witness to a future life, inviting us to a hope stronger than our natural fear, is after all no help to a nature paralysed in sin. We cannot be roused out of ourselves by hope, any more than we can be educated out of ourselves by examples. The freedom of the Redeemed consists in their admission to the mystical life communicated from the Redeemer.

Redemption in Holy Scripture is always represented as the initiating act of a Divine fellowship. This is an act which befits a Divine Redeemer. Specific acts on our part may be necessary for appropriating it and advancing in the freedom which is proclaimed. But it is impossible that a work which was begun in the Spirit should be made perfect by the flesh,—that GOD should do an act, and then leave us to ourselves. The acknowledgment of the mystery of Him Who redeemed us, makes our spiritual life conceivable as a Divine reality, although it transcends the analysis of natural reason. All difficulties disappear before the presence of GOD manifest in the flesh. All things are easy to him that believeth that JESUS is the SON of GOD.

And therefore also in maintaining the Christian faith we are not to invoke the interference of Divine power as a refuge under emergencies. To appeal to a "Deus ex machinâ" is the effort of superstition holding fast to nature except when nature fails. Faith does not take refuge from difficulty by appealing to GOD, but confesses all the scheme of grace to be supernatural,

because all is the evolution of a Divine work. The di culty of faith would be to be without difficulty, for the absence of the incomprehensible would be the absence of the Divine. Faith sees the door of a new world opened by Redemption, a world having its own laws distinct from those of this world. Grace is not

As

an arbitrary interference of the Divine will, but the duly organized operation of the Divine power. nature has its own laws, so has the kingdom of grace also. The laws of nature are not regarded by us as mysterious. And why? Because we are familiar with them, and cannot evade them. In themselves they are as mysterious as the laws of grace which, being hidden from our sight, appeal to our faith alone, so that we may accept them, or set them aside, without impediment, until the time when men's hearts shall be brought to scrutiny.

The Judge of all is the Redeemer of all: and I believe we should find every difficulty rapidly disappearing from the eye of faith, if we kept His Godhead in remembrance while investigating His acts. Does it seem too simple a cure for intellectual difficulty, to remove them from the range of intellect and say, Believe in the Son of GOD? If it is simple, it would seem to be just the cure we might have expected. As science advances, principles which appeared contradictory become merged in simpler laws. As mechanism advances to perfection, complicated results

are produced by communication of one simple motion. When from natural truth and power, we pass on to the Divine, surely we might expect to find the same simplicity shining forth in the revelation of faith. The first glimpses of the Divine life which we gain, are full of perplexity. Many things seem contradictory. But when we behold GOD as the one, allcontrolling principle, we attain the simplicity of faith. Nature is full of difficulties when we regard it only as influenced from without by GOD. The kingdom of grace becomes a realm of manifest order when we see it to be the sphere of Divine agencies.

Let us thus learn to value Redemption rather by what we are brought into, than by what we are brought out of. We shall not value less the deliverance from evil because we have learnt to value the admission to a Divine covenant. If we lose sight of the one, we shall fall into unworthy, unpractical views respecting the other. CHRIST has instituted among men a holy Catholic Church, a Divine fellowship wherein we have the forgiveness of sins and the communion of Saints. In this covenant of the redeemed, we wait for the Resurrection of the Flesh and the Life Everlasting.

O GOD, do Thou enable us so to value the blessings of the Redemption procured for us by Thy SoN, that we may be permitted to dwell with Thee in the unity of the HOLY GHOST, in the Life of the Redeemed, for ever. R. M. B.

ANALYSIS OF THE SERMONS.

SERMON I.-Heb. x., 5, 7.

The Sacrifice of Praise.

Four ends of Sacrifice.

Praise, the primary end of Sacrifice, coeval with creation. Suffering connected with worship by reason of the fall. Worship thenceforward possible only through a Redeemer.

The glory of GOD, the end of the Incarnation. By oneness of nature with sinners, the SON of GOD offered a sacrifice over and above the sacrifice of joyous obedience naturally belonging to the Incarnation. His Divine nature, the intensifying principle of His sorrow for man's sin.

The Sacrifice of Praise to be offered by us—

i. In the devotion of every act to GOD's glory, as the true end of our creation.

ii. In the joyous acceptance of this our end, as the high privilege of our redemption.

iii. In deep contrition for sin both in ourselves and in others, by that sympathy which befits CHRIST'S members.

CHRIST Our only acceptable Oblation. The primary intention of the Holy Eucharist that we may make this Oblation. The whole burnt offering of the Jews a type of this Oblation. Participation of the Holy Eucharist, the foundation of acceptable praise of GOD in the offering of our whole lives. CHRIST, the strength of our joy in sacrifice.

Union with

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SERMON II.-Psalm cvi., 15.

Sacrifice, an Act of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving, the second end of Sacrifice. The duty of special thanksgiving considered in reference to the doctrine of a special Providence. Outward offerings necessary to the expression of our thanksgiving. Various offerings mentioned in Holy Scripture. Thank-offering, the highest use of GOD's gifts.

The Eucharist as a thank-offering for redemption, our highest act of thanksgiving. The Eucharist involves a thankful devotion of all we are or have to GOD.

The Jewish Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.

1. Its voluntary

character. 2. The meat-offering as part of it. 3. The oil of the meat-offering. 4. The cakes leavened and unleavened. 5. The Priest's portion. 6. The thank-offering to be eaten on the first day. 7. The purity required of those who ate thereof.

SERMON III.—Heb. v., 7.

Sacrifice, an Act of Prayer.

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Prayer, the third end of Sacrifice. Without sacrifice no prayer. This implies a covenanted relation to GOD.

Jewish peace-offerings of prayer. 1. Purity required. CHRIST alone pure and the source of purity. His mediation as well for Jew and for Gentile, the power of prayer. 2. The participation of the peace-offering. 3. The peace-offering of prayer to be eaten on the day and on the morrow. 4. The spotlessness of the Oblation. CHRIST, the purifying principle of our oblations. The offertory made acceptable by His Presence in the Holy Eucharist. 5. The laying-on of hands upon the victim. 6. The victim slain at the door of the Tabernacle. 7. The sprinkling of the blood upon the altar.

CHRIST'S Oblation, the fulfilment of every form of sacrifice. It possesses a real value before GOD, by reason of His creative