he finally shed his own most precious blood for the sins of the world. He offered himself once for all, and by consequence he is able" to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him." 3. And he is not only able to save, but he is as willing as he is able. This will be evident if we consider what he has done and suffered for us from his incarnation to his ascension-his intercession, his mercy and love manifested to others during his ministry, and ever since—his commission to his disciples to go and preach the gospel to every creature, and to begin at Jerusalem, that bloody city— and also from the declarations and invitations contained in his Holy Word: "I came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them :" "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance :" For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost :" "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest:"" Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out:" and many others of a similar import. 4. His competency as a Saviour will appear if we consider, that after he had ascended up on high, he sent the Holy Spirit into the world to convince it "of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;" which Spirit gives efficacy to the Word, and makes it "quick and powerful," Heb. iv. 12. The Word and Spirit are the grand means or agents by which the great work of salvation is carried on. II. The process by which Jesus saves his people from their sins. 1. First of all, the mind is enlightened. Gross darkness hath covered the human heart, even a darkness that can be felt. All men while in their natural state are spiritually blind; a thick veil covers the " eyes of their understanding;" but when the Sun of Righteousness arises upon them, He, by his Spirit, dispels the awful gloom. That Spirit which enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world gives them new views of themselves-of God-of sin-and of happiness. They are in short convinced of sin, of" the exceeding sinfulness of sin," and it is embittered to their taste; they loathe it as that abominable thing which God hateth, and as that evil work, the wages of which are misery here, and eternal death hereafter. Thus are they saved from the love of it. 2. They are also saved from the guilt of sin. All the world is become guilty before God, Rom. iii. 19. This truth the penitent deeply feels. He feels condemned by the Word of God and by his own conscience, and yet he cannot help himself; he mourns, but sighs and groans and prayers, and strong cries and tears, cannot remove the load of guilt: until he again comes under the Divine process, he remains guilty. But when Jesus, who beholds him afar of, and has compassion on him, comes to his assistance, he, by his Word and Spirit, enables him to believe. By faith he obtains the promised pardon; he receives the spirit of adoption, the direct witness of the Spirit, Rom. viii. 16. And there is now no condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. 3. He is then saved from the power of sin. Sin is a tyrant, and while a man lives under its influence he is its slave, fast bound in misery and iron, and led captive by the devil at his will. Sin and Satan say, go, and he goeth, come, and he cometh; do all manner of evil, and he doeth it. But when Jesus speaks deliverance to this captive, he is set free; he is made free from the law of sin and death;" sin hath no more dominion over him so long as he continues under the influence of saving grace. 4. Those whom Jesus saves are washed from the pollution of sin. This is in part done when they are justified. Their "consciences" are then "purged from dead works to serve the living God," but yet they often feel more or less some remains of the carnal mind; they feel that though the old man is dethroned, he is not entirely subdued; but if they make application to the blood of Jesus, it cleanseth from all unrighteousness. 5. They are delivered lastly from the consequences of sin. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." If they die in the Lord, " they shall rest from their labours, and their works shall follow them :" and at the Great Day they will appear before the Judge of all the earth, not as the innocent, but as the guilty pardoned, sanctified, and made meet for glory, by the power and efficacy of the atonement of the Redeemer; and then, "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? By way of application, let us notice The condescension of Jesus in becoming the Saviour of mankind. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus," who was "the brightness of his Father's glory, the express image of his person," who "thought it not robbery to be equal with God," took upon him the "form of a servant, made himself of no reputation, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross," "to save sinners." But why all this? Was there something very attractive in man that induced the Lord to become his Saviour? No, nothing but sin and misery. Was there something about him that was essential to the glory of Jesus? No, Jesus was perfectly and independently happy in himself. Did mankind, sensible of their lost estate, with one consent petition the Lord for his aid; and did they promise universal obedience to him on condition that he would help them? No! they desired not the knowledge of him. When he came to save them, "he was despised