the just wages of sin. It is a glorious annunciation to Zion, or the people of the living God, that their God, an incarnate God, a justifying God, reigneth for ever more.

He who proclaims to a ruined world that Jesus reigns as a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins, in the proclamation of this one great truth, tells the whole system of gospel grace, publisheth salvation, bringeth good tidings of good, publisheth peace. The people who hear the joyful sound, are a highly privileged people; the heart that embraces the glad intelligence, is a converted and thankful heart. The man who welcomes the precious truth, finds it all his salvation and all his desire. And the community and nation upon which its beneficial influence is exerted, is converted from a wilderness into the garden of the Lord, a place in which the Lord delights to dwell.

In the text the prophet rejoices in a view of their happiness and glory who are allowed to minister this gospel of peace. He derives the figurative expression, "how beautiful upon the mountains," from the local situation of Jerusalem. That city was surrounded by mountains, which were considered alike its glory and its defence. The Psalmist adduces this peculiarity of its location, as an illustration of divine protection to the people of God. "As the mountains stand round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth, even for ever." From whatever direction a messenger came to this city, his path crossed the mountains. In the text the prophet is carried forward to hear the publication of gospel mercies; and in the glorious prospect of this publication of grace, the circumstances of his own city furnish him an illustration of the emotions of his own heart.

As the sight of a bearer of any joyful tidings to Jerusalem was delightful to those who watched him crossing the surrounding mountains, so in a still higher degree, beautiful upon the mountains, i. e. beautiful at the most distant point from

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which they can be seen, are the feet of him who comes with more joyful and valuable intelligence to men than they have ever heard before; who comes to proclaim to the waiting people of God, the tidings that their God, Emmanuel, reigns as the Author of salvation, and the Prince of Everlasting Peace.

The text contains an extensive exhibition of the excellency and glory of the gospel, as a dispensation of God's goodness to man. The particular view of this glory, however, which it leads me to propose to your present consideration is,

The glory of the gospel arising from the method of its publication.

In considering this subject, I shall speak

I. Of the character of its various preachers.

II. Of the providence which has attended its publication. III. Of its triumph over every species of opposition.

I. In speaking of the preachers of the gospel in various ages, the exclamation, "how beautiful, how glorious," may be most equitably applied. The gospel has been at all times highly glorious and exalted in this aspect of its publication.

God himself, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, who created the world, visible and invisible, by the word of his power, was the first preacher of these good tidings of good. On the very first day of man's trangression he descended with a promise of grace. In that promise he held forth to view a Saviour who should be miraculously conceived as man, and should be a bruised, and yet a finally triumphant Saviour. This promise contained the elements of the whole gospel dispensation. And while Adam, as a sinner trembled before the visible glory of his Creator, as a believer he was enabled to see with rejoicing, a glory in this exhibition of the gospel far more excellent.

Through the whole patriarchal and prophetic ages the gospel was administered to the faith of men, by those who spake

as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and was glorious in its ministry from its being the peculiar subject and end of all intelligence from God to man.

In the personal ministry of Jesus, a Saviour miraculously born, Jehovah incarnate for man, the most exalted glory was connected with the gospel. "Never man spake like this man," said they who were sent to apprehend him for punishment. All wondered at the gracious, or becoming and ennobling words which proceeded from his mouth. All creation listened to his voice and obeyed his irresistible commands. Things animate and inanimate alike yielded to his control; the sea heard him, and was still; the earth heard him, and opened; the dead heard him, and awoke to life; the blood-thirsty multitude of the Jews heard him, and went backward and fell to the ground; the spirits of darkness heard him, and departed from men. All this exercise of power elevated the character of the gospel dispensation, because it displayed his rank and glory who had come to the earth solely to declare it. Jesus appeared simply as the great preacher of gospel grace, and all the honour which appertained to his character as a messenger, was reflected upon the message with which he was charged. And highly glorious and excellent indeed was that dispensation which brought the Deity to earth, as a preacher of its truth.

His ministry was honoured by the annunciation of angels, and by the proclamation of a divinely appointed herald; and though he was despised and rejected by a portion of men, yet honour was paid to him in his humiliation by heaven and earth. But during his earthly ministry he was comparatively in a cloud. His real glory was eclipsed by the burden of man's afflictions, temptations and sins; and it was in the subsequent ministry of his apostles that his divine power and sufficiency were really displayed.

Then, when the gospel was preached with the Holy Ghost

sent down from heaven, and the Lord confirmed his word with wonders and signs following, the honour of the Son of man was gloriously exhibited. The apostles acted in the name of Jesus of Nazareth; and this name was every where the signal of divine and unlimited power. The miracles which Jesus wrought in person, while on earth, they wrought in his name after his ascension to glory. And in addition to all these mighty signs and wonders, the conversion of myriads of immortal souls from the power of Satan unto God, did honour to that dispensation of the gospel which had been committed unto them.

How beautiful, then, in the eyes of the multitudes throughout the earth, who were asking the way to life, were the feet of those who published with such authority and effect, glad tidings of peace and salvation through the merits of a crucified Lamb! And how glorious in their ministry, was that gospel of the blessed God, which triumphed over error, pardoned sin, consoled the disconsolate, and gave life from the dead, in the name of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, to every believer in its truth.

But while through all these periods of time, the glory of the gospel was displayed in the character and rank of its preachers, can we adopt the same assertion of the present ministry of the gospel? Now, the excellency of this divine treasure is committed to fallible, weak and sinful men; they have no miraculous powers entrusted to them; they have no signs and wonders to follow their utterance of the name of Jesus; they have no power to overrule or punish the disobedience of those who obey not the gospel; and, generally speaking, they have no excellency of speech or of wisdom to command the attention of those who cannot be attracted by the truth.

Is the gospel still glorious in the character of its preachers? And are the feet of those who publish it still beautiful upon the mountains? Yes, for there is still a preacher of the gospel

among men, without whose influence, signs and wonders would be powerless, and the tongues of men and angels utterly unprofitable. He follows the sinner with a boldness which is always undaunted, and tells him hourly to his face,“ thou art the man." He carries glad tidings with a forbearance which will not be wearied, and beseeches, "to-day, after so long a time, if ye will hear, harden not your hearts." He grasps the conscience with a hold which cannot be shaken off; and awakens the transgressor with a solemn cry," escape for your life." He binds up the heart which he has broken, with more than parental tenderness, while he leads the soul to Jesus, and says, "believe, and he will give you rest." There is none who teacheth like him; and while we preach the gospel with the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance, its ministration is glorious, and brings honour to the truth which it declares. This divine Spirit will be the great preacher of Christ crucified unto the end of the gospel dispensation. His power is unceasingly displayed,-in the instant conversion of many who come under the word, cold and ignorant and careless; in the extensive revival of the power of godliness, in the community which has settled down into a dark and lifeless state; in the spreading before an individual sinner the startling view of his own iniquities, and in causing great searchings of heart among those who have held the truth in unrighteousness. And while the ministry of the gospel has such power, though the earthly minister be weak and ignorant, the gospel is glorified in the character of its preachers.

For nearly sixty centuries God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, have united to publish these glad tidings of peace, of good, and of salvation. In this divine ministry, great honour has been brought to the gospel dispensation, and it has been made glorious in the method of its pub. lication.

II. The glory of the gospel in the method of its publica

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