XVI. Baptism.-That baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, and consists in the total immersion of the whole person of the candidate in water, upon a personal profession of faith in the Son of God; and that it is to be administered to none but such as give credible evidence of possessing saving faith.-Also that baptism is the only scriptural introduction to the privileges of the church of Christ, and therefore that it is necessary, not only to full membership, but also to transient communion in the Lord's-supper,-the qualifications for one being identical with the qualifications for the other.

XVII. The Lord's-supper. That the Lord's-supper is also an ordinance of the New Testament, to be continued in the church until the Lord come; and that it is to be celebrated as an ordinance of the church by those only who have made a scriptural profession of faith in Christ by baptism, and are members of the individual church in connection with which it is observed, or are qualified to become such.That it is to be observed by the eating of bread and drinking of wine by each communicant,-its design being to commemorate the sufferings and death of our blessed Lord, and also to show the common interest which believers have in Christ, and their union to each other.

XVIII. The Resurrection of the Dead and the Final Judgment.-That the bodies of all the dead, both the righteous and the wicked, will be raised again, and, with their spirits, enter into a state of immortal existence, the bodies of the righteous being made like unto Christ's glorious body. That all men, after the resurrection, will appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that the righteous will be justified by him before the assembled world, and receive his invitation to enter into his glory; and that the wicked-their guilt being proved, will be consigned to everlasting punishment with the fallen angels,—both states being final, and continuing without interruption for ever and ever.

A PRECIOUS CHRIST.

"Unto you, therefore, which believe, he is precious."—1 Pet. ii. 7.

WHAT a wonderful person must the person of Christ be, to be the centre and object of so much attraction, the resting-place of such mighty interests, and the source and spring of infinite joy and delight.-To set Him forth, his person, beauties, love, grace and suitability to the poor lost ruined sinner, God the Holy Ghost (whose great work is to glorify Him) has ransacked nature; the most glorious natural objects we are acquainted with are employed by him in his precious word, to set forth his grandeur, majesty, and grace. For instance, the sun-the glorious orb of natural day, the prolific source of life and light, and to blot out which would be the immediate death of all terrestrial creatures, is used to set Him forth as the Sun of Righteousness. The sea, another of the mighty works of Jehovah's wisdom and power, is employed to set forth his great love and vast merit, "Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea." Rocks and mountains for their greatness, fixedness, stability, and grandeur, set him forth who is "the Rock," and whose work is perfect, and whose righteousness is like the great mountains. Trees, flowers, and fruits-yea, everything in fact, that is great and lovely in nature, is employed to set the Great Immanuel forth. But after all the poet's words are true

"The whole creation can afford,

But some faint shadows of my Lord;
Nature, to make his beauties known,
Must mingle colours not her own."

But however great and precious Christ is, it is evident, from the text and context, his worth and preciousness can only be known and realized by faith.-The object of faith is most intrinsically precious, and the grace of faith is most precious

too; as it is the only medium through which the sinner sees, approves, loves, embraces, and appropriates the Saviour. This only and blessed foundation for a poor sinner's hope is rejected, despised, and stumbled at by all but true believers— disallowed indeed of men-of all classes of men ; but chosen of God, and precious; a root out of a dry ground to all but those who are made partakers of like precious faith, and what makes the solemn distinction and difference between the one and the other; between the despiser and admirer of the person of Christ, the stumbler at him and the builder upon him, Peter, the writer of this epistle, tells us; and well he knew, and deeply he felt his interest in the great Christ of God. The subject matter of the words are, therefore, the preciousness of the Lord Jesus Christ to the believer. Let us then notice in the first place, What that principle is called faith, which constitutes a person a believer; and secondly, In what respects Christ is precious to the true believer.

