viduals. It was not the case that every human being who heard the gospel preached was impressed by it; but it is certain that a very great number of persons, of all descriptions, did flock to hear it, and were deeply interested. There went out to John "Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." Among these, there were self-righteous Pharisees, and infidel Sadducees, and publicans and soldiers; in a word, persons of all sorts, and of the most opposite and unlikely characters. A similar general interest also attended the preaching of Christ himself; for we frequently read of "great multitudes" following him. The success, however, consisted, not only in the number of those who sought the kingdom of God, but in the manner in which they sought it: they pressed into it. In the passage already quoted, this idea is conveyed in these words: "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." The manner in which men then sought admission into the kingdom of God, or the blessings of gospel salvation, was like that in which men eagerly press through a crowd, and all opposing difficulties, to get into a place into which they are very desirous to enter; or like the determination, courage, and struggle, with which an army attack and force their entrance into a city.

Intending, however, to return to this point in conclusion, let me, without saying more on it here, request your attention to the connexion and meaning of the two remaining verses of this passage. Having spoken of the law and the prophets as being until John, and as intended, in a certain sense, to give place to the gospel, our Lord would not allow the Pharisees to suppose that he thereby undervalued the law and the prophets. Instead of setting them aside from the place their Author intended them to occupy, the gospel established and honoured them in the most signal manner. "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." That is, it cannot possibly fail. The visible heaven and earth that now are shall perish and vanish away, but not so the word of God. "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall endure for ever. "% As Jesus said, in his sermon on the mount, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one

* Isa. xi. 8.

tittle,* shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be ful-filled." As for the prophets, their predictions are accomplished, and accomplishing, in Christ and his kingdom, according to their appointed time. We shall do well, therefore, to mark their meaning and fulfilment, for the confirmation of our faith; for "the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy." As to the law, in so far as it was ceremonial and typical, it found its perfect fulfilment in Christ, as the antitype and substance. And in so far as it was moral, instead of setting aside, he fulfilled and established it, by vindicating it from false glosses; by perfectly obeying it himself, in the room of sinners, that he might become the end of the law for righteousness, to every one that believeth; and by leaving it in full force as a rule of life to his followers-nay, by bringing them to delight in it after the inward man, and to obey it in the outward conduct. Let us note and improve all these points; and, especially, let us study practically to demonstrate the truth of the apostle's words, "Do we, then, make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."

Having thus declared, in general terms, his regard for the law, Jesus specifies an instance in which the Pharisees, with all their pretensions, were very lax, but on which he held and inculcated just and strict views. "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery." Some customs, such as slavery, polygamy, and divorce for slighter reasons than unfaithfulness, appear to have been tolerated by God, for a time, in order to prevent greater evils, though they were not thereby approved, far less enjoined; and certain laws were enacted with regard to them, which tended to mitigate their evils. That Christianity will ultimately put an end to slavery altogether, though it bears with it in certain circumstances, is not to be doubted. It absolutely prohibits polygamy. As to divorce-it restrains it within narrow limits, permitting it only for the cause of positive unfaithfulness to the marriage vow. It is quite plain, from other declarations of our Lord, where his meaning is more fully brought out, that he is here to be understood as forbidding

* 'Iwra iv ǹ μia nigaia. Iota, or Yod, the smallest letter of the alphabet. Ksgaia, in reference to the Hebrew, seems to signify an apex, or corner, of a letter, a very slight variation of which, in several cases, changes the letter, and, of course, the word and the sense altogether.

divorce, except for adultery. There were two parties, on this subject, among the Jews-the followers of Hillel, whose views were lax, and the followers of Shammah, whose views were strict.* The law of Moses with regard to it, which is found at the beginning of the 24th chapter of Deuteronomy, and which left some latitude, was, however, stretched by most of the Jews, so as to encourage very loose ideas of the obligation of the marriage bond, and to give them a pretence of authority to divorce their wives for the most trifling reasons. Polygamy, though still reckoned lawful, had, by this time, in a great measure ceased, in fact, among the Jews; and now the Head and Lawgiver of the Church brings back the whole law of marriage, as nearly as possible, to its original state. Had men continued innocent, the bond would have been absolutely indissoluble; for, according to that supposition, unfaithfulness would never have occurred to violate it, nor would the icy hand of death have come in between the parties to separate them. As it is now, however, death cuts the knot that binds the most pious, the most faithful, and the most affectionate, and terminates the marriage connexion for ever; "for, in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven,' And, alas! as it is now, there is sometimes committed a crime which is more bitter to the deeply sensitive and injured partner, of either sex, than death; and which, being a direct violation of the chief condition of the marriage contract, virtually destroys it, in so far, at least, as that the injured party has a right, if so disposed, to insist on an actual divorce; which, if insisted on, must be regularly and solemnly gone about, and, as a safeguard against taking the step rashly, must never be recalled. The following passage, in Matthew, 19th chapter from the 3d verse, expresses our Lord's will fully on this point: "The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female; and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore, they are no more twain, but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give * Whitby on Matt. xix. 3-9.

