"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me, &c." An apostle says, "That it pleased the Father, that in his Son all fulness should dwell; all fulness of grace, all fulness of truth, so that He is emphatically styled the Truth, and we may add, all fulness of the Eternal Trinity. The man Christ Jesus, is said to have all the fulness of the Godhead in Himself. The Father displayed Himself in Him, in his character of love. "God is love. When does this glorious fact appear? Where would it appear to our view, except in Christ? Look around in the world, and you cannot see God as Love. You see Him in his power, you see Him in his Wisdom; you see Him in his providential works and providential goodness, but you see Him not as love there. It is only in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, that you can read that character of the eternal, there it shines forth in the utmost brightness. what is written in the text, the anointing one that continueth not in all things We see the glory of God, in the face that are written in the book of the law, of Messiah, and beholding it by faith, to do them," but God will have mercy, we feel in measure, its blessed effects says the glorious Gospel. He sent his upon ourselves, and are transformed into Son into the world, according to His the same image from glory to glory, even eternal purpose to bring the mercy which as by the Spirit of the Lord. And when He designed. His beloved Son took we have a perfect view of this glory, our nature, took our place under the then shall we be fully transformed into the law, obeyed the law in every tittle, honlikeness of this blessed Lord, who says, oured it in the highest degree, and gave "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon it the most ample satisfaction that could me, because the Lord hath anointed me to possibly be. He answered for the transpreach good tidings unto the meek; Hegressions of those whom He came to hath sent me to bind up the broken-heart-save, put away their sins by the sacrifice ed, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and of Himself, and completed their meditatthe opening of the prison to them that ed salvation. are bound Those are glorious words, essential to your happiness and to mine, my fellow mortals, my fellow sinners. We have all sinned, not one can plead exemption from this charge; all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have all sinned in our first parent, and we have all sinned in our own persons, the root of our nature was poisoned when Adam fell, and all the branches consequently partake of that which must be, but for that which is expressed in the text, our eternal ruin. Some persons say they cannot understand my doctrine; now my doctrine is not mine, that is, it is not of my invention, in one sense it is mine, and in another it is not; but I think you must understand what I have just asserted, that our nature was poisoned in the root, and that poison running through all the branches, must prove the endless ruin of all, but for I should have said their determined salvation, meditated, is too weak a term, it was absolutely determined. The law received full satisfaction in the personal obedience of Christ, and His personal sufferings, from those whom He represented. The Lord anointed Him to preach glad tidings to the meek, He did the work, and then He proclaimed it. When He said "it is finished," nothing could be more plain, more positive, more satisfactory. "It is finished." The law in every point is glorified, and eternal justice for ever satisfied, so that the flaming sword is no longer held out, but "if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God is not merely merciful to forgive, but merciful and just too. It is here that mercy and truth are seen to meet together, and righteousness and peace to kiss each other. Blessed are the peo ple that know the joyful sound! many hear it, who never know it, never care for it; and many hear it, who only call it nonsense." Do not be too bold, you must know the truth of the Gospel one day or other. If saved you will learn the value of it. If lost, you will know its truth, to your eternal terror and nisery. "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek." Who are they? Where are they to be found? I do not undertake to find them out, such characters there are, or they would not be mentioned here; we must leave it to the Lord himself to search them out. He searches the hearts and tries the reins, and the meek He marks with tokens of His special regard, such as are humbled under a right sense of their natural condition, such as are taught of God, enlightened by His Spirit, made to see what they really are, wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked; destitute creatures, without hope in themselves; am I addressing such? I fear not. We address many who have hearts of steel; but here and there a meek one may be found, blessed with a true sense of their sinful condition. Yes, though the sense of sin itself at present appears not a cause of blessedness, it is a blessed thing to be endued with a meek, humble, contrite heart. 66 They that are whole need not a physician," of course they will not send for him; they will not ask for his medicines, they are careless about his advice. Our Lord spoke those words to sinners who feel not their disease; to the wholehearted, all in their view is right, they will not call upon God, they will have nothing to do with the great Physician, and his balm of Gilead. The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick." They that are sensible of their sinfulness, and sick at heart on account of it, whose language is, Oh that we could find remedy, we have destroyed ourselves, is there any help? Yes, poor sinner, there is help. Where is it to be found? In the Lord Jesus Christ. "O Israel," says the Lord, "thou hast destroyed thyself, but in me is thy help." а Come then to him, poor broken-down sinner. Jesus proclaims Himself in the Gospel as the sinner's friend, the sinner's Saviour, able to save under the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, and as willing as He is able. He says, "Come unto me," do not be afraid; him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out." Stay not to fabricate a righteous ness for yourselves. I want none of your righteousness to