First. What is faith, saving faith which apprehends, embraces, and appropriates a precious Christ? Without controverting the point that there are several faiths spoken of in the word of God, such as a natural faith, an historical faith, and the faith of devils, we are at once supplied with an answer from God's own mouth, by his servant Paul-"Faith is the gift of God." "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." The faith that sees, embraces, appropriates the Saviour is as much, and as purely the gift of God, as the Saviour is himself. These epistles are by Peter, addressed "to them who have obtained like precious faith" and this faith the apostle Jude terms "the faith of God's elect." In this all the great apostles of the Lamb agree. It is therefore clear from united testimony that this faith is a most precious grace, that it is freely given by God to some men, not to all; for "all men have not faith,"-worlds could not purchase a grain of it. It can be obtained in no other way; it is the gift of God, and without this faith it is impossible to please God. It follows, then, as a matter of course, that that which it is God's prerogative graciously to give cannot be man's duty to possess. Man's duty to have grace, to get grace, is the sentiment of the day, but never was the doctrine of God. This is man's doctrine, congenial to man's fallen nature, but we read of the "doctrines of men," and even of the "doctrines of devils;" so we see there are three sorts of doctrines in the world; men's doctrines, devil's doctrines, and the doctrines of God, or doctrines according to godliness. Now what saith the Scripture? for we have to do with the Bible doctrines, the doctrines of grace, or the doctrines of faith-for true faith embraces true doctrine, the grace of saving faith can only build or rest upon the true ground or foundation of faith. When we read of the faith once delivered to the saints, we understand the doctrines of faith, the system of real truth; and the grace of faith in the heart, will not and cannot rest or build on any other ground.

By this test we may ascertain, therefore, of what sort our faith is-by what we build upon-What is our foundation? By what we feed upon-What is our food? By what and whom we most esteem-What and who is most precious to us? And he that believeth hath the witness in himself; it is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. It is God's own life seated in the heart. Peter declares in his second Epistle, "We are made partakers of the Divine nature ;" and our blessed Lord in his memorable prayer, declares, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." And again, " He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life." Life there must be, prior to exercising the functions of life, just as natural life must first be given before the motions of life can be performed; so it is spiritually we do not live because we move, feel, desire, eat and drink; but we move, feel, desire, and eat because we live. Faith as a grace is implanted in the heart in regeneration by God the Eternal Spirit, therefore, called the faith of the operation of God, and it is the work of faith to perceive, receive, and embraces ;-Hence, "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." Here we have the matter clearly defined taking this portion of divine truth thus :-"Which were born," the new birth comes first, and

is entirely the work of God. "You hath he quickened who were dead," then comes as the effect believing on the name and receiving the person of the Christ of God and his salvation. This is the way, and the only way, Christ is believed in or received, to the saving of the soul. This reception of Christ must ever be distinguished from an outward reception or rejection of the Messiah, the Christ, the sent of God, which is so very frequently spoken of in the word, such as for instance, "He came to his own and his own received him not," his own there meaning his kindred, or his natural brethren; for "neither did his brethren believe in him." How different the meaning between "his own" in this portion and "his own referred to in John xiii.-"Having loved "his own " which were in the world he loved them unto the end!" For the want of discerning between things that differ we have so much confusion and amalgamation of truth and error. How important, therefore, it is to have an understanding in these vital realities, and to be enabled rightly to divide the word of truth!

Having then shewn from God's own testimony whence faith comes, what its nature is, and the author and seat thereof, the new born or the grace-given heart, let us notice in a few words its work-the work of faith. It is not an inactive principle, it is a principle of life.

"Faith is the life of God,

Deep in the heart it lies;

It lives and labours under load,
Though damped, it never dies."

