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referred to,-persons distinct from Christians generally, and in some way publicly recognized as those to whom this business appertains,—a class which can be none other than the appointed ministry, (for which Dean Alford thinks this "no mean argument,") at the head of which of course stands Jesus, who is the great Head-Merchant in this glorious commerce, calling to all who would be Christians indeed, to buy of him gold tried in the fire, and white raiment, and eye-salve; and inviting even him "who hath no money" to "come, buy wine and milk, without money and without price."

In the Holy Scriptures, above all, are these precious stores contained and displayed. There Christ himself, and prophets and apostles, propose to sell the holy oil of grace and salvation and to fill every receptacle that any one may bring. There every earnest and prayerful spirit may obtain in plenty that which shall feed his lamp and make its light so shine as to be seen afar and to lead others to give glory to the great Father in heaven.

Along with the written word are the holy sacraments, which also have their places as means of access to the great dispensary, and through which, as "the visible word," flow still fuller measures of the precious commodity to heighten and brighten the flame of Christian life and testimony.

But connected with the word and sacraments, and in some degree necessary to them, are the living ministers, the constituted auctioneers of grace in the market-places of the Church,-Christ's own sales

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men at the counters of proffered mercy,—by whose trained hands and studious care the plentiful provision may be the better brought into notice and conveyed to every vessel presented to receive it; as it is written, "He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect.man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." (Eph. iv. 11, 12.)

But it is further implied, in this advice, that there was oil to be had from these sources. In this both classes could be confident, as they both had found it there before. Christianity hath its Gethsemane,—its olive-yard,-its oil-press, as the meaning of the word is, where the Son of God was trodden like the green olives, and from which there ever flows an exhaustless supply. And everywhere in the word and ordinances are stored away great casks and tuns of the precious issue, ready to be drawn upon to furnish whosoever cometh to obtain it. Every church is a depository for it. No one has far to go to get it. Every minister is the steward of immeasurable quantities, charged before God to sell and dispense by his ministrations to every one whom he can induce to receive it. Yea, so plenteous and so free is the provision, that no one shall ever meet the coming Bridegroom with an empty lamp because there was no oil to be had.

We are assured, by Christ himself, that God is more willing to give his Spirit to them that ask him, than are earthly parents to give good things to their children. This is a declaration of amazing depth. There is nothing upon earth upon which I would calculate with more confidence than the tender regard of parents for their own offspring. It may sometimes fail; it often has failed; but it is one of the very last things to fail. Even when all else has broken and every other attachment has yielded and gone, this usually holds with a firmness and tenacity which it is next to impossible to destroy. The most degraded child of Adam, and the vilest and most execrable of men, if he has a father and a mother, may yet securely count that he is not altogether without sympathy, and that there is still somewhere a heart that softens when it thinks of him, and yearns to do him good. In all this wide world there is not a deeper, stronger, more copious, more inexhaustible fount of kindliness and wishes of good and blessing than a mother's heart. Earth has no symbol, no living sign, to represent what God has planted there. Whatever may be the degradation of the nature or the impurity of the life, this still remains, as a jewel set by Jehovah's hand, uncorrupted and undimmed by all the surrounding filth. Tell me, ye that are parents, what is there in all the range of your imaginings that could grind out of your spirits the kindly wish of good and blessing to your children? Is it not for them you live, and for them that you are most anxious as you contemplate your

dying day? And if God is as willing to give his Spirit as you are full of these kind parental desires, who shall tell the depth of that willingness! But our heavenly Father is even "more willing" than this; yea, "much more" willing,—as "much more” as he is greater and better than you! Oh, what an abyss of kindness and mercifulness is thus opened up to us in the heart of the dear God that made us and daily watches over us! showing that if the Savior comes and finds us unfurnished with the holy unction of the Spirit, the fault will lie with us, and with an intensity of crimination which makes me shudder while I think of it.

Arise, then, O needy soul; make thy application, and take to thyself the supplies which are now offered thee in such rich abundance. Seek, and thou shalt find; ask, and thou shalt receive; knock, and At once-this very

it shall be opened unto thee.

hour-put in thy bid. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."

Fourth Discourse.

THE CRISIS OF THIS PARABLE-THE COMING AGAIN OF CHRIST THE GREAT HOPE OF THE CHURCH THE OBJECT AND SURROUNDINGS OF THAT EVENT-READINESS FOR IT-THE MARRIAGE-FEAST.

"And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut."-MATT. XXV. 10.

WE come now to the great crisis in this parable, which also points forward to the great crisis in all human affairs, as respects both the Church and the world, the return of Christ to end the present order of things and to introduce another administration and a new era.

I need not enter here upon the many clear testimonies that our blessed Lord is to come again to the earth, as literally and really as he went up from it. It was but recently that I pointed out the scriptural basis upon which this doctrine rests, and referred in some detail to the confessional acknowledgment which it has received from the whole Christian Church from the beginning until now.* Even Enoch, before the flood, prophesied of it. (Jude 14, 15.) Peter says that God has given promise,

* The Day of the Lord, pp. 4-8.

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