ing God. Let the atoning blood be strenuously pleaded. Let the precious and infinite merit of Christ be fully urged, and the blessing petitioned for will be obtained.

May not this be assigned as a reason why so few of our petitions are answered-why so little blessing is obtained-the faint pleading of the atoning blood? There is so feeble a recognition of the blessed way of access. So little wrestling with the precious blood. So little looking by faith to the cross. The dear name of Immanuel so seldom urged, and when urged, so coldly mentioned,-O is it any marvel that our prayers return to us unanswered the petition ungranted -the draft on the full treasury of his love unhonoured. The Father loves to be reminded of his beloved Son. The very breathing of the name, to Him is music. The very waving of the censor of infinite merits to Him is fragrant. He delights to be pressed with this plea. It is a plea at all. times prevalent. It is a plea He cannot reject. It glorifies Himself, honours his Son, while it enriches him who urges it. And O, in the absence of all other pleas, what a mercy to come with a plea like this! Who can fully estimate it ? No plea has the poor believer, springing from himself. He searches, but nothing can he find on which to rest a claim. All within is vile, all with

out is marred by sin.

answer.

Unfaithfulness, ingratitude, departure, do but make up the history of the day. But in Christ, he sees that which he can urge, and in urging which, God will hear and Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh. And having an High Priest over the house of God; let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." Heb. x. 19-22.

Fifth,-We would allude but to one other blessing growing out of the Atonement realized-the spring it gives to all holy evangelical obedience. The great impelling motive of all Gospel obedience is, the love of Christ in the heart. David acknowledged this principle when he prayed, "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart." Psal. cxix. 32. The Apostle admits it when he says, 68 the love of Christ constraineth us." In order to walk as an obedient child-to bear the daily cross honour the institution, and yield obedience to the law of Christ-to delight in the precepts as in the doctrines of God's truth, the atoning blood must be realized. How easy and how sweet will then be

- to

Duties

come the commandments of the Lord. will be viewed as privileges-and the yoke felt to be no yoke, and the cross to be no cross.

If these are the inestimable blessings connected with personal, and close realizing views of the blood of atonement, surely the Christian reader will strive to live near the fountain. This is the only spot where his soul shall flourish. As the gentle flower which blooms unseen by the side of some veiled fountain, is, from the constant moisture it receives, always beautiful and fragrant, so is that believing soul the most fruitful, holy, spiritual and devoted, who daily dwells by the side, yea, in the "fountain opened for sin and uncleanness. We see not how a child of God can be fruitful otherwise. A sweet and abiding consciousness of pardon and acceptance, is essential to spiritual fruitfulness. No believer can advance in the Divine life-wage a daily war with the innumerable foes that oppose him-and be fruitful in every good work, who is perpetually in search of evidence of his adoption. We need all our time, all our energies, all our means, in order to vanquish the spiritual Philistines who obstruct our way to the heavenly Canaan. We have none to send in search of evidences, lest while they have gone the bridegroom cometh! O then to know that all is right. The thick cloud blotted out

the soul wrapped in the robe of righteousness— ready to enter into the marriage supper of the Lamb. To die, will be quite enough. To face, and grapple with the king of terrors will be sufficient employment for the spirit struggling to be free. No time, no strength, no energy then to search for evidences. Let not the professor of Christ leave the "sealing" of his pardon and acceptance to that fearful hour; but let him earnestly seek it now, that when he comes to die, he may have nothing to do, but to die. And that will be quite enough.

CHAPTER IV.

THE FREENESS OF THE ATONEMENT.

THE ANXIOUS SINNER VENTURING ON CHRIST:

"Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." Rom. iii. 24.

WHEN speaking of the great unfolding of Divine mercy in the redemption by Christ, the Apostle employs language the most concise and expressive; he terms it, "The grace of God that bringeth salvation." Tit. ii. 2. In this short but emphatic sentence, he elevates his reader at once to the source and fountain head of all grace. He sets forth its author-its nature-and its end. It is, the GRACE of God,-constituting as essential and substantial a part of the Divine existence, as the attributes of power, holiness, justice, or goodness. With an eminent divine, we would pass to higher ground even than this. We would rather not call it an attribute, but the Will of God which brings all other manifestations of the Divine character before the eye. "It is not mercy;