The principal work of this precious grace in the heart, is to draw all its supplies from its great Author-God in Christ, and to carry all its burdens, sins, sorrows, and cares to the same object. What living faith in a living God can do is very abundantly illustrated throughout the word of God. It is the eye that sees Christ, it is the feet that run to Christ, it is the nose that inhales the sweet fragrance of his name, it is the mouth that feeds on Christ, and it is the arms that embrace and appropriate him to the soul's own use; without this faith there is no seeing, much less entering the kingdom; "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,...because they are spiritually discerned." Faith, therefore, is this power of discernment. Moses possessed it, and he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Here is a paradox: how can I see that which is invisible? That which is invisible to the mortal eye is evident to this seeing eye, the eye of precious faith: "Whom having not seen, we love: in whom, though now we see him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." It brings distant objects near; it brings Christ into the heart: "That Jesus Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith." By faith we stand, by faith we walk, by faith we fight, by faith we overcome the world, the flesh, and devil. But all these acts and exercises are performed, not by faith alone, but by faith in vital union with God himself, who quickeneth all things; and thus we are more than conquerors through him who hath loved us. By this faith then, wrought in the heart by God the Holy Spirit, I see and feel my sinfulness, nothingness, emptiness, and continual need of Christ in all he is and has as the sinner's Saviour. It is this principle that gives full and hearty credence to the whole of God's word, and it is this principle that brings Christ and his finished salvation into the heart.

But as faith is nothing without the object of faith and faith is that grace which realizes and appropriates the preciousness of Christ, let us contemplate some of the respects in which Christ is precious to his people. And first,-His person is precious, as Peter, by the Holy Ghost, in this text says, "He is precious." It is the majesty, the dignity, the glory of his person that stamps his work with all its validity and virtue, and therefore it is not to be wondered at that the devil should attack and endeavour to undermine the glorious doctrine of his eternal Godhead, and of his real manhood, which forms the complexity of his person, and in which he appears so unspeakably precious to the believer. Hosts of ministers the devil has raised up since the time of the Saviour's appearance on earth, to attack the glorious rock of his Divinity. Floods of poisonous damnable errors the old serpent has poured out of his mouth against this fundamental truth; but,

blessed be God, though hell has assailed it, it never has and never shall prevail to stir this immutable rock; for "upon this rock," says our glorious Lord, "will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Unitarianism, Socinianism, Arianism, and Arminianism, with all their adherents and followers have combined to lower, sink, and depreciate his glorious person; some denying his essential and eternal Godhead, others denying his true and real manhood; but it is in the complexity of his character he becomes so truly suited and so precious to the believer, for were he God, and God only, he never could be approached, or known, or appropriated; and were he man, however pure, great, and spotless, yet man alone, he could never become an atonement for a guilty sinner to an Infinite Being. But the church's Beloved is "white and ruddy," and as such "the chiefest among ten thousand," "yea, he is altogether lovely." God he is, equal with the Father and the Holy Ghost, and thereby able to approach unto and satisfy all the requirements of God; and man he is in every respect like unto his brethren (sin only excepted) bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh; their Kinsman Redeemer, in order that he might be qualified to sympathize, succour and save. That very nature that sinned must suffer for sin; therefore he took not the angelic nature, but the human, and not the seed of Adam, but the seed of Abraham; he represented the chosen seed, the adopted family of God. The children, therefore, being partakers of flesh and blood, it was necessary he should also take flesh and blood. It behoved him to be made like unto his brethren in order that he might be able to rightly redeem them from the curse of the law, and honorably to bring these many sons unto glory. Oh is not this, believer, solid food for thy faith to feed upon? Is not this a precious mystery, "God manifest in the flesh, made flesh, and dwelling among us

"Oh sacred beauties of the man,

The God resides within,-
His flesh all pure without a stain,
His soul without a sin!"

As God he inhabits eternity; as man he was limited by time. As God he fills all space; as man he is contracted to a span. As God he is the upholder of all worlds and systems; as man he is himself upheld. As God all things created by him are dependent upon him for subsistence; as man he was the most dependent being on earth that ever existed. As God, therefore he is able to render to God all he requires; and as man he is qualified to meet all the exigences and necessities of his dear people in their lapsed state and condition. Oh precious Christ-the Father's equal in every respect, Jehovah's fellow, and the fellow of a poor sinful worm-for he says, “I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people." Oh wonderfully suited and adapted Christ! Well might the church exclaim * He is altogether lovely!" His person is so precious to faith. As the believer grows in grace he ascends through his precious and glorious work in meditation, and contemplation of his glorious person. Hence, says David, "I not only muse on the work of thy hands and meditate on all thy work, but my meditation of him shall be sweet." Holy Paul, with his spiritually enlarged powers, eagerly followed after a knowledge of his person-"That I may know him," and again triumphantly exclaims, "I know whom I have believed," not in whom, but I know the character, the person of my Lord, and from that intimate and blessed acquaintance I have of him, I commit my greatest treasure, my all unto him. The beloved John, writing to the fathers in Israel in his day, says, "I write unto you fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning." Grace therefore ascends through all the streams and rivers to the great source from whence it came. The complex person of Christ, therefore, is faith's object, and as such most precious.

