Parochial and Plain Sermons

" Tkere is at Jerusalem by the sheelonar.et a ool, wMch is called in tke 2Yebrew tongue Bethesda, having]i,e porches. In these lay a great ¢nultitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water."

"]IIAT a scene of misery this pool of Bethesda must have presented! of pain and sickness triumphing unto death! the "blind, halt, withered, and impotent," persuaded by the hope of cure to disclose their sufferings in the eye of day in one large company. This pool was endued, at certain rimes, with a wonderful virtue by the descent of an Angel into.if, so that its waters effccted the cure of the first who stepd into if, whatever was his discase. However, I shall hOt speak of this wondeïful pool; nor of our Saviour's miracle, wrought there upon t],.e man who h.d no one o put him in before the rest, when the watcr was Croubled, and who had been for thirty-eight years affiicted with his infirmity. Without entering into these subjects, let us take the text as if stnds in the opening of the chapter which contains it, and deduce a lesson ri'oto it.

There lay about the pool "a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, and withercd." This is a painful picture, such as we do hot likc fo dwell upon,— a picture of  chier kind of hunmn sufferin, bodily disease; one which sugffests fo us and typifies all other suffbrin,—the most obvious fidfilment of that ourse which Adam's fidl brought upon his descendants. Now it must srike every one who thinks at ail about if, that tle Bible is full of such descriptions of humala misery. We know if also abounds in accounts of hulnan sin; but not fo speak of these, it abounds in aceounts of human distress and suffirings, of our miserable condition, of the vanity, unprofitableness, and trials of life. The Bible begins with the history of the eurse pronouneed on the earth and lnan; it ends with the book of l%velation, a portion of Scripture fearfid for ifs threats, and ifs prediction ofjudffments; and whether the oriffinal ourse on Adam be now removed from the world or not, itis certain tbat God's awfid curses, foretold by St. 3ohn, are on ail sides of us. Surely, in spire of the peculiar promises ruade fo the Chureh in Christ out Saviour, yet as reg-ards the world, the volume of inspiration is still a dreary record, " writteu within and without with lamentations, and mourninff, and woe." And further, you will observe tlmt if seems fo drop what mig'ht be said in favour of this lire, and enlarg, es on the unpleasant side of it. The history passes qniekly from the Garden of Eden, fo dwell on the sufferings which followed, when our tïrst parents were expelled thence; and though, in marrer of ihct, there are traces of paradise still left amon us, yet itis evident, Scripture says little of them in comlï, arison of ifs aecounts ofhumal m]sery. Little does if say COlcerlfin the innoccnt pleasurcs of lire; those temporal blcssings whieh rest npon out worldly occupations, and make thcm easy; of tl)c blcssing's which we dcrive from "the suu and moon, aud'the everlasting hills," from the succession of the seasons and the produce of the earth;littlc about our recreations and out daily domestic comIbrts;—little about the ordinary occasions of fesfivity and mil'th which occur in liIb, and nothin at ail abou those various oth('r eljoyments which it would be goiu too much into dctail fo mention. IIuman tales and poems are thll of pleasant sights and prospects; they make thiugs better than they are, and pourtray  sort of imailmry-perfection; but Scripture (I repeat) scems to abstain even from what might be said in praise of humal life as it is. Vc read, indced, of the feast ruade whcn Isaac was wc.ned, ot Jacob's marriae, of the donaestic and religious festivities of Job's family; bu these arc exceptions in the tenor of the Scripture history. "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity;" "man is born" to trouble:" these are ifs customary lessous. The text is but a specilnen of thc descriptions repeated aain and agin throughout Scripture of human infirmity and miser T. So much is this the case, tha thoughtless liersons are averse to the Scripture narrative tbr this very reason. I do hot mean bad men, who speak hard, presumptuous words against the Bible, and in consequence expose themselves to the wrath of God; bu I speak of less persons  and of these there are man)', who consider the Bible a gloomy book, and on that account seldom

