"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Thus was He acknowledged, by earth and heaven, as the Anointed of God; and in that hour His real work of rescuing man from the power of Satan commenced.

We cannot dismiss John the Baptist from our meditations without a few more words. Although his work, in relation to Christianity, seems to have been finished when he had borne witness to Christ, yet one who was so intrinsically great, and so signally honoured of God, demands from us a further consideration as to his character and end. He who was "greatest of woman born," the theme of prophecy and of angelic communication, highly distinguished by being Christ's forerunner, and by whom Christ was baptized, must ever be an object of deep interest to mankind. And besides these, there is something in his intrepid bearing and almost wild majesty that attracts us. He was not "" a reed shaken with the wind." He was rather a giant oak, waving fearlessly his massive foliage among the pines of the forest, scarcely shaken when the blast sweeps by. Boldly reproving the sins of his countrymen, making his voice heard even in the palace, and awakening the consciences and the ire of the dissolute king and queen; and in the face of imprisonment and death, still declaring the unlawfulness of their union. No; he was not "a reed shaken by the wind." He was not like many that we see around us, who are blown about by every breeze, twisted and whirled round and round by "every wind of doctrine;" who have no innate strength of character-no moral stamina, no consistency; but are ever ready to change for the sake of gain. John's character still stands as a reproof to theirs. He who had not the full privileges of the kingdom of God, was nobler than they are. Many who profess to have superior knowledge of the spirituality of Christ's kingdom, and to possess a spiritual life from Christ which was denied to him, have neither his unwavering attachment to the truth, nor his stalwart boldness in confessing it. We, with clearer knowledge and greater spiritual gifts, should certainly be as strong in our convictions, and as bold to avow them as he was. There is not enough of this fearless stability in the church. Too many are like reeds shaken with the wind. And may not the church learn another lesson of reproof from John? Observe his carelessness of those things which minister to self-indulgence. He was not 66 a man clothed in soft raiment." He was indifferent to luxurious ease and effeminate pleasure. "His raiment was of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey." May we not, as professing Christians, be reproved here. Does not the church of Christ attach too much importance to sensual gratification, ostentatious display, and voluptuous ease? Do not many professed followers of Christ live for these things more fully than they do for the extension of His kingdom? And is not this an increasing evil? We would not advocate any peculiarities of costume; but we think the church might copy, with advantage, John's

consecration of spirit to the fulfilling of his life-work, which made his dress and diet appear to him as things of very little consequence. Only real consecration to the highest duties of life can save us from falling into evil habits of self-indulgence.

John sealed his work with his blood. He was, at last, freed from the prison of Herod (though, perhaps, not in the way which he at first expected) by the power of Christ. It may be that the gentle reproof which Christ sent to him, "Blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me," opened before his soul new regions of faith, and more spiritual hopes; and that he calmly waited for the release of death. He had not long to wait. The malice of Herodias could not be satiated without his blood. To please her fiendish spite, he must die. But death to him was a most blissful gain. His work was done. He was ready for his reward. And the headsman's axe only opened to his brave soul the gates of paradise. W. OSBORNE LILLEY.

The Pulpit.

OUTLINES OF WESLEY'S SERMONS.

MANY editions of Mr. Wesley's sermons have been published, and one of them at a price within so easy a purchase as to bring it within reach of persons who can spare only a few pence at a time, or a small sum at most, for books. It is to be presumed, therefore, that many local preachers possess that treasure of Christian and Methodistical theology. As time wears on, however, young men reared in Methodism, rise up in perpetual succession, to exercise the preaching function, without having had the opportunity to study the theology and the sermons that distinguish their own church, except by sitting under the ministry of some of its travelling preachers. In all probability there are among the readers of our own Magazine, many young men of this class, as well as other persons, who do not possess and have not read Wesley's Sermons. For the benefit of such, we propose to give in these pages a series of outlines of those valuable compositions. Of course they cannot be a substitute for the originals; whose point, pungency, and electric touches cannot be transferred to any sketches or summaries. They may, however, stimulate thought, suggest topics of discourse, and render some service in the initiation of untrained or defectively trained minds, into the orderly and methodical treatment of both texts and topics.

Our intention is not to present mere skeletons, but something more, to our readers. Skeletons have their value, but are not of equal value with outlines. In the study of animals, the structure and connection of the bones are indispensable; but the distribution of the tissues and vessels, and their inter-dependence and functions, constitute a study of incomparably greater importance. So, in the study of sermons, valuable as is the

be prepared to receive the blessings attendant upon the Messiah's coming reign. This was peculiarly the work of John. His work was an essential preliminary to Christ's. It was a "baptism of repentance" preceding a baptism of the Holy Ghost. Every upward step of spiritual experience is taken, whether in an individual or in a community, with tears over the past. A painful consciousness of having been wrong must precede the acceptance of a new era of the right. Repentance must ever precede the reception of the reign of Christ. It is so now. It was so then. John was sent to accomplish this necessary preparation in the inner life of the people, as the angel declared of him, " And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just: to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

John fully understood the subordinate nature of his work. He said, "I am not the Christ." "I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias." Only a voice—a startling voice to arouse and awaken now, but which shall die away, and be forgotten amid the exultant acclamations that shall attend the triumphant progress of the approaching King, or be recollected only as a distant memory of a disturbing cry, which passed away amid the harmony of joyful voices. His great soul was not disturbed with envy. He comprehended his position, and was satisfied with it. When some of his disciples came to him with the news of Christ's popularity, themselves somewhat surprised and, perhaps, somewhat displeased with it, he said, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy, therefore, is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease." John knew that his own influence would wane now before the waxing greatness of Christ's. And he was quite willing that it should be so. Quite willing that he himself, the morning star of the Christian age, should lose his lustre, and be eclipsed by the rising glory and increasing brightness of its sun.

