indeed, in these latter days, there is a tendency another way, which is, to throw off both religion and form, and to occupy ourselves in the various intellectual adornments which Satan hath put forth to deceive the heart, and to cast the soul into hell. But still, with regard to the outward forms of religion, there remains a large class of persons amongst ourselves who place the same sort of bold reliance upon the outward ordinance of baptism, upon their connexion with the Established Church, that the Jews placed upon their being the children of Abraham. Oh, my friends, take heed of this leaven of ungodliness. Read with me, in its application to yourselves, a portion of this second chapter of the epistle to the Romans: most remarkable it is, by the transposition of a few words-changing "Jew" for "Christian" and changing "circumcision" for "baptism." Begin now, and read at the seventeenth verse: "Behold thou art called a Christian, and restest in the Gospel, and makest thy boast of Christ, and knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the Gospel; and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes; which hast the form of knowledge, and of the truth in the Gospel. Thou, therefore, that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should believe in Jesus, dost thou believe in Jesus?" Thou that sayest, a man should be born again of God, art thou born again? Thou that sayest, a man should walk separate from sinners, art thou separate from sinners? Thou that in this boasted ordinance of baptism, sayest, that a man should renounce the vanities of this wicked world”—(the vanities of this wicked world-what are they? Those idle amusements-those expensive dresses -those luxurious entertainments)-thou that sayest a man should renounce those things, dost thou renounce them? Thou that abhorrest idolatry, art thou thyself an idolator? Where is your heart? On what is it fixed? What is the chief object of its delight? Oh, my friends, in the name of God I urge you to search yourselves. "Thou that makest thy boast of the Gospel, through disbelieving the Gospel dishonourest thou God?" "The Gospel" my brethren, do you believe the Gospel? Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for youthat every one that believeth is accepted with him freely-that you stand before God as part and parcel of his Son-that you are as truly saved as Jesus is—as risen with him into heavenly places-glorified now in the everlasting purposes of your heavenly Father-one with him, united to him as a member to the body, breathing out of the very fulness that he does in the wisdom of God, the love that was in him being in you, the love wherewith the Father loved him being in you? Through disbelieving the Gospel under the plausible pretence of humility, and that assurance is presumption, you dishonour God's word. “For the Gospel verily profiteth, if a man believeth: baptism profiteth, if a man be a believer; but if thou be an unbeliever, thy baptism is made no baptism. Therefore, if a man without baptism be a believer, shall not his no baptism be accounted for baptism? And shall not that unbaptized man, believing the Gospel, judge thee who, with the outward baptism, disbelieveth the Gospel? For he is not a Christian who is one outwardly; neither is that baptism in all its power, which is outward in the flesh;" (it is only the token-it is not the covenant :) "but he is a Christian who is one inwardly, and baptism is that of the heart; in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men but of God.

What advantage, then, hath the Christian? or what profit is there in baptism? Oh, much every way, chiefly, because that unto us are committed the oracles of God;" unto us are committed the ordinances of divine worship; unto us are committed opportunities of assembling ourselves together for the preaching of the Gospel. "And what though some do not believe, shall their unbelief prevent these things from being blessed, or his word from being blessed? No, my brethren; let God be true, and let every man be a liar." These are blessings though they are abused: and through your abuse of them the blessing is exhibited, and God's kindness, in prolonging it to you. Oh, how mercy is exhibited—oh, how love is commended through the wickedness of this and other nominally Christian nations; that he has not been provoked to withdraw his blessing-that he has not been provoked to raise his hand and say, "As ye would not hear when I called, so now when you call I will not hear;" that he has not been led to treat us as he treated the ancient churches in Asia, whose candlestick was removed because that, while they had privileges, they abused them by unbelief.