recommend you to me. "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." If you feel yourselves to be what you really are, I am ready to receive you, and take my word, that "him that cometh unto me, I will in nowise cast out." What could I say more? Surely this is good tidings to the meek, and is it not a bandage for the broken-hearted? The Father sent Jesus to bind up the broken in heart, and he does so. His blood is the balm of Gilead, His blood in cleansing from all sin, heals the wounds which sin has made in the soul, yes, these truths cannot but be most welcome to all the broken-hearted, to all who are made to sorrow after a godly sort; for the depravity of their nature, and the issue of that depravity, in all the iniquities of their thoughts, their words, and their deeds, no tongue can tell what a soul brought to a right sense of these things feels; none can understand it, but those who have felt the same themselves. All Blessed be God, here is all that is wanted to bind up the broken heart, to heal the stroke of the wound which sin has made. The blood of Jesus has made peace. Jesus, it is also said, is sent and anointed to proclaim liberty to the captives. Who are they? All men in their natural state are captives. Who has taken them captives? the Devil. in a natural state are the Devil's captives; he has their hearts, their minds, their lives, their limbs, their tongues he has them entirely in his hands, and leads them captive at his will. But are they not troublesome captives, offering to him much resistance? Certainly not. Till they become the meek ones of the text, they are led by him at his will, in their down-sitting, and their uprising, and in all their ways.. You are not satisfied? well they must be children of obedience, or of disobedience. If they are children of obedience, they answer to the character of the meek ones, meekly following the Lord, until they become such, they are children of disobedience. Is this all? No, I must speak out, and tell the whole truth as I know it. The Devil possesses their hearts, the prince of the power of the air, is the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience. Where he works, he inhabits, he possesses their hearts and minds, and leads them as willing captives; they are held fast till Christ comes to deliver them, like the poor maniac who had his dwelling among the tombs; you know it not, but you are as really possessed and led by the Devil, as that poor creature was, though not in the same manner, or to the same degree, and like him you are rushing heedless on, cutting yourselves to pieces by sin after sin. Liberty to the captives." What multitudes of captives has Jesus delivered already, and He will deliver multitudes more. "All whom the Father gave Him," All the purchase of His blood, must be set at liberty to come to Him, who says, " I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me." He means by "all" there, the same as when He says, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." What an admirable declaration is that of our Lord: there is mystery in it, and darkness seems to hover about it, yet the truth is positive, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." This the Lord spoke in reference to His own death, and the fruits of his death. Had He not died for any, none would have come to Him and been saved; as He died for many, many come to Him: as He laid down His life for the sheep, those very identical persons the Father draws to Him, He brings them, He allures them. The Holy Spirit prompts them, and they are enabled to come, not reluctantly, not under the influence of force, but most willingly to the appointed, the anointed, the given, the all-sufficient Saviour. Now, would you know 66 your state? would you that it should be pointed out to you? Oh, may your consciences bear a true testimony, while I speak. Have your souls been set at liberty, and brought to the Lord Jesus, if not, they are under the powers of darkness, and if you are insensible to your condition, you are bound with chains of darkness, but if you have felt the attractions of the love of God, the impulses of His Spirit conspiring to bring you to the Saviour, you need not hesitate in committing yourselves wholly unto Him: this drawing is the effect of His love towards you, never would you have been conscious of any disposition to come to Him, had He not loved you first. Place your confidence in Him for eternity, and I think I may boldly say, that heaven itself shall fail if you meet with disappointment. Whoever heard of the disappointment of any who trusted in Jesus? He binds up the broken in heart, He proclaims liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." These are the prisoners of hope, "As for thee also, says the Lord, by the blood of thy covenant, I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit, wherein is no water." There is a glorious declaration. The soul raised out of its natural state of misery and ruin, and delivered from the powers of darkness, delivered from whatever prison it was shut up in by sin and Satan, to find in Christ liberty, and rest, and safety; and to enjoy everlasting peace and security in Him. May the Lord be pleased to bless His word. Amen | Claxton, April 15, 1849. "BRING EMPTY VESSELS." COME with thy vessels to be filled, All fulness dwells in Him alone: Come in your weakness and your want, A blessing is pronounced on those Come vile and sinful as you are, For such our Jesus bled; Come with your griefs and trials too, O come and tell Him all you feel, He loves to see his children there, O yes, He disciplines his own, O may we feel it more and more, M. E. L. 66 Well, that's better than nothing," said the old man. The next day I called to see him ; his niece told me he had had a very disturbed Very little of anything," she re-night; he said he could not see his road plied; only a spoonful of arrow-root now and then." She went to prepare it, and I returned to his bedside, saying, "I may never see you again in the body, but we shall meet another day." "Yes; I hope we shall," he replied. "Ah! my friend," said I, "we shall meet around that great white throne, when the books shall be opened, and all the world shall be assembled before God; and then the family of man will be divided into two sorts, the sheep and the goats-those who have