say to his affectionate wife and daughter, who night and day watched by his side with most anxious solicitude, "Go to your bed, and take some sleep and rest, and be thankful to your God that you can lay down your weary head. Oh! did I possess treasures, what would I not give for one night's rest!" And then his soul was sometimes

"Toss'd on a sea of distress,

Hard toiling to gain the bless'd shore,
Where all is assurance and peace,
And sorrow and sin are no more."

Yet did the Lord frequently and greatly comfort him. Both the leader and members of the class who met in his house felt much sympathy for him, and often poured out their souls to God in secret and united prayer on his behalf; nor was their labour of love unheeded; the God who comforts the distressed, vouchsafed them many a gracious answer; the soul of his servant would then rejoice "with joy unspeakable and full of glory." Oh! how important for us to have God's people for our people; how necessary, how powerful to comfort, are their love, their prayers, their counsels, in the days of our sufferings, darkness, or death! My reader, be counselled this day to make religion your choice, and its possessors your companions; that day is not far off when you must wish you had.

At length a change came; he desired to be taken to his bed, and contrary to the expectations of his friends, he felt some relief, and was able to continue in bed; those who loved him most now hoped for a favourable change—but all such hopes were soon and sadly disappointed; his long occupied seat at the fireside was now to be his no more for ever— his resting-place was near-it was wished for-it was soon, it was safely gained his bodily strength rapidly declined, and although his sufferings were much lighter than before, still he could never lay his head down on the pillow-his sleep was trifling and disturbed-his nights and days were very wearisome.

Then his soul was still subject to sudden changes, and to very opposite states of feeling-now depressed with fear, now filled with peace and joy. On one occasion when I visited him I found him the prey of anxiety and fear; we talked very freely on the subjects of his great uneasiness; he was soon blessed with a view of the bright side of the cloud -his heart was melted into love and joy-his lips were filled with praises to the Lord; we prayed, and wept, and rejoiced together-and in this state of mind I left him; after which he expressed to his family the great change for the better he now enjoyed; however, not long after he called for his Mary to come to him; she found him in tears of deep sorrow. "Oh!" said he, "my light is out, my peace is all gone." It is very difficult to explain with satisfaction to others such remarkable changes of mind. Satan frequently becomes furious when he has but a short time, and the Lord suffers him, on such occasions, to do his worst; nevertheless the weakest lamb in the flock of Jesus rests safely in his Shepherd's arms; we should never forget that whether the trial is sent or suffered, "it is the Lord,” who doeth all things well; yes, equally so, whether we can explain the matter or not. James was three weeks confined to bed before the conflict terminated; but during the last fortnight his soul gradually settled down with immoveable confidence on the merits of his Redeemer and promises of his God. The heaven for which he longed and truly laboured

to gain, was entered, in undisturbed peace, on the evening of the Sabbath, December 22nd, 1833. On the 25th, or following Wednesday, the Lord gave me much liberty while addressing a large company assembled to his funeral. The subject of discourse was Revelation i. 5, 6. We then accompanied the solemn procession to the grave-yard; prayer was offered up to God at the side of his grave; after this the body was deposited in its dusty bed, there to await the call of the trump of God.

In conclusion, let me ask you my reader to weigh well the will of God, as it regards yourself. When you see the frailties of others forget not your own; whatever be your lot on earth, make your heavenly inheritance secure, by an immediate, unreserved, and cordial dedication of your soul to God; you will then, and not till then, look up to the Most High with confidence as your Father, and with an eye of charity on your fellowman; then, while reviewing, with me, the last trying hours of James Wright, you may conclude as many wise and holy men have, “That it is far more difficult to be a waiting than a working servant of the Lord."

"JESUS WENT UNTO THE MOUNT OF OLIVES."
John viii. 1.

THE dawn was lighting up the sky,

Though still the flowers were sunk in sleep,

And on their leaves a golden dye

Reflected where the dew-drops weep.

No pleasant song of early bird

To break the solemn calm was heard.

