don without atonement, what a wretched pardon it would be!—it would be but a mere fond pardon after all. If what Jeremy Taylor tells us were true, that "great sins require to be washed out with great tears"-oh! beware of that book! there is much sanctity in it, but there is much rank Puseyism in it-" great sins require to be washed out with great tears"-and, I suppose, little sins with little tears; if that were true which the Jew tells us, that the blood of bulls and goats can take away sins-suppose it were possible, what a wretched pardon it would be! What suspicions there would come into the soul, that, after all, there might not be enough! But suppose there were no suspicions, what a low, wretched pardon it would be! But when the Lord Jesus Christ points to His cross,-who in mercy withheld not Himself,-whom it pleased the Lord to bruise, and to put to grief—I see a pardon, full, free, complete, great, and gracious, meeting all cases, and all circumstances. Oh! what a quieting pillow for a dying bed! He reveals God in the fulness of His forgiveness.

There is another point that is dear to my heart, and, I think, of great importance, on this part of my subject. He unfolds God in the attractiveness of His holiness. If there were no precept, "be ye holy, for I am holy;" if there were nothing that told me that the great end of all is, that we may be holy; if I did not see that the end of all God's dealings with us is, that we may be holy, that He might sanctify us; the exhibition of Jesus, the life of Jesus, the spirit of Jesus, the conduct of Jesus, the whole character of Jesus, is an exhibition of holiness in all its attractiveness. The holy attribute of God is an alarming attribute to an unawakened soul. When he sees God in His holiness, when he sees God in His justice, it terrifies him and alarms him; but when he sees the exhibition of it made beneath the cross of Christ, it opens a door of hope to the poor sinner, and gives him confidence. Now the poor sinner can love Him, though He is holy, and love Him because He is holy.

There is one point of view more in which I would consider the subject; and that is, that the Lord Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God in His all-sufficiency. I love to behold Him in this point of view. He had loving disciples-those who would have laid down their lives for His life; but no sooner had He finished the work that was given Him to do, than He longed to be in heaven ; He seemed to want to be no more on earth; He seemed to have no further business here on earth; it seemed as if all were now strange to Him, that He had no right to be here; heaven was His home, and He longed to be away. "Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also

may glorify Thee; for I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do." Ah! beloved, there is a sweetness in that truth that God is all-sufficient-sufficient for all circumstances, sufficient for all cases, sufficient for all individuals, sufficient for that which is little and for that which is great, sufficient for time, and sufficient for all eternity. He is the infinite God, the all-sufficient God: "I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be ye perfect."

The subject takes in a wide field. It is very instructive. It is a deeply practical truth, that only as you and I are well acquainted with Christ, we can ever become well acquainted with God. The moment our eyes are off Christ, that moment we lose our tender acquaintance with God. Therefore, it is most instructive in thiscultivate a close intimacy with the Lord Jesus Christ. Never forget that He is the revealer; never forget that He alone is the manifester. Never forget that one truth, "I have manifested Thy name to the men that Thou gavest Me out of the world." My dear hearers, study (as an old writer has said)-study that great body of divinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. And not merely His work, not merely His person, but study His heart, His boundless sufficiency, all He is, and all He has,- -as just suited to you. And be you assured of this-it is in Jesus only that we can have any clear aspect of God.

The subject is exceedingly encouraging, because He is at this moment carrying on His work at the right hand of God. Do not be led away by words, when it is said, "I have finished the work," as though He had no more work to do. Never believe it. Has the High Priest's work closed? Is not the intercession part of the high priest's work? The work of atonement is finished-He has cancelled the bond-that is finished; but the Intercessor's work is not finished; and, blessed be God, that is as much a part of the work as the atonement. Whenever a soul is converted to God, whence does it arise? From the intercession of the Son of God. Whenever a ray of comfort comes into our souls, whence does it arise? From the intercession of the Son of God. If we have had any development of God; if we have found it good to be near God; if we have poured out our souls to God, and found any alleviation in our time of trouble, whence does it arise? It is from that simple truth, that the Intercessor is still developing the heart and mind of God to you and to me. How are backsliders restored? how are our spirits revived? It all springs from that truth, that He still carries on His own work in manifesting God to the souls of His people.

The subject is most deeply animating. I cannot but think of that

period when this "earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the mighty deep." Will not that be a development of God? And I think of that awful moment when the sinner shall stand before God. Will not that be a development of God? Think of that day when whole multitudes shall be found together, the millions of millions, innumerable spirits, mingled with angels-these pure, holy, and intelligent beings, all happy with God, and filled with God. Will not that be a development of God?—when the triumphs of Christ shall be fully known, and God, in the greatness of His glory, fully developed. One cannot but say, that the subject, so considered, is full of reviving anticipation.