 8 Scri/urc a ]ccord look into it, saying that it makes fhem melancholy. Aecording'ly, there bave been attempts ruade on the other hand o hide this austere character oF Scripture, and make ita brig'ht interesting picture of human liçe. Its stories have beçore now been profinely embellished in hunmn language, o suit the taste of weak and cowardly minds. Ail this shows, that in the common opinion oF mankind, the Bible does not take a pleasant sunshine view of the woAd. Now why have I fhus spoken of his gcneral character of hc sacrcd histo T?in order to countenance hose who complaln of if lct it hot be imagined;far from if. God docs nofhing without some wise and good reason, which if becomes us devoufly to accept and use. He bas hOt given us this dark view of fhe world without a cause. In truth, flfis view is the ultimafe rue view of human lire. But this is not all; itis a view which it eoncerns us much to know. It concerns us (I say) much fo be told that flfis world is, affer all, in spite of first appearances and partial exceptions, a dal'k wor]d; else we shall be obliffed to learn it (and, sooner or later, we nlust lcarn if) by sad exjerience; whereas, if we are fbre- varned, we shall unlearn false notions of its excellence, and be saved the disappoinment which fi,llows them. And :herefore it is tiret Seripture omits even what might be said in praise of fhis world's pleasures;—hot denying their value, sueh as it is, or forbidding us fo use them religiously, but knoving fhat we are sure to final them out for ourselves without being told of them, and that our danger is on the side, hot of undervaluing, but of overvaluing them; whereas, by being told of the world's vanify, al.tiret, we shall learn (wlmt else we should only atfain a[ lest), hot indeed fo be gloomy and diseon- ented, but fo bear a sober and eahn heart under a smiling" eheerful eounfenanee. This is one chlef reason of the solemn eharacfer of the Scril)ture history; and if we keep it in view, so far from being offended and frighfened away by its notes of sorrow, because they grate on fhe car af. first, we shall stedfastly listen to them, and get them by heart, as a gracious gift from God sent to us, as a remedy for ail dangerous overflowing joy in present hlesslns, in order fo save us far g'reafer pain (if we use fhe lesson well), the pain of actual disappoiutment., such as the overthrow of vainly cherished hopes of lasting good upon earth, vill certainly occasion. Do l»ut considcr what is the consequenee of ignorance or distrust of God's warning voice, and you will sec clearly how merclfnl Ho is, and how wise if is to listen t.o Him. I will not suppose a case of gross sin, or of open contempt for religion; but let a man bave a general becoming" reverence for the law and Church of God, and an unhesitating faith in his Saviour Christ, vet suppose him so fo be taken with the goods of this world, as (without his being aware of it) fo give his heart fo them. ]et him have many good feelings and dispositions; but let him love his earthly pursuits, amusements, friends, too well;by whieh I rnean, so well as fo forger that ho is bound to lire in the spirit of Abraham's faith, who gave up home, kindred, possessions, all his eye over loved, af GoÇl's wor(l,in the spirit of St. Paul's faith, who "counted ail things but loss for the excellency of t.he knowledge of Christ Jesus his ]ord,"

,330 Scritirc a Idccord md to win Ilis favour « suffercd the loss of ail things. ' How will the world go wiOa  mau tlms forgefful of his rue iutests? For a hile oll ill be enjoymen;—if af any time weariness eomes he will be able fo change his pleasure, and the variety will relieve hlm. His healfl is good and his spirits high, and easily toaster and bear down all the accidental troubles of lire. So far is well; bub, as yers roll on, by ]ittle and litde he vill diseover that, afler all, he is hot, as he imagined, possessed of any real substantial good. He will begin to find, and be startled af finding, that the things whieh once pleased, pleasc less and less, or hot at all. He will be unable fo recall tlose lively emotions in which he once indulged; and he will wonder why. Thus, by degrees, the delighfful visions which surrounded him will fade away, and in thcir stead, melancholy forms will haunt him, such as crowded round the pool of Bethesda. Then will be fulfilled the words of the wise man. The dvs will have COllle, «« when thou shalt say» I lmve no pleasure in them; the sun and fhe light and the moon and the srs shall be darkened and the clouds return afr the rain; then they who look out of the window shall be darkened, the doors shall be shut in the streets, all the daugters of music shall be brought low, iars shall be in fhe way, and desire shall fail. '' Then a man will begin tobe restless and discontented, tbr he does liOt kuow how fo amuse himself. Before, he was checrful oldy from the natural flow of his spirits and when such cheerfidness is lost with increasing years, he becomes evil-natm'ed. IIe has ronde no effort to change his heart,—to raise, streng'then, a.nd lml'i his faith,—to subdue his bad p,ssions,ud tempers. Now their day is corne; thcy have Sl)l'Ung up aud I)egin fo domineer. Vhen ho was in he«lth, he thou'ht about his fill'ln, or his merehandize, and lied fo himself; he la.id ont lis strenth on the world, and the world is nothing" fo hiln, as a worthlcss bargnin (so fo say), seeing if is nothin worth fo one who eannot take pleasnre in it. IIe had uo habitual thought of God in t.he former tilne, howercr he mig'ht have a gencral revercnee for IIis uame; and now he dl'cads IIim, or (if the trnth must be said) even begins to hate the thought of Ililn. Vhere shall he look for sueeonr? Perhaps, moreover, he is a burdcn fo those around hiln  they eare hot for him,—he is in thcir way. And so he will lie year after)'cal-, by the pool of 13ethesda, by the waters of health, with no one hell)ing" him;unable to tadvance hlmself towards a cure, in consequenee of his long habits of sin, and others passlng him by, perhaps unable to hclp one who obstinatcly refuses fo be coinforte& Thus ho has af leng'th full personal, painfil experienee, that this world is really vanity or worse, and ail this beeause he would hot believe if from Seripture. Now should the above description appear overcharged, should if be said that it supposes a man to be possessed of more of the pleasures of lire than most men have, and of keener feeling, s,—should if be said that most men lmve little fo enjoy, and that most of those who have much go on in an ordinary tranqnil way, and take and lose things without mueh thought, not pleased mueh in

