66 death. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin." And for this reason is it said 2 Cor. v. 16. "Wherefore, henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet, now henceforth know we him no more," and then it is added, verse 17, " therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature." Here then is the view which the death of Jesus and our union with him in it, should give us of that nature whose indulgence we have pleaded for, whose lusts we have pampered, whose infirmities we have excused, whose desires we have gratified—that it is dead, that its struggles and its throes are only those of expiring mortality—that we are to deal with it, to look upon it, and to turn away from it as that which is dead. It is thus that Paul in Romans vii. 24. cries for deliverance from his dead self, which hung upon him as the dead body hung of old around the Roman victim, "Oh wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death." It is having his dead self thus full in view that in the passage before us he speaks of himself as crucified with Christ. It is in the triumphant experience of that deadness to the world which this view of self engenders, that we find him exclaiming in the 6th chapter and 14th verse of this same epistle "God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world"—and it is in the application of this same self-cruci thy of yours) "that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Yes, my brethren, depend upon it, this is the only way to attain, the only way to keep up assurance, to see ourselves as sinners, and therefore those whom Jesus died to save. Were we not sinners, we would have reason to doubt it, inasmuch as we would not belong to that class of persons whom the Lord describes as the objects of his coming; but being sinners, if we doubt it, we doubt his own word. A heart, deep-stained with the black dye of pollution, which we long to have purified; a life written over with the crimson characters of sin, which we desire to have effaced; these are our only and all-sufficient passports to the Saviour's presence, our neverfailing claims upon his aid; and it is when feeling ourselves burthened beneath the weight of a curse which we cannot remove-oppressed beneath the amount of a debt which we cannot pay-we look to Jesus, and see him with the eye of faith getting beneath the curse, to lift it off from us, paying the debt, in order to set us free, and when our hearts are drawn out in gratitude to Him who is thus the author and finisher of our salvation, love becomes a bond of union between our souls and the Saviour; we feel ourselves one with Him, and we say with the apostle, not" Christ was crucified FOR me," but "I am crucified wITH Christ." But there is something more than this in the Apostle's language-he does not merely look back upon the death of the cross and feel his identification therewith as delivering him from the penalty of sin, for then his language would be, "I was crucified with Christ," but he looks to something present, he realizes a present power in the doctrine of the cross, for he says, "I am crucicified." This, bre-fying effect of union with Jesus, that in thren, is an important point, and one but little understood. The Lord Jesus, although perfectly free from all sin, so far as all commission of sin, or all liability to commit sin is concerned, yet took sin upon himself by imputation ;-" he was made sin for us who knew no sin," and thus became liable to death, he took upon himself the nature that had sinned, for "he was made in the likeness of sinful flesh"-and for what purpose did he dothis? not to effect a change in this nature, not to rescue it from its penalty-no, but to deliver it to death, this is very plainly stated in Romans vi. 3 to 7. "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his Colossians iii, after having told them that alive-dead with Christ in his death, alive with Christ in his resurrection"nevertheless I live." Yes, my brethren, it is the believer alone who really liveshe lives here his soul fulfils the purpose of its being in glorifying the God of its love, its affections are centred upon worthy and undying objects,-its desires are towards exalted and eternal things, its joys are those with which no stranger intermeddleth, its hopes are such as shall not make ashamed, he shall live hereafter, "when Christ who is his life shall appear, then shall he also appear with him in glory." The unbeliever does not live there may be about him the stirrings of vitality, but it is a vitality engendered of corruption-his affections, like ivy, entwine themselves around a ruin; his desires are but the pouring out of water into broken cisterns; his joy is but the forerunner of sorrow; his hope is the inlet of fear—he is dead in the guilt of sin here, he will be dead in, although not dead to, the never-ending punishment of sin hereafter. But observe the nature of that life which the believer enjoys through his union with Jesus. The work of Christ is two-fold, destroying the old nature by his death,-implanting a new nature by his resurrection. Thus, in the passage already quoted from Romans vi. it is said that the object for which we are baptized into the death of Jesus is, that "like as he was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life; for if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection," and therefore the Lord says to his disciples, "because I ye shall live also." Here we see the certainty of the believer's life hereafter: it is the life of the member of the body whose head enjoys that life already; and inasmuch, as the head is risen, and accepted, and glorified, the members must be raised, and accepted, and glorified too. Therefore