It becomes the foundation of our hopes, since it involves the destiny of the world. In conferring upon Christ the distinguished honor of inheriting all souls, there is conferred upon man the honor of being Christ's, and of sharing with him all the blessedness of his kingdom. He enters upon the same communion with the Father, and shares it joyfully with a redeemed universe. To the clear eye of faith, the unclouded glories of God are manifest; and the soul inherits the bliss of that upper world. We thus become “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ."

It remains for us to live worthy the high destiny to which God has appointed us. And if we would enter upon our inheritance and the blessedness of the heavenly kingdom, we must believe that "wisdom is better than rubies," and that the love of God is the life of the soul.

1Rom. viii. 17.

"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord."-Eph. ii. 20: 21.

THE Doctrine of Justification by Faith alone, was the basis of Luther's opposition to the Roman Church. He also protested against the efficiency of indulgences, exposed the folly of many superstitions, and ridiculed mass for the dead, but this was the essential idea of his reform.

In assuming the position, however, that "the Holy Scriptures are the only source whence we are to draw our religious sentiments, whether they relate to faith or practice," he opened the way for the introduction of new elements of opposition, and new forms of belief. Accordingly,

we find the Augsburg Confession of Faith, "written by the elegant and accurate pen of Melancthon," opposed by the Reformer of Geneva, who claimed to have higher grounds of opposition to the Roman Church, and to have discovered doctrines not acknowledged by the Reformer of Wittenberg. Luther made the immorality of the Church the subject of severe censure; Calvin protested against its idolatry, and demanded a spiritual worship independent of all images, tapers and pictures.

Zwingle exposed Luther's error in adhering to the Papists doctrine of Consubstantiation, and Arminius attacked Calvin for his rigid opinions upon free will, predestination and grace.

And

The pietistic views of the celebrated mystic o Oxford, found able advocates in Wesley and Whitefield, the former sustaining the position of Arminius, the latter that of Calvin. thus one doctrine after another was evolved from controversy; new sects were founded, as ol opinions were rejected and new views avowed until every important doctrine of Romanism ha been directly opposed, and, it would seem, ever doctrine of the Gospel had a special organizatio for its defence.

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A review of the Christian Church through all these changes, leaves no room for suspicion in

relation to the sincerity of those who have professed these various opinions. Nor is there, probably, any real doubt, but that the leading tenet of each one of these sects, is, to some extent, true. Occasionally a folly is started, and. carried forward in the midst of an intelligent community, the claims of which, upon sober sense, it would be difficult to discern; but such instances are only occasional; neither are they of long duration. Most sects, parties and organizations, do really involve some valuable principle. The folly of Millerism was not all folly; it only gave the dates to an opinion in reference to the second coming of Christ, which was and is entertained by nearly every Protestant sect! If the Lord were to come soon, why not then, as the figures showed? And thus, in every theory of medicine, in every party in politics, in every reform scheme, and in nearly every thing that sensible and good men really interest themselves in, there is to be found some worthy element; it has its claim or its apology; it is a good thought which deserves encouragement, or a worthy mo

tive misapplied, or a gem of truth in a setting of falsehood.

The correctness of our position in reference to Protestantism will perhaps appear, if we direct attention to the leading tenets of its most promi

nent sects.

Methodism turns upon the doctrine of the new-birth. Now there is no doubt but that the Bible teaches the necessity of being "born again," for that is expressly declared. The only question is in reference to the signification o the phrase, and the rank which it should hold i our systems of belief. We think that the fol lowers of Wesley misinterpret the conversatio between our Lord and Nicodemus; that the mistake the figure for the thought it embodie and that they give to this tenet a more prom nent place than was assigned to it by the apo tles and immediate followers of Christ.

Calvinism talks of the irrevocable decrees God; and in this it rests upon a firm basi There is no doubt but that the decrees of Go are unalterable; the Bible, nature and reaso alike prove this. But the fact of the decree no means determines the thing decreed.