33 a Sc@t¢t'e et their vig'orous days, and hot earlng mueh about the change when the world deserts them,—then I must proeeed fo, more solemn eonslderat.ion still, on which I do hot like fo dwell, but would rather leave if for your own private refleetion upon if. There is a story in the Gospels of a man who was taken out of this lire belote he had tnrned his thoughts heaven-ward, and in another world he lift up his eyes being" in torments. 13e quite sure that every one of us, even the poorest and the most dull and insensible, is far more attaehed fo thls world than he ean possibly imagine. We get used fo the things about us, nld forger they are neeessary for out coinfort. Every one, when taken out of this world, would mlss a great deal tlmt he was used fo depend on, and would in eonsequenee be in grea diseomfort and sorrow in his new abode, as a stranger in an unknown place; every one, that is, who had hot, while on earth, ruade God his Father and Proteetor,that Great God who alone will there be found, ge do hot, then, menti the the marrer af all in supposing" a man hot to find out the world's vanlty here  for, even should the world remain his taithN1 friend, and please hhn with ifs g'oods, to his dying" day, still that world will be burnt up af the day of his resurrection; a.nd even lad he little of ifs coinforts here, that little he will then miss. Then all men, small and great, will know it tobe vanity, and feel their infinite loss if they have trusted it, when all the dead stand before God. Let this suffiee on the use we must make ofthe solemn view whieh the Seriptnre takes of this lire. Those diselosures are intended to save us pain, by preventing" us of Z2Qtmaz ço'rov.,. 333 fi'om enjoyin the world nnreservedly; that we may use not abusing it. Nor let it seem as if this view of lire must make a man melaneholy and g'loomy. çhere are, if is true, men of ill-eonstituted minds, whom it hns driven out ot' the world; but, rig'htly understood, if hns no sueh tendeney. 'he great rule of out eonduet is fo take thing's s they eome. IIe who g'oes out of hls way as shrinkin fi'om the varieties of lmman lire whieh meet hiln, has weak fiHth, or a strangely perverted eonseience,he wants elewtion of mind. The truc Christimi rejoiees in those earthly things whieh gqve joy, but in sueh a way as hot fo eare for them when they go. For no blessing's does he eare mueh, exeept those whieh are immortal, knowing that he shall reeeive all sueh again in the world to eome. But the least and the most fleetlng', he is too religious fo eontenm, eonsidering them God's gift and the least and most fleeting, thns reeeived, yield a. pnrer and deeper, though a less tumultuons joy. And if he at rimes refi-ains, if is lest he should eneroaeh upon God's bounty, or lest by a eonstant use of if he should forger how fo do without if. Onr Saviour gives us a pattern whieh we are bound fo follow. He was a far reater flmn John the Baptist, yet He came, not with St. John's outward austerity, eondemning" the disd)lty of strietness or g'loominess, that we, His followers, miht fast the more in private, and be the more ausIere in our secret hearIs. Truc it is, tiret sueh self-eommand, eomposnre, and inward faith, are hot learned in a day; bu if they were, why should this life be given us? Itis given us as a very preparation rime for obtaining them. Only look upon the w«»rld in this light;—its sights of sorrows are to ealln you, and its pleasmt sights fo try you. There is a bravery in thus going straightforward, shrinking from no duty little or g'reat, passing from hig'h fo low, from pleasure fo pain, and making your prineiples strong without their beeolning" formal. Learn fo be as the Angel, who eould deseend among the miseries of Bethesda, without losing his heavenly purity or his perfeet happiness. Gain healing froln troubled waters. Iake up 3"out mil(l fo the prospect of sustaining a certain measure of pain:md trouble in)'out passag'e through lire; by the blessing of God this will prepare)'ou for it,—it will nmke)'ou thoug'htN1 and resigned without interfering with your eheerfulness. If will eonneet)'ou in)'out own thoughts with the Saints of Seripture, wlmse lot it was to be patterns of patient endurance; and this association bl'ings to the mind a peeuliar consolation. View yourselves md all Christians as humbly following the steps of Jeob, whose da)-s were few and evil; of David, who in his best estate was as a shadow that (leelinetlb and was witlered likc grass; of Elijah, who despised sort ratinent and mmptuous fire; of foHorn Daniel, wlo lcd:m Angel's lire; and be lightlwarted md eontented, teca«se),ou are thus ealled to be a member of Christ's pilgrim Chureh. Ilealize the paradox of making lnerry and rejoieing in the world because if is tot your's. And if)'ou are hard to be affeeted (as lnany men are), and think too little about the changes «)t" lire, going on in a dull way without hope or fear, feeling neither 3"out necd llor the excellence of religion;

