Choose you this day whom ye will serve.-Joshua, xxiv, 15.

The beginning of the Christian life is an act of choice, an exercise of the will. There are various elements which enter into that period of spiritual experience, which we denominate the season of conversion; it is marked by serious and earnest thought, deep and often agonizing emotion, sometimes by a change of opinion or of habit; but all this avails nothing, unless there be a decided and conclusive action of the will.

When, under the apostles' preaching, multitudes were pricked to the heart, they immediately cried out, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" When Saul was arrested on his way to Damascus by a voice from heaven, the first symptom of his conversion was the question, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" When the hearts of the fishermen were impressed by the words of Jesus, they at once left their nets, and followed Him. They all felt that there was something to be done, and that promptly.

Now, it is wisely ordered, in reference to this, that the commencement of a Christian life should be distinguished by some public and ceremonial act. Compliance with the outward rite is supposed to be the indication of an inward exercise of the will, by which the individual dedicates himself to the service of the Lord. He now stands committed before angels and men, his enrolment in the army of Christ is made, and he must continue faithful unto the end, or meet the doom of an apostate. He must fight for Christ, or desert his ranks he must courageously advance, or like a coward flee. He is bound by a sacramental oath; and if condemmed, it will be out of his own mouth. It is then a serious thing to make open confession

of Christ. It should never be done, without careful counting of the cost. To come up to the altar, and there, with the hand laid upon the great sin-offering, to renounce the devil and all his works, consecrating ourselves soul and body to the Saviour, involves tremendous consequences. To do this, merely in compliance with a hereditary custom, thoughtlessly and carelessly-to do it, with no intelligent perception of the self-denials of a religious profession; or to do it, under a temporary, spasmodic feeling, and from sympathy with the general interest about us-is a grievous and damning sin. If the ceremony have any meaning, it is awfully significant. It is the most solemn act which a creature can perform. It professedly separates us, thoroughly and eternally, from the world. Thenceforth, its "vain pomp and glory" are abjured, its sinful lusts renounced, its covetous desires disowned. We, and all that we have, belong to God.

I. The first question that we shall consider is this: What is essential in order to the actual exercise of the will in choosing the service of the Lord; or, in other words, what is the nature and process of a genuine conversion? In its every stage, it is the result of an operation of the Holy Ghost upon the heart. If we are convinced of our guilt, it is because "He is come, who will reprove the world of sin." If our minds are enlightened as to the things of heaven, it is because "God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit." If we die unto sin, it is because we experience the new birth of the Spirit. If we are sanctified, it is by the same Spirit. Every Christian grace implanted in us is a fruit of the Spirit; and by Him are we "sealed unto the day of redemption." There is not one independent movement of the soul, from the beginning to the end of the process of renewal. It is not capable of such a movement, and yet its every motion is voluntary and free. No other being chooses for us. The appeal is made to you personally-" choose ye this day whom ye will serve."

The Holy Ghost deals with us in the fullest recognition of our freedom. So far as our consciousness can reach, it is by the power of motives addressed to the understanding and the heart, that He effects the mighty change. There is heard the voice of argument: "Come now and let us reason together," saith the Lord. There is heard the voice of threatening: "I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh." There is heard the voice of en

treaty: "Return unto me, and I will return unto you." There is heard the voice of encouragement: "Come unto me, and I will give you rest." There is indeed some mysterious action of the divine upon the human mind, analogous to the exercise of creative power, which lies far back of our consciousness, and therefore cannot be subjected to analysis. How it is wrought, passes our comprehension. It is among the deep things of God. It need not, however, obscure our view of the formal process of renewal. It is impossible for us to define the essential nature of physical or vegetable life; how God creates, we cannot tell; but all the processes of life are open to our observation. We know all the conditions of its existence. We know where the seed must be planted, and how it must be sheltered; and we can foresee precisely the character of the plant, from our knowledge of the nature of the seed; but what it is which causes the seed to germinate at all, we cannot define. All life, in its inception, is an unfathomable mystery. "So is every one that is born of the Spirit." The effectual grace of God must move upon the soul, in order to our choosing to be His servants; to every one that will make this choice, the grace is given. There stand the two facts, alike certain and alike inexplicable. But there is no necessity for us to perplex ourselves with these mysteries, for all with which we are practically concerned is easily understood. The process of spiritual life we will now endeavor to exhibit.

The truth of the Gospel is first presented to the understanding. Grace and truth are always found in company, and both " come by Jesus Christ." We are called upon to "obey the truth." "Ye shall know the truth," says the Saviour, "and the truth shall make you free." Truth is the key which unlocks our dungeon door. Christ says of Himself, "I am the truth." The Holy Ghost is called "the Spirit of truth." Jesus prays that His people may be "sanctified through the truth." St. Paul describes his ministry as a "manifestation of the truth." Repentance is termed the "acknowledging of the truth." There is then, in every step of our renewal, a distinct recognition of man's intellectual nature. He is supposed to be capable of discerning the true from the false, and of being impressed by the truth. And in all this is involved the fact that he must exercise the power of choice, and be led to this choice by the influence of motive. His sin consists in this--that he has hitherto chosen wrong; he must now be brought to choose right.

And what is the truth with which the Holy Spirit plies the soul? Comprehensively, "the truth as it is in Jesus."

The mind is always busy upon something. Science may tax its energies, and so the man become well skilled in the wisdom of the world. Schemes of profit may exhaust its powers, and secure to the laborer abundant wealth. Dreams of vanity may weave themselves there, filling the vacuum with spider's webs. But there is one subject to which by nature we are always averse. That is the law of God. We dislike it, because it condemns us. It tells us that of ourselves, which we hate to hear. By it, is "the knowledge of sin." This is something of which we prefer to remain in ignorance. But the Spirit forces this subject upon our notice. He tells us the truth concerning ourselves. He forces us to acknowledge that it is the truth. And then there comes up from the depths of the soul the earnest cry, "Woe is me, for I am undone!"

This result effected, there appears upon the canvas another picture. Sinai vanishes, with its smoke and its thunderings; and Calvary shines forth, with its Cross and its redemption. The stern voice of vengeance sinks into a whisper of mercy. The clouds break, and the sun gleams upon the earth. The eye is anointed by the hand of faith, and we see Jesus interceding for us with an offended God. "Father, forgive them!" The words fall like music upon the ear. The law still condemns, but there is salvation by grace. This is in brief the truth which the Spirit reveals. Thus does "He take of the things of Christ, and show them to us." Until this is done, we remain utterly blind to our own condition, and hopelessly indifferent as to our salvation. From prudential motives, we may abstain from the grosser forms of sin-from the force of education, we may manifest an outward respect for religious observances; but not one step do we advance towards heaven. We are "without God and without hope." Our "feet stand in slippery places," and we hang upon the very brink of hell. "The truth is not in us." Conscience slumbers. Selfishness rules the

The will is inert. Holy affections are dead. members and the mind. The heart is swollen with pride, cankered by avarice, corrupted through lust. I know that the sinner will deny this, for deceitfulness is one element of the heart's desperate wickedness. He does not understand his own errors. And, whenever the spirit flashes the light of heaven into the dark chambers of his soul, he stands aghast at the disclosures which are made. And