with individuals. The Church of Christ here, is also to be thought of as a Church militant. The City of God is ever at war with the Kingdom of Darkness. Her history, hitherto, is that of a series of victories; and her Lord has declared that the gates of hell shall not prevail against her. But whether in the case of individuals or of the Church, the principle of warfare and the means of victory are the same. Every success is achieved by faith. Faith, which is essential to Christianity, is essentially and necessarily victorious. It seems to be weak and dependent, but its very weakness is irresistible might; for it relies on Omnipotence, and is joined to the arm of the Living God. The moment that faith is allowed to rest, and to yield to weapons of our own devising, the adversary begins to prevail. In this warfare, it is well that we should be informed of the condition of success; and it is most encouraging and invigorating to be assured that success is certain to the faithful. To say that faith overcometh, is only saying in other words, that Christianity is essentially successful-Christianity on the large scale of the Church, and Christianity in our hearts. We can never be defeated as Christians. Defeat involves the resignation of our Christian character.

The enemy is here called the world. The world is the scene of our life and activity; but not thus is it an enemy. It is not in itself evil, but is rendered so by our frailty and proneness to sin. To irregular desire, excessive fear, and distrust of God, it furnishes continual occasions of temptation. Were we alone on the earth, it would present opportunities of sin, and incentives to sin, which again would be seconded by the evil which is within us. How much more powerful are these temptations, when-to the original allurements-are added innumerable fellow-men, who furnish examples of transgressors, and are ready to be our companions in sin, or, perhaps, to molest us if we decline joining them! This, then, is the world which we are to overcome; the sphere of our ordinary life, which is ever liable to abuse from ourselves, and our ordinary companionship with frail and sinful creatures

like ourselves. This is the world which is constantly used by Satan as an instrument of temptation. If we yield to the temptation, we are overcome by the Devil; if we successfully resist, we overcome him; for he has no other power over us than this gives him.

In the second chapter of this epistle, the apostle particularizes the lust of the flesh, or the sphere of sensuality; the lust of the eyes, or the sphere of covetousness; and the pride of life, or the sphere of ostentation, as the things which are in the world. It is remarkable that in all these respects, the tree of knowledge of good and evil furnished an occasion of temptation. The woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise. This tree was, then, her world in the sense of the text the only means of temptation by which she was assailable. Alas, how greatly has the world been enlarged for us by that first trangression! Evil suggestions arise from objects of nature, and are more powerful in the company of our fellows. We feel the force of evil example and the allurements of association. The sphere of the Tempter was limited indeed at first; but by his one sad success there, the door was opened for all the world of nature, and all human fellowship, to be perverted into instruments of death. We are exposed to incessant danger, and may be said, spiritually, to stand in jeopardy every hour.

Turn we to the principle of safety and victory. This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith. Not by lamenting our present weakness, nor by brooding over our past defeats, nor by recurring to ourselves in any way, is the world to be overcome; but by faith. If you know what a man's belief is—if you know the main object of his relianceyou have the key to the man. As his faith, so his character, his life, and his success in the grand conflict. Now faith must have an object; we believe in something, we put our trust in some person. It is the power of the Divine Truth which comes to us from above, the might of the Divine Person in whom we trust, which overcomes the world. Faith overcomes

by bringing Divine strength into the field.

The apostle tells us in the next sentence what is the object of the Christian belief. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

To believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and to yield ourselves to the practical power of this truth, that is, to trust in Him as such, is all that we need for overcoming the world. For if our Jesus is indeed the Son of God, then all that He has done assumes an exemplary character, and obtains a public virtue.

Although the whole life of Christ was a period of conflict with the world and the Devil, there were two grand moments when this conflict was at the hottest; the one at the beginning, the other at the end of His ministry.

At the beginning of Christ's ministry, Satan assailed Him with three temptations, corresponding to the three spheres of desire the flesh, covetousness, and vain-glory. These three temptations Christ overcame, and all in the same way, by simple reliance on God His Father, and faithfulness to His word. This victory was achieved for us; that we might draw strength from the belief of it; that we might learn how the world is to be resisted; that we might receive help by looking away from (apopwvres) the world unto Jesus our Champion, the Author and the Chief Leader (apxnyòv) in the path of faith.

At the end of Christ's ministry, He was again assailed by Satan; but this time not by means of desire, but of fear. The question now was, whether Jesus would be faithful to His Father, when obedience would inevitably lead to death, and that the death of the cross-where the body would be tortured, and where, amid insult and disgrace, He must, though in the prime maturity of manhood, bid farewell to the world. This, also, our mighty Champion could accomplish. For the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Thus He showed us that ease and life must be sacrificed to duty, and that the true path to honor is the

way of lowly obedience. This victory was achieved for us that we might draw strength from the belief of it; that we might learn how the world is to be overcome; that we might receive help from Him who is exalted as a Prince and a Saviour. Let us then consider Him who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself, lest we be wearied and faint in our minds. (Heb. xii. 3).

To believe that Jesus is the Son of God, is to believe that God is our Father in Him. He was declared by resurrection to be the Son of God; and His first language after He was risen was an acknowledgment of His brethren. If we believe that God is our Father, and yield ourselves to the practical power of this most wholesome and consoling truth, we shall not be overcome by irregular desire, but keep ourselves pure; we shall not be overwhelmed by the cares of this life, but trustfully throw ourselves on His Fatherhood; we shall not be overpowered by fear, but feel that withal the wreck of nature, we have a quiet and lasting home; in short, we shall not be overcome by the world, but we shall overcome the world, as Christ did, and by His help, even by the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.

When the mind is endued with this faith, so great is the change, that it is no less than a regeneration; so ennobling is it, that it is a witness of our sonship; for the Apostle says, Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

Observe, that this faith is not belief in any mere theory or speculative doctrine, in any abstract truth, nor in anything whatsoever which has been ascertained by the native energy of the human mind. It is faith in a revealed Saviour, a redeeming God; faith that God has given us His Onlybegotten Son, to be our brother; faith in all the facts of His history-His conflict, His victory for us, His overcoming resurrection, and everlasting glory; trust in His power, His merits, and His mercy.

It was simply by the might of this faith, that the first Christians overcame the world, and that the Church was

established on the ruins of Judaism and Paganism, in face of the pomp and power of the Empire, and in spite of persecution. And by the same might, blessed be God! the Church continues to this hour.

Let us firmly believe,

to the power of the In Him let us trust, as

Brethren, let this faith be ours. ever keep in view, and yield ourselves truth that Jesus is the Son of God. our Champion and Redeemer, the Revealer and Messenger of the Father's will, and our Guide to eternal life. And inasmuch as this faith is exposed to assaults from without and from within, and is ever liable to weakening and decay, let us put up fervent and unceasing prayer for the renewal and increase of it, hoping for the fulfilment of the promise: To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. (Rev. iii. 21).

The Preacher's Finger-Post.

THE VANITY OF MAN.

"Verily, every man at his best state is altogether vanity."Psalm xxxix. 5.

First: It is suggestedthat there is a difference in the secular states of men in this life. The writer speaks of the "best state." Men, here, possess in very different degrees, health, means of subsistence, sources of comfort, elements of enjoyment, power and influence. Between the man who is in the "best state," and the man who is in the

worst state, there is an immense disparity. Secondly: It is suggested that the man who occupies the "best" secular state in this life is vanity-Is "altogether vanity." Men differ widely as to the secular summum bonum-the "best state" but let it be what you like, it is asserted that man's life in it is vanity. Picture a man in the prime of manhood, majestic in physical stature, and robust in health, possessing mental powers of the highest type, thoroughly disciplined, and