and rejected of men." He came unto his own, and they received him not." Then what could induce the Saviour thus to come to suffer, to die? What, indeed! this is the question, and the answer is at hand. It was love, pure, unmerited, undeserved love! 2. But it is not enough to hear by the hearing of the ear that Jesus saves his people from their sins. Do we experience his saving power? Are we his people? or, what is the same thing, are we saved from our sins? Perhaps some are ready to reply, not yet. Not yet, do you say? What, not saved! nor seeking to be saved? God be merciful to you! What! is all this to be in vain ? All this condescension, this advent-temptation, poverty, persecution, buffetting, spitting on, crowning with thorns, crucifying, rising from the dead, ascending, interceding, has it no weight with you? no charms? not this stupendous love? Oh! but if it be a light thing with you now, it will not always be so. It has weight, and if you neglect so great salvation, it will grind you to powder; it will sink you into blackness of darkness for ever; it will drown you in eternal perdition. But why so? This need not be the case. It is not the will of God. "As I live, saith the Lord of Hosts, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth." "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." 3. It is the privilege of those who are saved from the guilt and power of sin, to go forward: rest not here, be thankful to God through Christ for what you enjoy, and follow on to know the Lord, yea, go on to perfection. The good of the land is before you, press forward and possess it, for by the grace of God you are well able. HOLY GROUND. Enoch walked with God. THE lives of the most eminently pious are not always the longest, for the righteous are frequently taken away from the evil to come. Of all the antediluvian patriarchs, Enoch, who was probably the best man, was the shortest time upon earth; his years were exactly as the days of a solar revolution, viz. : three hundred and sixty-five; and like the sun he fulfilled a glorious course, shining more and more unto the perfect day, and was taken when in his meridian splendour, to shine like the sun in the kingdom of his Father for ever. Nor is the history of those who most deserve to be had in remembrance always the most voluminous: this noble act of Enoch is told in three words, while the heroic feats of manslaughter achieved by an ancient Cæsar, or a modern Buonaparte, occupy as many volumes. The name Enoch is from a Hebrew word, which signifies to instruct, to initiate, to dedicate; hence we are authorized to believe that he was early instructed in the things of God, initiated into the worship of his Maker, and dedicated to his service. He was born in the year of the world six hundred and twenty-two. Adam did not die till about fifty-seven years before Enoch's translation, consequently they were contemporaries for no less a period than three hundred and eight years, in which time we may safely conclude that they would have frequent intercourse, and that Enoch would derive from his illustrious ancestor much natural and divine knowledge; and it is also probable that he received a pious education from his father Jured. By these means, under the influence of the Divine Spirit, his mind got that sacred bias which led him to act a part so distinguished through the course of a long life. Enoch attained to a high state of holiness, but it was by the grace of God, which grace is now as free and as powerful as it was then. It is true Enoch had the advantage of religious instruction, and so have many at the present day. In other respects, however, Enoch's privileges were inferior to ours: he lived in a dispensation much less perfect than that of the law, and yet the law itself was only a shadow of the glorious substance of the gospel. If, then, under that comparatively dark dispensation, it was possible for Enoch to walk with God, it is surely, by the same grace, possible for us to follow his noble example. In order to prompt us so to do, let us consider I. What it is to walk with God, and II. The advantages arising from such a walk. I. What is it to walk with God? 1. "Enoch walked with God," or, according to the original, he set himself to walk with God. He was a man of like passions with others. He had to act and transact in the world the same as other men. He was a patriarch, a governor, priest and teacher of the collateral branches of the family; he was also a married man, and had the cares of a family of his own. Under those circumstances he would have much responsibility, many things to occupy his mind; but yet he was fixedly purposed and determined to live to God,-to walk with God. But can two walk together except they be agreed? No: walking with God must therefore commence in reconciliation with God; and the Word of God knows, acknowledges, teaches no way of reconciliation but one, viz. through faith in a Mediator. All the pious who ever have been, or ever will be reconciled to God, have had, and must have, this reconciliation by faith, either in an expected Messiah, or in a crucified Lord, 2 Cor. v. 18, &c. In this way Enoch was reconciled. He had heard of the promised seed of the woman, and was justified by faith in that promised Saviour; hence saith the apostle, "By faith Enoch," &c., Heb. xi, 5, 6. Then we must by faith receive Christ into our hearts, or we cannot |