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of His great mercy to give us obedient spirits; then shall we be free, free as God's servants. We shall train our minds in His love, and by His mercy in Christ Jesus, we shall not miss of attaining His glory.

SERMON XXII.

HE THAT WILL LOVE LIFE, &c.

1 PETER iii. 10.

"For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile; let him eschew evil and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.”

THE First General Epistle of St. Peter supplied us last week with a subject of thought suitable to the particular occasion of the King's accession. To-day it again furnishes the passage selected by the Church to be read as the Epistle in the Communion Service, but with more general application. The precepts contained in the verses of the third chapter, which are read in to-day's service, are suitable to all times and persons, to every relation in which men are placed. Finally," that is, to dwell no longer on particular details of duty," be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous." As ye are brethren, that is, Christian brethren, let union, peace,

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compassion, mutual love, yea, even the courtesies of daily life, mark your daily conversation; "not rendering evil for evil, railing for railing, but contrariwise blessing;" answering with words of peace and blessing, even when ye are assailed by coarse or injurious language; "knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing" because they, whose privilege and characteristic distinction it is to be so richly and undeservedly blest as ye are, should have no other language than that of blessing; should diffuse upon others of that copious goodness which has been shed without measure upon them. "For he that will love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile. Let him eschew evil and do good, let him seek peace, and ensue," or follow after, "it." These words are quoted by St. Peter from the thirty-fourth Psalm. The converted Jews of the dispersion, to whom particularly St. Peter seems to write, would of course recognise them: so that St. Peter, supporting his own precept by the authority of David, means to say, "Bless those that curse or insult you, remembering the three-fold precept which David gave in the Spirit to your fathers,that he that would love life and see good days, must keep his tongue from evil and guile; must in his own doings avoid sin, and follow good; must in his behaviour to others seek and studiously pursue peace. Good words, good deeds, and peaceful behaviour: these are the three topics urged by the

man after God's own heart in the Old Testament, by the chief of the Apostles in the New; and in both they are urged with the same motive proposed to them, the love of life and good days: that is, the love and hope of happy contented days, of favour with God and man on earth; of holy and joy diffusing tempers, and the hope of an eternal inheritance.

Now, it would never be unseasonable to press upon the consciences of Christians, duties like those urged in these verses, but there are two reasons why they appear to be peculiarly seasonable at this time-the one, that they are specially recommended to our consideration by the Church, which has appointed them to be read for to-day's Epistle; and the other, that they form a most useful summary of some very important principles of Christian conduct, which I would urge upon the memory and consciences of those who are now on the point of taking one of the most important steps in human life, the step from boyhood into commencing manhood-who are on the point of passing from a state of life in which many temptations and dangers have been kept away from their path, in order to enter upon another, where new interests will solicit them, new temptations assail them, untried situations test and endanger their

1 This Sermon was preached in Winchester College Chapel, on the Sunday before the annual election.

youthful principles, new difficulties open before them, where they will have to choose, in many respects, their own conduct for themselves, with many to mislead, and many to condemn; and except the Holy Spirit of God be cherished by prayer, and anxious holiness within their hearts, no strength, nor desire in themselves, to withhold them from sin and misery.

The first portion of the Apostolic precept consists of two parts: "Refrain thy tongue from evil," and "thy lips that they speak no guile." Evil is a general word, and may include various sins of the tongue: such as irreverent talking, careless allusion or reference, or bold and presumptuous argument respecting God's word, or doctrine, or dealings, profane use of his name: in the same kind, but lower degree, speaking evil of dignities, disrespectful random criticism, or finding fault with those who are in authority, whereby the temper of duty is impaired or destroyed, both in others and ourselves; quarrelsome or captious argument, the spreading or entertaining of injurious rumours, impurity, and whatever leads or borders on impurity in language. And with the absence of these sins of the tongue, the Apostle, by implication, urges the opposite virtues of the tongue, the reverent use of God's name and word, the willing introduction and support of religious conversation; friendly, gentle, brotherly advice; modest, unpretending demeanour of conversation, the loveliest ornament B b

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