cessity and advantages of Christian repentance, let us be diligent in the discharge of this important duty; and let us particularly guard against that common error of supposing that we need no repentance, merely because our sins are not notorious to others, nor perhaps strikingly conspicuous even to ourselves; for it may be that we have never descended into the depths of the heart to search them out; or it may be that when conscience attempts to speak, we rudely silence her, and defer her admonitions till we have a more convenient season for attending to them. If we will only deal honestly by our own hearts, the very best of us will find abundant cause of humiliation before God, not only on account of deficiencies in the love and obedience we owe Him, but too probably also in more overt acts of sin, committed both against the honour of His great name and the interests and happiness of our fellow-creatures. A Christian therefore, who desires to walk worthy of his vocation, will scrutinize the recesses of his soul that he may discover and correct in it what he finds amiss; and this not only in an habitual way, by a general observation of the tenour of his life, but by entering, at certain stated seasons, on a minute investigation of his past conduct, and marshalling his sins in array against himself. Shall it be said that this is a painful exercise?—that would be no valid objection, provided it were a

profitable one; but in truth the sorrow which it does occasion, will be finally and effectually turned into joy; for who shall describe the calm and serenity which pervades the bosom of a faithful Christian, when he has relieved himself of a burden, too grievous to be borne, by confessing and lamenting his sin in the presence of his God, and earnestly supplicating, for his Redeemer's sake, forgiveness for the past, and grace for the future? In such an employment he tastes and sees how gracious the Lord is :-he trusts in the Rock of his salvation, and is not confounded:-he rises, renewed and invigorated in the spirit of his mind, to run with patience the race that is set before him, and to serve the Lord with gladness and singleness of heart. These are the refreshing streams, proceeding from the river of our God, which minister to the weary soul abundant supplies, of life, and health, and joy; and may each of us continue to partake of them, till that more happy period shall arrive, when we shall no more hunger and thirst after righteousness, being filled with all the fulness of God!

SERMON III.

DEATH.

DEUT. Xxxii. 29.

O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

THESE words occur in that composition of matchless magnificence, which is commonly called the song of Moses; and they express the fervent wishes of that holy patriarch, and genuine patriot, for the welfare and happiness of his countrymen after his decease, the time of which he knew was fast approaching. Having recounted, in the ears of the people of Israel, the wonderful dealings of God towards them, in effecting their deliverance from the house of bondage, and conducting them in safety to the borders of the land of promise, he urges them, in terms of the utmost energy and affection, to remember these mighty works of mercy and of judgment as motives to obedience;

and, by their past experience of what had been the end of others, who had lived forgetful of God their Redeemer, to consider that which, under similar circumstances, would assuredly await themselves. Now, though the topics on which this exhortation was grounded, as addressed to the Jewish people by their inspired lawgiver, were of a particular nature, arising out of the events of their national history, yet the admonition itself is of the most general utility; being equally applicable, and equally valuable, to all the sons and daughters of men. It is universally a proof of wisdom to consider the end of our pursuits, of whatever nature they may be; and so strongly impressed was the son of Sirach with the advantages of such a precaution, that one of his moral apophthegms is this; "whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end, and thou shalt never do amiss;" and the reasons, which recommend this prudential conduct in regard to subordinate and dependent pursuits, must necessarily hold with much greater force in reference to that which combines and includes all others: if it be wise to take occasionally a prospective view of the probable termination of other things in which we are engaged, how much more so is it to look forward to that event, which will certainly be the grand termination of them all,—namely, death.

Meditation on such a subject will be of great

and obvious utility, merely in relation to the things of this life, since the nature of our existence here must be always taken into account in the formation of any prudent plans connected with our present being; and hence, even in this point of view, death may furnish a theme of contemplation, well adapted "to give subtilty to the simple,” and more especially, "to the young man knowledge and discretion." But when, in addition to this mode of considering the matter, we admit into our calculation, the character under which death is represented to us by the Christian revelation, as being only a new birth, and that to life eternal; then, indeed, and then only, the value of directing our attention to it appears in its proper magnitude and proportion; and surely, if we altogether overlook such inquiries, the very heathen himself' will rise up in judgment against us; who declared it to be the proper employment, even of Gentile philosophers, to be always preparing for death.

And yet, to judge by the conduct of the generality of mankind, death is not in all their thoughts; they seem to have persuaded themselves, though in opposition to the evidence of daily experience, that because, " since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from