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stand, and that it was a service of perfect freedom that God required of him— this, though an important feature in the case, does not reach the root of the difficulty for why might not those inducements have been placed before the eye of man, together with the absence of all external temptation, which should ever have led him to be willing and obedient to his Creator? So human reason might argue, and perplex itself, and find no end," in wandering mazes lost." But enter into the sanctuaries of God: endeavour to look upon this with the mind of God, and in reference to the plans of God. I do not say that all difficulties are solved; there are difficulties in connexion with this subject, which the human mind in the present state can never overcome, can never, at least, fully solve; but assuredly all difficulty is in one sense overcome. We see how the entrance of evil has served as the occasion for more extensive good. We look at sin in connexion with grace: we see mercy growing out of transgression, and we see the guilt of our race affording opportunity for the most wondrous display of love. That is, we see, through the means of the entrance of sin and misery into our world, a most wondrous display of attributes, which otherwise would ever have been hid from us. For though we might imagine, perhaps, God giving his Son to exalt to a higher condition an unsinning race of creatures-as indeed even the elect angels it would appear, from some passages of Scripture, are not uninterested in the work of Christ—yet it is the sin of man, that sin which brought the Son of God to agony and shame, that sin which made not only the gift of Christ necessary, but made. his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross, the shameful and ignominious death of the cross: it is this sin which has furnished occasion for the utmost demonstration of divine love. We look at sin, then, not in itself, but in connexion with redeeming love: we discuss its entrance into the world, not in dry, abstract reasoning, but as connected with the plans and purposes of God. We enter into his sanctuary, into those secrets of his mercy and love, which he has revealed to us; and I say, not that all ground of difficulty is removed, but I do say that every objection is silenced; that the becoming and reasonable attitude of the mind is shewn to be not one of cavilling and rejection, but of wonder and adoration. Though we cannot see the end of the golden chain of God's dealings with us, we can see enough of it to discern that it tends to heaven. Some, perhaps, will say, "This, then, it would seem might reconcile us to sin; why then should God blame and punish it, since it has been so instrumental in the setting forth of his glory, and to the good of his creatures?" Such an objector St. Paul found in his day; and we are safest, therefore, in giving his reply: "Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus ?"

But another perplexity which may lie across our path, is one which immediately arises out of that just noticed, namely, a creation made subject to vanity ; brought into a state of suffering through sin. The mere philanthropist finds here what he esteems an insuperable difficulty. It must be admitted, that on the surface of things, appearances are against the conviction, that God wills only the happiness of his creatures. Amidst the thousand features of goodness and love which are stamped on the face of creation, the eye rests with pain on this one feature apparently of an opposite character; and when we think to

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know this, it seems too painful for us. But enter into the sanctuaries of God; enter into the mind of God; pursue his revealed purposes-and you will see, that however mysterious and extensive the existence of suffering may be, it is no evidence of a want of love: "In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him." God" spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all."

I would here insist not more on the fact that God gave his Son to save sinners, I would not merely balance this act of his love towards us against any opposite appearances; but the point which I would insist upon is this, that God's own Son was himself a sufferer, nay, pre-eminently a sufferer, a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;" that none suffered as Christ suffered. Now this answers every difficulty. When we see around us the whole creation groaning and travailing in pain together until now, when we look at the throes of nature, struggling to bring forth, and in vain; when we see the curse attaching to every blessing (for what is there that hath not come under the curse?) and when we see the way to be passed through before any joy can be reached, our hearts might indeed misgive us, and we might doubt whether God loved a world in which so much misery has found entrance. But when we look on Christ, when we see him groaning under the infirmities of our nature; and still more when we see him sinking under the judicial consequences of our sin, when we see that ere he could reach the joy that was set before him, he must endure the cross and the shame, our doubts are dissipated, and our misgivings cease; at least they ought to be dissipated and they ought to cease. For who is the sufferer? Who is it on whom God has laid the heavy rod? Whose back is it that is torn with scourges, and his face more marred than the face of any man? It is the only begotten Son of God; it is the Son of the Father's bosom; it is the only Beloved One: and can we doubt that God loves him? Can we doubt that there was a "needs be" for the suffering of those whom God yet unutterably loves? If the sufferings of Christ were no evidence of God's want of love to him, so neither can the sufferings of any creature be an evidence of God's want of love to that creature.

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Once more, I would observe, that there is, I suppose in every individual experience, much that is not only painful to his feelings, but exceedingly perplexing to his judgment, and this not merely his natural judgment, but even his spiritual judgment. Often, perhaps, events occur, which seem not only adverse to his temporal prosperity (that is not so difficult to him to account for, he knows too much of our fallen nature not to feel, that disappointment in earthly things may be what he most needs-it is easy, comparatively speaking, to submit to this)-but there are events which seem most adverse to his spiritual advantage. There are events which seem to thwart him in the pursuit of God, to oppose what he knows ought to be encouraged; and when he looks abroad he sees many difficulties which the church has to contend with; much oppres sion, much exposure, not only to the persecution from without, but to the subtlety of the adversary. He searches in vain for a reason for these things. He knows that Providence governs the world; that God peculiarly takes care of his Church, which is dear to him; but reason is truly baffled in its efforts to pursue the train of events, and see the end of them.

