could not pacify the conscience. But Christ, the gift of Divine Grace, "Paschal Lamb by God appointed," a "sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they," bore our sins and carried our sorrows, and obtained for us the boon of eternal redemption. He met the fury of the tempest, and the floods went over His head; but His offering was an offering of peace, calming the storms and the waves, magnifying the law, glorifying its Author, and rescuing its violator from wrath and ruin. Justice hath laid down His sword at the foot of the cross, and amity is restored between heaven and earth.

Hither, O ye guilty! come and cast away your weapons of rebellion! Come with your bad principles and wicked actions; your unbelief, and enmity, and pride; and throw them off at the Redeemer's feet! God is here, waiting to be gracious. He will receive you; He will cast all your sins behind His back, into the depths of the sea; and they shall be remembered against you no more forever. By Heaven's "Unspeakable gift," by Christ's invaluable atonement, by the free and infinite grace of the Father and the Son, we persuade you, we beseech you, we entreat you, be ye reconciled to God!" It is by the work of the Holy Spirit within us, that we obtain a personal interest in the work wrought on Calvary for us. If our sins are cancelled, they are also crucified. If we are reconciled in Christ, we fight against our God no more. This is the fruit of faith. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness." May the Lord inspire in every one of us that saving principle!

But those who have been restored to the Divine favor may sometimes be cast down and dejected. They have passed through the sea, and sung praises on the shore of deliverance; but there is yet between them and Canaan "a waste howling wilderness," a long and weary pilgrimage, hostile nations, fiery serpents, scarcity of food, and the river Jordan. Fears within and fightings without, they may grow discouraged, and yield to temptation and murmur against God, and desire to return to Egypt. But fear not, thou worm Jacob! Reconciled by the death of Christ; much more, being reconciled, thou shalt be saved by His life. His death was the price of our redemption; His life insures liberty to the believer. If by His death He brought you through the Red Sea in the night, by His life He can lead you through the river Jordan in the day. If by His death He delivered you from the iron furnace in Egypt, by His life He can save you from all the perils of the wilderness. If by His death he conquered Pharaoh, the chief foe, by His life He can subdue Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan. "We shall be saved by His life." "Because He liveth,

we shall live also." "Be of good cheer!" The work is finished; the ransom is effected; the kingdom of heaven is opened to all believers. "Lift up your heads and rejoice," "ye prisoners of hope!" There is no debt unpaid, no devil unconquered, no enemy within your own hearts that has not received a mortal wound! "Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ!"

DISCOURSE EIGHTY THIRD.

JOHN ELIAS.

ELIAS was born in 1774, in the parish of Aberch, county of Caernar◄ von, and was awakened at the age of seventeen, under a sermon by the celebrated Rowlands. He was introduced into the ministry of the Calvinistic Methodist church in 1794, and began to itinerate and declare the tidings of salvation with great acceptance. Some years after this he became resident minister at Anglesea, where his labors were attended with the most marked results, in the moral elevation of the people. His fame as a preacher went throughout all Wales, and wherever he appeared, multitudes flocked to hear the word from his lips. His health, however, had been seriously impaired by repeated attacks of disease, and at length he departed this life on the 8th of June, 1841.

Elias's chief characteristics were a clear and masculine understanding, great tenderness of feeling, a discriminating judgment, strong reasoning faculties, and a spirit of genuine, unpretending piety. For compass and vigor of language, in his preaching, he is said to have been almost unrivaled. As a pulpit orator he has been placed along side of Evans and Whitfield; but his sermons do not discover the creative genius and force of conception seen in those of Evans. His power consisted more in his oratory and in his electric energy. The discourses of Elias, however, possess very great merit, abounding in good, solid instructions, bearing the traces of a vivid and chastened imagination, and containing passages of rich and simple eloquence.

The following sermon, translated from the Welsh, at our request, is said to be an excellent portraiture of Elias as a preacher. It was taken down in short hand at the time of its delivery before an Association or Synod of the Calvinistic or Whitfield Methodists, held at Holyhead, Anglesea, in the year 1837.

THE TWO FAMILIES.

"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."1 JOHN, v. 19.

