It is spiritually discerned. Human sagacity is at fault to discover any marvellous power or profound wisdom in the cross: but through the effectual calling of God, these things, though hid, are revealed, he will give to those who heartily seek it, an understanding to know him here.

Hereby, then, brethren, let us each make our calling sure. What think ye of Christ? is the test and proof. What power and wisdom do you see-have you felt, in him crucified? Have you seen as much wisdom in the cross as the means of reconciliation, and through it established a fellowship with God? Do you see what a satisfying foundation it is for hope, relief from fears? Have you found in Christ crucified an answer to the accusations of the law, a source of peace in your conscience, a ground of confidence in coming before God? "Who is he that condemneth, it is Christ that died." Consider again, what influence has the cross exerted on you? Is it powerful enough to make you cast away a bosom sin, to gain your affections for him who died on it to secure him your heart and services, to kill love of the world, to produce an earnest, devoted attachment? All these effects it is calculated to have, all these it ought to have, all these it has, on those called of God. And why on them only? Whence the necessity of the calling to produce them? Because the mere knowledge of Christ having been crucified, knowing about him, the intellectual acquaintance and conviction, has no influence on our hearts and lives. It is having the savour of knowledge, the spiritual judgment and feeling, (Phil. i. 9)-knowing him by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, receiving the spirit of wisdom and revelation. The mere knowledge we can acquire for ourselves; the savour must be God's gift. Let us put ourselves under the beams of heavenly light, as it is reflected from the cross, and cry to him for the sight of Christ in his full orbed glory.

Ryde, March, 1853.

SERMON VII.

Philippians i. 6.-"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."

You notice particularly in these words the sanguine persuasion which the Apostle expressed-" He is confident of this very thing," and he does not hesitate to say so. It is not in a private communication to another church that he thus recalls the thoughts and impressions he has about the Philippians; it is his assured language to themselves; language that has no ambiguity about it; that no one hardly can mistake or misinterpret. Moreover, he is not a man likely to be carried away by enthusiastic feelings; and in his joy at witnessing the steady progress of his converts, apt to conclude too hastily that no obstacles would ever arise, and no checks would ever interpose. Far from it. Still he seems to have no fear of disappointment in the end; he is quite persuaded that a good work, beyond all question, has been begun, and he takes upon him to answer for it, that it will be finished.

Let me endeavour to answer a question which naturally suggests itself. What warrant has the Apostle for this confidence? Other converts had disappointed him. He cannot conceal his chagrin when speaking to the Galatians, he wonders who had bewitched them, that they should not obey the truth. Demas, he once regarded as a brother and fellow-helper, he forsakes him! Will not these and other examples teach him caution, and make him slow to pronounce a decided opinion? Is not this a somewhat hasty and premature judgment of his converts at Philippi? Let us see what will justify such language. How is he warranted in saying, not merely that he hopes the good work begun will be performed, but that he is confident it will, he knows it will.

Consider the motive God had for beginning this good work in them. Who are the subjects of it? Who are those Philippians, that they should be turned

from darkness into marvellous light; that they should have their sins forgiven, and the law of God written in their hearts. What was it that made them to be received as fit subjects? In what were they distinguished from their fellow-creatures that could lead them to be selected for so excellent a benefit? In nothing! In this case and sense, God is no respecter of persons. Those, in whom he begins a good work, whoever they may be, are originally, in every case, blind and stubborn sinners; full of enmity to their Maker-wishing he would depart from them; and, as far as they can achieve it, living without him in the world. Such, he finds all, whatever quarter he looks to. Any, of a different character, who may be fit subjects for the exercise of his gracious purposes, he cannot discover. "The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one!" And then, further, when it is with such materials as these, he must work, -desperately wicked hearts, and alienated minds; when it is the captives of Satan, and servants of sin, that must be fashioned into vessels fit for his use; when he comes down into the midst of any of these, full of love and goodwill, he finds, at Philippi, as well as elsewhere, a spirit of obstinate resistance, and utter aversion on their part, to be blessed as he would bless them.