of ZZg»za Sorrow. 335 then, aain, meditate on the mournful histories reeorded in Scripture, in order that your hearts may be opened thereby and roused. Read the Gospels in particular; you lere find aeeouns of s]ck and afflicked persons in every page as memenos. Above all, you here read of ChrisUs sufferings, which I ara no now called upon to speak of; but the though of which is far more than enoug'h to make he world, brigh as i may be, look dark and miserable in itsclf fo ail truc bclievers, evcn if the record of the»t were the only sorrowful part of the whole:Bible. And now I concludc, bidding you think mueh of the Scripture history in thc lig'ht in which I have put it, that you may hot hcreafter final that you have misscd ont grcat benefit which it was graciously intcndcd to couvcy.

HEN our Lord was g'oing to leave the world and return to His Father, He called His disciples o2hans; children, as it were, whom He had been rearing, who were still unable fo direct themselves, and who were soon to /ose their Protector; but Ho said,"I will hot lcave you comfortless orphans, I will corne to you ;" meaningto say, He wou]d corne again to thcm in the power of His Holy Spirit, who should be their present all-sufficient Guide, thouh He Himselt' was away. And we know, ri'oto file sacred history, that whcn the IIoly Spirit came, fley ceased to be the defenceless children they had been bcfore. He breathed into them a divine life, and gifted them with spiritual manhood, or 2e9rec[ion, as i is callcd in Scripture. From that time forth, they put away childish things: they spake, they understood, they thought, as those who had been taught to govern themselves; and who, having "an unction from the IIoly One, knew all things." That sueh a change was wrought in the Apostles, aecording to Christ's promise, is evident from comparing their conduct te.fore the day of Pcntecost, when the Holy Spirit descendcd on them, and aller. I need not enlarge on their wonderful firmness and zea.1 in their Master's cause afterwards. On the other hand, itis plain from the Gospcls, that before the IIoly Ghost came down, that is, while Christ was still with them, they were as helpless and ignorant as children; had no clear notion what they ought to seek after, and how; and were carled astray by their aecidental feelings and their long-cherished prejudiees.—What was it but fo act the child, to ask how many rimes a fellow-Christian should offend against us, and we forgive him, as St. Peter did? or to ask fo sec the Father, with St. Philip? or to propose to build tabernacles on the mourir, as if they were hot fo return to the troubles of the world? or to dispute who should be the greatestt? or to look for Christ's restoring  at that time the temporal kingdom to Israel2?:Natural as such views were in the case of half-instructed Jews, they were evidently unworthy of those whom Christ had ruade His, that He might "present them perfect" before the throne of God. Yet the first disciples of Christ at least put off their vanities once for all, when the Spiz'it came upon fliem;

