tenderness peculiar to himself over the sinner, who is brought back to GOD. It is not for us to measure or to compare the joy: it is enough for us to know that he rejoices as man cannot rejoice in the salvation of a sinner.

It pleases GoD, you see, in this instance, to borrow an image from the feelings of man. It is often the case in Scripture, in condescension to our infirmities. GOD, in order to make us understand what he feels, describes himself as feeling like a human being. Now I put this to yourselves, you have a family of children, you have a dear brother or sister, or you have a friend that you love-there is one member of that family, one child, one brother or sister, one friend that has quitted the paths of holiness and goodness; they have wandered awhile; they have wandered long; they have reduced themselves to circumstances of degradation and misery, and are not possessed of the peace of GOD. There is a deep arrow fixed in your hearts; you watch over them with tenderness. That child, perhaps, has gone from you; run wild and extravagant courses; sinned against affection, against all the commandments you ever gave; and has been a perpetual source misery to your heart. Well, do you cease to love that child? If that child come to your door, and ask for mercy, would you turn him away? When you have lain awake in the night, to which of your children has your mind been directed to the child at home, at ease, and doing well, or to that poor child, perhaps, tossing on the waters of this troublesome world without peace, and without joy, unacquainted with the real source of joy? Where does the mother's heart go, does it not go to that child?

Well, so in these verses it is represented, that the heart of GOD is especially touched with the condition of his wandering child; and

when that child comes back, when the prodigal returns and says, "I have sinned against heaven and before thee," there is joy not only among the angels of GOD, but with GoD himself because one sinner repenteth. The Father rejoices, because the work of his hands is saved. The Son rejoices, because one for whom he' shed his blood is saved. The Spirit of GOD rejoices, because one whom he has taught, and touched, and convinced of sin-one for whom he has taken of the things of Christ and shown them to his soul-one whom he has enlightened and sanctified, is safe. And the angels of GOD rejoice, because one is added to their bright and blessed company. So, "there is joy over one sinner that repenteth;" and that is the description which is given in this verse.

But now, brethren, observe, Lastly, THE GENERAL DEDUCTION WHICH OUR GRACIOUS SAVIOUR DRAWS From these SEVERAL PARTICULARS. He says, "Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.” What a wonderful truth is this! A truth, I may say, altogether unfathomable to you and to me. We might be disposed to reason, "If it is not the will of God that any should perish, why do any perish? GOD is omnipotent, if he wishes to save, cannot he save?" Ah! nothing have we to do with speculations such as these, nothing but to hide our heads in the dust! Poor, helpless, weak creatures→→ incapable of fathoming the deep things of GoD as we are, ought rather to adopt the declaration of scripture."The secret things belong to the Lord our GoD, but the things which are revealed to us and our children that we should do."

The practical truth with which we have to do is this, that if any man perish, he perishes not by the appointment of GOD, not according to

the wish of GOD, but by his own fault, by his own desire. If any man perish, he perishes because he desires to perish. Let us, dear brethren, consider the language of the text. "It is not the will of your Father that is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." How different a complexion does that give to the whole subject beyond! If there is any system of religion which seems to interfere with that doctrine it must be wrong. If there is any conception in the mind of a man which leads him to think, that where a man perishes, it is because GoD sets him apart to perish, that conception is wrong. If there is any thing which is wrought unto our religious system which teaches us to believe that GOD is not the great Father of the universe-the loving and tender Friend of his creatures-that he does not feel for all-that the sympathies of the parent are not called out for all that he does not desire the salvation of all-that the blood of Jesus was not shed for all-that there is not a possibility of happiness for all, I am bound to stop and say, that system must be wrong, because the language of the book is, "It is not the will of your Father that is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." But, brethren, let us be careful. The Bible does not say, "that one of these little ones shall not perish." Alas! we have reason to fear, that multitudes not merely the weak, not merely the young, but the old, the experienced, the instructed, the warned-not merely the idolater without instruction, but the nominal Christian with instruction - you that are taught from day to day-you that have the Bible in your hands, and the ordinances of religion and the best church, with the doctrines of truth communicated to the mind from her; many of these shall perish, for the language of the Bible is, "straight

is the gate, and narrow the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be," comparatively, that is," that enter in."

But, brethren, in spite of all, I revert to the proposition of the text"It is not the will of your Father that is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish," or as it is stated elsewhere, "that none should perish but that all should come to the knowledge of the truth." There is a wide gate the golden gate is wide if men choose to enter. The Saviour of sinners stands at the gate, but men do not choose. "Why will ye die, O house of Israel!"