(To be continued.)

G. BURRELL.

A FEW THOUGHTS ON CHRISTIAN CHEERFULNESS.

SOBRIETY of deportment and solemnity of mind are certainly characteristic of all true Christians. God's people are not a laughter-loving people. They are not, as a rule, addicted to levity, any more than they are to profanity. There may be an occasional flash of merriment and sparkle of wit, natural-and let us add, graceful to the person when appropriately expressed, like a gleam of sunshine athwart the winter sky; but it immediately gives place to that uniformly grave demeanour so consistent with the character of one who knows the deceitfulness of his own heart, and the exceeding sinfulness of sin. It is probably this fact which has caused religious people to be summarized by the worldly as "melancholy" and "gloomy," expressions as unworthy as they are untrue; for temperance is as inseparable from godliness as solemnity is from devotion. If solemnity of mind be not calculated to improve the heart, we are assured that levity is not; but "by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better,”—and again : “ Sorrow is better than laughter." One of our poets asks the following question,—

"When the sad soul, by grief and care oppressed,

Looks round the world, and looks in vain for rest;
When every object that appears in view

Partakes its gloom, and seems dejected too,

Where shall affliction from itself retire?

Where fade away and placidly expire ?"

He then suggests the library as the best antidote for dejection. The believer knows of a place more efficacious than that, viz,--the throne of grace, and a book more adapted to administer solace than any other, the book of God.

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While, therefore, the Christian cannot always exhibit a smiling face, and when even in laughter his heart is sorrowful," there is nothing in the Bible that prohibits a reasonable and a seasonable mirth; but, on the contrary, cheerfulness is supposed to be a prevalent trait in his character. It is encouraged and commanded. "The Lord loveth a cheerful giver," and "he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness." How often, when immured in our sorrows, do we meet friends whose genial smiles, and friendly and cheerful sympathies, are as welcome to us as a streak of sunshine is to the prisoner in his damp and cheerless dungeon. Cheerfulness is natural to some sanguine temperaments. They always look on the bright side, are always hopeful. Every cloud to them has a silver lining. They diffuse an atmosphere of light and love around on those whose harps are hung upon the willows. They read with emphasis the Apostle's words, "For our light afflictions, which are but for a moment," &c. They say with the poet, in his apostrophe to

sorrow,

"O sacred Sorrow, by whom souls are tried,
Sent not to punish mortals, but to guide,
If thou art mine (and who shall proudly dare
To tell his Maker he has had his share?),
Still let me feel for what thy pangs are sent,

And be my guide, and not my punishment."-Crabbe.

"A cheerful heart doeth good like a medicine," and "he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." Is it so? If not now, it will be so, Christian. Ah! 'you may say, "There is more in the process of regeneration to humble and afflict than there is to elate." Yes, sorrow is the immediate effect of the work of grace; but rejoicing is its ultimate effect. Wait, "till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing" (Job viii. 21). But there is nothing approaching to hilarity in the good man's joy. The great change that has passed upon his soul has given him, as it were, a new consciousness, and directly improved his judgment. It has softened his prejudices and refined every faculty. The dictates of his enlightened conscience prescribes at once both what is consistent with and in the profession he has made, enabling him to discriminate with the utmost precision between the spiritual and the carnal. The example of Christ, and the obvious effect of the gospel upon his soul, is a law within him, applied as no law ever was before, remembered and obeyed as that alone can be which is "written upon the heart," and graven upon the tablets of the mind.

G. RUFFELL.