but as to ourselves, the Spirit has long since been poured upon us, even @oto our earliest years; yet it is a serious question, vhether multitudes of us, even of those anaong us who make a profession of religion» are even so far advaneed in, knowledge of the Truth as the Apostles were before the d,y of Penteeost. It may be a profitable employment to-da.y to eonsider this question, as suggested by the text,—to inquire how fur we have proeeeded in putting off sueh ehildish things as are ineonsistent with a manly, honest profession of the Gospel. Now, observe, I ara hot inquiring whether we are plainly living in sin, in wilful disobedienee; nor even whether we are yielding through thoughtlessness fo sinfid praetiees and habits. The condition of those who aet,ga.inst their conscience, or who aet without conscience, that is, lightly and ea.relessly, is far indeed from bearing any resemblanee to that of the Apostles in the years of their early diseipleship. I ara supposing yon, my brethren, to l»e on the whole followers of Christ, to profess fo obey Him; and I address you as those who seem fo themselves fo have a fair hope of salvation. I a.m direeting your attention, hOt to your sins, hot fo those faults and failings whieh you know fo be sueh, and are trying fo eonquer, as being eonfessedlv evil in themselves, but fo sueh of your views, wishes, and fastes, as resemble those vhieh the Apostles eherished, true believers though they were, before they attained their manhood in the Gospel: and I ask, how far you bave dismissed these from your minds as vain and trifling; that is, how far you have ruade what St. Paul in the text seems to eons'der the first step in the true spiritual

C/ristian 3fan/wd. 3 3 9 eo«rse of' a Christian, on whom the tIoly Ghost has deseended. 1. For cxample, Let us eonsider ont love of the pleasures of lire. I ara willin.g" to allow there is an innocent love of the world, innocent in itself. God m,qde the world, and has sanctioncd the general form of human society, and bas given us abundant pleasures in if; I do uot say lasting pleasures, but still, while they are present, really pleasures. If is natural that the young" should look with hope to the prospect before them. They ca.tarot hel I) forming schemes what they will do when they corne iuto active lib, or what they would wish fo be, had they thcir choice. They indulge themselves in fimcyings about the flture, which they know af the rime cannot corne true. Af other rimes they confine themselves to what is possible; and thcn thcir hearts burn, while they dream of quiet happiness, domestic comfort, independenee. Or, with bolder views, they push forward their fortunes into public lire, and indulg"e ambitious hopes. They faney themselves rising" in the world, disting"uished, courted, admired; securing` influence over others, and rewarded with high station. James and John had such a dream when they besought Christ that they might sit at His side in the most honourable places in His kingdom. Now such dreams can haMly be called sinful in themselves, and without refhrence to the particular case; for the gifts of wealth, poxver, and influence, and much more of domestic comfbrt, corne from God, and may be religàously improved. But, thoug"h hot directly censurable, they are childis]; childish either in themz

