convinced that the wisdom and happiness of man consist in looking to the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, for every blessing both here and hereafterand you will apply to him for help, and light, and instruction in every thing. You will learn to compare spiritual things with spiritual; and in yielding up yourselves to the light of his written word in the Gospel, you will not fail both to possess the truth in a right understanding, and to practise it in holy affections.

Let us briefly look over some passages in the Old and New Testament, in which language similar to that in my text is made use of. They will lead to a just and convincing interpretation of its meaning.

When David, in his well-known contest with the Philistine giant and champion, uses the following words on their meeting, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied;" you cannot be at a loss to comprehend what this holy man, this young hero, means that his adversary Goliath should understand. He charges him with referring his actions only

to his own honour, and depending upon his own. powers: whereas he himself refers his conduct entirely to the honour of the Lord; and he depends on His arm alone. Soon after he says, "The battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands." Now let the expression in the text, "Do all in the name of the Lord Jesus," be explained by this parallel expression, and you will see it means, Do all your actions, of every kind, without any exception, with a special reference to the honour of the Lord Jesus, and with a distinct dependence on him only, for strength and wisdom to perform them as they ought to be performed. In brief, we are to honour Jesus Christ, and to depend on him in all we do. This honour and this dependence, I believe, comprehend the essence of what is meant by doing all things in the name of Jesus. And then, considering this as a precept addressed to all real Christians, and such as it is impossible for any but real Christians to practise, the paraphrase of the passage will be sufficiently simple and clear. For example, to this effect: "Ye who profess to have received Christ Jesus in all his offices, and to be living by faith on him, in humble dependence on him for pardon, peace of

conscience, and ability to lead a new life in righ teousness, sobriety, and godliness; take especial care that you never lose sight of Him on whom, ye have believed: Never live without him as present and abiding in your hearts: Undertake nothing, execute nothing, without him in your minds ;-that is, consider and intend his honour and glory in all your words and deeds. Aim at this perfection; and however short you may fall of it, continue to aim at it in every thing, and on all occasions. View yourselves not as principals, but as subordinate agents, though at the same time free and rational agents, depending on him alone, and in no respect on yourselves, for strength and for light to quicken and to guide you in all your words and deeds."

What a secure, real, and strong connection with the Lord Jesus is here implied! All the doctrines of the Gospel are here at once implied in this direction thus understood. The man who undertakes to practise the precept thus understood, must have been beaten off from all pharisaical dependencies on his own wisdom, righteousness, and strength: he must have found access to Jesus by faith, for the great purposes of justification and salvation through him as

a Redeemer indeed; and, as the Apostle describes it, Christ must dwell in him by his Spirit. Such a believer and follower of Christ considers himself as redeemed by the atoning blood of Jesus, that he should no longer live to himself, but to Him that saved him. He is no longer his own; he lives to Him who died for him and rose again, and who, he doubts not, will raise up all his faithful servants also at the last day. This vital union between a faithful disciple of Christ and his Master is represented as a mystery by St. Paul; and indeed it implies a connection abundantly more close and interesting, though invisible, than any that can subsist with the dearest friend in this world. This affection is both more pure and strong in its kind, and also more active and durable in its effects: words fail me in attempting to describe it: and I think it is very clear that the Holy Scriptures intimate that more is intended than can be expressed or communicated by any words in our present state. Conscious of internal poverty, emptiness, and unworthiness, the real Christian obtains all his happiness by a reliance on his Saviour from moment

to moment; and endeavours in all he does and says to direct his ways to his honour, and to exercise this dependence daily more and more; and thus it is that the life he lives in the flesh, he lives by the faith of the Son of God, who loved him and gave himself for him.

Such, I think, are the ideas conveyed by the words " doing all things in the name of the Lord Jesus." It is only carrying into every word and deed that which David did in one particular instance. He came to Goliath in the name of the Lord of hosts; that is, he came forth honouring the Lord, and depending upon him only this was the motive and the spring of the soul of David in his combat with Goliath. He sought not his own honour-he trusted not in his own valour. Keep close to this idea, all faithful Christians: never seek your own honour, never trust your own strength, when you fight against sin, the world, and the devil: look on this warfare as the great concern of your Lord and Master: observe the orders and directions of the Captain of your salvation-these are what ye have to execute: ye are to trust in his grace alone; and in gaining victory the triumph