Nineveh in its repentance. Now I think it may do us all good, if we try a little to bear this in mind. Let us not too rashly conclude that all is well enough with us, that we are repenting deeply enough of our past sins, especially if they were at all of a serious and deadly character, merely because we think we have left them off; or because, when we think of them, we feel that we had rather not have committed them. Perhaps it may be that, instead of our leaving them, they have rather left us. Perhaps our dislike of them may not be such as would stand if the temptation could return. But let us humbly and discreetly take all the ways which the Bible and Prayer book recommend, as helping to perfect our repentance, and so appease our Maker through Jesus Christ. Let us endeavour, for what little remains of this Lent, to be more earnest in prayer than we have been: as penitent Nineveh cried mightily unto God during her forty days. Let us humble and deny ourselves in secret, as the Ninevites wore sackcloth. Let us fast, truly and really, in one way or another, as our health and duty may permit. Let us watch night and day against the least and subtlest remnants of the sins we seem to have been delivered from. Who knows how great a blessing such obedient ways may obtain for us in a very short time? Before the end of that forty days, Nineveh had so far turned from its evil way, that God repented of the evil, and turned it away. How do you know but the sword of judgement may even now be drawn out over you, and this Lent may be the appointed time for you effectually to repent in? If you knew for certain that it was so, what would you do? Do just the

same now; it will be your wisdom. The Ninevites in their penance had no positive certainty. All they could say was, "Who can tell if God will turn and repent?" But it was enough, because they dealt with it sincerely and truly. Do you the same: try in earnest what you can do in watching, praying, overcoming ill ways and ill tempers. and ill tempers. If you think you have won a victory, and put your enemies to flight, yet turn not again till you have destroyed them. Do not so much look toward other people, to see what they do. You have not perhaps their difficulties, nor they your helps. If you are at a loss, come to the Priest: it will be your own fault, if you fail for want of asking advice. Try: for if all London or England, nay if all the world besides go wrong, yet the way of the Bible and the Church will surely save him who tries in earnest. All Nineveh indeed repented at the preaching of Jonah, but in Sodom, we know, there was but one who repented, and he with his house was saved alone out of the burning.

SERMON XXIX.

JOSEPH A TYPE OF CHRIST AND A PATTERN TO

CHRISTIANS.

FOURTH SUNDAY IN LENT.

HEBREWS ii. 11.

"He is not ashamed to call them brethren."

THE Holy time of Lent was intended for the mortification of all our sins, spiritual as well as carnal, our anger as well as our lust. For although sins against chastity and temperance are more especially meant when we speak of "fleshly lusts," yet the Apostle in reckoning up "the works of the flesh" makes mention also of "hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders." All these, though not sins of the body, are sins of the flesh, because they follow upon improper indulgence of desires and fancies, as natural to us as our own bodies. They belong to that fallen and corrupt nature, which we have, as offspring of Adam, conveyed to us, we know not how, through our bodily descent from him.

Since therefore Lent is appointed to help us in subduing the flesh to the spirit, we are to use that holy season in fighting against our pride, as well as a Gal. v. 20, 21.

against our evil desires. We are to deny ourselves, our whole selves, so far as they make it hard for us to take up our cross, and follow Christ. Our angry passions must be kept in order, as entirely as our unclean ones. We must exercise ourselves in charity and humility as well as in purity.

And this so much the more, in that whoever keeps Lent well, must be all the time looking to the end of Lent, which is Easter. These forty days of retirement and self-denial ought to be days of self-examination and amendment, in preparation for the feast of our Lord's Resurrection. It is a time for the purifying the soul's garments, soiled too sadly by the dust and refuse of the world, and still more sadly by our own inbred corruption. Our business during these weeks is to search and examine very diligently where our baptismal robes are stained, and by prayer and confession and true repentance and humble use of the Church's Absolution to wash out those stains in Christ's Blood as well as we may, before we go in to the marriage of the King's Son, to which at Easter we are specially invited. A very bad thing it would be, a deep grief to all good Angels, an intolerable burden to our own souls, were we, after all this, to come to our Lord without forgiving. We might as well, when we draw nigh to Him, have our bodies defiled with lust, as our souls with uncharitableness. Many of us indeed know this, we have our Lord's express warning for it. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy

b S. Matt. v. 23, 24.

U

if

brother, and then come and offer thy gift." So dangerous is it to draw near without forgiving, that even you seemed to find yourself in all other respects well-prepared, but were conscious of bearing malice, indulging unkindness towards any one, the Lord of the feast commands you to withdraw for the present, and not to come again till you are in a better mind. He will not accept your gift, if you bring it with malice in your heart towards any one of His and your brethren.

The example then of the holy Joseph, which the Church sets before us to-day, is very especially a history suited for Lent, an example to encourage and to warn us in our hard fighting on both sides, on the one hand against fleshly lusts and impurities, on the other, against all unforgiving, unbrotherly ways. We may learn of him both to bear and to forbear, to bear the ill usage of others, to forbear from indulging ourselves improperly. In Potiphar's house, as you heard this morning, he was a pattern of purity under very sore temptation; in his dealings with his brethren afterwards, as we shall hear this evening, and next Sunday, he is no less admirable a pattern of forgiveness towards most inexcusable wrong-doers. Both ways, if we will, we may find in Joseph's history the greatest help towards cleansing and quieting our souls, worthily to receive our Lord at Easter.

And no wonder; when we come to reflect, of Whom Joseph was an appointed type and shadow. He, the beloved and injured son, forgiving his brethren who had done him so grievous wrong, and after all saving their lives, comforting their hearts, and making