340 C]risliasz selves, or a least when eherished and indulge¢ ¢.hildish in  Christian, who has infinitely higher vie to eng,'ross his mind nd, as being" ehildish, exeusl: only in the young'. They are an ofl%nee when reta.im s lif`e goes on; but in fhe young" we may reg`ard the af`ter the pattern of out 8aviour's judg'ment upon young" ma.n who was rieh and noble, tIe is sid have "loved him;" liying • (that is) and hot harsh denouneing" the antieiptions x-hieh he had formed happiness f`rom wealth and power, yet withal eealing from him the sacrifice of all these whieh l must make, "if" he would be perf'eef," that is,  ma nd no  mere ehild in the Gospel. o. But there are other ehildish views and habi besicles, whieh nust be put off" while we take on ou selves the f'ull profession of  Christian  and these, n so free from intrinsie guil as those whieh have be:'.lready notieed;—sueh as fhe love of' display, g"reed ness of the world's praise, and the love of the eomfor and luxuries of life. These, though wrong teml0ers mind, still I do hot now eall by their hardest namt beeause I 'ould lead œeersons, if I eould, rather fo tu: a.wa.y from them as unworthy a Christian, with  so of' eontempt, outg"rowing" them as they g"row in g"ra( and laying" them aside as  matter of course, while th are gradua]ly learning" fo "set thelr aff`eetions on thin bove, hot on things of the earth." Cildren have evil tempers and idle ways whieh do hot deig'n fo sI)eak seriously of. ny degree, apl0rove them or endure them on their or aeeount; nay, we Imnish some of them; but we be thern in ehildren, and look for their disappearing as tl:e mind beeornes more mature. _And so in religious matters l;here are rnany habits and views, whieh we bea wifli in the unfonned Christian, bul; whleh we aeeount disgraeefid and eontenapfible should they survive that rime when a nmu's eharaeter may be supposed to be sel;l;led. Love of display is one of these; whether we are vain of out abilil;ies, or our aequirements, or out wealflb or out personal appearanee; whether we diseover out weakness in talking mueh, or in love of m:tnagîng, or ag'aln in love of dress. Yanity, indeed, and eoneeil; are alwtys disagreeable, for the reason thal; thev interfere with the eornforl; of other persons, and vex l;hern; bul; I ana here observing, thal; l;hey are i** them-,elve, odious, when diseerned in those who enjoy the privileges of the Chureh, and are by profession men in Chrisl; esus, odious ff-oto their ineonsisl;eney with Chrisl;ian fail;h and earnestness. And so wifll respeel; to the love of worldly eomforts a.nd luxur{es (whleh, unhappily, often grows upon us ral;her than disappears, as we gel; old), whether or nol. il; be natural in youth, al; least» il; is (if I may so say) slod:i,t in those who profess fo be "perfeet," if we would estlrnate things arig'hl;; and this fl'om ifs g'reat ineong'ruity with the spiril; of the Gospel. Is il; hot sornefialng beyond measure strange and monstrous (il" we eould train out hearts to possess a righl; judg'rnenl; in all l;hing, s), fo lrofess thal; out l;reasure is nol; here, but in heaven with Hirn who is aseended thither, and fo own thal; we have a cross to bear affer Him, who firsl; sut'- fered belote He triumphed; and yel; to sel; ourselves

¢/e/i$era[ebj te study our own eomfort as some great m sufflcient end, te go much out of our way te promo if, te sacrifice any thing considerable te guard if, and be downcast af the prospect of the loss of if? Is if po sible for a true son of the Church militant, while "ri al-k, and Isracl, and Judah abide in tents," and ri "servants of his Lord are encampcd in the open field te "eat aud drink" securcly, te wrap himself in ri furniture of wcalth, te feed his eyes with the "pride l i fb," and complote for himself the mcasure of this worl£ clcgancies? Agnin, ail ¢imidi¢y, irresolu¢ion, fear of ridicule, weal ness of purpose, such as ¢he Apos¢les showed when h( desertcd Christ, and Peter especial]y when he deni tIiln, are o be numbered among-¢he empers of mi which are childish as well as sinful; which we mu learn to despise,—to be ashamed a ourselvcs if we a influenced by ¢heln, and, instead oç thinking • ¢he co ques of thcm a ffrea hing5 fo accoun i as one of l very firs steps owards being bu an ordinary believer; jus as ¢he Aposles, in spi¢e of  their form discipleship, only commenced (surely) ¢heir Chrisi course at/he day of Pentecost, and/hen took te then selves a good mcasure et  faith, boldness, zeal, and sel mastery, net as seine great proficiency and as  boa, but as thc vcry condition of their being Christians all, as the elements of spiritual liib, as  mere outfittin and a small attaimncut indeed in that extended cour oï sanctification through which the Blessed Spirit willing te lead every Christian. New in this last remark I bave given a chief reas¢ for dwelling" on the sul»ject before us. If is very coinmon for Christians fo make mueh of what are but petty services; first to place the very substance of religious obedienee in a fêw nleagre observances, or partieular moral preeepts whieh are easily eomplied with, and whieh thev think fit fo eall giving" up the wofld; and then to make a great vaunting about their having" donc what, in truth, every one who is hot a mere child in Christ ought to be able fo do, fo eongratulate themselves upon their sueeess, ostentatiously to return thanks for it, fo condemn others who do hot happen fo more cxactlv along the very saine line of minute praetices ha detail which thev have adopted, and in eonsequenee fo forg'et that, after all, by such poor obedience, rig'ht thoug'h if be, still they have hot approached even to a distant view of that point in their Christian course, af which they may eonsider themselves, in St. Paul's words, to have "attained" a sure hope of salvation; just as little childreu, when they first have streng'th fo more their limbs, triumph in every exertion of their newlyaequired power, as in some great vietory. To put off idle hopes of earflfly good, fo be sick of flattery and the world's praise, to sec the emptiness of temporal greatness, and fo be watehful against self-indulgenee,these are but the beg, innings of religion; these are but the preparation of heart, whieh religious earnestness implies; without a good share of them, how ean a Christian more a step? How could Abraham, when ealled of God, have even set out from his native place, unless he had lef off to think nluch of this world, and cared hot for its ridicule? Surely these atta.inments are but our first manly robe, show]ng' that childhood is gone; and, if we feel the love and fear of the world still active within our hearts, deeply must we be humbled, yes, and alarmed; and humbled even though but the traces rema{n of former weaknesses. But even if othetvise, what thank bave we? See what the Apostles were, by way of contrast, and then you will sec what is the true lire of the Spirit., the substance and fifll fruit of holiness. To love our brethren with,,. resolution which no obstacles can overcomc, so as almost to consent fo an anathema on ourselves, if so be we may save those who hate us,—to labour in God's cause against hope, and in the midst of sufferines,—to read the events of ]ife, as they occur, by the interpretation which Scripture gives them, and that, not as if the language were strange fo us, but fo do if promptly,—to perform all out relative daily duties most watchfully,— fo check every evil thought, and bring the whole mind into captivity to the law of Christ,—to be patient, cheerful, forgiving', meek, honest, and true,—to persevere in this good work till death, making' fresh and fresh advances towards perfection—and after all, even fo the end, fo confess ourselves unprofitable servants, na.y, to fcel ourselves corrupt and sinful creatures, who (with all our proficiency) would still be lost unless God bestowed on us His mercy in Christ;—these are some of the difficult realities of religious obedience, which we mnst pursue, and which the Apostles in high measure attained, and which we may well bless God's holy naine, if He enables us to make our own. Let us then take it for g'ranted, as a truth Which

