belonging to them all. The Holy Spirit has many living temples, and they all desire to be consecrated to Him who has "redeemed us from all iniquity, and purified unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." True zeal for good works naturally arises from a desire wrought within, that we may be entirely given up to God's glory. A really good man never feels it a hardship to be doing good; a loving wife does not find it difficult to love her husband, nor a loving husband to love his wife; nor do children think it a burden to love their parents, or parents to love their children. These are some of the various social duties we owe to each other, but we have higher duties still, which we owe to our God; and blessed be his name, what a heaven opens before us here! The delightful spirit of obedience in my heart triumphs over all my passions and evil inclinations, and fills me with a longing to promote his glory. A wise man once well observed, that love must bear some proportion to its object. I cannot love an oyster; there is no intelligence in it; but the little bird that seems to have something like mind, and is so beautifully and curiously formed, and so gentle when tamed, seems to win me into some sort of

affection for it. It is natural to love all creatures that appear to love us, but our regard never can go beyond the extent of intelligence they exhibit. When we come therefore to our fellow creatures, they attract our love strongly, and become the subjects of a higher tone of esteem; but O when we approach our God, especially our God reconciled in Christ, we love him in such a high degree, that we are ourselves filled with holy surprise at the depth and extent of our emotions. We feel that he has brought home to us his own love, and that he " so loved the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." O what blessedness have we then in him, by whose mediation the plague of sin is stayed; in the person and salvation of our dear Redeemer! What exceeding glory belongs to him, what infinite riches of grace are revealed to our souls, in those truths which religion instils into the heart!

The whole christian religion consists but in one thing, that is coming to Christ, and living on Him who is said to be our "all in all." Let

us give him our hearts. grace, and it is done.

May God give us the
Duty all comes from

grace. The great thing is to feel Christ in the

heart, to have our affections set upon him, and to delight in his ways through the influence of his Holy Spirit bringing us into conformity to them, and we shall surely live to his glory and obey him. You need not teach the bird how to fly, or the fish to swim; each has its own element, and delights to move therein. The element of a Christian is holiness; the people of God dwell therein, and it is as an atmosphere which gloriously surrounds them. On the mount, Christ was enveloped with splendour and brightness, and his glory became finely visible to those near him for a time; but now, when we look to him and see him with an eye of faith, seated on his imperial throne, the light which beams from his divine person is the light of holiness, and its rays charm the eyes of his people, while they are led by them all the days of their lives.

Our happiness entirely results from our being in a holy frame of mind. If the spirit of universal holiness did but enter your hearts and your houses, then you might inquire where is man's misery? Then, though we live in a chequered scene through sin, yet in this happy condition we could, like St. Paul, be "as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making

2

many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." I do not say that every tear shall be wiped away from the eyes of God's children, while they are passing through this vale of tears; but there is a blessing to be given them in the midst of all their sorrows, and they will find that "their light afflictions which endure but for a moment, are working out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." Look then, dear hearers, to this glorious "Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world;" and whilst the forgiveness of sins comforts your hearts, you will still mourn over them in your thoughts. You will grieve as Mary Magdalene did, who "loved much because much was forgiven her." Hereafter, we shall come to those bright days when we shall sin no more, and sorrow will everlastingly die away. I cannot win your souls to Christ or I would; but I pray to God to send down that power from above, whereby you may discover your plague and deformities, and fly away to his arms that you may live for ever with him in glory. May his blessing be upon what you have heard, for his Amen.

name's sake.

2 2 Cor. vi, 10.

SERMON XIV.

NO RELIGION WITHOUT HUMILITY.

ISA. ii, 10, 11.

"Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

THERE is no sin more injurious to the heart of man than that of pride. It is the accursed, dangerous evil which completely drives us from God, hardens the mind, and leads to awful unbelief. Hence the loftiness of man must be lowered; his pride must be bowed down; and the Lord alone exalted in the glorious day of his power. Our text first commands the sinner to "enter into the rock," and then to "hide himself in the dust." He must fly to Christ the "Rock of Ages," for there is wrath gone out against all those who are not sheltered in him. The words of inspiration tell us most decidedly that