demption is freely offered to the poorest among us, without purchase. Shall we then reject all these offers of divine grace? -Shall we abuse the privilege and turn from the Lord our God and his holy sanctuary, unwilling to endure the warfare, and too cowardly to contend for the immortal crown, even the heavenly? Oh! no! Brethren, let it not be thus. Cherish the knowledge of God-mark well his attributes-learn his ways-discern his Providence.

66

Think of the redemption by Jesus Christ, and resist not, grieve not "" quench not the Holy Spirit." And thus shall you, who were "dead in trespasses and sins," be quickened, and bloom afresh-the old sin shall be blotted out, and the corrupt nature of Adam be made alive in Christ. Oh! glorious event, when the effect of the Gospel is so evidently felt and seen by men, "that they glorify our Father, which is in heaven." Then will be the time, when you will have the knowledge of God in this life, and a perfect knowledge of him

in the world to come! Then will you be not among the some, who know not God, among the sheep, having for a shepherd Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever."

but

SERMON IX.

JOHN xvi. 18.

"What is this that he saith, A little while?"

AT the dawn of Christianity it appears, that the followers of Jesus were ignorant of many sentences expressed by our Lord, which were intended to convey some prophetic meanings of the greatest importance. "Destroy this temple," said our Lord, "and in three days I will build it up." How little did they think, that he meant his own body! As if he had said;

do what you will with

1

my body, torture it,

crucify it, bury it, yet in three days I will rise again. Thus when he spoke to them in parables, he was always obliged to

explain to them, "what those parables meant;" for instance in the parable of the sower, who went out to sow his seed, they comprehended not what our Saviour meant by the seed, beyond the simple grain, until he added in explanation, the seed is, the word of God.

But we might almost have supposed, that, since he spoke our text and the words connected with it, to them, at a time not far distant from the death, unto which he had forewarned them, that he should be delivered, they would have fully understood him-but not so; the Holy Ghost had not yet descended upon them—" They said therefore, What is this that he saith, a little while? we cannot tell what he saith." Jesus saith unto them, "A little while, and ye shall not see me; and again a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father." He evidently meant, that his death was at hand, that for a little while he should rest in the solitary tomb, and then again appear to them, before he ascended to his Father. "Verily, verily," continued he, ye shall weep and lament,

. M

but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy;" that is, they would be sorrowful at his death; they should weep and lament, their hopes of his liberation of Israel being with him in his grave, but should be proportionately joyful, when shaking off the dishonours of death, inasmuch as he could not be holden by it, he should arise by Almighty power, and having arisen, vindicate his right to divinity; and that joy should be yet increased, when the promised Comforter should be given to them; the Holy Ghost, who would perfect their faith, confirm their hopes, and assist them in propagating the religion of their Lord and

master.

But, as in other cases, so was it in this; our Saviour explained to his disciples, what he meant by leaving them for a little while, " I and then again appearing unto them. came forth from the Father," said he, "and am come into the world: again I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now