been washed from their sins, and those who have died in their sins. You and I will then part eternally, if you die in your present state." "I hope not," said the old man ; "I should like to be with you at the last, and go to your place; I have a sort of a clear, and bid her call up the lodger to make a prayer for him. I went up to see him; he lay looking like death, but opened his eyes when he heard me approach. "I'm very down-hearted," he said; I can't see my way clear; I feel all in the dark. Oh, it is so dark! When my mother lay a dying, she said it was all light; she saw angels; she saw the glory. Do make a prayer for me, and read me a bit of the book." I did so, and spoke a few words about the blood of Jesus Christ, that “cleanseth from all sin," and of the crucified thief that was saved at the eleventh hour; but the old man soon fell off to sleep, and I left him. He spoke but little after that, and life smouldered away till the dawn of the morning, when he died.. PARABOLIC TEACHING, L. EXEMPLIFIED IN AN EXPOSITION OF THE SEVEN PARABLES CONTAINED IN THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER OF ST. MATTHEW'S GOSPEL. (Continued from page 11.) 5. THE HID TREASURE. MATT. XIII. 44. the cycle, is yet highly necessary to be borne in mind, if we desire to understand their relative and special aspects. THERE is, as we took occasion to observe | and each necessary to the completion of at the outset, a marked distinction between the four parables which we have already considered in their order, and the three which follow and close the wonderful series. A distinction both of circumstances and of character, which, while it by no means destroys their unity of design, the whole seven being the unfolding of "the kingdom of heaven," This distinction arises simply from the fact that while the four which we have been engaged in unfolding, as the Lord has enabled us, were delivered in the presence of the "multitude" upon the sea-shore, the three last were addressed to the diciples alone "in the house." | last looked upon it! Night has dropped We read at the 36th verse of this chap- her dark mantle all around-the calm ter,- Then Jesus sent the multitude lake lies extended like a silver shield, away, and went into the house (the but with many a bright star mirrored in same house, no doubt, to which, as we its tranquil bosom-the very hills seem read at the end of the preceding chap- sleeping in the moonlight; and the white ter, "his mother and his brethren" beach, lately so thronged with eager listcame to seek him; and from which also eners, is silent and solitary. But still, "he went out" (ver. 1) to sit by the though the oxen have been loosed from sea-side :) "and his diciples came unto the plough, though the husbandman has him, saying, Declare unto us the parable gone home from his work and his labour of the tares of the field. He answered in the evening, and the very "birds of the and said unto them, He that soweth the air" are roosting silently in their leafy good seed is the Son of man," &c. And resting-place; yet He whose very "meat" having concluded his interpretation of it was "to do the will of him who sent that parable, he added three more, that of the Hidden Treasure, that of the Pearl of Great Price, and that of the Draw Net. But besides this circumstantial distinction, there is also, as we have said, a characteristic one, which harmonizes very beautifully with it. It is, that whereas in those parables which were delivered to "the multitude," we have "the kingdom of heaven" presented to us as man sees it; in these confined to his immediate followers, we have it revealed as the Lord himself regards it. In fact, while to the people he reveals only his kingdom, to his disciples he lays open his very heart. And herein, he deals with them indeed as friends; as God dealt with Abraham, "his friend" (2 Chron. xx. 7); when he said, "Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do (Gen. xviii. 17) ?and as Christ himself promised to deal with them, saying, "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you " (John xv. 15). Yea, and not with them alone, but with all his believing people, for says the Psalmist, "The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant (Psal. xxv. 14). Bearing then in mind this instructive distinction between the parables which have gone before, and those which follow; let us proceed, in humble dependence on the Divine teaching and blessing, to consider this parable of the Hid Treasure: ·-- "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." How changed is the scene since we 1 Him, and to finish his work," not only prolongs the busy day, but encroaches upon the silent watches of the night, in sealing his instructions to his chosen followers. Though from the dawn of morning he has been "sowing his seed," yet even in the evening he "withholds not his hand." Still he has something more to add-still he has last words to speak to them, as, like Mary, they sit at. their heavenly Master's feet and listen with unabated interest to his gracious words. O, happy disciples! Let us, beloved, essay to join ourselves to their privileged company. And, oh, may Jesus speak to us, not as he does to the world without, in dark mysterious parables, but in the sacred confidence of friendship and with all the kind familiarity of love. Then shall our hearts like theirs upon another occasion, burn within us ;" and we shall be constrained, with Peter in the Holy mount, to exclaim; "Lord, it is good for us to be here!" The parable, we may perceive, readily divides itself under these two heads, (1). The comparison made use of; and (2). The circumstances related concerning it and in this order we propose to handle it. I. The comparison is this: "The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field." The " kingdom of heaven" here, as in the parable of the Leaven signifies the true spiritual Church of Christ; for having once penetrated through the visible to the invisible Church, the parables in this chapter have henceforth to do with it exclusively. And "the field," in accordance with the principles of homogeneous interpretation which we have before laid down, can only be "the world." As in the second parable "the field" in which the good seed was sown, we are told by the Lord himself, was the world ;" and as in the |