afflicted, it will look for His coming in the clouds, it will prepare to wait, or to go forward to meet Him, it will bid all that is of the earth, all that is of man's will, all that is of self, stand on one side, that it may extend itself freely towards Him. Love is the very mainspring of life, and if our love is fixed on God, our life is as fresh in old age as in youth; the tongue of the departing Saint speaks forth the praise of God even more powerfully than the pealing choir. The hand that checks its own impatient motion amidst the pains of dissolving nature, that it may join in the act of prayer or in the expression of submission to God's will, is stronger than if it were wielding the implements of art or the sword of war. Whatsoever seems most lost of our earthly life, if it be meekly resigned to Him who gave it, is become a part of our heavenly life, and ceases not to afford us, through God's blessing, continually increasing strength. That only is lost, which we have devoted to our own pleasure. If ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall liveo. If the life that we now live in the flesh we a Rom. viii. 13. live by the faith of the Son of God', then is our true life hid with Christ in God, and when Christ Who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glorys. I Gal. ii. 20. s Col. ii. 4. SERMON VIII. PREACHED AT BRADFIELD, TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER 2 KINGS Xviii. 3, 4. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it. THERE are no lessons read in Church out of the books of Chronicles. The reason of this is that they come after the books of Samuel and Kings, which give a fuller account of the same times. However there are some things of which the Chronicles speak at greater length than the Kings. For the books of Kings are the history of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, but the books of Chronicles are the history of the same times with reference to the Priesthood and the Temple. So when the books of Chronicles speak of the wars of David, they mention the spoil he took, and dedicated for the building of it. So in the reign of Josiah, the second book of Kings speaks most at large of the general reformation of manners, but the Chronicles are fuller on those points which relate most directly to the worship of God. And so it is in this place too. The second book of Kings tells us of Hezekiah's good reign, and of his trust in God, and goes on to relate at length how his trust in God was rewarded, by God's defending him from his great enemy, Sennacherib king of Assyria, as you read in the first lesson next Sunday morning, and no doubt well know already. But the book of Chronicles tells us much more of what Hezekiah did about the worship of God. Indeed there are three whole chapters there about it, the twentyninth, thirtieth, and thirty-first, which should be read carefully if you wish to know the whole history and character of this good king. And certainly the history of a man who did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord must be worth well considering. It would take long to read the whole account, and each one may do it for himself. We will only take a few points out of these chapters to fill up the very short account given in the second book of Kings, and to help us to profit by the example of king Hezekiah. In 2 Chron. xxix. 3. we read that he in the first year of his reign, and in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. Then we read that he bade the Priests and Levites cleanse the Temple, which had been defiled in the days of his father. When this was done, ver. 20. Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. 21. And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sinoffering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord. After this had been done, ver. 30. Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. 31. Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank-offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congre |