among the loose stones of the building, and bring it more rapidly to the ground. Here may Christians rest-Jesus is on his way to universal empire, and nothing can successfully impede his progress. Popery, and all other human systems of a kindred nature, like so many cobwebs, will be swept away by the besom of destruction, when He the Spirit of truth shall come to prepare the Saviour's way.

The other cause of alarm to the friends of Zion must be sought in the apparent increase and spread of infidelity. It cannot be denied. that infidelity abounds and appears to make progress. But infidelity is a cheat-a system whose origin is the bottomless pit, whose author is the great deceiver of mankind, whose doctrine is that death is an eternal sleep, whose object is to lead men to endless woe, but whose end is to be consumed by the breath of Jehovah's mouth, and destroyed by the brightness of his coming. Infidels there have been in every age. In the infancy of the church there were certain champions of infidelity, who ventured to predict the speedy extermination of Christianity from the world; and up to our own day there have been infidels who have had the temerity to do the same. But where are these champions now? Where are Celsus, and Porphyry, and Julian, of

ancient times? Where are Toland and Hobbs, Hume and Voltaire, of more recent years? They are gone, but Christianity remains. They have departed to their own place; but the religion of Jesus, which like an impregnable fortress defied their attacks, not only maintains its station in the earth, but is spreading itself on every side, and subduing all the world unto itself. Let not then the friends of Jesus be alarmed. Let them be encouraged to fresh exertions. The leaven must spread till the whole lump is leavened. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands must fill the earth. The fire of Divine truth must burn till all the noxious weeds of infidelity, superstition, and error, are consumed. God has spoken in his holiness, and his word must stand.

"Jesus must reign with universal sway

To earth's last bounds, to nature's final day."

DISCOURSE XI.

THE CHURCH OF GOD.

GOD has a church in the world. This he has ever had from the commencement of time, and will ever have till time shall end. This church is the seat of his earthly residence. Though he is the "high and lofty one who inhabiteth eternity," yet his tabernacle is with men upon the earth. This tabernacle is his church; "for the Lord hath chosen Zion, he hath desired it for his habitation." This church is the object of his peculiar care: his eyes are ever on it, his heart is ever towards it. "I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." church he confers the richest blessings.

On this

He not

only grants to it his presence and the exercise of his protecting care; but he blesses it "with all spiritual blessings of an heavenly nature in Christ

Jesus." To this church it is an honour and a happiness to belong. In the language of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon, we may say to the Church of God, "Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants which stand continually before thee."

But what are we to understand by the Church of God? This is a point on which many persons entertain the most erroneous ideas. Some, by the church, understand a certain building used as a place of public worship: some, by the term, understand a particular community of professing Christians and some, by the term, understand exclusively those who attend on the Lord's Supper. But in opposition to these sentiments it is to be observed, that by the Church of God we are not to understand any particular building professedly set apart for religious worship, however venerable and however adorned. Men, under the influence of carnal notions or of educational prejudices, point to a building venerable by age, which possesses an altar, has been consecrated for public worship, and which contains within itself what a writer of our day calls the " trappings of majesty," and they call it "the church." So did the carnal Jews call their temple, the temple, or church of God. But a building is one thing, the Church of God

is another. The building may contain a part of the church occasionally, but is not the church itself. The Deity dwells not in temples made with hands. To consecrate stones, places, altars and pictures, he has no regard. He is not necessarily pleased with fine-toned organs, with singing men and singing women. To convince

the mistaken Jews of this, he suffered their magnificent temple to be destroyed without there being left so much as one stone upon another. The Church of God then is something distinct from any building which is so called.

Nor, by the Church of God, are we to understand any particular community of professing persons. We sometimes speak of the Church of Rome, of the Church of England, of the Church of Scotland, and of our Congregational Churches. These are distinct communities of professing persons, differing from each other in their modes of worship and discipline. Each of these communities claim to be considered the Church of God. But the fact is that they are neither of them necessarily the Church of God; they are only different communities of professing persons; and the Church of God may be found scattered among them all. It is very certain that no community of persons can be entitled to consideration as the Church of God only so