a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her who is put away doth commit adultery."

Sin has deranged the ordinance of God, and introduced man's heaviest trials, through the medium of what would otherwise have always been his sweetest comforts; but the gospel is calculated to re-model his affairs, and to bring them back to a state of happiness and peace. Happy indeed are they, who, having embraced its great salvation, are taught by its precepts, to live together as heirs of the grace of God, so that their prayers are not hindered. This will teach them to look on their union as God's ordinance, and to regulate their conduct to each other, not by their own caprice, but by his holy will. Then they will love each other, as they love themselves; and "they will no more desire a separation on every gust of passion, or incidental uneasiness, than they would desire to have a limb cut off, or to have their flesh mangled every time they feel pain or weariness," which is only resorted to " as a desperate and most painful remedy, in the case of an incurable gangrene."* Thus, they will find that their happiness and duty are one, and that there will exist between them the closest union of interests, cares, and enjoyments, till they are parted by death.

But, let me conclude with calling your attention to that point of universal concern, the necessity of pressing into the kingdom of God. It was thus that men sought its blessings of old; and it is thus that men ought to seek, and thus only that any of you can obtain, its blessings now. It is true that you are not to suppose that any thing remains for you to do, in the way of meriting the Divine favour. That work is already finished; and you must beware of pressing on in a legal and self-righteous spirit. Yet much remains to be done, in the way of your getting actual admission into a state of grace, or, at least, of your being fully prepared for the kingdom of glory. There are too many, no doubt, who trust in the pains they take, and make a righteousness of their own endeavours; but, generally speaking, the more earnest men become in the prosecution of salvation, the less *Scott on Matt, xix. 1-12.

Fikely are they to trust in themselves. It is quite commen for persons who are exceedingly indifferent about religion, to be quite well satisfied with themselves; but, when any are truly awakened, all their former false foundations are shaken and demolished. At the same time, when any are under such concern, they ought to be very careful to avoid wasting their thoughts on matters of doubtful disputation, and to give themselves, with all steadiness, to the grand duties of faith and repentance.

It is certainly your duty to press into the kingdom of God; and it is necessary to do so, if you would obtain admission. But, what is implied in pressing into the kingdom of God? It implies an earnest desire to be saved. Let salvation, then, be the object of your most anxious wish. Let it be the one thing needful, the only thing necessary, in your estimation; and let the language of your hearts be, This one thing have we desired, and this will we seek after. It implies diligence and earnestness of actual endea cour. You must not stop with mere wishes; but you must actually exert yourselves in the use of the appointed means of deep meditation, searching the Scriptures, and attending on the preaching of the Word. And all these endeavours must be accompanied with earnest prayer; which is called "a wrestling" with God, and in which you ought, as it were, to say, with Jacob, "I will not let thee go except thou bless me. It implies, also, breaking through and overcoming every opposition in the way, arising from whatever quarter; and resolving, and acting on the principle, that nothing shall stop you, till you completely gain your point. This pressing into the kingdom of God is elsewhere described in such language as the following: "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling:" "Labour" "for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life:" "Strive to enter in at the strait gate."

Be exhorted thus earnestly and scripturally to press into the kingdom of God, from the consideration of the dreadful misery which you will thereby escape-endless exclusion from happiness and from God; and from the consideration of the unspeakable value of the end which you will thereby attain-heaven, endless life and glory. Be exhorted to press in with vigour and without delay, from the consideration of the shortness and uncertainty of the time during which it will be possible for you to obtain admission. If you trifle away your precious time in faintly seeking entrance, till the