proof of love, namely, a readiness to die for the object of attachment. In this view, and considering the term Christ as standing for " God manifest in the flesh," the train of reasoning is clear, consistent, and convincing. If, on the other hand, Christ be not God, nothing, as I have said before, can