Oh, my beloved brethren, pray that God would grant to us faith in the ordinances of his church; that some spring of regenerating power may rise amongst us, and that we may have confidence in the appointments of his will. How our reformers entered into this with reference to that ordinance we have administered. 66 Doubt you not," said they, "but earnestly believe." Then they prayed, "Give thy Holy Spirit to this child:" make baptism all that it was intended to be; make it the seal of the righteousness of faith-our faith in bringing the child, and the child's faith, when the Holy Ghost shall breathe on the child's soul, and the child shall look back to this hour and say, "There God sealed me, through the merciful and charitable instrumentality of his church: and now his Spirit teaches me to give thanks for the same." Believing this, we proceed to thank God for having done so. Oh, with what faltering hearts, unworthy as they are, cold and faithless as they are, with what faltering hearts are we often obliged to say, "We thank thee that thou hast regenerated this infant with thy Holy Spirit." My dear brethren, I know no greater triumph of faith, than to say these words with a safe conscience. It is not an unauthorized assertion, it is not a struggle to make good a service appointed by man, but it is to do honour to an ordinance appointed by God; it is, as far as lieth in us, to extend that invisible line which includes the elect people of God-to enlarge it, as near as may be, to the boundary of that outward and visible line which includes the whole baptized family; it is to enlarge the jewel which God has in his casket, to extend it as near the boundaries of the casket as may be. God has a baptized casket in which he keeps the elect jewel.

My dear friends, lay this subject carefully and seriously to heart. See how plainly the substance of it derives itself from the Word of God. I have already said that the particulars of the administration of it were ordained in the wisdom of man. For those particulars we have not the same authority; but we have this authority: those that were over us in the Lord have given certain commandments respecting witnesses to be taken in the case of adult baptismwitnesses taken in the eyes of the church that this baptism was truly done; and in the case of infant sponsors, as we call them, pledges, witnesses given in the sight of the church-pledged friends, Christian friends, pledged to have a

Christian, fatherly regard over that little member of Christ's church. These things were ordered of our forefathers for decency and order's sake in the church. Now, if this be not opposed to the word of God, then the circumstance of those in authority having commanded them, gives them weight on a Christian man's conscience, because the Bible says, "Obey them that have the rule over you." Those that have the rule over us commanded those particulars, and for conscience' sake, in obedience to that precept of the Apostle, we comply with what they have commanded, unless it can be shown there is something in it opposed to the word of God. If, then, this charitable work of Christian men and women coming forward to receive the children of professing Christian parents, were taken in this light, there might be yet in the good mercy of God, if not a regenerating power over the whole church, yet such a witness raised in Christian congregations as would exhibit what it ought to be, and make men ashamed of the contrast.

I pray God to render this instruction which I have offered you this morning, and which has indeed been pressed upon me by the circumstances of this baptism occurring so early in my ministration in this place I pray God to bless it to your souls; to give you confidence in his ordinances, without that abuse, that fatal abuse, which would substitute the form for the inward power. Oh, be assured, that while circumcision was a seal of the righteousness of Abraham's faith, the baptism which is of the heart is the purifying power of God. Oh, take the language of Paul to the Colossians, and ask yourselves if ye are circumcised with that circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh; or of the circumcision of Christ; being buried with him in baptism; buried with him from all interest in an evil world: I mean such interest as interferes with the devotedness of your hearts to God. There remain interests which you must attend to; but they are to be so inferior as to be aptly represented only by the things which a traveller engages in during his journey; the various duties or observations by the way-side, interesting at the time, and varying in interest, according to his powers of observation, and the effect of such observation on his feelings: but still the main business of his journey is going on; and however interesting these way-side points may be, he may not stop here; his home is not here: he is a pilgrim and a stranger ; a pilgrim who pants to be with God, a stranger till he reaches his home where he dwells; buried from all abiding interest in this world, and risen with him into the conviction that the bosom of God is our home, through the faith of the operation of God, which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead. That this experience may be enlarged in others, that the power of the true baptism may come on you, that realizing the blessing of God in the ordinance, you may give him thanks that he sealed you in your infancv-may God in mercy grant this to you, for Christ Jesus' sake. Amen.

RIGHT APPREHENSIONS OF THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST

ESSENTIAL TO SALVATION.

REV. T. RAFFLES, LL.D.

GREAT GEORGE'S STREET CHAPEL, LIVERPOOL, OCTOBER 19, 1834.

"But whom say ye that I am?"-MATTHEW, xvi. 15.