The trees, unwoke by morning's wind,
Stood silently upon the mound,

As if they gaz'd, in joy refin'd,

O'er the fresh landscape smiling round,
Nor stirr'd until the sun, in mirth,

Rous'd with his chariot wheels the earth.

The SAVIOUR, in this sacred hour,
Came to the mount, while all below
Were resting in the peaceful bower

That sleep has twin'd for mortal woe;
He climb'd the steep, with look forlorn,
CREATOR of the world, and morn!

Was it to pour his secret prayer

Unto his mighty FATHER'S throne?

Or but to view the glories fair

Of earth's dominions, all his own?—
Or with firm heart, and steadfast eye,
To meditate on Calvary?

Oh! who can tell?-No mortal gaze,
Presumptuous, may that scene behold;
For angel-phalanx round him raise

A barrier with their shields of gold;-
Rather, afar, let me adore

Thee, my REDEEMER, evermore!

ORIGINAL ESSAYS, COMMUNICATIONS, &c.

SALVATION THROUGH CHRIST ALONE.

A SERMON.

BY THE REV. S. WOODHOUSE.

"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."-Acts iv. 12.

THE gospel is a dispensation of mercy, and is admirably adapted to the wants and situation of man. It finds him ignorant, guilty, and depraved -exposed to the curse of a violated law, and the displeasure of his injured Creator: but the gospel brings glad tidings of great joy, inasmuch as it reveals a Redeemer, through whom it offers to man the blessings of salvation. Salvation, according to the general import of the term, signifies being delivered from some great danger or impending ruin: and in a spiritual sense, as applied to the soul, it consists in being delivered from "the wrath to come," the penalty annexed to a breach of the divine law, and to which penalty all are liable, as "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

But the salvation of the gospel includes in it not only a deliverance from the punishment due to sin, but from sin itself. "Unto you first," said Peter, when preaching to the Jews, "God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities." And when the angel announced to Joseph the name of our Redeemer, he said, "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins,"—not only from the guilt, but from the power of sin, and from its defilement. Heaven being the habitation of holiness, none but the pure in heart will see God, and be permitted to enjoy his presence in the kingdom of glory,-which happiness is also included in the salvation revealed to us by the gospel.

How, or through whom salvation is to be obtained, we are given to understand in the text and context. In the preceding chapter, mention is made of a miracle wrought by Peter upon a certain lame man who lay at the gate of the Temple called Beautiful, to solicit alms. The miracle gave rise to a sermon, which occasioned the imprisonment both of Peter and John, who on the day following were brought before Annas, the high priest, and of as many as were of his kindred, for the purpose of being entangled. "And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, by what power, or by what name have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other," &c. v. 7—12.

From the connection of these words, some have endeavoured to restrict the text to the sense of bodily healing, or the healing of temporal maladies. But that the apostle had in view also spiritual healing, and eternal salvation, appears from his address being directed to "all the people of Israel;" in which he takes for granted that all who heard him needed to apply to Christ for healing. But it would be preposterous to suppose that they were all afflicted in body. Besides, to interpret and limit the word salvation in our text as having a reference only to deliverance from temporal maladies, would not be consistent with matter of fact; for, even at that time, the medical art was adequate to the curing of many diseases. And to say that miraculous healing was intended, would not accord strictly with the truth; because, prior to that period, God had granted miraculous cures through the means of other prophets. The apostle, therefore, must have a reference to moral disorders, and direct his hearers to Christ as the only Physician to cure them—there being "none other name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved," he being the author of spiritual healing and eternal salvation. The doctrine of the text is, that

SALVATION IS ONLY TO BE OBTAINED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.

In confirmation of this doctrine, it is intended to

I.—Examine the most plausible schemes of salvation invented by man, and point out at the same time their fallacious nature.

II.-Substantiate the truth of the text from the evidence of other parts of divine revelation.

I.—The most plausible schemes of salvation devised by man are those which are founded upon obedience-repentance-suffering, and divine benevolence. Let us inquire into the sufficiency of each of these.

