word of the gospel he professes, those who love it and are tenacious of its glory must mark their disapprobation of this conduct, by so far withdrawing their countenance from the culprit, as shall make him feel and be ashamed for his defection: they must show that they are wounded in the wounding of their Lord, and in his dishonour feel themselves dishonoured. They must not leave the world to suppose them a party to the wrong, by manifesting no disapproval of it, nor the guilty brother to doubt if it be wrong, since it brings on him no shame. But so prone is man to do amiss even that he ought to do, that it is very seldom this is done in a proper spirit, or within due limits. Instead of admonishing the erring christian as a brother—a brother still, and therefore still fraternally beloved, although in error-we begin to account, or at least to intreat him as an enemy-to speak to him with haughtiness, and of him with bitterness-sullenly abandoning or harshly rejecting him, instead of trying by gentle admonition to win him back again. If our Lord were in as much haste to disown his children as we are to expel them from our brotherhood-if he were as zealous to raise the war-cry of enmity against the defaulter as we are to sound it for him, woe would it be to his family upon earth. I fear we shall many of us have to answer for the lengthened wandering of the erring sheep, by the eagerness with which we close the fold against him, the little willingness we show to receive him back again--treated as an enemy, enmity gets stronger possession of his mind-when admonished as a brother, he might remember his fraternity and be softened into penitence.

Et c'est ici la volonté de Dieu, savoir, votre sanctification.-I THESSAL. iv. 3.

ENFIN la nécessité des progrès dans la sanctification, paroit par le but que Dieu s'est proposé en nous plaçant sur la terre. On a eu souvent de la peine à concevoir comment Dieu logeoit l'homme, cette créature si noble,

sur le théatre des vanités et de l'inconstance.

On n'a pû comprendre ce qu'est notre vie, trente, quarante, quatre-vingts années dans l'immense océan de l'éternité. On n'a pû accorder le rôle que nous jouons ici bas, avec la sagesse de celui qui nous y a mis, et s'il m'est permis d'ainsi dire, la petitesse du monde, avec la grandeur de ses habitans. Quelle destination assignérez-vous à l'homme? Quel but attribuerez-vous à son Créateur? Pourquoi nous mettre dans ce monde? Etoit-ce pour nous y rendre heureux? Mais quoi? En nous environnant d'objets si peu proportionnés à nos facultés ? En mettant notre fortune, notre reputation, notre vie, en butte à toutes les vicissitudes humaines? Etoit-ce pour nous rendre miserables? Mais comment accorder ces vûes avec les perfections de Dieu? Avec cette bonté, avec cette charité, avec cette liberalité qui fait son essence? Etoit-ce de nous faire cultiver les sciences et les beaux arts? Mais quelle relation d'une occupation si vile, avec un être si noble? D'ailleurs, auroit-il faller renfermer notre vie dans de si étroites bornes? Helas! à peine avons-nous fait quelque progrés dans les arts, et dans les sciences, qu'elles nous deviennent inutiles! A peine sommes-nous sortis du noviciat de l'enfance, que la mort arrête nos projets, et nous enleve aux fruits de nos decouvertes et de nos lumières à peine avons-nous appris les langues, que la mort nous condamne à ne plus parler: à peine connoissons-nous le monde, que nous sommes appellés à le quitter: à peine savons-nous vivre, qu'il faut mourir. Que si le fameux Théophraste à l'age de cent sept ans, regrettoit la vie, parce qu'il commençoit alors à pouvoir vivre avec sagessse, combien de regrets n'ont pas à former les autres hommes? Quel à été donc ce but de Dieu en nous plaçant sur la terre? ́ A ce été de former une société et de l'entretenir? Mais cette société composée de créatures si passagères et si inconstantes, peut-elle étre regardée comme un tout réel et solide? Et si elle a quelque solidité et quelque réalité,

lorsqu'on la considere dans une vue abstraite, qu'estelle pourtant en elle-même? Qu'est-elle par rapport à vous, par rapport à moi, par rapport à chaque particulier qui la compose, et qu'une même loi va bien-tôt entrainer dans le tombeau? Une seule voie nous est ouverte, pour sortir de ces labyrinthes. Une seule reponse peut satisfaire à cette question. La terre est un lieu d'exercise; la vie est un tems d'épreuve, qui nous est donné, afin que nous options, pour une félicité, ou pour une misère éternelle. SAURIN.