There are two prominent deficiencies in the character of Christians in the present age. One is, a deficiency of knowledge that

they are "of God," combined with a want of mental distress, and vehement desire, for the attainment of such knowledge. The other is, a want of compassionate and agonizing reflections upon the deplorable and pitiable state of the "world." If you should visit the Christian churches of our day, and institute a strict and impartial investigation into the nature of their experiences, you would soon discover the predominancy of these lamentable defects.

A sure knowledge that they are of God, is attainable to those individuals who are of God. Godly men may acquire, by undoubted evidences, feelings of certainty respecting their state of godliness. I do not assert, that every pious man knows that he is in possession of piety; but what I maintain and affirm is, that such knowledge is attainable by Christians, because it has been promisel by God. Whatever is involved in the promises of God to His people, is certainly attainable by them. The Divine promises are like so many good bills, payable to the believer, on his application, at the office of Free Grace. Some Christians are destitute of assurance, because of their infancy in religion. Others are kept in ignoraLCE of their acceptance with God through their own negligence, their proneness to spiritual declension, and their tendency to grieve the Holy Spirit. Now, inasmuch as an assurance of our spiritual birth of God is attainable, Christians ought not to rest short of it. It is, indeed, an awfully serious thing, that any man should make a public profession of religion for years, without knowing in the world, whither his pilgrimage will end. One of the principal pillars of the Romish church is, their belief in the impossibility of arriving at a certainty respecting our real state before God, in this world, and destined condition in the world to come. The merchandise in the pardon of sins, the doctrine of purgatory, and prayers for the dead, etc., are founded upon this glaring error. It is lamentable to think, that Protestants should bear an assimilation to Papists, even in this respect. I am really afraid that an erroneous notion prevails among Christians touching the non-importance of knowing the reality of their second birth, and that they have only to hope it has been effected. Should you solemnly appeal to some professing Christians, inferring your doubts concerning the sincerity of their piety; pointing out at the same time to them, this and the other symptom, which give rise to your fears, they would probably reply to you, and say, "How do you know?" Well, O man, dost thou know them? If thou, thyself, art destitute of knowledge in this respect, how cans thou find fault with them who entertain doubts and fears as to thy real state? O Christian professor! I am afraid that eternal misery

will be your home and portion. Methinks to hear you say, How do you know? Well, dost thou know them? If thou thyself art ignorant of thine everlasting destiny, how canst thou blame me, for expressing my fears regarding it. Thousands run the risk with the all-important and all-absorbing concern of their soul's salvation. One man, the other day, on his entrance into eternity, said, I have only to venture upon chance. God has never designed that His people should be in such a doubtful state of mind. He has provided strong consolation for them, and He has appointed the means whereby they may acquire a full enjoyment of them. It is mortifying to the feelings of eminent Christian men, to behold a numerous church, with only a handful of its members capable of discerning that they are "of God," while the great majority appear to be entirely insensible to the vast importance of obtaining such an assur

ance.

And, besides, there is a great amount of dormancy, carelessness, and inconsideration among professed Christians, with respect to the miserable state of the "whole world." Very few, indeed, comparatively speaking, feel deeply and compassionately for the deplorable condition of mankind in general. We mourn a little over the impiety, wickedness, and misery of the few; but insignificant, indeed, is our mental distress in reference to the deep depravity, delusion, idolatry, and wretchdness of the many, or the universal condition of the world.

Far, indeed, am I from adopting the opinion of some, who say, "that outward reformation is of no value whatever; nothing," they say, "short of internal piety is worth a straw. Vain are all the efforts to ameliorate the morals of mankind. All will be of no avail whatever, unless we can change their hearts." Such an idea is far from being correct. It devolves upon Christians to put forth every exertion within their power, to reform the outward conduct of men. Even external amendment of life will be productive of some degree of happiness to the man himself, and of some measure of honor to bis Maker.

Nevertheless, we ought not to rest here, without solemnly reflecting upon the lost condition of the human family-mourning deeply over it-praying fervently, and employing our wealth and talents for its conversion. The outward morals of that man there, are certainly very plausible; but still, we can discover symptoms upon him of his destitution of acceptance with God. That woman, that young girl, are truly commendable in many things; and yet we can discern marks upon their character of their exposure to the wrath that