But John not only prepared the people for Christ's coming; he also bore personal testimony to Christ, as the Messiah. "The same came for a witness to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light." And Christ himself reminded the Jews that John had testified to His Messiahship, saying, "There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth." And it is very strange that this testimony of John was not more fully recognised and accepted; for he possessed the complete confidence of the people: all held John to be a prophet. Josephus says, that "So great was his influence

with the Jews, that they seemed to do anything he advised;" and yet his attestations to Christ's work were not heeded. This is not inexplicable. It may be explained, partly, by the fact that John's advice, in this instance, was entirely opposed to the prejudices of the people, and partly by John himself failing to comprehend the real purport of Christ's mission. Probably he expected, with the rest of his countrymen, that Christ would work out a national deliverance; and finding that he did not assume that kingship which the people were ready to acknowledge, and appear to deliver him from the power of Herod, his active spirit became chafed and restless with the confinement of the dungeon; and growing impatient for release, he lost faith for a time in the certainty of his own testimony. This wavering of faith in John would cause the faith of many to waver, and would tend to spoil the effect of previous attestations, however clearly they had been given. A deed done in an hour of doubt will often mar the effect of many days of faithful work. So potent for evil is unbelief. However, John did bear a clear and unmistakable testimony to Christ as the Son of God.

Among the multitude that came to his baptism, undistinguished from them by any sign visible to ordinary eyes, was " The Hope of Israel." Nothing more was He than an humble peasant to the crowd that jostled him; entirely unconscious were they that He of whom their prophets had written, and upon whom their expectations were really fixed, was standing in their midst. There was one standing among them whom they knew not; but John recognised Him. God had given a sign whereby he might know Him. And pointing Him out to the people, he exclaimed, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me; for He was before me. And I knew Him not; but that He should be made manifest unto Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water." Jesus approached to be baptized. John hesitated to perform this rite upon Him, humbly saying, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" But Jesus persisted in His desire that it should be done, replying, "Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." And it was done. Jesus would connect Himself with humanity in its hour of penitence. He did not need this baptism of repentance for Himself, as He had known no sin; but as He came to be the Redeemer of the race from the power of evil, to stand in man's position, and to bear man's iniquity, He connected Himself with sin here working the rightful sorrow of repentance. Thus would He fulfil all righteousness associating himself with man in all the right developments of his spiritual life, He would show His sympathy with man in his struggles with evil; and, in that way, present Himself more fully to man as his Redeemer. A special manifestation of divine favour accompanied this act. The heavens were opened unto Him; the Spirit, like a dove, descended and rested upon Him; and a voice was heard proclaiming,

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Thus was He acknowledged, by earth and heaven, as the Anointed of God; and in that hour His real work of rescuing man from the power of Satan commenced.

We cannot dismiss John the Baptist from our meditations without a few more words. Although his work, in relation to Christianity, seems to have been finished when he had borne witness to Christ, yet one who was so intrinsically great, and so signally honoured of God, demands from us a further consideration as to his character and end. He who was "greatest of woman born," the theme of prophecy and of angelic communication, highly distinguished by being Christ's forerunner, and by whom Christ was baptized, must ever be an object of deep interest to mankind. And besides these, there is something in his intrepid bearing and almost wild majesty that attracts us. He was not 66 a reed shaken with the wind." He was rather a giant oak, waving fearlessly his massive foliage among the pines of the forest, scarcely shaken when the blast sweeps by. Boldly reproving the sins of his countrymen, making his voice heard even in the palace, and awakening the consciences and the ire of the dissolute king and queen; and in the face of imprisonment and death, still declaring the unlawfulness of their union. No; he was not “a reed shaken by the wind." He was not like many that we see around us, who are blown about by every breeze, twisted and whirled round and round by "every wind of doctrine;" who have no innate strength of character-no moral stamina, no consistency; but are ever ready to change for the sake of gain. John's character still stands as a reproof to theirs. He who had not the full privileges of the kingdom of God, was nobler than they are. Many who profess to have superior knowledge of the spirituality of Christ's kingdom, and to possess a spiritual life from Christ which was denied to him, have neither his unwavering attachment to the truth, nor his stalwart boldness in confessing it. We, with clearer knowledge and greater spiritual gifts, should certainly be as strong in our convictions, and as bold to avow them as he was. There is not enough of this fearless stability in the church. Too many are like reeds shaken with the wind. And may not the church learn another lesson of reproof from John? Observe his carelessness of those things which minister to self-indulgence. He was not "a man clothed in soft raiment.” He was indifferent to luxurious ease and effeminate pleasure. "His raiment was of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey." May we not, as professing Christians, be reproved here. Does not the church of Christ attach too much importance to sensual gratification, ostentatious display, and voluptuous ease? Do not many professed followers of Christ live for these things more fully than they do for the extension of His kingdom? And is not this an increasing evil? We would not advocate any peculiarities of costume; but we think the church might copy, with advantage, John's