Imatges de pàgina
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to convey to his heart all that he witnesses. Accustomed to all the comforts of life, and hardly ever thinking what it would be to want them, he sees poverty and all its evils; scanty room, and, too often, scanty fuel, scanty clothing, and scanty food. Instead of the quiet and neatness of his own chamber, he finds, very often, a noise and a confusion which would render deep thought impossible; instead of the stores of knowledge with which his own study is filled, he finds, perhaps, only a prayer-book and a Bible. Then let him see,—and it is no fancied picture, for he will see it often, if he looks for it, how Christ is to them that serve him, wisdom, at once, and sanctification, and blessing. He will find, amidst all this poverty, in those narrow, close, and crowded rooms, amidst noise and disorder, and, sometimes, want of cleanliness also, he will see old age, and sickness, and labour, borne, not only with patience, but with thankfulness, through the aid of that Bible, and the grace of that Holy Spirit who is its author. He will find that while his language and studies would be utterly unintelligible to the ears of those whom he is visiting, yet that they, in their turn, have a language and feelings to which he is no less.

a stranger. And he may think too, and, if he does, he may for ever bless the hour that took him there, that, in fifty years or less, his studies and all concerned with them will have perished for ever, whilst their language and their feelings, only perfected in the putting off their mortal bodies, will be those of all glorified and all wise spirits, in the presence of God and of Christ.

Nor is this most profitable duty of visiting the poor, as I have said on former occasions, one which you can only practise hereafter, and which does not concern you here. Those who really think of their own souls, and who are desirous of improving them, would find that even here it is by no means impossible. It would indeed be a blessed thing, and would make this place really a seminary of true religion and useful learning, if those among us who are of more thoughtful years, and especially those who are likely to become ministers of Christ hereafter, would remember that their Christian education has commenced already, and that he cannot learn in Christ's school who does not acquaint himself something with the poor. Two or three at first, five or six afterwards, very small number might begin a practice

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which, under proper regulation, and guided by Christian prudence, as well as actuated by Christian love, would be equally beneficial to the poor and to yourselves. Depend upon it the time must come, and come speedily, when the spirit of the schools of the prophets, such as we read of in Israel in old times, must be revived amongst us here, or a worse fate than that of Jerusalem will be ours. If such were the case, if young men here remembered that they were preparing to become, some ministers of Christ, and all his servants, and if, therefore, they would begin, even here, to practise Christ's lessons, and to follow Christ's example,—I should not dread, but fully rejoice in the highest exertion of their intellectual powers; and a blessing, both on themselves and others, would come upon that pursuit of truth which did not exclude humility, and ministered to the purposes of charity, and to the service of Christ.

SERMON XXIV.

1 PETER V. 6, 7.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

WE read in the Epistle to the Hebrews, that it became Him, for whom and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the Captain of our salvation perfect through sufferings. And again it is said of Christ, that because "he became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, that, therefore, God also has highly exalted him, and has given him a name which is above every name." So also when James and John besought him, that they might sit, the one on his right hand, the other on his left, in his kingdom, his answer was, "Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized

with the baptism which I am baptized with?" -meaning, that if they would be like him in his glory, they must first be like him in his sufferings; that they must, in short, "through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." Now all these passages agree with the text in this, that they all speak of good things coming after trouble: they do not allow us to suppose that our course from our birth to eternity is to run all smooth. And though all these passages naturally receive a deeper colouring from outward circumstances ;-that is, though the persecution which daily beset the first Christians, and the general calamities which befell the whole Christian world at the downfall of the Roman empire, would make men, living at those particular times, feel the truth of these passages more keenly;yet they serve no less for seasons of calm than of storm; they should remind us in what manner we ought to look upon life beforehand, without being forced to do so, whether we will or no, by the pressure of outward misery.

I dwelt last Sunday upon imitating Christ, so far as it was possible, in the particular sort of employment which he chose,-namely, in the mixing with other men, neither for business

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