distinctly, that in committing yourself to the discipleship of Christ you shall most certainly experience that grace which will enable you to exclaim with the apostle-In all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.'

ONCE IN CHRIST ALWAYS IN CHRIST.

THE supposition of being always in Christ if once or at all, is allowed by some to operate in a fearfully dangerous manner. They think that they are safe if they can by any means convince themselves that they have been at any past period, or that they shall be in any period to come in Christ. Under this impression they become stoically indifferent to all the facts, appeals, requirements, and sanctions of the gospel. We entreat you, dear reader, as you value your eternal interests, to guard against any such fatal delusion. We entreat you to consider, that you have line upon line, line upon line, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, declaring to you that you must continue faithful unto death, if you would be finally saved. Do you suppose that your faith of yesterday will serve today or to-morrow? Does not Heb. x. 38, 39, say, ‘The just shall live by faith, but if he draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him; but we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.' Again, what said Jesus to the disciples according to John xv. 1-7, 'I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.' If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.' These, with many other passages, intimate most clearly, that it is just as necessary

to continue to believe as it was to begin to believe, in order to be saved. There is no salvation in unbelief. But the reader may say, do not such passages as John x. 28, 29, and Phil. i. 6, intimate that the believer cannot fall away? We answer, that those and similar passages speak not of the fidelity of the believer, but of God's faithfulness. They speak of God performing his engagement inviolate. The first passage declares, that the sheep of Christ-those who hear his voice and follow him-shall never perish, that no one shall pluck them who thus hear and follow the good Shepherd out of his or his Father's hands. But it does not say that they themselves may not cease to hear and follow Christ, and so cease to be his sheep and those whom God engages to keep in safety. The second passage simply expresses the apostle's confidence that God would perform the good work which he had begun that on his part there would be no defection. But as regards the Philippians, he beseeches them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling-inspires them with the thought, that it is God's good pleasure to work in them, and that by their fidelity his own labour on their behalf would not be in vain. 'Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.' 0, reader, if you wish to be kept by the power of God, remember it must be through faith. He that continueth to the end shall be saved.' If you would that Jesus should see in you of the travail of his soul and be satisfied, look constantly to him, follow him whithersoever he goes, walk closely with him, think how terrible, if that dear Redeemer who for you poured out his soul unto death should at last have to say, My soul has no pleasure in you.

NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS.

A FEARFULLY distressing thought sometimes enters the mind of those who, after having received the truth, allow

it to slip. The idea to which we refer is, that their salvation has become utterly impossible. They suppose that the Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Jesus has become altogether unavailing to them, and that repentance on their part has become a thing that cannot take place. The passages on which these views are formed, are Hebrews vi. 4-6, and x. 26, For it is impossible for those who were once enlighted, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, if they shall fall away to renew them again to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh and put him to an open shame.' For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. If, dear reader, you have any difficulty in regard to these passages, observe-1st, That the impossibility spoken of is contingent, not absolute-that is, it depends entirely upon the position taken up by the individuals themselves. Mark the apostle's words-it is impossible to renew them to repentance, seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh-seeing they openly expose him to shame. The apostle simply intimates, that while an individual is doing this, it is impossible to bring him to repentance. Mark, it is not said that the person cannot cease doing that which renders his renewal to repentance impossible; it is only said, that engaged in such a procedure he cannot possibly be renewed to repentance. The impossibility is altogether contingent upon the position assumed by the individual, and is not said to affect the individual's ability to cease occupying a position so fearful and dangerous. In various parts of scripture the idea of contingent impossibility is introduced. For example, Jer. xiii. 23 says, Can the Ethopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. That is, it is impossible for a person to persist in wrong, and at the same time do well. Again, Rom. viii. 7 says,The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.' The carnal mind is the minding of the flesh; this state of

mind is antagonistic to God, and it is impossible for the man who continues in it to be subject to that law which is pure and spiritual. The doctrine of these and similar passages is simply, that a man cannot do two opposites at once, nor can he, while persisting in the one, be turned to the other, because the very idea of repentance, conversion, or reformation, implies the leaving off the wrong as the first step in moving to the right. Now, dear reader, observe, 2nd, That the words, no more sacrifice,' teach not that the great sacrifice offered by Jesus, once for all, has lost its efficacy or applicability; but that over and above it-besides it-in addition to it there is none, no further, no other, no more sacrifice for sins. The apostle's argument is, that the sacrifice of the Redeemer is God's only plan of mercy, and therefore, that the person who sins wilfully against it, despises, contemns, and rejects it, has nothing before him but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation.' The wilful sin of which he speaks is, as verse 29 proves, the deliberate, determined, trampling under foot of the divine Redeemer. Mark, it is nowhere said that the recusant may not turn again to the Lord. But of the likelihood of his doing so, how little hope is there? O then, dear reader, be cautioned against a traitor's part and a traitor's woe. Reflect upon the fearful contingencies of defection from Christ. Dread the very thought of it; see it as the most appalling to contemplate; behold it as the shortest, the steepest, the quickest, the surest path to the woes of the damned. be aware of the unparalleled danger of the first step in defection; consider that if you be in the recusant's career, how little can be done for you. Remember that in renouncing the gospel, God has no new scheme of mercy, and no new argument, or appeal, or persuasion, or means of salvation by which to save you; and that you, therefore, shut yourself up to the vengeance of insulted majesty, justice, and grace.

0,

Be then, O sinner, entreated at once and for ever to cast yourself on that sacrifice, the merits of which no sinner ever believingly appealed to in vain. If you have by the slightest defection pierced anew that heart of love which

on Calvary poured forth its life blood for you, O let your treachery be only an additional argument why you should henceforth cling to Jesus with a fuller and more constant faith, and love him with a truer heart than hitherto.

THE UNPARDONABLE SIN.

SOME enquirers greatly perplex themselves with the idea, that they may have committed that sin against the holy Spirit which the Redeemer declared should never be forgiven, or that for the forgiveness of which the apostle John affirmed no prayer should be offered. That there is the possibility of committing this most fearful of sins, and that many, many, alas, have committed it is too true to be either denied or overlooked. But while this solemn reflection should fill the mind with salutary care and dread, it is our delightful privilege to show the anxious sinner that as yet this awful sin is not his, and that the way is open by which he may safely escape the commission of it. We hope, then, dear reader, to show you that this sin is altogether peculiar, and that you may with confidence conclude that as yet it cannot apply to you, and that you are free to escape it for ever. In Matt. xii. 22-32, Mark iii. 22-30, Luke xi. 14-27, and xii. 10, we have the Saviour's allusions to it. The facts of the case are, that the Jews blasphemously ascribed the power by which the Redeemer wrought his miracles to Satan instead of God. This gave the Saviour occasion to tell them, that though they thus spoke against him it would be forgiven them, but if they should in like manner blaspheme the holy Spirit in his ministration, they should never be forgiven. It was God's gracious design to follow the ministry of his Son with that of the holy Spirit, as his final dispensation for the salvation of man. To this the Saviour often alluded, and in regard to this case his allusion may be paraphrased thus-I have come to you from God and have demonstrated my