It is from overlooking this that the Christian man too often loses his peace, and therefore his stability. He examines himself, and he finds sin wofully cleaving to him, even though he cannot but see that he has good proof of that work of the Holy Ghost, which marks him for a child of God, yet when he also sees how far he falls short of the holiness which he desires to maintain, then does he begin to say within himself, 'How can it be that God should look with favour upon me? How can I be acceptable to Him? While thus imperfect, thus prone to evil, and too often falling into sin, how can it be that God regards me with love and satisfaction?'

And so the mind is clouded: guilt increases on the conscience: the peace of the soul is broken then follows weakness, and instability, and perhaps some sad fall: and all from losing sight of Jesus, and from looking at what we are in ourselves for justification, instead of looking only at Christ.

Then, Christian brethren, let this be your lesson of instruction. I beseech you keep the words of our text always in view, write them on the tables of your hearts; recollect, at all times, your position before God is that of oneness. with Christ. Weak, and worthless, and sinful as you are, God sees not this; He looks on Christ; Christ is always, and perfectly acceptable to Him, and in Him you are accepted.

God grant you to retain fast hold upon this truth. Then will you have a principle to sustain you, animate you, and make you ready to

live obediently before Him. O yes, it is not only your peace, but your holiness too, that is bound up in a consciousness of this blessed fact, that you are "accepted in the Beloved."

SERMON VII.

EPHESIANS II. 4-6.

GOD, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, Hath QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST; (BY GRACE Ye are saved,) AND HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER, AND

MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS.

"HE ascended into heaven"-such is one of the main articles of our Christian faith. We solemnly avow our belief in it every time that we repeat our creed. And a blessed fact it is in the esteem of every true believer, the fact of Jesus our Lord's ascension into glory, and his exaltation at the right hand of God. May the Redeemer Himself, from his throne above, pour out his Spirit upon us, even as He hath promised, and teach us to understand the things concerning Himself, and cause us to know our interest in them.

I have chosen a text for our present meditation in which we shall find much that bears, and that very strikingly, on the subject of our adorable Lord's ascension.

What is the Apostle shewing? He is shewing the great things which God has wrought for his

people. And he mentions especially two, in the verses before us. God hath quickened his people: that is the first act of mercy specified. And then, He hath raised them up, and made them to sit in heavenly places: this is the second act.

Moreover, the Apostle declares at what time, and under what circumstances, these acts of grace were wrought: When was it? "Even when we were dead in sins."

And still further, St. Paul explains how and in what way these things were done. They were done in Christ. He "hath quickened us together with Christ, and raised us up and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." These are the matters then for our examination at this time. If God enlighten us we shall feel them to be peculiarly instructive, edifying, and comforting to our souls.

I. We say, the Apostle declares TWO ACTS

OF MERCY WHICH GOD HATH WROUGHT FOR HIS

PEOPLE. He hath quickened them, and hath raised them up, and made them to sit in the heavenly places: that is to say, he hath granted to them a glorious resurrection from the grave, and a triumphant exaltation to his own kingdom.

If you will carefully read over the whole passage to which the text belongs, you will see that this is the Apostle's meaning. You must begin at the 15th verse of the previous Chapter. There you hear the Apostle telling his brethren, how that after he knew of their faith, and love, as Christians, he ceased not to pray for them, and

among other blessings which he implored for them was this, the knowledge of God's power toward them. Mark the 17th verse," what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe," that is, what the power of God, in its exceeding greatness, can and will do for us and then the Apostle adds, "according to the working of his mighty power which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at his own right hand in the heavenly places." In other words, what God's power did in Christ, that it will do in us; it shall work in us, as it wrought in Him. What has it wrought in Him? has raised Him from the dead, quickened his dead body, restored it to life. And what more? It has exalted Him in that same body, once dead, now quickened, and seated Him at God's right hand in the heavenly places. This was the power that wrought in Christ, and these the acts which it performed. The same power, then, it is which shall work in his people, and the same are the acts which it shall execute in them.

It

Hence, in our text we find these two things specified. They are spoken of as indeed already done. The reason of this we shall presently see. But whoever follows the Apostle, from the verses to which I have referred in the first Chapter onward to our text, will trace his train of thought, and will observe at once how he has the same grand things in view throughout, the glories awaiting God's Church, the triumph of her resurrection, the height of her exaltation, in that day when the dead in Christ shall rise, shall be