Mediator, who is able to do what angels and men could

not. The gift is himself. He did not give what belonged to another, but he gave, and willingly gave, "himself." Our sins cost him his life. From pure love to us, he made a sacrifice so costly, that neither time nor eternity, neither man nor angel, could measure its worth. And most readily and freely did he give himself. What a Giver! What a gift! Is my mind enlightened by his brightness, and is my heart warmed by his love? The cause of all his sufferings was "our sins." They were more in number than the stars of heaven, and very aggravated, and merited the awful sword of avenging justice; but Jesus was willing that that sword should be sheathed in himself. Thus he bore our sins on his own body on the tree. Our sins pierced his hands and his feet. Blessed death! thou art the life of my soul.

The design of this gift.-"That he might deliver us from this present evil world." Sin and the world tyrannise over us; but the ransom price of our deliverance is paid, and the hand of Almighty power is ready to strike off our fetters. Shall Jesus be bound, that we might be free? Shall he open our prison-doors, and will we not come forth? He is most anxious that we should give up the evil practices of the world. The end of these things is death, and therefore we should choose life rather than death. On every side we are surrounded with evil, contaminating and deadly; but we should turn our backs upon it; our souls should follow hard after Christ, and we should breathe in the atmosphere of his love. He not only desires to deliver us from evil, but to sanctify and fit us for heaven. Oh, if there is anything in the universe that can affect our hearts, and wean us from the love and practice of sin, it is the love of Christ, and the gift of Christ; and if we refuse to be caught in the arms of his love, we must perish under the stroke of avenging justice.

The reason of this gift.-" According to the will of God and our Father." Jesus died according to the appointment of the Father. He was sent to save sinners, and that he might save, he must suffer and die. "It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief." All he did and suffered was agreeable to the will of the Father. With him the Father was well pleased. When he died, the Father honoured him. The darkened sun, the rending rocks, the trembling earth, and the rent vail, proclaimed his greatness. And this honour was still more manifest, when he raised him from the dead, exalted him to his own right hand, and gave him all power in heaven and on earth. Surely when the Father did all this for him, he is ready to do all for us; therefore we should claim him as "our Father," and become his devoted children.

JANUARY 7.

The Great Preacher.

"Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else."-Isa. xlv. 22.

HERE we have the Great Preacher-the large audience-and the best sermon.

The Great Preacher is the Lord Jesus Christ. The verse following this text is quoted in Rom. xiv. 11, and applied to the Saviour. He it is to whom every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear, and who says, "Look unto me, and be ye saved." He speaks with authority; for he says, "I am God." He has power to destroy as well as to save. He speaks with kindness, for he invites the perishing to come for relief. He speaks with earnestness, for he knows the value of the soul, the cost of its redemption, and that it can have no other Saviour. And he speaks with success,

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THE GREAT PREACHER.

instructing the ignorant, convincing the hardened, humbling the proud, and constraining even his enemies to confess, "Never man spake like this man." O my soul, if thou wilt not hear this Great Preacher, thy salvation is impossible.

The large audience is, "All the ends of the earth." Men of all ages, from Adam to the last of his race, are invited to look to him, and be saved; and he is as willing and able to save now as in the primitive age of the church. Men of all countries, from the frozen north to the genial south, are invited to "look," for his bosom of love has room for all. Men of all ranks, from the mightiest monarch to the meanest beggar, are urged to listen to his call, and are welcome to his love. Men of all characters, however wicked, however innocent, and sinners of all sorts and degrees, are invited, commanded, and urged. Wherever there is a soul needing salvation, there is a kind invitation, an earnest call to look and be saved. My reader, wilt thou lose thyself in the crowd, and disregard the claims of Jesus?

The best sermon is, "Look unto me, and be ye saved." The object to be looked at is Christ, the preacher. The sinner must turn away his eye from himself and every other object, and fix it on Christ. He is a divine person, and able to save. He wears our nature, and is, therefore, a suitable and accessible Saviour. He died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and rose again for our justification, so that God is seen to be just, and the justifier of him that looks or believes. We are required to look. How simple! We are ready to perish, but by a look of faitha look of dependence-a fixed look on Christ, we are saved from death. And we must look now, for our dangerous condition admits of no excuse and no delay. Salvation is the blessing enjoyed. How great! It delivers from all evil, and secures all good.

How instantaneous ! It begins

now.

THE GREAT PREACHER.

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It is a present possession. Its sweet foretaste of all that is good and all that is great gladdens our hearts. How certain! To the believer this salvation is not contingent, but infallible. He is virtually saved now, and his salvation will be consummated at death, perfected in heaven, and enjoyed through eternity. "Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation."

JANUARY 8.

Missionary Work.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations."-Matt. xxviii. 19.

Two questions here demand strict attention: What am I to do for Christ? And why should I do it?

What am I to do for Christ ?—“Go ye and teach all nations." I must teach the ignorant. Once the inhabitants of our beloved country were ignorant savages. Others pitied them, and came and taught. I have been benefited by their instructions, and shall I not try to benefit those in my day who are perishing for lack of knowledge? Let me begin with my kindred and my acquaintances. Let me speak a word in season to all with whom I hold any intercourse. Let "all nations" have a place in my heart. I must try to save souls. The work prescribed is not mere teaching, for the word "teach" here means to disciple. I must, therefore, labour to bring others to Christ, by urging on them the great salvation, and inquiring, How fares it with thy soul? I must do this work perseveringly, and with all my might. I must give of my substance to send the gospel to others. Christ's work must be done. All nations must be converted. I must do something-I must do what I can-I must do it willingly-and I must

do it immediately. Shall the rebellious Israelites give their ornaments to make an idol of gold; shall Haman give his ten thousand talents to destroy God's people; and shall I give little or nothing to save souls from death? I must pray for the conversion of the world. "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth."

Why should I do it ?-Because Christ commands me, "Go ye." This command is not to be restricted to the apostles of Christ, nor to the ministers of the gospel, but refers to every disciple in every age. Hence the promise, "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Every disciple is commanded to go; therefore those who cannot go must do what they can to send others. Because gratitude requires it: I have freely received, and shall I not freely give? Christ has done all for me, and shall I do nothing for him? Shall his bosom swell with love to my soul, and shall not my heart overflow with gratitude to him? Because my own welfare, and the welfare of the church to which I belong, require it: Is there little spiritual comfort in my heart, or in my house, or among those Christians with whom I associate? No wonder if I put forth no efforts to save the perishing, and make no sacrifices for that cause which cost the Saviour his life. How can I feel comfort if I am forgetting or neglecting the cause of Christ! Because it will bring an abundant reward: What a luxury have they who make sacrifices to build up and extend the church of Christ! "Whosoever shall give a cup of cold water only, shall in no wise lose his reward." How much more shall they be rewarded who save souls from death! "They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever."