degrading interpretation of the Gospel, than that which would substitute bare belief, or enthusiastic feelings for the steady growth of those holy dispositions, which are the true evidences of our spiritual life, and for the practice of the great duties, which constitute our reasonable service" to God and man. I exhort you, my brethren, never to lose sight of this principle.-Your salvation is described in scripture as a work, a labour, a course, a struggle, and a combat.

Though you are promised the aid of the Holy Spirit, -though God worketh in you that which is "well plea sing in his sight," though without that assistance your efforts would avail nothing; yet those efforts are required, and indispensibly required. The scriptures do not offer salvation without them. You are to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." You are to "labour for the meat that perisheth not, but endureth unto everlasting life." You are to "run the race that is set before you." You are to" strive to enter in at the strait gate." You are to "fight the good fight;" and you are told, that he who endureth unto the end shall be saved."

Whatever texts of scripture may be arrayed against this doctrine, I would venture to affirm (and not without deliberation,) are always taken from the controversial writings of the Apostles, to which they have a special reference; or are distorted from that sense in which their context will shew them to have been intended by their writers.

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candrere, I boudly, and afer manne inquiry, recommend you to form the scheme and ground of your salo ation, not from disputed, domicil, and issiated passages A ripen. Always look to the general tear and prixciple of both the Old and New Testaments-You will find the Law and the Prophets, the Gospels and the Epistles, Abraham and Moses, Isaiah and St. John, Christ and his Apostles, all agreeing in one point-in treating man as a free and responsible agent,-capable of using or of abusing the means of grace, and of thus securing or forfeiting the " hope of glory;"-eligible, therefore, to reward, and liable to punishment, according to the manner in which this freeagency shall be exercised-these means of grace employed --this hope of glory prized. You will find from the beginning to the end of the Bible, threats and promises, arguments and entreaties, judgments and mercies—all prominent, abounding, and uniform. These must be addressed to a being whose will is free-capable, by God's grace, of choosing between good and evil-therefore, eligible to reward, or liable to punishment, according to the choice he makes. I recommend you, therefore, -I boldly exhort you to form your plans of life, upon this prevailing, this reasonable principle of the Gospel, and not upon single texts. When you rely upon faith for salvation, remember that it is a faith which" worketh by love," and that though your good works cannot be acceptable without this consecrating motive, and are never perfect, but generally corrupted, defiled, and debased, with a miserable admixture of earthly dross; yet, when those works are performed to the glory of God, and from a “true and lively faith”(2) in his

(2) Art. xii.

promises, and in the merits of our blessed Redeemer, they are mercifully accepted, and are pleasing in his sight: for our Apostle expressly says "to do good and to communicate, forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."(3)

It is not altogether needless to press this point, for in their earnestness to prevent a presumptuous reliance upon our works, and to place the power of faith, and the merits of Christ, on their proper level, many have appeared to lose sight of the fact (or at least to place it out of the notice of others,) that these works are a condition of our salvation, and some have even appeared to hold that they are displeasing in the sight of the supreme Being.

This cannot be, for St. Paul expressly says, that with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Indeed it cannot be otherwise the eternal barriers of right and wrong can never be overthrown-the immutable distinctions between good and evil can never be confounded-our humble, though imperfect efforts, to do the pure and holy will of God, must be from his very nature pleasing in His sight, who is the "author of all good"-I say, must be, from His very nature, not that I speak of His nature as discovered by the feeble glimmer of human reason, but as disclosed to us in the broad day light, and glorious brightness of Revelation. He is there represented uniformly, as hating iniquity and loving holiness. Fanaticism from separate texts, may give a plausible semblance to the opinion that actions are nothing; but we may fearlessly affirm, from both direct authorities and from the general (S) Heb. xiii. 16.

common family-become members of the common body, of which not a member can suffer, without "all the members" grieving with it. Have your griefs, your joys, your fears, and your hopes in common-bear one another's burdens-be indulgent to one another's imperfections-help one another's infirmities-do your duties one to another: the rich to the poor and the poor to the rich, as children of that merciful Father, who is over all this household, the Church-brethren of that blessed Lord, who is the firstborn of the Christian Family-the head of the Christian brotherhood.

COMMUNICATE also in the sense, in which the Apostle seems to have especially used the term in the passage before us-namely, that of using freely those abilities, riches, or other means with which God has blessed you, in relieving each others wants and afflictions. Ever bear in mind St. Paul's caution, that here "we have no continuing city, but seek one to come." Our abiding city must be viewed, and entered through the dread and dark portals of the grave. We shall pass through it to our rest, and the "gate of death" shall close upon all those riches and gifts, which we have not attached, by Christian uses, to our eternal habitation. Have your home, my brethren, your treasure, your hearts, in that eternal and abiding city: covet, toil for, purchase, a place in that house not made with hands”—use the means of doing good, with which God has blessed you-comfort the afflicted, instruct the ignorant, rebuke the wicked, assist the needy—“ make to yourselves friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness”—that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations."

Neither forget to COMMUNICATE, in the sense, in which we especially use the term-Remember, and join in the Communion or common participation of the body and blood of Christ-Let that be the solemn feast, at which you often pledge your vows of amendment-present the sacrifice of holiness and love-and offer the manifestations of your faith. Let that be the fountain to which you often resort to wash away the stain of your guilty nature-to cleanse, to strengthen, and to refresh your souls, labouring beneath the pollutions, and the trammels of corruption.

You, especially, my brethren, do you seek this Holy Communion-do not forego this privilege. It is your hope, your strength, your refuge, your Glory-that the Gospel has been preached to you !(5) Let it not be preached in vain -let "Christ, and him crucified" be your hope of salvation; your trust, your comfort, your desire-let him be your spiritual food" on earth-your ever living light, your rest, and your joy, in Heaven.

Come to him "all that travail and are heavy laden”come to him in faith-come to him in love-come to him in holiness, with repentance for past sins, with hearts filled more and more with Christian graces, with prayers for the aid of the Spirit, with firm resolutions, to do your duty to God and to man, in that state of life to which it has pleased God to call you.

From these general considerations, I must now proproceed to another exhortation of our Apostles, which poor have the Gospel preached unto them."

(5) The