then would the posture of many of us be changed! We should no longer be seen listlessly lounging or shifting from one position to another, in order to find the most indulgence we can, consistent with the outward appearance of worship. We should no longer have wandering eyes and absent thoughts, but every eye would be fixed, and every thought would be called home, and with breathless and trembling anxiety, we should hearken to what the Lord God would say concerning us. What a different kind of thing would our public worship be, if we saw present in the midst of us, the Great and Glorious Being, in whose house we are assembled. And can we be content that there should be such a difference in our thoughts, and feelings, and devotions, while we are worshipping the Invisible God, to what there would be in the presence of the manifested Deity? Shall we not endeavour to feel the same reverence now, as we should do, if the bright cloud of God's presence were to fill this Temple? Shall we not try to discipline our hearts to devout adoration? Shall we not, while addressing the Majesty of heaven, go down upon our knees, and manifest the same lowly reverence as we should do, if we saw the symbols of His presence? Oh! let us remember, that "the Lord is in His holy Tem

ple:" and whether we think of Him or not, He is present in the midst of us, while we are idly sitting at our ease, instead of bowing down in heartfelt humility before Him. We are here, in this place set apart for His service-surrounded on all sides by His mysterious presence—and shall we forget His awful Majesty? Shall we forget the reverence that is due to Him? Shall we utter words of prayer without thinking of Him to whom they are addressed; or occupy His courts while we suffer our hearts and minds to be occupied with the world? Shall we come into this house, which is called by His name, and forget in whose presence we are assembled? Oh! brethren, by all the awful mystery which surrounds the Throne of the Most High: by all the lowly worship and adoration which angels in heaven are continually offering: by the remembrance of our utter insignificance as frail and fallen men, and by all the honour and veneration that is due to the name and the Majesty of God, I would charge you, never to take His name in vain: never to make mention of it lightly in your common conversation: never to forget who it is you are addressing when at your public or private devotions. But let your feelings and your conduct shew that you can enter in some measure, into the deep and awful, yet elevating

language of the heavenly hosts, when they say, "Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come."

SERMON VIII.

HOLY BAPTISM.

ST. JOHN iii. 5, 6.

"Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

THE passage of Scripture, in which these words occur, is allowed, even by those, whose method of interpreting it is unsound, to have reference to the Sacrament of Baptism. It is also known to be a fact, that for the first fourteen centuries of the Christian Church, it was universally understood to have this application. And further, our own Church has unhesitatingly adopted this view of it, as is clear from the passage being introduced in the Gospel, in the service for the Baptism of adults. We shall be justified therefore, in so understanding the conversation of our Blessed Saviour, with Nicodemus, as to see set forth in it the necessity and the privileges of Christian Baptism. And these are the two points contained in the words of the text. For there, the necessity

of Baptism is insisted on, when our Lord says, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." And one of the benefits of Baptism is set forth in the declaration, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." In reference however, to the privileges and blessings connected with Christian Baptism, I purpose adverting to more than what are, strictly speaking, to be found in the words of the text: and the subject will be considered, not as a matter of controversial discussion, but as a statement of Scriptural truth, designed to affect our hearts and lives.

First then, let us observe, the necessity of Christian Baptism, as set forth in our Saviour's words: "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Here it is surely plain, that if any one would enter into the kingdom of God, he must be born of water and of the Spirit. Whatever may be, on the one hand, the meaning of the expression, "being born of water and of the Spirit," and on the other, of "entering into the kingdom of heaven," our Lord's words clearly connect these two together. If then the meaning of the two expressions can be satisfactorily established, we shall be able to enter into the purport of our Saviour's declaration.