Christ is spoken of as the firstfruits, the first-born from the dead.Here too we see not only the certainty of this life, but its security. It is "hid with Christ in God," so hidden with him, so bound up in him, that to assail it, Christ who "sitteth at the right hand of God" should be assailed, to destroy it, Christ who "is alive for evermore" should be destroyed. And here especially do we see wherein consists this life at present germinating and expanding within the believer, and how it is to be carried It consists in this, that it is not the live on. believer's self that lives, but Christ that liveth in him-" Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me;" it is not self, for it is not self, but Christ that he is to seek to magnify, not self, but Christ that he is to seek to please,-not self-interest, but Christ's interest that he is to study,-not self-will, but Christ's will that he is to consult Christ liveth in him. Here is the perfection of the believer's union with Christ, as we find the Lord himself describing it in John xvii. 21 and 23, "That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one,"—and oh how incessantly watchful over self, how tremblingly sensitive of sin and inconsistency, how earnest in their strivings after holiness of walk and conversation, must this consideration make those by whom it has been realized that they carry Christ about with them wherever they go, that he acts in their actions, and speaks in their words,—that as he is their representative, and bears their names as jewels on the breastplate of his intercession before his Father in heaven, so are they his representatives, and bear his name inscribed upon their lives and characters before his redeemed on earth,-yea, that inasmuch as they sit in him as their head in heavenly places, he dwells in them as his members on the habitable earth. This is the argument which we find the Apostle using in 1 Cor. vi. 15, against one sin in particular, "know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid!" but which is equally applicable to sin in its every shape, such is the standard of the believer's deadness to, and separation from, sin, (who amongst us has attained to it?) to be dead even as Christ is dead to it, to keep apart from it, even as Christ keeps apart from it ;such is the measure of what is consistent for the believer, (which of us observes it?) not what is consistent for me, but what is consistent for Christ. The passage before us not only instructs us as to wherein this life consists, but also how it is to be carried on.There is much of difficulty in such a life as this, my brethren,-scripture assures us, reason convinces us, and experience proves to us that there is; and when we look at the strength of the obstacles to be overcome, and the height of the standard to be attained; and compare them with the weakness and lowness of our condi tion at its best, we well may ask, "who is sufficient for these things?" A power and a principle however are here brought before us, by means of which a strength was made perfect in the Apostle's weakness, and may be so in ours;-" The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Here it is, FAITH Working by LOVE,-Faith realizing to him his crucifixion with Christ, and consequent deadness to sin, his life with Christ, and consequent prevalence with the Father, and over temptation,-tracing all this to its source in that love of Christ which caused him to give the greatest gift that God could give, himself-and thus calling forth an answering fount of love to spring up within his heart, and flow throughout his life, and leading him, inasmuch as Jesus had given himsslf for him to give himself to Jesus. My brethren, if the Spirit who testifies of Christ has ever led you to see him as the Apostle saw him, and to love him as the Apostle loved him, this life, difficult, and selfdenying though it be, will be your glory and your joy. Is it so, let me in conclusion ask, with you, are you united unto Jesus? This is the great question,—are you united to him, not by a knowledge of him in your heads for that never unites, it contains no principle of union-but by a faith in him and a love of him in your hearts?Oh, try yourselves upon this point, brethren, for your life, your death, your eternity, your all depends upon it! Take the test, the only true test, afforded by the passage which we have been considering, to what are you dead? to what are you alive? here is this world, its business, its pleasures, its honours, its riches, all standing out so visibly and vividly before you. There is the world to come, its unfading glories, its eternal treasures invisible to mortal eye, and inconceivable by human heart, but yet revealed to the child of God by the Spirit :-to which are you dead? to which are you alive? May the Lord strip off the mask of delusion from your eyes, and of deceit from your hearts, and reveal to each of you the position in ́ which you are at this moment standing in his sight. To such of you, brethren, as your own consciences may convict that you are only alive to time, and dead to eternity,-I would say, tremble, for you are un-united to Christ: all that Christ has done and suffered is as yet of no avail to you, save only to increase your condemnation,— tremble, for up to this present moment it were better for you that Christ had never come,-it were better for you that you never had heard of him,-it were better for you that you had never been born,— but, do not despair, the cords of love by which alone the sinner can be drawn unto the Saviour, held in the Spirit's hand and entwined around the Redeemer's heart, are let down to you in the Gospel's promises and invitations,-only put out your hand, the hand of faith, and take hold of them,-only say, concerning them, “they are mine," only pronounce your to them, and the touch you give will be felt and responded to, the voice you utter will be heard and answered in heaven,—— you will be Christ's and Christ will be yours. 