I am sure, beloved, it is a subject of a most deeply searching character. How easy it is to preach a sermon about manifesting the name of God, and how easy it is to like it or to dislike it! Do not forget, we that are children of God, that we are witnesses for God. And the Church of God, that should be a witness for God. The Lord Jesus Christ still carries on His development of God's character in His Church. And I would say, if we as a people were to act out that principle, what a different sort of people should we be in our abodes, and in our intercourse one with another! Remember this truth, if ever a child of God brings aught of good to my soul, he brings a little of God to me-a little savour of God's character, a little spark of the Divine fire, a little springing up of the heavenly well, some little foretaste of heaven. Oh! did we more bear this in mind, that we are to be witnesses of God wherever we are-if the Church of God in these our days did bear clear testimony to this truth, didthey work out that principle, did they exhibit that one point in all their goings forth, in all their deliberations-what an exhibition would be made in the midst of us!

Beloved, there is more than you and I have ever thought of, to be enjoyed of God in this earth. I dare say some of you will acknowledge that there are individuals, to be with whom for five minutes, brings more of unction, of the spirit of prayer, of deep searching of heart, of humiliation, of stirring up and leading forward, than we find with others with whom we might be, one would almost say, for five years. I have no doubt of it. Honesty obliges me to make the confession. Whence is it? It is because they realise more of that truth, I am for God, " my life is hid with Christ in God," my new nature is from Him, and the object for which I live is to please Him.' And in proportion as we live out that truth, we shall be witnesses for God, and a development of God in the midst of a dark and benighted world.

And what shall I say to poor sinners? Shall I say nothing to them? Then I shall be very unlike my Master-very little like Him indeed. Is there a poor broken-hearted sinner here? is there one who is ready to " say, Well, no one can be well lower than I am, no one can be worse than I am, no one can be more hopeless than I am; I can truly say, I abhor myself in dust and in ashes.' What a development Jesus makes of God to thee! What is it? Why, that thy desire towards God is from God; that all the drawings towards Him are from Him; thou couldst not have had one thought to please Him, but what is the fruit of His own blessed Spirit within thee. In all thy drawings nigh to Him, He goes first; in all thy goings to Him, He leads thee. Therefore, be of good courage; that spark that is of God, shall issue in God, and shall never be extinguished by man.

But is there a proud and haughty sinner here, one whose heart is unbroken and impenitent? Doubtless, there are many. The next state to that of the bottomless pit, is the, state of one who hears sermons and assents to sermons, and hardens himself in his sin, lives in his sin, goes on in sin-although he approves of the doctrine, dies, and is lost for ever. Now, is there one such as this hearing me at this moment? have I nothing to say to thee? I honestly confess, my brother, that the time was, when I should have said nothing!' I bless God that those days are over and gone; for I delight in saying this to thee,-Jesus declares it-" Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon." But dost thou go on? dost thou go to thy home, still saying, 'I heed not all this, this is no concern of mine?' Ah! there is a development that thou art making, that thou little thinkest of. Who is careless? Satan. Who is proud? Satan. Who is full of enmity? Satan. And as thou art living in thy present state, thou art the very personification of Satan! Tremble, my brother, at that day, which must soon come, when thou must stand before God; and, if thou art found not a witness for Jesus, thou shalt be found reflecting the image of Satan, and justly drink in the cup of thine own condemnation, and that for ever.

May the Lord give thee and me the heart and power to pray, and pause, and ponder; and the work and the glory shall be His.

GOD'S PEOPLE, KEEPERS OF HIS WORD.

A SERMON,

BY THE REV. J. H. EVANS, M.A.

PREACHED AT JOHN STREET CHAPEL, KING'S ROAD, BEDFORD ROW, ON SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 5, 1846.

"Thine they were, and Thou gavest them Me; and they have kept Thy word."-John xvii. 6.

I HAVE endeavoured to place before you this great truth, that one of the principal designs of Jehovah in the glorious scheme of salvation, is the manifestation of His own name-that name so hidden from the world, that name in which all the glories of heaven are to be found, and that name in the true knowledge of which all our real happiness on earth shall be realized. We considered the great Manifester of that name, even Jesus. This was especially predicted of Him,—“ I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it." There is a peculiar propriety that it should be so; inasmuch as He is the Son that lies in the bosom of the Father: and the very name that He has," the Word," the revealer of God, sets before us this great truth. And this, I endeavoured to show, has ever been the case: that whether we look at creation, or preservation, or providence; whether we regard Him in the mystery of His incarnation, whether we regard Him in the mystery of His life, the doctrines He taught, the miracles He wrought; whether we look at Him in His death, or whether we look at Him now as at the right hand of God, or whether we regard the still future glory, when that wondrous development of God shall be made to the assembled world,—in all these things is Jesus the great manifester of God. Yet the words of VOL. XIII.-No. 438.-May 21, 1846.

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