foundation in any time, place or person merely: I cannot imagine such a foundation in poverty, much less in pomp and vanity; nor yet in prayer without ceasing, any more than in speechless meditation, nor in peril and suffering, nor in watching and fasting, in flagellation or any other austerities;-seeing that all such means and methods are uncertain in their issue, however fairly they may begin.

The only foundation to be relied on is invisible-THE FOUNDATION IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH. There is no order, society, institution, reformation, ministry, nor any thing of the kind, however promising at first, that will continue inviolate long after it is seen there is nothing to be seen upon earth that will stand long against the corruption that is in it; because the wickedness of the world is such, that it is enough to corrupt any thing it can possibly lay hold of. But that fortunately it cannot of the worship in spirit and in truth: so that the worship of the Father by such means being once established any where might continue safe for ever-in respect of the world at least. So we may be of good cheer with "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not.” (John xvi. 33; xiv. 17.) "For (as the prophet said before) since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him .... that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness." (Isai. lxiv. 4, 5.)

This honest sort of worship-this cheerful and upright devotion, with its blessed fruit, is the same cause in its several parts and particulars to which I am now drawing your attention, and for which I claim your co-operation as a brother curate. I would rather charge you to stand by me in "these last times," and perhaps last struggles of that cause, as St. Paul charges his godson Timothy, if I had the authority of a godfather over you; but being, as I before signified, only your brother curate, I can only exhort you as such, and as a fellow soldier in Christ, to remember

the common cause; that we may stand by each other, and acquit ourselves like men in the cause of Christ and his church; in the cause of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, which is the cause of humanity, freedom and truth,—and of "the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." (Acts xx. 28.) "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood; but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." (Eph. vi. 12.)

The many serious evils and disadvantages in society which it is our duty to combat, or to moderate if we can, while they turn chiefly on visible objects, are not brought on chiefly and originally by visible means and with an open triumph; but silently and invisibly and oftentimes very insidiously-by overbearing and corrupt imaginations, which, of course, are not originally their own corruptors. It is wonderful, is the infatuation and consequent misery that has been spread through the world by more subtle as well as more prevalent causes even than our own imaginations, nearer as these would seem than any other to the scene of action. Such are 66 the principalities and powers" which St. Paul speaks of, and of which St. John names a few more particularly; as the love of the world, and the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life;" (John I. ii. 16;) which, as he says, are not of the Father, but are of the world: intruders, disowned by its Author; yet they thrive, spread far and wide over the surface of the earth, and engrafted on every object that meets our eyes, even all that is in the world," as the apostle says.

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For however innocent the visible productions of the earth from the human form downward may be in themselves, they are not so under the direction of those principalities stirring up "the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes," and other evil imaginations aforesaid,—being themselves also under the direction of the wicked one which

stirs up them. Such is the cunning ingenuity of sin, that it knows how to take advantage of the best things for the worst purposes; as of the divine commandment, for example, to work in one all manner of concupiscence: (Rom. vii. 8) after which it may seem little for the same to take advantage of the productions of the earth, the seductive charms whereof are more obvious, being apprehended by sight, while the voice of God can only be apprehended by reflection. There is not a thing that we can behold, but the enemy has filled with poison or combustibles to be set in operation by lust: and, as St. James observes, "then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (Jam. i. 15.)

Therefore such as the enemy's weapons are, such must ours be likewise, to meet him in this spiritual warfarefor invisibility that is spiritual, though not of the same spirit we find that his weapons, or immediate instruments are not visible unfortunately; therefore the weapons of our warfare must not be carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong-holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." (Cor. II. x. 4, 5.) We cannot attack the very vilest of our enemies with vile weapons, we will not attack them with malice and falsehood drawn from the root of evil: but we can and will attack them with the sword of the Spirit, and with the properties of grace and truth drawn from the fulness or flood to which we are admitted, and others by us,distributing the same again through every channel of improvement, and above all in "the great congregation" as far as we may be allowed by the powers, or Providence. For "I am shut up: I cannot go into the house of the Lord therefore go thou, and read in the roll which thou hast written." (Jer. xxxvi. 5, 6.) You are younger: you have not written many rolls, nor read enough either yet

to provoke the powers of darkness beyond endurance; like Jeremiah, and like some now living who are nearly as invisible in their walks as Jeremiah was in his dungeon.

But beside that delightful part of "teaching in the great congregation," as well likewise as the painful part of contention before alluded to-another may still be expected from the minister of grace and truth, and will also be indispensable to both their effect-the part of example, to which I can barely allude at present. And one can hardly estimate as one ought the importance of this medium of grace in the sphere of a curate: it would be no disparagement to the two sacraments which our Lord himself ordained, if we should compare it with them for importance; this being an ordinance too of the Lord's, as he tells us 66 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go, and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he may give it you." (John xv. 16.) Good example therefore in a curate is the very perfection of duty in his line toward both God and man. It is an example worthy of the Great Shepherd, who sanctified himself for the sake of his curates, "that they also might be sanctified through the truth," (Ib. xvii. 19,) for the sake both of themselves (our Lord's disciples or curates) and of those committed to their charge. It is the best evidence of their sincerity, the truest complexion of orthodoxy, and,-as being clearly ex animo, the most creditable kind of conformity that can be imagined.

It may seem perhaps as if an invisible curate could not give in his way an example to be seen; for how can we receive a visible example in the person of an invisible curate? or how can it be an example without being visible? Why, as well as the example of others who delight in doing good generally, and doing it in the best way too, which is doing it secretly. A curate may be ex

cluded from his share in the visible ministry by the preponderating influence of the world and its corruptor; but who shall exclude him from the invisible? He cannot set an example of zeal and activity in his general calling, if he have not an opportunity of exercising it: he cannot set a particular example of duty, either at the altar, or in the desk, or in the pulpit, if they be all shut up from him, (in the communion at least to which he has been accustomed,) as if he were a layman: he cannot even set an example of going to church, without seeming to set an example of idleness at the same time-to those who are not aware of the necessity that is laid upon him, because "he openeth not his mouth," and the children of Belial take advantage of this silence to make it seem his choice.

But still others can do good in secret, as I before intimated, and why may not the curate? It may be worth the curate's while to try if he cannot. We are ordered to "let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven." (Matt. v. 16.) Let us endeavour therefore, dear curate, to let our light, such as it is, shine upon earth so as it may be seen if possible: but shine at any rate whether men will see it and glorify the First Cause or not: as it is said, "whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious." (Ezek. ii. 7.) Let us see if we cannot do a little good with our light by getting on the blind side of darkness in this "crooked and crooked and perverse generation." For God is with us. ing each other, nor being ever likely to meet on earth visibly or in person though combating together, and being so far in the dark ourselves; that, however remarkable as a fact in polemics, will not otherwise signify, nor be a matter of any farther consequence than our not seeing each other's friendship and fidelity, except by their visible effects, as we see the invisible things of God,-appears to be. You may believe that have a brother in Christ who is able you

As for our never meet