66 amen Believing brethren-and I rejoice to know that I am addressing such,-Oh consider I entreat of you the privileges, and the responsibilities which are consequent upon your union with Christ.— Remember that as Christ is, not what you are, is the question with regard to the payment of your debt, and the certainty of your acceptance, so what Christ is, not what you are, is also the question with regard to the deadness to the world which you are to manifest, the power over temptation which you are to exercise, and the standard of holiness towards which you are to strive. DUBLIN: Published by the Proprietors, T. R. and R. DUNCKLEY, at the NEW IRISH PULPIT OFFICE, 1, ST. ANDREW-ST.; JOHN ROBERTSON, W. CURRY, JUN. and Co.; R. M. TIMS, W. CARSON, D. R. BLEAKLEY. London, SIMPKIN and MARSHALL; Edinburgh, WHITE and Co.; Cork Tract Repository; Derry, CAMPBELL; and all Booksellers. -000 GEORGE FOLDS, Printer 1, St. Andrew-street THE NEW IRISH PULPIT, OR GOSPEL PREACHER. "We preach Christ crucified "Christ, the power of God, and the wisdom of God."-1 Cor. i. 23, 24. BY THE REV. ALEXANDER IRWIN, A.M. REVELATION Xxii, 16. "I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star." on the earth, and the vengeance which shall be taken on the enemies of God. But the sound of the harps and voices in the heavens praising and adoring Christ was rapturous beyond the description of man. Each vision seemed grander than the preceding, until at length he actually beheld "the great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, so that it had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it." What then must have been the sensations of the beloved disciple when, after gazing for a moment upon this transcendant prospect, he found We can scarcely conceive what the effect on the mind of the Apostle John must have been, when in his lonely place of banishment in "the Isle that is called Patmos," those glorious revelations of futurity and of the invissible world were vouchsafed to him, which he has here recorded. One after another, in august procession, and with overpowering splendour, the visions passed before him-while with a heart throbbing with ecstacy and wonder he looked through a door opened in heaven, and saw "the things that are, and the things which shall be hereafter." | Awful indeed were some of those sights, betokening woes and desolations coming it receding from his view-the melody VOL. V. E We can hardly be surprised that, as Peter on the mount of transfiguration, who stupified almost by excessive delight and wonder, spoke he knew not what of building tents there for Moses, and Elias, and Christ; so this disciple bewildered by the transporting scenes he had witnessed, did not well know who this celestial being was that showed him such shings, and remained standing beside him. He thought, most likely, that he could be none other than the Lord himself, and he fell down to worship before his feet. But the angel said unto him, "See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book; worship God." of heaven becoming less distinctly heard, | future heirs of salvation! What a thought! till it died upon his ear-the super- yet how little can we tell of what their natural light fading away-and then services are! A few notices, indeed, nothing visible around him but the barren are recorded in the Bible, to show us rocks of Patmos, and an angel talking something of how they have been occawith him! The deep impression that sionally employed for us. We are told was made upon him, we may perceive by that two of these heavenly beings conthe emphatic, earnest manner in which ducted righteous Lot out of Sodom. he says again and again, as though as- One of them went before Abraham's suring us of the fact—" I John saw these servant on his journey to seek a wife for things." Isaac. An army of them encamped on the mountain round Elisha for his defence against the Syrians—so that "when the Lord opened the eyes of the young man (his servant) he saw and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire round about Elisba." An angel was sent to close the lions' mouths, when Daniel was cast into the den. At another time, when he was by the river Ulai, where he had seen a vision, and was seeking its interpretation, "he heard a man's voice, which called and said, Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision;" and on the instant on angel drew near him and explained it. Again (ix. 20, 21, 22,) when Daniel was praying and confessing his sins, and the sins of Israel, the same Gabriel, “being caused to fly swiftly, touched him about the time of the evening oblation, and talked with him, and said, O Daniel, I am now come, forth to give thee skill and understanding." And afterwards again (x. 12, 13, 14, 21,) when he stood by the river Hiddekel one of these heavenly visitants appeared, and thus mysteriously disclosed his errand and his occupation: "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. My brethren, how little do we know of that unseen world, in the midst of which we are even now living! We all readily admit our ignorance of futurity; but how imperfect is our knowledge even of "the things that are," and in which we ourselves are most deeply concerned. " With regard to the innumerable company of angels, the Apostle, writing to the Hebrews, asks, are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ?" What! the whole of the innumerable company, engaged in the service of the |