remedy? Whither shall we flee for the heavenly specific, the divine catholicon? Now that moral catholicon, or the divinely-appointed remedy, must be sought for, and will assuredly be found, in the divine ordinance, intended, in the wisdom of Jehovah, to accomplish the healing of every moral defect; yea, even to ensure the renovation of the world itself. Is the inquiry presented,― What is the precise nature of this divine ordinance? We instantly reply,-It is the full and constant exhibition of a Saviour's name, the rich manifestation of his divine person, and the copious disclosure of "the unsearchable riches of Christ."

For instance, would you adopt the most effectual mean of restoring and lifting up the morally languishing, you must point to him at once with whom is the fountain of life. You must remember that the spiritual revival of the immortal soul is founded in the revival of Christ himself; hence it is written, concerning Christ and his spiritual members, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise; awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust,

for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out her dead."

Look at the promise of Jehovah respecting the whole Israel of God: "I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon; his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree; they that dwell under his shadow shall return, they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine, the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon."

Now let it be continually borne in mind, that this refreshing and animating promise, as well as every other, is yea and amen in Christ Jesus.

Again; would you effectually remove spiritual barrenness from the soul oppressed thereby, you must dwell on the rich fruitfulness of a Saviour's death and sacrifice; who hath declared, relative to the fruitfulness of his atonement, "Verily, verily,

I

say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”*

"And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the

It is the believing consideration of the moral fruitfulness of Christ's death, as displayed in his infinite merit and the rich catalogue of spiritual blessings which flow from his cross, which forms the grand secret of all the moral excellences connected with the christian character, and which secures their continued existence, their full vigour, and permanent prosperity.

Would you have the children of God to flourish like the beautiful palm tree, you must conduct them beside those wells of salvation which spring from the Lord Jesus; that divine and purifying fountain of living water, opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness.

Would you increase and inflame the believer's zeal, you must speak of his divine ardour, as manifested in the execution of the work of redeeming love, of whom it is written, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up."

Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and of either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations."

Would you increase the believer's love to the person and work of the Lord Jesus, you must remember, it is the love of Christ himself which sweetly constrains his children to all the exercises of the divine charity, in effectually teaching them not to live to themselves, but to Him who died for them.

Would you excite and draw forth the strongest regard to divine truth, in all its important bearings, and fill us with a martyr's love to it, you must energetically and affectionately unfold "the truth as it is in Jesus" to our admiring and soulrefreshing view. The truth being the believer's anchor amid every desolating storm.

"And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar, the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell upon the earth?"

It was evidently then the testimony of Jesus, which, through the Holy Ghost, enkindled the

с

spirit of the christian martyrs, which sweetly supported them under their sharpest trials, and fully determined them not to count even their own lives dear unto them for Christ's sake, so that they might only finish their course with joy.*

Would you effectually undermine a debasing

"And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night: And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death." "Here is the patience of the saints: hare are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."