THIS, my brethren, is a very close question upon a most important subject: and although it was originally addressed to the immediate disciples of our Lord, for the purpose of eliciting from them an expression of the opinion which they entertained concerning the character of their Master, yet it is as truly addressed to us, and to every one who comes under the sound of the Gospel, as it was to them. It is a question of infinite moment, of personal concern, of individual interest, to each and to every one of us; it is a question of so pressing a nature, that whether we are disposed to entertain it or not, it must be answered by us, now or at the judgment-day. We must either reply as Peter did, in adoration, homage, and love-"Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," or else, in that tremendous scene in which he shall appear, and sit upon the great white throne, when the dead, small and great, shall stand before him, we shall be compelled to cry out, with the despairing demon, "We know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God-our tormentor and our judge." Oh, brethren, let us entertain the question, then, and give to it the more earnest heed: and let us imagine that we hear the voice of the Redeemer speaking to us, and saying, "Whom say ye that I am?"

Real religion-to which correct views, and suitable conduct, with regard to Christ are indispensably necessary-is a personal thing: it is each one's individual concern. Our Lord first asked the disciples what others said concerning him; what were the prevalent opinions respecting him; and, as far as they were atquainted with them, the disciples told him: "One says one thing, and another another." And then he brought the matter a little nearer home: "Whom say ye that I am? What think ye of Christ? What are your opinions concerning my character and my claims, my person, and my work, the truth and the design of my mission to this world? Whom say ye that I am? I am here amongst you as one that serveth: I assume no pomp, I make no parade: the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head. Whom say ye then, that I the Son of Man am?" My brethren, it is not enough that others entertain and express opinions concerning Christ, and that we are made acquainted with their opinions, and are able to detail them, and explain them, and argue about them; but we must have opinions of our own. Whatsoever may be the case with respect to others,

it is of the utmost moment, that the opinions which we entertain concerning Christ should be correct; for if the opinions which we entertain concerning him are not correct, they will lead to practical errors; and practical errors concerning Jesus Christ, persisted in until death, will be finally, irreversibly, and eternally fatal. Oh, it is not without reason, then, that the Redeemer presses upon us the solemn question, and that we, in his name, urge it upon you again this evening-" What think ye of Christ? Whom say ye that he is?"

I seek no artificial arrangement of this discourse. I observe in the first place, and the observation was suggested by the Saviour's inquiry of the disciples, that THERE ARE MANY OPINIONS ABOUT CHRIST. There were in his day; there have been ever since; there are so still. No decrees of Councils, no authoritative edicts, no decrees or formularies in religion, no Act of Uniformity, have ever been able to secure perfect uniformity as regards the opinion of mankind, touching this great question-Who is Jesus Christ? There are many indeed-alas, how many!-who neither know, nor care anything at all about him. Put the question to them-"Who is Jesus Christ?" and they are confounded and astonished by its novelty. They know not what to answer; like Gallio, they care for none of these things. All their concern is, to buy, and sell, and get gain; to eat, and drink, and be merry; to take their ease, enjoy their pleasure, and gratify their lusts, and appetites, and passions. But whether Jesus Christ be the Son of God or not, be the Saviour of the world or not, be the Judge of quick and dead or not, they neither know nor care.

But amongst those who do give themselves some concern respecting this important question, the opinions that prevail are various. It was so in the days of our Redeemer's personal ministry. "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" "Some say John the Baptist; some Elias; and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." Herod said John; his conscience suggested this to him; when he heard of the fame of Christ, he thought of the murder of that holy man, and then said, "Doubtless it is John the Baptist risen from the dead." Some said Elias: for it was predicted that the Messiah should come in the form and power of Elias. Some said Jeremias: for Jeremias was a weeping prophet; and Christ was a man of sorrows. Some said one thing, and some another.

But we have more to do with the opinions that prevail in our own day; and it may not be uninteresting and unprofitable, to review some of the more prominent and prevalent of these opinions; and ascertain how far they agree with the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, and how far our opinions correspond with these.

Whom say ye then that he is, as it regards his person? There are some who have had the hardihood to deny the actual existence of any such person as Jesus Christ: they affirm that he is altogether a fictitious and fabulous character; that the whole of the Gospel history is a fiction, a forgery, cunningly devised, and artfully executed, by man. But who were they by whom this forgery was so wonderfully achieved? Who were they that wrote the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of the various Apostles, and the Book of the Revelations; books differing so widely as to their style, clearly indicating different authors, and yet corresponding so exactly each with the