mediatorial work. If, my brethren, we feel the guilt and danger of sin, if we desire pardon, with this blessed Jesus is the fulness of grace, there still proceeds a virtue from him, which may heal us all. But if we have been effectually convinced of sin, we shall not only desire forgiveness, we shall desire holiness. Sin will appear to us to be, as it is, exceeding sinful; hateful to God, ruinous to our souls. We shall remember that it is committed in defiance of the gracious Being who has preserved and blessed us; against the merciful Saviour who lived and died in our nature to redeem us; and we shall eagerly aspire to "be delivered from the bondage of corruption, and brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Here too, there is power in the Saviour. There goes forth a virtue from him to heal us all. Let us put our cause in his hands, and we must be safe. It has been part of his work to provide the powerful aid of his Holy Spirit, to enable us to struggle with our natural corruption, and finally to prevail over the enemies of our souls. What

he has done for us supplies us with the most powerful motive to do all we can for him. And thus it may most truly be said, that in whatever point of view our relation to him is considered," there goes out of him a virtue to heal us all."

And now in conclusion, let me ask you, what benefit have you derived from the Saviour? Have you applied to him for the pardon of your sins, for grace to enable you to live to his service? Have you been brought to feel your sins, to regard them in their true character, to desire forgiveness, to follow after holiness? My brethren, it is quite needless to remark, that your condition is very miserable, unless you have entertained these feelingsunless the work of grace has begun in your souls. If it has, may it bring you to the Saviour! In his mediatorial character he is still among us, and we may rest satisfied, that for those who seek to touch him, or to share in the benefits of his work, there still goes virtue out of him to heal them all.

SERMON XXVI.

THE DISOBEDIENT PROPHET.

1 KINGS Xiii. 21, 22.

"And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drank water in the place of which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers."

THE Apostle tells us, that "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning." And it is quite easy to justify all the latitude of the assertion. The circumstances that would at first sight

appear the most peculiar and extraordinary in the word of God, will upon examination often be found to convey most important general truths and principles. The narrative to which the words I have just read belong, brings before us a very singular state of things and a very remarkable history; yet it is highly calculated to teach us many a valuable lesson. The mangled corpse of the disobedient prophet suggests a variety of particulars that well deserve attentive examination. May God give us ears to hear, and hearts to understand, this portion of his word!

It is likely that we are most of us pretty familiar with the story of this prophet. It is annually read in the Church, and is withal so interesting, and related in a style so graphic by the sacred historian, that it is not easily forgotten. It will however be necessary to trace its particulars. It opens very abruptly. And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense." These simple words present us

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with a very remarkable picture-" A man of God," coming with a Divine commission, or "by the word of the Lord," to schismatical Bethel. We know nothing of this prophet but what is told us in this chapter; we do not even know his name. It is quite uncertain whether he had ever been employed as a prophet before, or if he had, whether he had long borne the prophetical character. But there he is, sustaining the highest character that man can sustain he is a delegate from God, he bears a message from heaven. But there is a second figure in the piece. Jeroboam stands by the altar to burn incense. The rebel has become a schismatic, and there he is, actually engaged in mocking God with his sacrilegious offerings.

But let us notice for a moment the state of things under which this prophet appears at Bethel. The misconduct of Solomon had produced disaffection among his subjects. The imprudence of his son and successor Rehoboam had brought on a crisis, and ten of the twelve tribes threw off their allegiance to the house of David. Jero