divine teacher, as was His wont, seized the incident to il lustrate His doctrine. We cannot explain all about the manner of divine influence, but though you cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whether it goeth, you hear the sound and you witness the effects. IV. THAT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THUS INTRODUCED INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, BY THE TRANSFORMING AGENCY OF THE SPIRIT, ARE DISTINGUISHED, NOT AS THE SENSUOUS, BUT AS THE SPIRITUAL, IN THEIR LIVES. "That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit." What is the great distinction here intended by Christ? It is not, of course, physiological. The man before regeneration has spirit, and the man after has flesh. The spiritual powers and the material organs remain intact. It is no sin in the good man to have "flesh;" it is no virtue in the bad man to have "spirit." Both flesh and spirit are the primary constituents of humanity and the precious gifts of God. The distinction is moral, and refers to a change in the relative influence which these two parts of the man exert over his life and conduct. It is a question of ascendancy. The unregenerated man, who Jesus says is "flesh," and whom the New Testament generally designates as carnal or fleshly, is the man who is ruled by the flesh—whose spiritual powers are in utter subjection to the body—"carnal, sold under sin." He is in all his experiences, purposes, and pursuits, "flesh." Matter is the centre of his being, the scene of his constant action, the fountain of his pleasures, the source of his motives. His impulses to action are "fleshly lusts," his mind is a "fleshly mind," his wisdom is 'fleshly wisdom." He may possess mind of a high order, and educational attainments, and embellishments of the first class, and still, in the Saviour's sense, be only "flesh." He may be merchant, artist, author; but the inspiration of his business, the glow of his genius, the tinge and form of his thoughts, will be flesh rather than spirit. Nay, he may be a religionist, and that of the most orthodox stamp, but his creed and devotions will "be after the law of a carnal commandment." More than half the religion of Christendom is the religion of flesh. Its inspiration is fleshly feeling; its forms of thought are fleshly; its rules of life are fleshly; its Christ is "known only after the flesh." It judges after the flesh, walks after the flesh, wars after the flesh;-it is altogether sensuous and gross. Wherever the body reigns, be it in the halls of science, the councils of cabinets, at the altars of devotion, or in the pulpits of Christianity, the man is "flesh," and not "spirit." He lives in the realm where nothing but forms are valued or seen ;-the sensuous realm bounded above, beneath, and around, by matter. His atmosphere is animal feeling—an atmosphere too hazy and thick to transmit the effulgent rays of the spiritual universe. HE IS FLESH. But "that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit." The spirit has regained its rightful sovereignty, and the man "minds spiritual things." Principles are dearer to him than property; the claims of the souls are to him more imperative than those of the body; the invisible is greater to him than the visible; the "unseen" has a more potent influence over him than the seen. HE IS SPIRIT. Spirit, in the sense of vivacity. He is not sluggish and dull, but agile and blithe. All his faculties are instinct with a new life; the life of conscience, the true life of man. The eye of intellect is brightened; thought is active; imagination is always on the wing. He "is spirit" in the sense of social recognition. He is not known as other men are known, as "men of the world," men who seek fleshly distinctions, fleshly wealth, and fleshly pleasure. But as a spiritual man he is known as a man distinguished by spiritual convictions, sympathies, and aims. He "is spirit" in the sense of divinity. He is born of the divine Spirit, and has a kindredship with, and a resemblance to, his Eternal Father. He is a partaker of "the divine nature." His sympathies centre in the divine, and his life reflects it. From this subject we learn— Vol. IV. 2 K First: The infallible criterion by which to determine our true position in the spiritual universe. Who are now right in the moral dominion of the Eternal?