When thou art angry, all our days are gone.

PSALM XC. 9.

SPEAKS not the heart a quick affirmative to this, that having once known what it is to have the light of God's love upon our tents, has seen it obscured, even no more than with a passing cloud of wrath too consciously deserved? Does it not seem so. Comes there not a darkness over the mind that seems a perpetual and eternal midnight? The judgment that before could see so distinctly every turning of the intricate path of righteousness, can now no more discriminate-it falters, hesitates, and likely mistakes its way. The faith that was before so firm, begins to waver-there are doubts, and difficulties, and uncertainties, that were not there before. The confidence--that beautiful abandonment of every thing to the care of him who careth, that firm reliance upon the promise of him who never lies-where is it all? Perhaps he does not care-perhaps he has not promised, or he is not true. Alas! it is all gone. Who can walk confidently, certainly, and exactly, in the dark? But what has caused the darkness? Why is the sun so suddenly gone down? What has obscured our judgment, and weakened our faith, and shaken our confidence? Even this-we provoked him and he was angry-he was angry and all our days are gone. Those who once sat in darkness, have seen a great light: but if that light is withdrawn, where should they be again

1

but in the darkness? And it is withdrawn, whenever, by sin indulged, God's anger is provoked: it came with his countenance, and it departs when that countenance is averted. It has been feared by some, that confident trust, and simple reliance on the merits of another, as in the Gospel inculcated, may lead to indulgence and carelessness of life. Let them be content. The moment the life becomes careless, and sin is indulged, the anger of God is kindled-the light grows dim-the confidence is shaken, the faith is obscured, and the day is for that time gone. The remembrance of it may encourage the soul to penitence, and lead it humbly to wait for the returning light-but it will not enable it to walk contentedly and boldly in the darkness.

LECTURES

ON OUR

SAVIOUR'S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.

LECTURE THE SEVENTEENTH,

No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon -MATT. vi. 24.

It is delightful to follow the divine Composer of this best of sermons, as in brief simplicity of words, seemingly no more than a succession of plain precepts, he combines in these often unconnected sentences, argument, proof, and reasoning at once-all that the most intricate discussion could suggest, in the pleadings, if we may so call them, of the eternal God against his guilty creatures. Some persons, whose love for the Bible does not extend to the whole of it, who are averse to the more doctrinal parts of Scripture-they say because they

do not understand them, but really because understanding they do not like them-attempt to shelter themselves under this most beautiful portion of the divine word, which they take to be a mere moral code, in their rejection of the peculiar doctrines of the gospel; as if there were indeed a difference between the doctrine of Christ during his ministry on earth, and that of the inspired apostles who succeeded to it. They have little digested the words of this discourse who think so-they are not a succession of mere moral precepts, that, affecting the outward conduct only, require no change of principle in the heart, and leave men to adjust their faith to whatever creed they please. On the contrary, there is in the whole sermon a train of reasoning carried on, and doctrine exhibited, in perfect conformity with the full system of the gospel; wanting nothing to complete it, but that which the Preacher was about to add, not in word, but in deed-as if in closing his sermon he had said, so far I have told you of the truth; follow me to Calvary, and you will see the rest.

Jesus began his discourse by declaring the preference of God for a people whom the world, in its established maxims, had not preferred, and pronouncing his blessing upon those whom the world had not esteemed blessedthe self-abased, the sorrowful, they who desire holiness more than their necessary food, and are willing to be reviled and persecuted for its sake. And with the objects of his blessing, he describes the nature and the value of it-comfort, joy, and satisfaction in time-rank and inheritance through all eternity. But where were these objects of his preference so described-what heads received the blessings as they fell? His disciples, his followers— they who had left all and braved all, to unite themselves in common cause with him. The personal application of the words follows immediately on their utterance-" YE are the salt of the earth, the light of the world." But lest the distinction between his disciples and the world should not be fully perceived, lest some should take the blessing