Brethren, those of you who are converted, when you were so, you were conquered. You contended against God every step of the way; as long as you could, you stood out, and resisted, till fairly overpowered by the gracious workings of the Holy Spirit. He had to strive mightily with you; he was obliged to persuade, to threaten, to beseech you. You would never have listened, if he had not spoken at length so loudly, that you could not choose, but hear. You would never have enquired for God, and a Saviour, if he had not first sought you out, and drawn nigh to you. You could have been well content to do without him, so long as he would leave you to yourselves.

Then, if it is such characters as these He takes in hand, by what motive can He be influenced? They are in themselves his enemies, odious by wicked works, and he could sweep them easily away, and fill up their places with more tractable creatures. What motive, but simply his good pleasure, his love, could lead to his beginning a work of renewal there? The Philippians were not favoured with this distinction because of any superior worth and importance in them; nor was it from any feelings of unusual pity that their case specially called for, nor from any difference between them and any other men. No. God hews indiscriminately from the same rock. When he would form a new creature, he searches not for the most promising specimens. To us, it may appear much more feasible to win yonder apparently blameless, outwardly exemplary, and gentle character, to the love of Christ; to make that man of honour in the world a man of God; than to transform yonder unknown, unnoticed, reckless, sin-hardened being into a child of light. Before God, the materials are all equally unpromising in themselves, alike alienated in heart, and offering the same resistance to the workings of his Spirit.

Therefore, if in such circumstances God should anywhere begin a good work, that would give the strongest assurance that it will be continued. For, suppose, on the other hand, it is for some worth he discovers in me (were that possible), because he perceives a promising disposition,-a heart not so entirely indisposed as that of some, to receive and listen, that therefore he begins the good work. Would not then your confidence be checked by the reflection, he may not answer the expectation formed; would you not feel that the carrying out the Divine purpose must depend on my not thwarting it by any perverse behaviour; you can by no means be so sure that I shall not change, as to venture to express more than a hope that what has been begun may be finished. Or, suppose again, that it is simply pity, that brings deliverance, and raises me up from death, and begins to have compassion on me while lying in darkness, and unwilling to come out of it. Still, you dare not

be confident that this work of mercy would be perfected; for you might fear, lest I should, by waywardness and disobedience, sometime or other, so weary out the patience and long-suffering of God, as to make him shut up his compassions from me. But, when it is neither for any special worth that he sees in a sinner, nor merely for pity's sake, that he begins the good work;-when his own goodness, his love, is the only moving cause, there can be no doubt then, that what is begun, if it can only be ascertained, once for all, that there has. actually been a beginning, the perfecting must needs follow. If God will once take in hand those who were his enemies, and subdue them, bring down in their souls the power of sin, and set up his own image there, never can there be a question whether he will finish the work. If, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."-Rom. v. 10. It is not as though he were ignorant of the stubborn nature on which he works; as though he had not calculated on resistance, and was taken by surprise when his offers of mercy were flung back, and his love despised; or, as if he had not reckoned on finding them frail and helpless. If God once breaks up the hard ground and sows the good seed, he will watch over it, and rear it to maturity. If he lays the foundation, without doubt, he means to erect a building upon it.

One attribute in God, which they that know his name put great trust in, is-his Unchangeableness—it is connected with all his attributes, it binds them altogether -it belongs to his character as a whole-it is part of his name and nature. He is unchangeable in his goodness, and in the gifts and callings it prompts him to bestow. In reference to threatened judgments, his unchangeableness forbids us to rely on any relenting fondness, or to fancy that he is not inflexible in purpose; and just the same is he in his dealings of kindness with sinners,-they are not the precarious indulgences of mere pity; sincere, perhaps, at the time, but not removing the shrinking sense of insecurity; no; they, too, are unchangeable. "I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him. His seed will I make to endure for