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to last for ever, but to be so ignominiously destroyed that not one stone should be left another? There can be but one answer, upon It was dedicated to God. It was, that is, set apart to the holiest uses; to be the place where the holiest worship was to be offered to God. All the worship in it was ordained by God, even its very furniture shadowed forth the good things of the Gospel its mercy-seat betokened our acceptance in Christ; its candlestick, the light of the Gospel; its sacrifices, never without blood, typified the precious Blood of the Lamb slain in God's purpose from the foundation of the world. In order that all these services of a holy God might be performed in it, it was "dedicated:" set apart from all profane uses.

Now if a mere material temple, the scene of a service which was to pass away, was thus dedicated, thus holy, thus saintly, much more is the body and soul of the baptized Christian. At least, so St. Paul thought, when he wrote to the whole body of the Corinthian Christians, without any distinction, "Know ye not that your members are the members of Christ ?" "Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy Ghost which is in you; and ye are not your own, but ye are bought with a price ?" When, then, were the bodies and souls of these early Christians thus dedicated or made over to the sacred service of God? St. Paul is equally explicit about this when he says, "Know ye

not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? therefore we are buried with Him by Baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

According to St. Paul, this saintship was nothing more nor less than dedication to God. All were in his view of matters so dedicated. Those who walked in newness of life walked as "becometh" Saints. Those who did not, who gave way to sinful or worldly lusts, defiled the temple of God, that is, themselves: just as the Jews defiled their holy temple by setting up idols in it, or by suffering men to buy or sell

in it.

But was this all? Was there not some other difference (I mean in his calling) between one Christian and another, so that one should be a Saint and another not? Let us see. Was it in Baptism? Certainly not, for St. Paul is most express in saying that there is "One Baptism;" which there would not be if one man's baptism dedicated him to God, and another man's did not; if one man's baptism laid him under obligations to walk in newness of life, and another's did not. Was the difference in the Lord's Supper? Neither could this be, for St. Paul is most express in asserting that all who came had the same Body and Blood offered to them. "The cup of blessing which we bless,

is it not," he asks, "the communion of the Blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the Body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body for we are all partakers of that one bread."

Was the difference in the things to be believed, that is, in the faith? Far from it, for there is "One Faith." There is the same Great Object of faith, even Jesus Christ; and the same record of Him, even the Four Gospels; and the same summary of what He did and suffered on our account, even the Creed-all which all Christians alike stand up and say that they believe.

Where, then, is the difference? It is that some remember their dedication and others do not; that some, in eating the same consecrated elements, so eat the Flesh of Christ, and drink His Blood, that He, according to His promise, dwells in them, and they in Him; and others "eat and drink their own condemnation, not discerning the Lord's body."

It is that some have only an historical belief in the Articles of the Creed, and others have their very souls permeated by the truths about Jesus dying, rising, ascending, all for them.

Nothing is plainer than this, that the Apostle believed no one more fact or truth respecting Jesus than the most ordinary Christian; only the one held it fast, the other let it go. The one grasped it firmly, as for his life; the other

dropped it, if any sinful occasion made it convenient so to do.

On this day, then, we remember God's Saints; we bless God for all; but by all, we mean not the dedicated ones only, but those who have lived as if dedicated.

Now let us remember that, if it be the part of a Saint to walk in newness of life, and cleanse himself or herself from all filthiness of the flesh and Spirit; to perfect holiness in the fear of God; to be perfect; to be of good comfort; to do no evil; to be constant in prayer; in everything, by prayer and supplication, to make requests known unto God; to keep under the body, and bring it into subjection-if, I say, it be the part of a Saint to do all this; and we cannot imagine a Saint of the New Testament pattern doing more: then all Christians, all baptized Christians, all persons dedicated to God who profess the word of God, and profess to believe in God, and Christ, and the Holy Ghost-then, I say, all such, that is, all of you, are bound to this. For all these things-to walk in newness of life; to put off the old man, to put on the new; to perfect holiness in the fear of God; to be constant in prayer-all these are commands given by God through the mouth of St. Paul to all the Christians of his day without any distinction; and if to the Christians of St. Paul's day, then to the Christians of our day, and to you among them.

But you say, you cannot do these things; you are dedicated to God, but you cannot live at all up to your dedication. I ask, then, how did all the Saints, all the most worthy Saints, for whom we this day praise God-how did they live to their dedication? There is but one answer-by the power of the Holy Ghost.

Nothing can be plainer than this, that the promise of the Holy Ghost is the most unreserved of God's promises; and more than this, that this promise is fulfilled to the whole Church, so that every Christian has some portion in it.

I mean by this, not that every professing Christian has the Spirit effectually working in him, but every professing Christian-if he has not quenched Him-has the Gift to such a degree as to make him answerable, in God's sight, for not improving his Gift; for not praying for, and striving after, more of the light and good influence of the Spirit.

It must be so, or else our very Bible would be of no use: the possession of the Bible presupposes some gift of the Spirit; so that a man should set about doing the things contained in it, or it would be as purely useless a possession as a telescope would be to a blind man.

All the difference between the greatest Saint, for whom we bless God this day, and the least, is simply this, that the one has opened his heart most unreservedly to, and has most

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