1. Obedience. Many by their sincere obedience are hoping to secure the divine favour here and eternal life hereafter. But admitting a person's obedience to be, not only sincere, but perfect, still it cannot be meritorious. Consider man in relation to his Maker. He is the creature of God, and stands indebted to him for all his powers both of body and mind. As a matter of right and duty, therefore, he owes to his Creator the use and service of such powers. He cannot withhold the service of them without an act of injustice, and embezzling, as it were, his Master's goods. On supposition that a person fully obeys the divine law, and renders to God the use of all his powers, he does no more than his duty. And what is due as a debt, cannot be meritorious. Separate from the consideration of a promise, which must spring from unmerited favour, no created being, however exalted and holy, can have any demands upon his Creator. "As well," says one, "6 might the cause be supposed to be a debtor to the effect produced by it, as the Creator be indebted to the creature."

To merit anything from God, we ought to do something to his advantage, and to do it independently of him. A man may deserve a favour from another on the ground of obligation, having rendered him some service, or bestowed upon him some benefits. But can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable to himself? Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him. that thou makest thy ways perfect?"-Job xxii. 2, 3. Can the creature lay his Creator under any obligation? Is the essential glory and happiness of the Divine Being caused by man's obedience? Certainly not: otherwise it would be decreased by man's rebellion. And to merit any

thing of God, we ought to do something to his advantage independently of him or by some inherent power and virtue of our own that we have not received from him; for, as we could not purchase one part of a person's property by giving him another part of his own property, so neither is it possible to purchase anything of God by giving him what is already his own. And does not all we have belong to God? Have we not received everything from his kind hand? Can we ever breathe or live without him? How then is it possible to do anything independently of him? And how absurd must be the idea of meriting any good thing from him! As to meriting eternal life, that could not be done without an equivalent for it. Man should render service equal in value to the blessing received; and then he might claim it on the ground of justice, or as being his due. But is it possible for man by a temporary obedience to merit endless happiness? Is it possible by obedience in time, to merit the felicity of heaven through eternity. The idea is too preposterous to be entertained for a moment.

And if no one can merit everlasting life, even on the supposition of his obedience being perfect, how utterly impossible is it for man to do it under his present circumstances as a sinner-as being both guilty and unholy? His impurity renders him unmeet for heaven, and his guilt exposes him to the pains of hell. Having sinned and come short of the glory of God, he has forfeited all claim to the divine favour, and exposed himself to the penalties of God's holy law, which denounces a curse upon every transgressor of it, "Cursed is every one," says the apostle, "that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." And where is the person who has, through the whole of his life, observed all things required in the law? Every one's conscience must be ready to confirm the declaration of St. Paul, that "there is none righteous, no, not one." Sandy, therefore, is the foundation on which those persons build who are hoping to be justified and saved through the merit of their obedience.

It

2. Equally erroneous is the scheme of salvation which is founded upon the merit of repentance. This alone, by some, has been thought sufficient to propitiate the Deity, or to obtain pardon and salvation. Such a sentiment, however, has not the authority of reason to support it. Reason cannot come to any certain conclusion upon the question-"How are sinners to be reconciled to God, and be restored to the blessings forfeited by sin?" By all, it must be admitted, that if repentance alone were sufficient to cancel our guilt, and restore us to the divine favour, then, redemption by Christ was unnecessary. If we had power, by repentance, to blot out our own sins, we might redeem ourselves; and if we could redeem ourselves, we did not stand in need of a Redeemer. will be readily granted that the case of penitents and impenitents widely differs; and it is also clear, that if not as great, there is a very considerable difference betwixt the case of penitents and innocents or betwixt the case of those who have sinned, and those (we will suppose for argument's sake) who have not sinned. The conduct of the former is a mixture of ill doing and well doing; or something criminal and something commendable; but the conduct of the latter is unmixed, and consists entirely of well doing. Now since the two cases are intrinsically different, ought not the two characters to be treated differently? Does not reason teach us that they cannot both be entitled to the same degrees of favour and approbation? It is true the Almighty delights in a sincere penitent;