the case even in the transitory matters of this world; and we have reason to think it will be found still more so in that ever-enduring state for which we are now on our trial. And the practical conclusion is, that every thing belonging to Religion ought to be treated with awe and seriousness, even if we cannot see the reason and meaning of it; nothing sacred ought to be made light of, whether it be what we quite approve of, or no. We may be mistaken of course, as all persons are liable to be mistaken, still we may pray and labour to keep up a humble, reverential frame of mind, far from all scorn and mockery, and then we may hope that our compassionate SAVIOUR will pity us, as He did the little children formerly, and take us into the arms of His everlasting mercy.

Note. It is very observable, that Eph. iv. 22-25, referred to at p. 279, may perhaps be thus more exactly translated: That ye have put away, according to the former conversation, the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and that ye are renewed in the spirit of your mind, and have put on the new man, which after God hath been created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak ye the truth one with another," &c.

SERMON CCCXLIV.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION'.

1 CHRON. XXxviii. 9.

"My son, know thou the GOD of thy father, and serve HIM with a perfect heart and with a willing mind.

"For the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts.

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"If thou seek HIM, HE will be found of thee :

"But if thou forsake HIM, HE will cast thee off for ever."

In these words we have beautifully exemplified to us the anxiety of a truly religious parent for his children's everlasting good. That they may know the GOD of their fathers," know HIM, not with a mere barren intellectual perception, but so as to serve HIM," and to serve HIм too, not indolently and reluctantly, as a harsh MASTER, but "with a perfect heart and with a willing mind," as a tender, compassionate, and all-bountiful FATHER, that his children may so live in the faith and fear of GOD, must, I say, be the anxious desire and prayer of every truly religious parent. For such an one cannot but remember the great account we shall all have to give at last, young and old, parents and children, to HIM "who searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts;" nor can he forget the awful alternative placed before us all; all, I say, equally, parents and children, young and old; namely this, “If thou seek HIM, HE will be found of thee; but if thou forsake HIM, HE will cast thee off for ever."

1 Preached at a Charity-school Anniversary.

My object, then, on the present occasion, will be to lay before. you, with the blessing of ALMIGHTY GOD, Some few practical observations illustrative of the great truth impressed on us in this touching passage of Scripture; namely, the great duty of leading young persons by all possible means to be serious and sincere in their religion.

And first, let this be considered, and attentively considered: that without sincerity and seriousness, our religion can be of no value in the sight of the Omniscient GOD; of HIM who is described by HIMSELF as 'searching all hearts, and understanding all the imaginations of the thoughts." I say, without sincerity and seriousness we may preserve, indeed, the name of piety; there may be an outward attendance on good forms, there may be an indulgence of good inward feelings, still the heart cannot be right in the sight of GOD, there cannot be “pure religion and undefiled before our GOD and FATHER.”

It will not, I suppose, be denied or questioned by any. person of observation, that the kind of disposition denoted and commended in the text, and implied in the expression, “serving GOD with a perfect heart and with a willing mind:" this sincere, serious, devout temper is by no means commonly to be found even in what is called the Christian world; and yet neither can its supreme, nay infinite, importance be made light of, without such presumptuousness and rashness as must be most offensive in the sight of ALMIGHTY GOD.

What, then, is so earnestly to be desired and laboured after is, that all persons, of all ages and stations-all who are capable of exercising the noble faculties of reason and reflection wherewith our CREATOR has endued us-should, above all things, strive to be in earnest in their religion; i. e. should live habitually under a sense of the Divine Presence, and of their own most awful responsibility-should remember that vast, unseen eternity which is before them; and how certainly, yea awfully, true it is, that our condition in that eternity will depend on the state of our hearts and the course of our conduct here.

These are the sort of considerations, plain and common-place perhaps, yet doubtless grand and affecting, by which we ought all to be led, under the guidance of God's blessed Spirit, who is

ever ready to strengthen the weak, and to guide the wandering into habits of religious sincerity, and a deep, serious sense of the great changes which await us.

Especially, let me intreat you to call to mind of what vast importance it is in every point of view that young persons, even if it may be from their earliest childhood, should be taught this high and holy lesson,-" to know the GoD of their fathers, and to worship HIM with a perfect heart and with a willing mind ;" in other words, should be sincere and serious in their religion, that is, in their whole conduct.

Now by "seriousness" let it not be supposed that we are to understand the putting on a grave, melancholy look on certain occasions, or the habit of praising oneself at other people's expense, or of trusting to any supposed peculiar inward operations of the HOLY SPIRIT on the feelings, as if God were respecter of persons," and favoured some of us more than others.

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All this has a great deal to do with people's fancies and imaginations, but with real seriousness of heart nothing at all. This is altogether of a practical nature. It does not depend on the state of a person's feelings, but on his general course of life and behaviour.

And as it is much more easy to keep up religious feelings, or what are called so, than really religious practices, so, alas! is the outside show of seriousness much more often to be met with than the reality.

Owing to this, it seems to be that many rash, profligate persons will, without scruple, condemn all religious seriousness as mere falseness and hypocrisy, and other such names. And it must be confessed with sorrow, that there is too much occasion given for this charge, however false and uncharitable it be ;occasion is given, I say, by the vain, inconsistent conduct of too many, who, through an over-great confidence in themselves, will not listen to the "words of truth and soberness," nor allow themselves to be mistaken in whatever notions they may have taken up about religion. And so what they think to be zeal for the truth is, in fact, nothing but zeal for their own opinions;

for every one likes to think that his own opinions are true and right.

But as few are willing to take so much trouble as to examine fairly the grounds and reasons of their opinions, this gives occasion (as I said) to people of a sharp, satirical turn to laugh at all religious seriousness as mere hypocrisy and outside show.

Hence it is become so very difficult, indeed almost impossible, to give people, and particularly young persons, true and just notions of the nature, meaning, and infinite importance of the Christian faith. The heavenly advice to us is now, as it always was, "MY SON! know thou the GoD of thy fathers, and serve HIM with a perfect heart and with a willing mind."

The advice is the same as ever, and the necessity of attending to it is as great, if not greater, than ever. And this because religion is come to be so much more than formerly a matter of talk and outside profession, though there does not appear to be any proportionate improvement in people's practice and course of life. How dangerous this is, and how much need there is for us to be on our guard against this kind of error, we see from that solemn warning of St. James :-"If any man among you seem to be religious, not bridling his tongue, but deceiving his own heart, this man's religion (says he) is vain."

These things being considered, we shall see how more than ever difficult it is to impress on people's minds proper notions about religious seriousness, what it really is, and how indispensably required of "all who profess and call themselves Christians."

With young persons especially it is of the last importance that the matter be set before them in its true colours; and in this respect it is that the true value of schools, especially of Sundayschools, is to be seen.

For, later in life, when people have taken up their opinions and habits, they are too apt to hold to them, right or wrong. So that, generally speaking, I grieve to say it, it is of little or no use to give advice to grown up people, I mean, in matters of religion.

This, indeed, cannot be thought of, without the deepest con