it is full, entire, complete. All past transgressions are absolutely forgiven, BO that they will never be alleged against us or stand between us and the love of God. W o oursolvos are taken into the gracious favour of our htavenly Father, admitted to bis family, counted o.mong his own children, constituted his heirs, having freest access to his presence, welcome to call him by the most endearing name. 2. Immediate. There is no probation or apprenticeship to be serverl; we have not to wait to approve our- selves; we are not sentenced to any form of expiation by menial service before we gain our childhood. At once, so soon as we return in spirit unto God, that moment we arc welcomed to the side end to the home of our Father. 3. In faith. We are to seek and to find forgiveness "in Christ's Name," i.e. in the exercise of a simple but living faith in him as in our Divine Saviour. So the apostles evidently understood their Master (see Acts x. 43; xiii 38, 39; 1 Pet. L 8, 9; 1 John ii.12). Thus tbe ascende,l Saviour instructed the" abortive-born apostle" (Acts xxvi. 18), and thus that faithful witness continually taught (see Acts xx. 21). 'l'hose who speak for Christ are to invit.i all sinful men to put their trust in him, the Saviour of mankind, the " Propitiation for the sins of the world," and, accepting him as such, to take the full, free mercy of God unto eternal life. Such was the message which the apostles were solemnly charged to deliver. There was in this great instruction: 1. One charge which they were more particularly to observe-they were to begin at Jerusalem. It was right they should begin there, for it was there that all "these things" (ver. 48) were known and could be attested; and, beginning there, the grace and the magnanimity of the Crucified One would be mon: abundantly manifested. 2. Another, which more particularly affects ourselves-this message of mercy is to be carried to "all nations." It is "the common salvation," needed by all and fitted for all, to work out and send forth which the Lord JesW1 lived and died.-C. Ver. 48.-Bearing witness. These brief words, "Ye are witnesses," being among the very last which Jesus spoke to his apostles, must have lingered in their ear for the rest of their life. In moments of doubt, or of depression, or of danger, the remembrance that their Lord and Leader had charged them to be his witnesses may well have stirred nnd strengthened them to fresh courage and to renewed activity. 'l'hey are words that may well stimulate us also to duty and self-sacrifice. I. THE UNIQUE SERVICE RENDERED BY THE APOSTLES. They were witnesses of "those things," the greatest things that were ever seen and ever attested in the history of mankind; things they were on the full and true statement of which, on the cordial and practical acceptance of which, depended the life and the hope of the world. They could face all with whom they came in contact, and declare that they saw with their own eyes, heard with their own ears, witnessed in their own persons: 1. A perfectly beautiful, a spotless human life, in which, though they saw it under all possible circum- stances and when under least constraint or reserve, they could find no flaw at all (1 Pet. ii. 22). 2. Works of power, which were invariably works of pity and of kindness, of such a no.ture that there was no possibility of mistake. 3. Words of truth and grace such as mortal lip!! had never spoken, and such as met the deepest wants of man's hungering heart, of his yearning nud aspiring soul. 4. Sufferings and sorrows beyond what others knew, borne with a patience that was sublime. 5. A death undergone in shame and pain, amid natural wonders and with more than human nobility. 6. A glorious resurrection from the grave. 7. A messacre0 of mercy and hope to be delivered to all mankind in the name of this great Teacher, Healer, Sufferer, Conqueror. II. THE VALUADLE SERVICE WHICH IS OPEN TO us ALL. 1. we also can testify, in word, to" these things." We leave, and are content to leave, some mysteries which belong to the Christian faith; we do not try, as we need not try, either to explain or to understand them. But "these things," which the world needs to know for its inward peace and its true prosperity, we can speak. We are familiar with the holy and beautiful life of Jesus Christ. We know the thought, we "have the mind of Christ" on all the oeepest and highest subjects with which our character and our destiny are bound up. We are conversant with the sufferings and the sorrows of the Saviour; for the story of his Passion is better known by us than any other history whatsoever-it is not only in our memory, it is in our heart. We can speak of his death and of his THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST, LUKE. [01t. x:uv. 1-53,
triumph over the grave. ,ve know well what is the message of truth nod grace he desires to be decll\red to the whole world. We can speak of him and for him, 2. And we can find. Rn audience. There are many who will not listen to us, but there are those who w1ll. The yo11'Tl{J, who hl\ve a spirit of docility and inquiry· the sick and the sad, to whom "the consolation which is in Christ" is the one thino-'that heals and cl\lms; the poor, to whom tl>e pearl of great price is welcome, and who tre willing to be made •• rich t-0ward God ; " the disappointed and the weary, who are glad to know of One who can give "rest unto the soul; "-these will receive our testimony. 3. We can bear the best and trnest witness of the life. What men want to be convinced of is that Christianity is a living power; that it not only has very fine sentiments to teach -these can be found elsewhere-but that it is a moral and spiritual power that can save the lost, can cleanse the foul, can soften the hard-hearted, can humble the proud can arouse the indifferent and obtuse, can infuse cheerfulness and joy into the heart or the poor and lowly, can give rest of spirit to those who nre encompassed by the cares of time, can fill the soul with tender sympathy and prompt to generous and self-denying snccour, can substitute a forgiving for a vindictive spirit in the wronged, can enable itli possessors to gain a victory over themselves and over the world and to crown a vic- torious life by a death of calm tranquillity and joyful hope. Here is scope for witness- bearing; and, as every Christian man has the truth of Christ on which to feed, the example of Christ to follow, and the Holy Spirit of Christ to whom to look for his indwelling power, it is open to every disciple to be a witness, whose testimony shall be valuable on earth and acceptable in heaven.-O.