C/ristiaz AIaz/zood. 345 eannot be g'alnsaid, that fo break with the world, and make religion our first eoneern, is only to eease fo Le ehildren; and, ag'ain, that in eonsequenee, those Chrlstians who have eome fo mature years, and yet do hot even so mueh as this, a.re « in fim presenee of the Angels of God" an odious and unnatuml spectacle, a moekery of Christlanity. I do hOt say what sueh men are in God's sight, and what are flmlr prospeets for the next world, for that is a fearful flought,—and we ouht o Le influeneed by motives far hig'her flmu tliat mere slavish dread of future punishment o whieh sueh a eonslderatlon would lead us. But here some one may ask, wheflmr I ara hot speaking" severely in urg'ing" so many sacrifices af the beglnning" of true Christian obedleuee. In conclusion, then, I observe, in tire first place, tiret I have hOt sa.id a word against the moderate and thankful enjoyment of this life's goods, w]ert they actually corne in our way; but against the wishing earnestly for them, seeking them, and preferring" them to God's rig'hteousness, which is commonly done. Further, I ara not excluding from the company of Christians all who cannot at once make up their minds thus vigorously to reject the world, when its goods are dangerous, inexpedient, or unsuitable; but excluding  them from the company of mature, manly Christians. Doubtless our Lord deals gently with us. He bas put His two Sacraments apart ri'oto each other. Baptism first admits us to His favour; His Holy Supper brings us among His perfect ones. He bas put from fourteen to twenty years between them, in the ordinary course of things, that we may havc time to courir the cost, and make out deelsion ealmly. Onlv there mus be no standing still,—here canno be; rime g, oes slowly, ye surely, from birfi o the age of manhood, and in like manne3 out minds, though slowly formed o love Christ, mus sill be formlng. I is when men are mature in years, and ye are "ehildren in undersanding," [hen they are intolerable, beeause they lmve exceeded their season, and are ou of place. Then i is that ambitious thoughts, trifling pursuits and amusements, passionate wishes and Eeen hopes, and the love of display, are direetly sinful, beeause thcy are by that rime dcliberae sins. While they were ehildren, "they spake as children, undcrsod, thought as ehildrcn;" but when they became men, "it was lih rime to awake out of sleep;" and "put away childish thins." And i£ thev have eontinued children insad of "having their senses exercised to diseriminate between the excellent and the base," al=t what deep repentanee must be theirs, belote they tan ]now what truc peaee is lwhat selfreproach and sharp self-discipline, before their eyes eau be opened to sec effectually those truths whieh are "spiritually diseerned " So much on the case of those who negleet fo grow berlines into the hope o£ their ealling. As to the young themselves, if is plain that nothbag I have said ean vive eneouragement to them to acquiesce in thelr present ineomplete devotion of themselves to God, beeause it will be as mueh as they ean do, even with their best efforts, fo make their @rowth of wisdom and of stature keep paee with eaeh other. And if there be any one who, as t.hiuking the enjoyments of vouth must soon be relin-