But now I come to draw certain practical lessons from what I have endeavoured imperfectly to state. In the First place, what a conception does this text lead us to form of the character of God our Redeemer. Have we not served GOD as if we had to deal with a hard master? There are multitudes that give a sort of nominal service to God Almighty. How do they serve him? They give him just that which they cannot withhold -that which it would not be safe to keep back; a scant, niggard, reluctant service, such as a West India slave might give to his driver. Perhaps, now, I am speaking to persons in this state to-day. What is your conception of GOD?-Of a being that sits on the circle of the heavens thundering out denunciations against his creatures |---laying down certain iron railways on which you are to walk-controlling every natural feeling and impulse of your nature-withholding us from happiness that we might legitimately and safely enjoy-a stern master, that gathereth where he hath not strewed, and desires to reap where he has not sowed. Is that your conception of GOD? No wonder you serve him as you do-no wonder that we give him the sort of reluctant homage that I have been speaking of no wonder that we bow before him as slaves bow

from God's family-he is a sheep wandering from God's fold-he is a prodigal child, but the Shepherd seeks such; and it is not the will of your Father, which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish." Therefore, remember, that when you lift an arm for that child, the arm of Omnipotence, of the Father, of our Shepherd is lifted up; and that when you speak to that child, the voice of GOD speaks to that child; and when you pray for that child, the ear of GOD must be bent down to listen to that prayer; that if there is a movement in your heart, if I may so express it, there is a movement in the heart of GOD towards that child. And should not this encourage us? Should it not give us fresh vigour in the work? Should it not stimulate our endeavours? Should it not give us a feeling of holy confidence? Ought not the father and mother to feel it as they teach in the family? Ought not the friends of this society, as they go into the hovels and houses of the poor, as they dive into the lanes and alleys of misery, woe, wretchedness, and guilt, ought not they to feel encouraged? They have a Father's mind, and a Father's hand, and a Father's esteem; and I may say, from these verses, "the Father wills not that one of these little one should perish."

Thirdly, and lastly, What a direct argument does the text supply for such a Society as that for which I am to plead to-day. It seems to me absolutely to dispose of that objection to which I first referred-that we are to do nothing with the guilty objects. We are all guilty-and how much has GOD had to do with us? I may venture to say, if we are to reason on the principle of those persons who are so very nice in the distribution of their charity, who give only to objects that deserve compassion, and who would search out only the meritorious poor, if GOD had been pleased to act on that principle, where should you and I have been? If the Lord Jesus Christ had determined to die only for those who deserved his death, or had any claim on his compassion, what must have become of the millions of this miserable world? According to

the verses that precede the text, the Son of man came to seek and to save, who? The deserving? No; simply them that were lost. Well, now, it is the object of this Society to go and seek out them that are lost. Very guilty, perhaps, but not less the objects of attention; very miserable in consequence of their guilt, and therefore doubly the objects of compassion. And just as some benevolent persons in this metropolis have been found to dive into cellars and dungeons, to go among the wretched creatures that walk the streets, to provide a receptacle not only for suffering, but for vice, for the penitent, for the contrite, and to bring them to penitence and contrition; so this admirable institution goes out into the wide circumference of human nature, and whatever misery is to be found, good or bad, guilty or comparatively innocent, whatever they are, if they are suffering there is room for compassion and place for such an institution as this. I believe I need say little to this congregation as to the nature of the institution itself, because I believe that many of you are better acquainted with it than I am, though it is a comfort to my own mind to find, what I had forgotten, that ten years ago in in this place I pleaded for this institution, and God will help me always, I hope, to feel a disposition to plead for it. However, I may say it is under the management of persons of religious character. Some of you

are well acquainted with the names of the principal persons who preside over the management; and I really believe that every care will be taken that can be taken, in order to apply the funds which persons in their kindness are pleased to give. They have visited a prodigious number of cases, and visited them in many instances with much success. I find cases stated of individuals who have not only been blessed by receiving a supply of their bodily wants from this Society, but effective religious instruction also; because its object is not merely to clothe the naked and feed the hungry body, but to clothe the naked soul and feed the hungry soul, and as far as lies in us to give life to the dead. Amen.

WE are all entering this day on another period of existence-another unit of the countless sum-another link of the interminable chain, which stretches backward, and shall stretch forward, into eternity. All the past is nothing, except as it will exercise an influence over our eternal destiny, the joys and the sorrows, the anxieties and the interests, the pursuits and the pleasures, the enjoyments and the bereavements of the departed year are now only as a tale that is told; and if certain recollections seem impressed more deeply than others on the heart, they, too, will soon fade away and be comparatively forgotten. The deepest wounds will be healed, and the most valued and cherished images will be effaced by time. But time can operate no such result on the register and on the records of the Almighty: no length of days can obliterate from God's remembrance the words and works for which He will bring us into judgment; every thing beside that connects us with the past may float unheeded down the current

VOL. V.

and be merged in the ocean of forgetfulness, but our MORAL responsibility remains; and therefore, when we purpose to take a retrospect of the intelligent accountable portion of our lives, however extended or however brief, it should be ever accompanied with the solemn and awe-inspiring thought, "For all these things GOD will bring me into judgment.”

It concerns us, consequently, most deeply, whether we are in the morning, at the noontide, or in the evening of our days-for no period of life is too early to serve GOD, nor any too late to lay hold on the hope of life and immortality,-to commence another stage or period of existence, not only with a solemn recognition of our duty, our obligation, and our interest, but with an immediate and earnest reference to Him, who alone can enable us rightly to perform our duties, adequately to fulfil our obligations, and permanently to secure our interests. For I assume at once with regard to all who are here present, that they recognize in their duty to