control of a wise and powerful God.

kingdoms of our Moreover, Chris

Aye, and the time is coming, when great voices shall be heard in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the Lord and of his Christ!" tian, your God reigns over the Church. Aye, and "Zion enjoys her Monarch's love." God is in the midst of her. God will help her, and that right early. "Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities. Thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down. Not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed; neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken; but there the glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ships pass thereby." But God not only reigns over the world and the Church. He reigns over all things. Then, believer, remember, He reigns over you and yours. All your interests are safely lodged in his hands. Has sorrow entered your dwelling? Has deep affliction come upon you? O remember! He who notices the falling sparrow, will not forget the children of his love! Fear not, in the sight of your heavenly Father you are of more value than many sparrows. All your trials are known to him; your sighs are heard; your tears are in his bottle; and the promise is, All things shall

work together for good to them that love God,

Yes, thank God!

"There is a day of sunny rest,

For every dark and stormy night;
And grief may hide an evening guest,

But joy shall come at morning light!"

Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth! Amen. Alleluia!

SERMON XIII.

THE BLESSEDNESS OF BEING A CHRISTIAN.

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.-1 JOHN iii. 2.

BELIEVERS may be unknown to fame; by worldlings they may be despised; by witlings and infidels they may be held in contempt. It matters not; it is a blessed thing to be a Christian. It is better to be numbered amongst the disciples of Christ, than to be enrolled amongst the most distinguished heroes the world ever saw. In proof of this assertion, I need only adduce the words of our text: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."

The present and future condition of believers, will be the theme of our meditations at this time.

I. The present condition of believers.-This is presented in these beautiful words: "Beloved, now are we the sons of God." In a certain sense, all mankind are the sons, or children of God, as he is the Author and Source of their being; but, believers are the sons of God, in a sense peculiar to themselves; and even they were not always such; for, according to the Scriptures, they themselves were once the children of wrath, even as others. But they have been made the children of God in two ways by regeneration and adoption.

First: By regeneration. The great doctrine of regeneration is clearly taught, both in the Old and New Testaments, but it was made very prominent by our Saviour, in his conversation with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night, and said, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher, come from God; for no man can do these miracles, that thou doest, except God be with him." Jesus knowing how superficial were his views in the matter of spiritual things, and replying rather to his thoughts, than to his words, said unto him, "Verily, verily I say unto you, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus expressing his

So is every

astonishment at this declaration, Jesus answered and said unto him, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again: the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth. one that is born of the Spirit." Thus the Saviour, whilst he admits that the doctrine may not be easily comprehended by man, does not explain it away, but re-affirms its truth. He teaches that it is of the operations of the Spirit, and may be known by its effects. We cannot see the wind; we cannot tell whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth; but we know that there is such a thing as wind; for we can feel it, and we can see the effects thereof. So in the matter of regeneration. But, what is regeneration? In what does it consist, and what are its proofs? It is a work of the Divine Spirit, infusing spiritual life in the soul; and, as it were, new-creating the whole moral man-giving the subject thereof new views, new feelings, new sorrows, and new joys, especially a new taste and relish for spiritual things; so that, of the man truly regenerated, it may be affirmed, he is a "new creature in Christ," old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. But those who are Christians, are made the children of God, not only by regeneration, but by adoption. And what is adoption?

"Adoption is an act of God's free grace, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God." By regeneration we are made to possess the nature, by adoption, the inheritance of sons; so that, I repeat it, by regeneration and adoption, we are, in a peculiar and most blessed sense, constituted the sons, or children of God; and here, in speaking of the present condition of believers, it is proper for us briefly to notice some of their privileges, and the honours now conferred upon them. And,

First: They are owned as the children of God. What a privilege and honour this is! When it was proposed to David, the vanquisher of Goliah, to become, by marriage, the son-in-law of King Saul, he seems to have been quite overwhelmed with a sense of the honour proposed to be done unto him, and said, "Seemeth it to you a light matter to be a king's son-in-law, seeing I am a poor man, and lightly esteemed?" Now, if David thought it such a great thing to become the son-in-law of an earthly monarch, what shall we say of the privilege and honour conferred upon us, poor sinners and worms of the dust, to be made the sons and daughters of the Monarch of all worlds, the great and glorious God! whom all the heavenly armies worship and adore. "Behold," says John, "what manner of love the