veracity is sure has pronounced the decree, that the cru-. cified One “shall reign till all enemies are put under his feet," and that "the kingdom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the saints of the Most High God." The solemn oath stands on record in his word, "As I live, saith the Lord, the whole earth shall be filled with my glory!" All "the ends of the earth shall remember and turn unto the Lord, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him." The time is appointed when Satan, the great instigator of the powers of darkness, shall be bound, and a seal set upon his prison; when the idolatry of the heathen shall cease, and the "gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens." The blindness of the long-rejected Jews shall yet be dissipated, and the veil that is upon their hearts shall be taken away. The delusive dreams of the Mohammedan imposture shall vanish. The hierarchy of Rome, with all of other names that bears its image and breathes its spirit, shall be overthrown. Infidelity will stop her mouth, and philosophy, falsely so called, shall pass away into oblivion. The corruptions of Christendom shall be forgotten, and he who "sits as a refiner and a purifier of silver" shall purge away all its dross. Oppression and bondage shall cease; and he who shall "judge the poor of the people, and save the children of the needy," shall "break in pieces the oppressor." Wars shall come to an end from under the face of the whole heaven; the storm of contention shall cease; the tumult of battle shall be heard no more; and there shall be nothing to hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain. The plenitude of divine influences shall descend like rain, and "judgment shall remain in the wilderness, and righteousness in the fruitful field." Like

the waters that went forth from under the temple, knowledge and holiness shall flow in rivers over the earth; and as the sun of nature, while it leads on the seasons and regulates the year, alike imparts vigor to the forest and fragrance and beauty to the humblest flower that opens in its beam, so will the Sun of Rrighteousness diffuse his rays over every department of society, and the entire economy of human affairs. Like the branch which the Prophet cast into the waters of Marah, the Gospel shall neutralize the sources of misery, and purify the fountains of joy. The religion of the Cross will reign triumphantly over the world; and there shall be one Lord, and his name One. The kingdom of darkness well knows the efficacy of the Cross. They have watched its influence from the hour when it made a show of them openly on Calvary; they are watching it still, and will hereafter observe it, not so much with their present jealousy, as with everlasting despair. These opposing hosts, that are now alternately advancing and retreating, now triumphing and now melting away, will ere long come to the last conflict. The mighty catastrophe of this wonderful arrangement for the salvation of men, so early predicted and so eagerly looked for, shall be developed, and heaven and hell shall stand alike the memorials of the divine mercy to its friends, and, to its enemies, of the divine justice. The voice of the archangel and the trump of God shall sound. The crucified One shall come in the glory of his Father and of the holy angels, and the holy tribes shall be gathered together and caught up to meet the Lord in the air. All characters shall be then tried, all hearts revealed, and the final sentence shall go forth. Then the triumphs of the Cross shall be completed. And when it is thus lifted up, with it the hands, and hearts, and heads of the redeemed shall be lifted up,

and the hands, and hearts, and heads of the unbelieving shall be bowed down, and "the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

Such have been, such are, such will be, the triumphs of the Cross. It is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Great is the mystery of God and godliness. It is not the wisdom of the created, but of the uncreated One. It is not the power of man, but the mighty power of God. It is the Cross-the narrative of the Cross-the truth of the Cross-the love of the Cross-the security of the Cross-the holiness of the Cross-the power of the Cross-the wonders of the Cross-the Cross triumphant. And now, the solemn question is submitted to the conscience of every reader, whether he will be for Christ, or against him? I know the decision of your reason and conscience, and stand in doubt only of the decision of your heart. I know that the Cross will be triumphant, and am solicitous that you should enlist under the banners of the all-conquering Prince, and reign with the Captain of your salvation in his eternal kingdom. The cause is too momentous in itself, and too greatly fraught with consequences of everlasting interest to your own soul, to allow of any farther indecision. Persist no longer in contending with him who is God over all blessed forevermore. Break, oh, break away from those who are in arms against their gracious Saviour, and let the world see that the cause of truth and righteousness, the Cross of the Redeemer, have found in you one more advocate and friend.

CHAPTER XXI.

THE SINNER'S EXCUSES REFUTED BY THE CROSSs.

GOD has constituted men capable of judging what is right, not only in respect to other men, but in respect to their own character and conduct. He often appeals to their own judgment and conscience, whether the course they are pursuing is right, and can be defended by themselves; and if they think it can, he challenges them to make their pretensions good.

Are there none of my readers to whom such an appeal as this may be addressed with strong propriety? Has not the God of heaven revealed to you the greatness and goodness of his own infinite nature, called upon you to give him your hearts, and become reconciled to him through the great atonement of his Son? The voice of the Cross to all who reject its great salvation is, "Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die?" "Produce your cause, saith the Lord bring forth your strong reasons, saith the God of Jacob." "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" You have placed yourselves in a false and untenable position, and cannot defend your present course of conduct, save by reasons that carry with them their own refutation.

It is from a conviction that nothing more is necessary, in order to show the unreasonableness of the course the unbeliever is pursuing, than for him to produce and consider the strong reasons that are given in defence of it,

that I venture to hope for his serious attention, while I state and consider some of these reasons in the present chapter. And let his prayer-let our united prayers— ascend to the God of grace, that these reasons may be so considered, that he may see that he is without excuse before God, and has no time to lose in escaping from these delusions, and laying hold of the hope set before him!

There is a class of persons, who assign as a reason for their not becoming Christians, that they are not so well satisfied as they desire to be of the great and fundamental truths which the Cross reveals. They do not question that the Bible is the word of God, and contains great and essential doctrines-doctrines which constitute the essence of divine revelation; that are necessary to its very existence; and that must be believed, loved and obeyed, in order to salvation. But they are not decided as to what these doctrines are. They tell you that men have differed in their views of them, and differ still; and it ought not to be expected that they should commit themselves prematurely upon subjects of such vital importance. There is no doubt that this is one of the reasons which act upon a certain class of minds, in producing hesitation and delay in the all-important concern of personal religion. We do not deny that great importance is to be attached to the belief of the truth. There are truths which no man can reject, and be a Christian; and in which all real Christians are firmly established. But it is not to be forgotten, that a belief of all the truths which God has revealed is not indispensable to a man's becoming a Christian, unless he is acquainted with them all, and wilfully rejects them. Many persons may not understand all that God has revealed; no one man ever fully understood it all. A man may know enough to become a better man, and a sincere