tuting the happiness of Zion! Her God is indeed a gracious God, giving into the bosoms of His people good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over. Does He pardon? He abundantly pardons. Does He give the influence of the Holy · Ghost? He sheds it down abundantly. Does He send his Son that we might have life? yea that we might have it more abundantly. Does He bless Zion's provision? He blesses it abundantly, so that her poor are abundantly satisfied with the fatness of His house, and He makes them to drink of the river of His pleasures. Does He minister to them an entrance into His everlasting kingdom? He ministers it abundantly, and, in answer to their prayers, He does for them abundantly -exceeding abundantly-above all that they askabove all that they think. And His communications are as permanent in duration as they are abundant in measure. The rills of creature comfort vanish in succession like so many deceitful brooks. But the Creator God remaineth for ever the same; the streams of His grace are ever flowing, are ever full, for they come from Himself, the inexhaustible fountain of all good. So it is with the river which gladdens our Zion,-it refreshed our forefathers-it is refreshing us their children—and it is destined, we trust, to refresh millions yet unborn, who shall come after us.

Finally, and in the way of application,—a river in a city gladdens by its proximity, for then its streams are ever near, ever accessible. To a traveller crossing a burning desert, and fainting for thirst, a single spring gushing forth on his path, might revive his spirits for a time, only to lengthen out his sufferings. But the waters of the spiritual Horeb that flow from the spiri

tual rock Christ, follow the pilgrim throughout the whole of his wilderness journey; and thus refreshed and invigorated at every stage, he goes from strength to strength, till at last he reaches the Zion above. See then, my friends, what privileges you are called to realise,—see what rich delights and exalted enjoyments you are invited to participate. "Ho! every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," "and the Spirit and the Bride say Come. And let him that heareth say Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." And while gladdened by it ourselves, let us rejoice to see its stream flowing far and wide throughout the earth. Let us pray that from our sanctuary living waters may flow out, to exhilarate and fertilise the most distant lands, and, encouraged by the sure word of promise, let us by anticipation take up the inspiriting shout,-"Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains." "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him."

SERMON III.

Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider."-ISAIAH, lii. 13—15.

If there be any one subject within the compass of this holy book, which fully justifies its own declaration, "that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not his," it is the mystery of that agony and death which we are this day assembled to commemorate. For who among the children of men would ever have expected that honour was to spring out of infamy— blessing out of a curse-life out of death; that a cross would be the step to a crown, and the blackest malice of the creature display the brightest mercy of the Creator? Who of the angelic host could have imagined that the Ancient of days should become a child of time, that God's only begotten and wellbeloved Son should be treated by him as an outcast, and punished as if a foe,—that the Lord of Glory should sink into the lowest ignominy,—that the Prince of Life should be brought to the dust of death?—And yet so it was! All this and much more than this

was witnessed in the passion and crucifixion of Jesus our Lord. And it ought not therefore to excite our surprise if this event has, in all ages, offended the prejudices and scandalised the feelings of vain and carnal men; though it be the only event which ever has happened or ever can happen, that may become the power and wisdom of God to their salvation.

The Almighty, well foreknowing how unlikely and incredible the fact would seem to mankind, was pleased to predict and prefigure it in a variety of ways from the first, in order that they might be gradually familiarised with it, and that, when it actually occurred, they might regard it, not as an unexpected casualty, but the act of his determinate counsel. And hence, too, when He appeared on the earth, who was the substance of every shadow and the antetype of every figure, He early and explicitly forewarned his disciples of the decease He was to accomplish at Jerusalem,— because he would not that a circumstance so marvellous in itself, and so contrary to their fondly-cherished hopes, should overtake them with undue surprise.

Yet, notwithstanding all these previous intimations, "many were astonished at Him," and heard of the events, which were the fulfilment of the prophecies, as of so many "strange things brought to their ears." It is true, indeed, that some of the ancient predictions were mysterious and obscure, but it is also true that others of them were bright as the beam of noon-clear as if drawn with a pencil dipped in living light—plain and legible as was the inscription on the cross, to the various dwellers of Jerusalem, whether Jews, Greeks, or Romans,-testifying that Jesus of Nazareth is the King of the Jews. Of this description unquestionably

are the verses we have read, which form, you will observe, the introduction to the Fifth Gospel, as it has been called, contained in the next or fifty-third chapter of Isaiah; from which, indeed, they ought not to have been separated. When John the Baptist, on the banks of Jordan, pointed to the incarnate Christ, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the world!" he did not set forth a principle more distinct or intelligible than what is done by Isaiah in the announcement here recorded ;- -an announcement which-if the Spirit who inspired it is pleased to open our blind eyes and take the veil from our callous hearts-will assuredly fill us with peace and love, with hope and joy.

You here see the Son of God appearing in this lower world on his Father's business, in the lowly form of a servant. You then see Him rising to the throne of his glory, exalted far above all worlds. And you finally see Him triumphantly accomplishing the purposes of his Father's mercy and his own love, in the face of all opposition. This is the threefold view exhibited in these three verses of the person, the work, the glory of the Saviour, viz. :-I. His service and suffering upon earth. II. His dignified exaltation to heaven. III. His successful and victorious reign.

I. His service and suffering upon earth.-His service-" Behold, my servant shall deal prudently." Yes, He became a servant! Think of his eternal power and godhead, and stand amazed at the littleness and lowliness of this designation! Yet He not only condescended to assume it, but deemed it honourable and delightful. When He sat a weary, woe-worn