fitted by man, and consequently that He is not Almighty. Let us look then to our motives with a holy jealousy, lest we should lose our reward" by a want of

66

singleness in heart." For He who must be our Judge reads every thought, traces every movement of our spirit, and weighs in a just and exact balance, every profession of faith, every discharge of duty.

Our trial is at hand: and when "the hour cometh, no man can work." We must be enrolled in the service of our Redeemer now, or never; we must be members of His Church here, or not at all; we must be numbered among His people before "that great and terrible day of the Lord," or we shall be shut ont from His presence for ever, and must have our portion with the unbelievers!

Let us not be beguiled with the careless notion that it is easy for us, at any time, to adopt the true faith, and enlist in the righteous cause, and claim the privileges of Christians. I repeat, the

cause of Christ does not stand in need of us, but we of Him; we do not bring any advantage to Him by joining His side; all the advantage is to ourselves. We are the favoured party, and the favour is not so cheap that we may accept it just when we think proper.

To become one of Christ's people is a great, a mighty, and a difficult change: a change not to be wrought in haste, nor by the will of man, but by the gracious acceptance and long-suffering of God: it is a privilege to be sought, and waited for, and highly esteemed when it is obtained; to be acknowledged with humble thankfulness, and preserved by watchfulness and prayer.

And let those who are so happy as to feel assured of their interest in Christ, repose confidently upon Him amid all the trials and dangers which surround them. Let them take for their example the noble courage of David, who when all the chiefs and army of Israel trembled before the

giant Philistine, exclaimed, "let no man's heart fail because of him ;" and trusting in a holy cause, and the sure help of the Almighty, he advanced, with no change of countenance, no quivering lip or trembling limb, against his hideous adversary, the enemy of his country, his Church and his GOD; and obtained that meed of glorious victory which never fails to attend the same pious and intrepid spirit. With no vain confidence in the flesh, in any human wisdom or strength, but with humble assurance in the almighty power of our Lord, let us encounter His foes, and bear with patience temporary defeat and mortification, knowing that "He is faithful who hath promised," and that a crown of immortal glory awaits all those who willingly suffer for His sake.

SERMON IX.

COVETOUSNESS THE SOURCE OF

HYPOCRISY.

EZEKIEL XXxiii. 31, 32.

They come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. And, lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument for they hear thy words, but they do them

not.

THE most heedless observer of modern manners is struck with the readiness, and even apparent anxiety of the people to hear the preachers of righteousness; and from the crowds who frequent all our

places of public instruction, it has been hastily inferred that we live in a very religious age, and that there is a growing attachment to the doctrines of the Gospel. Alas! this sanguine conclusion is far from being warranted by the conduct of our congregations, even within the walls of those holy edifices which our Lord calls "houses of prayer," and which we continue to designate as places of "public worship," but which the habits of our own day have desecrated into mere rooms for hearing sermons.

The Sacrament is deserted by the great body of those who profess Christianity; the public reading of the Scriptures in the Church is little regarded; the prayers, I will not trust myself to describe the manner in which they are attended, but adopt the words of a popular author1 to reprove your "wandering thoughts, cold hearts, and trifling spirits." The preacher is the