commanding and natural, so resplendent and pleasing, so amiable and venerable. It is brighter than the sun, fairer than the morning star. Each separate virtue is made stronger by opposition and contrast, and the union of so many virtues forms a brightness which fitly represents the glory of that God who inhabiteth light inaccessible.' Gladly would we linger here till we drank in the spirit of him whom we have thus feebly portrayed, but our work urges us onward to consider other beauties connected with the various names and titles which everywhere appear in the Bible like stars in the blue heavens.

II. The commands of our Captain. These are everywhere scattered through his discourses, so that it becomes a greater effort to collect, than to understand them. They are found beautifully blended with his public teachings, as well as his private instructions. They are remarkable for their simplicity, variety and adaptation:-"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.'* 'This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.'t It was Jesus who summed up the whole of man's duty in two precepts: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' More citations might be made, but these will answer as an example of the whole. The commands of our Captain are all made in love. He will never

*Matt. vii. 12.

+ John xv. 12.

Matt. xxii. 37-39.

require any thing on our part that is not for our highest good.

III. The importance of following him. This must be readily admitted by every reflecting mind. 'If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.'* Similar directions may be found throughout the teachings of our Captain. One virtue especially is required in those who would follow this Captain. This is selfdenial. Without this we are wholly unfit to be in his ranks. Thousands would have followed him in the days of his flesh, if this had not been the condition. This seems to have been the great difficulty in the mind of the young man, who came to him, and said, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?' After a gentle reproof for calling him good, he was told that he must keep the commandments. 'These things,' said he, 'have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?' Jesus said, 'If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven, and come and follow me.' And 'he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.'+

In fine, to be faithful soldiers, we must love our Captain supremely, renouncing the pleasures of wealth, the charms of popularity, and even the love of kindred: He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.'t Our Captain has reared his standard. He has placed it upon an impregnable fortress. We must bring our conduct up to that, not bring that down to our conduct.

*Matt. xvi. 24. † Matt. xix. 16–22. + Matt. x. 37.

For unto us a child is And does our adorable

Our Captain is now in the field. He wants good soldiers; those who are willing to enlist 'during the war.' His weapons are not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the pulling down of strong holds.' 'For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. born,' &c. Isa. ix. 5, 6. Redeemer wage war? Yes: but against whom? The powers of darkness; the enemies of God and man. Are his garments dyed with blood? Yes: but it is his own, and not the blood of his creatures. Does he subdue and bring into subjection? Yes: but it is the pride, the prejudice, the folly of mankind. Does he make conquests and ride in triumph? Yes: but it is the conquest of the heart, and the triumph of truth!'

'He gives the signal, as he mounts his car,

Of an eternal, universal war;

Rejects all treaty, penetrates all wiles,"

Scorns with the same indifference, frowns and smiles,
Drives through the realms of sin, where riot reels,
And grinds her crown beneath his burning wheels.'

COWPER.

The battle is begun. All power is given to our Captain, and he will ultimately conquer. He calls. upon his followers to be faithful to his cause. It is a glorious work. Let us then put on the whole armor of God. Our Captain will lead on gloriously. He

waves his sceptre high,

Unfurls his banners in the sky,

While loud the gospel trumpets round:

His enemies, with sore dismay,

Retire in haste, and yield the day,

While trophies to the Lord abound'

XV. CHRIST.

'And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.' John vi. 69.

THIS title occurs only in the New Testament. It is found singly one hundred and eighty-seven times; connected with Jesus, seventy-four; Lord Jesus, thirty-eight. The various circumstances connected with its frequent occurrence show it to be a word of great importance. It is not difficult, however, to obtain a distinct signification, for critics are generally agreed in their views. Cruden says, it means 'the anointed of God, the same with the Hebrew Messiah, Psa. xlv. 7. Isa. lxi. 1.' The prophets allude to him in this way, Daniel excepted, ch. vii. 13.; this was according to the taste of the translators. The LXX uniformly translate the Heb. word Messiah, Christ. Clarke says, 'As the word Xooros, Christ, signifies the anointed or anointer, from zou, to anoint; it answers exactly to the Hebrew machiach, which we pronounce Messiah or Messias; this word comes from the root mashac, signifying the same thing. As the same person is intended by both the Hebrew and Greek appellation, it should be regularly translated The Messiah, or The Christ, whichever is preferred; the demonstrative article should never be omitted.'* Campbell agrees with Clarke respecting the import

*Com. on Matt. i. 16.

ance of the article, and censures our transiators considerably for the omission, for it is rarely wanting in the original. The word Christ,' he observes, 'was at first as much an appellative as the word Baptist was, and the one was as regularly accompanied with the article as the other. Yet our translators, who always say the Baptist, have, one would think, studiously avoided saying the Christ.' To show the necessity of the article, he maintains that its omission conveys an entirely different meaning of the question, 'What think ye of Christ?' from what our Lord intended. To use his own words, he says, ‘In the place above quoted, there was, therefore, the strongest reason for following more closely the original, as it was evidently our Lord's purpose to draw forth their sentiments, not concerning himself, the individual who put the question to them, and whom he knew they considered as an impostor, but, in general, concerning the quality of that personage whom, under the title of Messiah, they themselves expected.' Our author lays very great stress on the article. 'Without it,' he says, 'the sense is always darkened, and sometimes marred.' The following instances are cited: This Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ.'* Christ.'

'Paul testified to the Jews that Jesus was 'Showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.' In each case the article should have been prefixed. Without it, the meaning to an unlearned reader is the same as to have said, 'Paul testified to the Jews that Christ was Jesus.'

Grotius says, that in process of time the name Jesus was very much dropped, and Christ, which Ib. xviii. 28.

*Acts xvii. 3.

† Ib. xviii. 5.