Now I cannot shew how the entering into the sanctuary of God removes the

stumbling-block, and shews us wisdom and love inscribed on what seemed to be darkness and perplexity; I cannot shew this, because the cases are too numerous and too diversified to admit of any general observation to suit them all. But I will venture to assert, as most agreeable to the experience of every servant of God, that this is a remedy for the evil, and that every believer who really tries it will find it so that the more he labours to see all things in the light of God, the more he succeeds in throwing himself into the mind of God; the more enlarged view which he takes of the dispensations of God-in a word, in the comprehensive language of the text, the more he "enters into the sanctuaries of God," the more he will find his doubts diminish and his perplexities yield; the more satisfied he will be, that notwithstanding every appearance to the contrary, God is keeping his feet; that the Lord is leading him by the and, is guiding every step of his course, ruling him prudently with all his power. Many things may be perplexing to reason that will become more obvious when viewed in the light of God, when connected with other things too remote, perhaps, to be much discovered, but which shall be revealed unto him who patiently waits upon God.

Let me conclude with one or two observations on the mode of entering into God's sanctuaries.

A point of the first importance is, diligently and intently to contemplate the character and the mind of God, as they are revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. It is by the contemplation of these that we grow into their likeness, and of course assimilate our judgment of things to the judgment of God. It is most worthy of remark, though often overlooked, I think, how much the apostles in their writings dwell on the person of Christ; how, when they speak of him, they seem to touch a theme on which they delight to dwell. How constantly they place him and his work before us as the objects of contemplation. And much of this, too, do we find in the services of our Church; she seems here very closely to have copied the apostolic method. Now our temptation is, and I think it a temptation peculiar to the present day, too much to dwell on our own individual wants, and to make the expression of them the chief subject in our religious exercises. If, then, our religion assumes a too selfish character (for there may be selfishness even in religion), and we perhaps insensibly glide into a subtle species of self-sufficiency, depending upon our own judgment for what we think most needful for us, our prayers are not sufficiently submissive, not sufficiently formed on the model of God's mind, as it is presented to us in the walk and in the person of Jesus Christ.

Let me entreat you then, beloved brethren, as most conducive to your spiritual progress, to cultivate immediately this habit of divine meditation. Enter into the sanctuaries of God; make this the end and object of your lives; study his mind. Let not your religion consist in the feeling of your wants, and in the continued expression of them, but labour to rise into the mind of God; looking off, not only from the world, but looking off even from ourselves: yea, I would say, looking off often from your own spiritual wants; looking off from all things unto Jesus Christ. Endeavour to realize his character; to make yourselves, so far as may be, masters of it; to consider how he would have acted in such and such circumstances. This is not to be learned in an hour, or in a day; it demands, as well as deserves, the study of a life. And strive to judge of all things as Christ would judge of them. Accustom yourselves to consider every

question and every event under this aspect; "How would Christ judge of it, and how would he act in respect of it? What would be its effect upon nis mind?" So you will enter into the sanctuaries of God.

Need I add, be diligent in the use of those means which tend to promote such intercourse with God. Although I do not think, as I have already observed, that the text can fairly be interpreted with respect to application to public worship, and the ordinances of God's house, yet surely we may apply it strictly to the keeping up a perpetual communion with God. Whatever men may be told, if they are living in the neglect of these things, they are not living in communion with God. Any thing which tends to bring us nearer to God, must help to remove those difficulties which have come upon us, as all our difficulties have come upon us through alienation from him. It is only by our minds being estranged from his mind that we find any difficulty at all.

And here, beloved brethren, in this house, and indeed wherever two or three are gathered together in his name, there the Saviour has promised especially to be with them, yea, to be in them. Here he makes himself known to us in the breaking of bread; at this table we eat his flesh, and we drink his blood: we dwell in him, and he in us: we are one with him and he with us. Here peculiarly we may be said to enter into the sanctuary of God: here we discover his character, here we read his mind, and here, through grace, we grow into his image.

THE TRIUNE JEHOVAH.

REV. J. R. BARBER, A.M.

8". FAUL'S EPISCOPAL CHAPEL, VAUXHALL, TRINITY SUNDAY, 1839

"Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord."-DEUTERONOMY, vi. 4.

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MAN is ever prone to err, and in nothing more so than in those things which concern his everlasting interests; prone to err by running into the most opposite extremes. The descendants of Noah, after they had been scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, perverted their way, forsook their God, and formed to themselves imaginary deities. The grand error of that age was denying the unity of the Deity; the grand error of the present day is, denying the Trinity: both errors spring from the same source, the fruitful source of unnumbered evils-the pride of man; who in his folly attempts to grasp infinity, to comprehend the Deity. The Almighty has graciously been pleased to reveal himself to us as a God of justice, a God of holiness, a God of love. Alas! how absurd in fallen man to reject any part of that revelation, because his faculties are not sufficient to comprehend the whole. Man is indeed the highest link in the long chain of terrestrial creation. He is indebted to the goodness of the Supreme Being for his elevation as lord of this lower world; but he is as much beneath the lowest of the heavenly host, as the worm that crawls beneath his feet is inferior to man: and with as much propriety might the creeping reptile deny the superior powers of man, or endeavour to explain his existence. No; the truth of Scripture is clear: "The world by wisdom knew not God:" As he is revealed let us receive him, and say with humble faith,

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Almighty Father! own me as thy child,

And bid me own thee with a filial cry.

In thee, Jehovah-Jesus, I confide,

The Father's equal--and the sinner's friend.

And Thee, Eternal Spirit, I adore,

My Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide.

A triune God, distinct in persons, yet

In essence One Incomprehensible!

O, who by searching with the glimmering spark

Of reason, finds out God? or who

With finite mind can scan Infinity?

Sooner the feeble moth might mountains weigh,
And bear the globe upon his tinsel wing,
Than mortal man, with all his boasted powers,
Could comprehend the self-existent God.

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