fails with me; it is the cream of the day; when we give God that, the milk of enjoyment is sweet all day after. Jan. 10th.- Managed to introduce Jesus in my sermon last night; he is the SOUL of preaching, as one said, and a sermon without him is like a body without a soul. "I am the light of the world." Yes, my Lord, and the light of a sermon, too. One observes of him that " He arose on the world an object as wonderful and new in his person and office as the sun when it first took rank among the stars of heaven; and, like the solar light, while pouring a flood of radiance on everything else, he remains himself a glorious mystery." Ay, and, like the rising sun, he is still fresh, new, refreshing and lovely, in a discourse; and floods every truth, as the sun every plant, and flower, and gem, with heavenly radiance. As light is enthroned in the sun, so was the Godhead in the manhood of Jesus Christ, my Lord; and he is still sending forth his rays of omnipotence, benevolence and love. A large number of sinners looked unto him and were saved. this Saturday, A. M., 11th.- Bore down hard upon unconverted folks; showed the folly of fretting and controverting about sanctification, when in the dark regarding their own justification; that they could not reason correctly upon high branch of experimental salvation, while ignorant of the lower branch; that it was like a boy trying to read, who had never learned his alphabet, or making an effort to read writing if unable to read print, or essaying to work out a sum in division when ignorant of the multiplication table. A minister should disallow it; otherwise he resembles a tutor setting a student upon some high effort of logical deduction or mathematical demonstration, before ever he had learned the premises from which his deductions should be drawn, or the axioms upon which his problem should turn! They understood and felt the remarks. More than a score of such fell down upon their knees, resolving to learn their religious alphabet, and commit such folly no more. God be merciful to me a sinner" sounded sweetly! Most of them were enabled to read their own title to divine favor clearly before they left. The Lord Jesus does not confer his honorary degrees, as some colleges do their diplomas of doctor of divinity, in a language which the honored recipient is quite unable to read, and hardly knows what to make of it till he procures somebody to read it for him. Some who had professed conversion had their wounds laid open to bleed afresh. Well, better have them bleed now than months hence, when there may not be so good a chance to obtain a thorough cure. Many bleed to death in their last sickness, and go to the judgment wounded all over with the Spirit's sword, as well as by the wounds sin has made, wounds which have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment,- Isaiah 1: 5, 6,-- and so perish forever. This close, searching preaching is safe, though it be severe. The work of holiness, however, is advancing with great rapidity and power. Monday, A. M., Jan. 13.-A moving time, yesterday, on Rom. 1: 16,-" For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." Much weeping. Glad to see it! Long looked for, is come at last! like digging for water, the vein is struck at last! "We have found water," said Isaac's servants. Gen. 26: 32. We have found water, exclaimed my soul. Chrysostom called tears a sponge to wipe out sin; objectionable, somewhat,—the blood of Jesus Christ for that. Nevertheless, tears in the eyes of hearers wipe out from a preacher's memory many an old score against hardness, indifference, naughtiness and unbelief. Besides, some writer says, prayer inclines God to show mercy, but tears compel him!-ay, and compel the preacher to weep as fast as any of them. Ambrose was something of the same opinion, when he remarked that an offence which cannot be defended by argument may be concealed by tears. Tears, like rivers, are increased by tributaries; when the tears of a preacher flow with those of his hearers, the freshet has great force to sweep off old stumps and logs and dam-like hindrances, to be seen no more forever; good things these tears! Blessed be God for the Gospel! It is a power among other powers in the universe. Attraction is a power, and so is gravitation, and repulsion, and adhesion; and so is the Gospel; it has all these in itself, in the high and supernatural sense; like them, invisible; and, like all other powers in the universe, it is perfectly adapted to its purpose. It is, so to speak, the counterpart of man; his wants, his longings, and many other mental facts, are all met and supplied in the Gospel. It is as necessary to his well-being as earth, air, fire, water, attraction, gravitation, repulsion, adhesion, sun, moon and stars, and stormy winds. The Gospel is a revealing power, a life-giving power, a light-giving power, a life-saving power, a sinner-awaking power, a soul-converting power, a sanctifying power, a sinner-detecting power, an invisible power, a supernatural power, a specific power, an inspiring power, a plenary power, a conscience-moving power, a conaciously-felt power, a heart-softening power, an overcoming power, a transforming power, a compensating power, a merciful power, a soul-terrifying power, a sinner-restraining power, an available power, a soul-quickening, soul-elevating power, an eternal power, it is the power of God! Great bones these and when bone is brought to bone, and sinews and flesh come upon them, and the skin covers them, and embroidered a little with arteries and veins, and breath from heaven is inspired into them, and fire such as Prometheus never stole, it is a formidable power for a sinner to encounter. As Luther observed, it is a sword, a war, a destruction; it falls upon the children of Ephraim, like a lion out of the forest; but mild and benevolent to the penitent and to the believer, as the angel-visitants to Adam and Eve in their unfallen Paradise! So it was yesterday to the crowds who came under its influence. Hallelujah! One has remarked that some come to hear the Gospel merely for its eloquence; others, as they would attend a concert of music, for mere amusement; others, to cull a few flowers, as they do in a garden, but not to subdue lusts, or to better the heart; others, to feast the fancy, while they starve the soul; others, in search of rouge for the imagination, like a woman who paints her face, while she neglects her health! Yes, and some come to feast the soul "with living bread sent down from heaven," and to drink of the living streams which make glad the city of our God. The weak come to be strengthened, the sad cheered, the sick and wounded to be cured and healed, the dark to be enlightened, the guilty to be pardoned, and the unclean to be purified. These, blessed be God, were not disappointed! My soul communes with herself to-day, and with God. Thanks to his name for the privilege! She gains strength for fresh battles thus; she recounts her successes, retouches her doings, and lays all the glory at the feet of her risen and present Lord! Well, if eloquence was wanting, the Lord Jesus gave me good, sound, robust, sinner-awakening truth. If flower-seekers and amusement-hunters 66 were disappointed, food-seekers and profit-seekers were not. Praise Jesus for that fact! Flowers of oratory, rouge for the imagination," as rouge for the face, from safflowers? Nay, but tears, in plenty, to wash off paint, if need be, though I think English ladies don't meddle with rouge much, the climate and out-door exercise supply their color and excellent health, tears, to wash away hypocritical indifference, more common than paint! Tears are tell-tales! "Others go to hear the Gospel as they would to a concert of music." O, but there was melody in the Gospel; the melody of mercy, and it sounded sweetly in the ears of many a drooping penitent. If "the echoing hills and answering firmament" did not reply to it, as to a nation's anthem, scores of stricken consciences did hold sublime communion with its "joyful sound." If it did not, in that glad hour, "Dissolve their soul in ecstasies, And bring all heaven before their eyes," as some poet remarks, it did dissolve their doubts of mercy, by bringing the compassion and willingness of Jesus to save, and his ability, before their eyes! And then the choir, and the pealing organ, and the glorious voices of a multitude : "With joy we meditate the grace Of our High Priest above; "Touched with a sympathy within, "He in the days of feeble flesh Poured out strong cries and tears, |