Chri«tiau _/]/'« zhood. 347 quished, deliberately resolves fo make the mos of them belote the dnfies of manhood eome upon him, sueh an one, in doing" so, is renderin i impossible for him to g'ive them up, when he is ealled to do so. _As for those who allow themselves in wlm, even in youth, is elearlv sinful,the deliberate neg'lee of pvayer, profimeness, riotous livins", or oher immorality,—the case of sueh persons has not even enred into my mind, when spoke of yonthful thoug'ht]essness. hey, of course, have no "inheritanee in the kin'dom of Christ and God." But if there be those among us, and sueh there we!l may be, who, like the youn rulcr, "worshipping Christ," and "loved" by IIim, and oheyins-IIis commandments from their youth up, yct cannot hut be "sorrowful" af the thought of giving" up their 1,1casant visions, their childish idolatries, and their bright hopes of earthlv happiness, such I bid be of good cheer, and take courtage. What is it your Sa.viour requircs of you, more than will also be exacted from you by that hard and evil toaster, who desires your ruin? Christ bids yon give up the world but will hot, af any rate, the world soon 'ive up you? Can you keep if, by being • its slave? Will hot he, whose creature of temptation if is, the prince of the world, take if fi'om you, whatever he at present promises? What does your Lord require of you, but to look af all thing's as they really are, to accouut them merely as His instruments, and to believe that good is good because He wills if, that He c.qn bless as easily by hard stone as by bread, in the desert as in the fruitful tield, if we lmve taith in IIim who gàves us the truc bread from heaven? Daniel and his fi'iends were princes of the royal house of David; they were "ehildren wellfavoured, and skilfid in all wisdom, eunning" in knowlcdge, and tmderstanding" science ;" yet they had faith to refuse even the literal meat and drlnk given them, beeause if was an idol's sacrifice, and God sustained them without it. For ten days of trlal thev lived on pulse and water; yet "at the end," says the saered record, " their eountenanees appeared fidrer and latter in flesh than all the ehildren whieh did eat the portion of the king's meat." Doubt hot, then, His power to brlng" you through any diflqeulties, who gives you the eommand to eneounter them. He has showed you the way; IIe gave up the home of His mother Mary fo "be about His Father's business," and now He but bids vou take up ai'ter IIim the cross whlch He bore for you, and " fill up what is wanting" of His afflictions in your flesh." Be hot afi'aid,it is but a pang" now and then, and a st.ruggle; a eovenant with your eyes, and a fasting in the wilderness, some ealm habitual watehfulness, and the heartv effort fo obey, and all will be well. Be hot afi'aid. He is most grious, and will brin you on by little and little. He does hot show you whither He is leading" you; 3-ou might be frightened did you sec the whole prospeet at once. Suflàeiênt for the day is ifs owu evil. Follow His plan; look hot on anxiously; look down at your present footing "lest it be turned out of the way," but speeulate hot about the future.

C/ristia ]an/wod. 349! ean well believe that you bave hopes now, whieh you cannot give up, and even whieh support you in your present course. Be if soi whether they wil| be fulfilled, or hot, is in Itis hand. He may be pleased fo ran the desires of your heart; if so, thank Him for His merey; only be sure, that ail will be for your hihest good, and "" as hy days, so shall thy strenth be. OEhere is none like unto the God of eshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in tes exeelleney on he sky. OEhe Eternal God is thv refue, and underneath are the everlasting" arms ." Ile k:ows no variableness, nelther shadow of turnln"; and when we outrow our ehihlhood, we but approaeh, however feebly, fo IIis likeness, who has no youth nor ag'e, who bas no passions, no hopes, nor fears, but who loves truth, purity, and merey, and who is supremely blessed, beeause IIe is supremely holy. Lastly, while we thus flfink of Him, let us no forg'et fo be up and doin. Le us beware of indulin- a mere barren faih and love, whieh dreams instead of working', and is fastidious when if should be hardy. çhis is only spifiual ehildhood in another form; for the Holy Ghost is the Author of active 'ood works, and lcads us to the observance of all lowly deeds of ordinary obedience as the most pleasing sacrifice to God.