been natural to conclude that Jesus, if he offered mercy to this city at all, it would not have been until others had received this overture?

But although, antecedently, we might have concluded. thus, we discover good reasons for the plan adopted in offering salvation first to Jerusalem. What are those reasons?

I. "BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM" SERVES TO STRENGTHEN THE EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY. That the starting of Christianity from Jerusalem serves to augment the force of evidence in favour of its truth will appear, consider

three things:

if you

First: Jerusalem was the most proximate city to the scene of the principal facts of the gospel. Paul tells us (2 Cor. xv. 1-4.) that the facts which constitute the gospel are that "Christ died," that He was "buried," and that He "rose again." These facts all happened in the immediate vicinity of Jerusalem, under the public eye of the population. But how does the fact of its being the most proximate city strengthen the evidence in favour of the truth of Christianity? In two ways. (1.) It would show that those of the number who believed the apostles were intelligent believers. If the apostles had gone first to a distance and got a large number to believe, it might fairly have been said by the opponents, The believers had no way of testing the truth of the facts for themselves, and their credulity was imposed upon by the apostles. But the possibility of such an objection is precluded by "beginning at Jerusalem." Each man had the opportunity of testing the facts for himself. The people to whom the apostle spoke had seen HIM suffer in the streetsthey had seen Him upon the cross-they had seen Him buried on the Friday, and witnessed the empty grave on the first day of the week. Peter, in his first sermon to them, appeals to their knowledge of these facts :-"as ye yourselves also know." If these men, therefore, believed,

their faith being intelligent, would have an argumentative force everywhere to convince. "Three thousand" of them did believe under the first discourse; and who but God can tell the force of that fact in commending Christianity to the credence of men of remoter places and later times? (2.) It shows that the first preachers were no impostors, but had full confidence in the truth of what they affirmed. Had they gone first to a distance, sceptics might have charged them with imposture; they might have said, These men went to remote places to proclaim extraordinary things which they knew their hearers had no opportunity of testing, &c.

the fact of their stating them to the eye-witnesses of Christ's history shows, at any rate, that they had no intention to deceive-deceivers would have gone to a distance. "Beginning at Jerusalem" shows that the apostles were genuine men,-worthy of confidence.

Secondly: Jerusalem was the most antagonistic city to the moral purport and purpose of these facts. The men of Jerusalem profoundly and passionately hated the character, doctrines and aim, of Christ. Going first, therefore, to this city, (1.) Showed the daring strength of the apostles' faith. (2.) Precluded the possibility of the objection that the first believers were prejudiced in its favour. (3.) Demonstrated the mighty power of the gospel in triumphing over opposition.

Thirdly Jerusalem was the city predicted as the starting point of Christianity. Isaiah, Joel, Zachariah, David, and others, predicted this.

II. BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM SERVES TO DISPLAY THE BENIGNITY OF CHRISTIANITY. The men of Jerusalem were the greatest personal enemies of Christ, and the greatest sinners against Him. In commanding the gospel, therefore, to be preached to them, there was an astonishing display of benignity. This benignity may be looked upon in two aspects.

First: As an expression of human duty. "Christ has left

us an example that we should follow in His steps." How did He treat His enemies? The men of Jerusalem treated Him with the greatest indignity; they plucked off His hair; they made long furrows on His cheeks; they crowned Him with thorns; they crucified Him. But how did He treat them? Did he commission, now all power was given to Him, some message of Justice to hurl thunderbolts of vengeance at them? No! He commissioned His apostles to offer them the choicest blessings He had to bestow-blessings, the procuring of which, cost Him His life-"repentance and remission." Learn a lesson from this ye men, who in the name of Christianity, stand up for war.

Secondly: As an expression of a divine doctrine. What is the doctrine? That there is mercy for the chief of sinners. What city under heaven contained greater sinners than Jerusalem? What privileges they had abused! What holy men they had persecuted! What innocent blood they had shed! What saints and prophets they had martyred! And now in the crucifixion of Christ they filled up the measure of their crime. "Begin at Jerusalem;" go to Caiaphas, go to Pilate, go to the chief priests, go to the Roman soldiers, &c., tell the worst man that through my name there is mercy for him. If there is mercy for the men of Jerusalem, who need despair?

III. BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM SERVES TO INDICATE THE METHOD OF PROPAGATING CHRISTIANITY. The method is, to begin at home-home first. This method Jesus acted upon in His own ministry; this method He enjoined on His apostles, and this method they strictly followed in all their endeavors to propagate the gospel.

First This method harmonizes with the dictates of a genuine heart. The heart says, Home first.

"Friends, parents, neighbours, first, it doth embrace,

My country next, and next the human race."

We say genuine heart,—for the heart of a morbid, senti

mental, philanthropy, crosses seas and traverses continents to convey blessings to the most distant, which the nearest urgently require.

Secondly: This method harmonizes with the dictates of an enlightened judgment. If our obligation to propagate the gospel to the largest possible extent was given to us in order to find out the most effective way, we think we should soon reach the conclusion that we ought to concentrate our chief efforts upon that section of our race that would, (1.) be most susceptible of evangelical impressions; (2.) on whom we could bring to bear the largest amount of our influence; and, (3.) who would, after their evangelization, become the most effective auxiliaries in speeding on the glorious work.

Now Jerusalem, to the apostles, presented these three conditions. Who would be so likely to be evangelically impressed as the men of Jerusalem? Under the very first discourse three thousand were converted! On whom could they bring so much force effectively to bear, as upon the men of Jerusalem? The apostles understood their language, their prejudices, their habits of thought, and life. And what class, when converted, could become such useful agents in helping forward the new faith?

These three things, too, are eminently true in relation to English Christians and England; and still more eminently true in relation to London Christians and the metropolis. Who are so likely to be evangelically impressed as the men of this metropolis? The more enlightened a city is, other things being equal, the more likely to appreciate the gospel when intelligently presented. We have been acting too much under the impression that the gospel will stand a better chance with savage than civilized districts. Paul did not feel this. He did not go to savages. He knew that the more intelligent and philosophic a people were, the more likely to appreciate his message-and hence to Corinth, to Athens, to Rome, &c., he went. On whom can we bring so much of our influence to bear, as upon the men of this

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city? We need learn no foreign language to speak to them. We know the things that move them most, and the things, therefore, of which to speak. And what city would be such an auxiliary to help on the glorious work as London, were it converted? It is the fountain of an influence whose streams meander through all the institutions, cities, towns, villages, mansions, and hovels, of the civilized world. You cannot fight the moral battles of the gospel unless you get London as your faithful and loving ally. When the church wins London, it wins the world!

SUBJECT:-Rest for the True.

"For we which have believed do enter into rest," &c.-Heb. iv. 3.

Analysis of Homily the Hundred and Sixty-fifth.

THE context has originated much critical investigation and dispute. Amidst, however, all the diversity and haziness of conclusions incident to a mere verbal criticism, there are four facts in the context that stand out in sunlight :

First: That under all dispensations, God has been holding out to mankind the promise of a glorious rest. The context intimates that in the first ages he gave a twofold symbol of this rest; the one the symbol of a specific period, and the other the symbol of a specific place; the time was the seventh day, or the weekly sabbath; the place was Canaan, the promised rest of the Jews. The apostle refers to the former in the expression, "And God did rest on the seventh day from all His works." When the word "rest" is applied to the eternal Spirit, it must not be regarded, of course, as standing in antithetic relation either to fatigue, or to general activity. Not the former, for "He fainteth not, neither is weary." Not the latter, for He is ne