-In harmony of feeling with all holy created intelligences, and one with God? Not the men who are swayed by their senses, and whose chief study are their appetites ;-whose chief question is, "What shall we eat, what shall we drink, and wherewithal shall we be clothed?" Not the men who are more interested in the body than the soul-in matter than mind, in the visible forms of goodness than the hidden principles. No not these, however high their religious profession, punctual their attendance on religious services, zealous and self-sacrificing in their efforts to promote their religious views. They are without the pale of the spiritual kingdom. They are in the sensuous realm. They may denounce materialism as a system of thought, but in it, as a reality, "they live, and move, and have their being." The men who are in the holy, moral, kingdom of God, and whose position in the spiritual universe is right now, are "spiritually-minded" men-men of spiritual insight, aspirations, and fellowship-men, who practically make matter, in all her combinations and forms, their absolute subject and efficient servant, the means of spiritual growth and the organ of divine communion. They are now in that transcendental world, of which philosophic Germany has some delightful dreams-a transcendentalism this, not of mere intellect, but of heart-not of mere thought, but of being: not transcendental idealists, but transcendental men. Their citizenship is in heaven. They are "in heavenly places" now. Our subject shows: Secondly: The great agent on whom we are dependent to make us right in the spiritual universe. The celebrated FICHTE, speaking of his supersensuous philosophy, says, "I now first truly understand the first power that can enable the imprisoned Psyche to break from the chrysalis and unfold her wings: poised on which, she casts a glance on her abandoned cell, before springing upward to live and move in a higher sphere." Great sage! We feel with thee the importance of enabling the "imprisoned Psyche" of humanity to "break from the chrysalis" of flesh, and "unfold her wings." But we are at issue with thee, mighty thinker! in supposing that thy philosphy profound, suggestive and spiritual though it is, is the "first power" to effect this glorious disimprisonment. No! the "first power" is the power of the ETERNAL SPIRIT. They only, that are "born of the Spirit, are spirit." It is the divine Spirit must call up the human from its sensual prison-house,—where it is "carnally sold under sin,"-unchain its limbs, lead it out into the open universe of spiritual thought and life, give it eyes to see the spiritual beauties, and wings to follow the flight of angels under the unclouded sky of intelligence and love. Blessed Spirit! help us ever to honour thy work, follow thy monitions, and adore thy love! My Brother! Whilst I would have thee gratefully remember that it is the Spirit of God that must introduce thee to this gracious kingdom, if ever thou art introduced; I would have thee remember also, that that Spirit will do it, only in connexion with thine own efforts. He will help thee, as the teacher helps the pupils through the exercise of their faculties -as nature helps the agriculturist, by giving effectiveness to all the adapted processes of cultivation-as the winds help the mariner on his watery way, by filling the skilfully hoisted canvass with its breathing force. Wait not for miracles. The kingdom of heaven comes not "with observation." It comes not like the noisy cataract dashing from the hills, but like the silent dew, full of life; it comes not as ocean billows come to the shore under the furious blast of the storm ; but like the deep river, it rolls, unheard, at your feet, and gives life to all who drink; it comes not as the lightning flash, but as the morning sun;-silently touching the fields into new life, and melting clouds into luminous ether. The Spirit speaks not in the roar of thunder, or the crash of earthquake, but in "the still small voice" of thought, conscience, and truth. The Pulpit in the Family: A DOMESTIC HOMILY ON THE GREAT CONTRAST-THE "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy one of God," &c.-Mark i. 23-27 WHAT an extraordinary meeting! How surpassing strange are the events recorded in this narrative! Well, indeed, might all those present on the occasion, have been struck with amazement; for even we, at this great distance of time and place, cannot but feel a thrilling interest in perusing the account of this memorable meeting. In Let us, then, "turn aside and see this great sight." the first place, we behold a man in whom dwelt an unclean spirit, and the man in whom dwelleth "all the fulness of the godhead bodily," meeting in close contact, face to face, under the same roof. In one, we see human nature sunk into the lowest depths of degradation, having become the shrine-the habitation of a devil. In the other, we behold the very same nature, raised and exalted into a state of infinitely higher dignity and glory than that of any created nature in the universe-being the consecrated temple and sanctuary of Jehovah. It may appear somewhat singular, why the unclean spirit could not have detained the man from entering the synagogue on that occasion; he was undoubtedly aware that Jesus was in the neighbourhood, and that He would be present among the worshippers that morning: probably, he would have rather avoided His presence. The miserable man had hurried into many places he would have never |