afraid or ashamed to speak in his presence. Perhaps you say, We mentioned it as a secret not to be divulged. True: But if you could not keep that secret yourselves, how could you expect others to keep it? Besides, it is not only unchristian, but unmanly, to attack an absent person. By this means, perpetual enmities are kept up. It makes the thing still worse, if, while we abuse a person behind his back, we keep up a show of friendship before his face. There is so much of the devil in this conduct, that the man who is guilty of it, is fit for no society but that of infernal spirits. If we can do absent persons any good, let us do it; but if we cannot, let us resolve to do them no harm.

Looks and words are cheap; and therefore we should show ourselves friendly in our actions. This will complete our title to the friendship of others. Are they hungry? Let us feed them. Are they naked? Let us clothe them. Are they sick, or in prison? Let us visit them. Are they in danger? Let us protect them. Are they ignorant? Let us instruct them. Are they wicked? Let us try to reform them. When they weep, let us weep; when they rejoice, let us rejoice. But if we envy men in prosperity, and neglect them in adversity, how can we expect their friendship? It may not be in our power to do good extensively; but if we do all the good we can, we shall please both God and our neighbour. In this respect, let us spare no pains; let us lose no time. The good is little that the best and ablest men can do; but as we have opportunity, "let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." Gal. vi, 10.

III. THERE IS A FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER. But who is that friend? Where can he be found? What is his character? God is a friend to all his creatures; especially to holy men. His throne is in heaven; but mortals may find him upon earth. This friend is not "far from every one of us; for in him we live, and move, and have our being." Acts xvii, 27, 28. He is an all-wise, all-powerful, and ever-present friend. He can supply all our wants, protect our persons, and fill us with substantial happiness. He is kind and condescending, and the meanest mortal may secure his approbation.

But, if we would enjoy the friendship of God, we must show ourselves friendly towards him. Sinners are his enemies, and fall under his frowns. To secure his friendship, we must cast away our transgressions, depend upon the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ, make the Divine will the rule of our conduct, and be friendly to the cause and the people of God.

God is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother. The friendship of heaven, towards the worthy, is constant and eternal. The affections of a brother may change; but God changeth not. A brother may be reduced so low, as to be unable to afford the smallest help; but God is an inexhaustible fountain of all we want. He sticketh close to his people through life, in the solemn hour of death, and to all eternity. We have nothing to fear while we remain faithfully and constantly attached to his cause. Human friends may fail: A brother may die: But God will never fail.

Henceforth let us use every possible means, to make the wise and

good among men our friends. Let us improve religious friendship; but, above all, let us maintain and improve friendship with heaven; for, whatever happens to us, in this changeable world, if God be our friend, all will be well. Amen.

SERMON XXXIV.

THE CHRISTIAN RACE.

Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of the faith; who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. HEB. xii, 1, 2.

THE words of our text are an inference from the preceding chapter, wherein the apostle gives many instances of triumphant faith, amongst the worthies of former ages. Those worthies are brought to view for our encouragement and imitation. Wherefore, let us prepare for the Christian race, and so run that we may obtain the prize. Each particular, in this passage, leads to that which immediately follows; and, therefore, we shall begin with the First, and proceed regularly to the Last.

I. WE ARE COMPASSED ABOUT WITH A CLOUD OF WITNESSES.

Here is an undoubted reference to the Olympic Games, in which races were run for prizes of great value. Those games were attended by vast numbers of people from all Greece, from the extremities of Egypt, from Lybia, Sicily, and other countries, who were spectators of every race. Thus good men, who run for a prize of infinite value, are beheld by numerous spectators. The cloud of witnesses here referred to, are the pious of former days, who are represented as looking on to see how we acquit ourselves. They are called a cloud, on account of their number; perhaps because a cloud contains a vast number of drops. Besides these, our conduct is witnessed by God, by men, and by devils. All look on, to see how we proceed in this important race.

II. THE SPECTATORS BEING ASSEMBLED, WE MUST PREPARE TO RUN. We must lay aside every weight, and cast off every incumbrance: We should take nothing which will retard our progress. Sin is properly called weight. It not only binds us down to the earth, but wearies and fatigues us in the discharge of duty. pleasing or profitable it may appear. lust, and passion, are deadly weights. you cannot run the Christian race.

Lay aside every sin, however Unbelief, covetousness, pride, Give them all up at once, or

Even our besetting sin must be laid aside.

That is our besetting sin,

to which we are most addicted, and by which we are the most easily overcome. This may be constitutional; or it may arise either from education, employment, or our particular situation in life. It may vary. That which beset us once, may not beset us now; and that which besets us now, may not always beset. Let us, however, find it out, and for ever lay it aside. It may be like a right eye, or a right hand; but pluck out the one, and cut the other off.

III. THUS PREPARED, WE MUST RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE SET

BEFORE US.

The race is set before us. It is clearly marked out, so that we have not to run in an uncertain way. It is set before us in the Scriptures; by the ministers of Christ; and by the Spirit of God. The way is inward and outward holiness. No other way than this, is set before us by the Lord; and we must be careful not to run in a way of our own.

We must run. Running implies great exertion of bodily strength; and this figure is used, to teach us the necessity of calling forth all our strength, and exerting all our power, in the discharge of Christian duties. Run, as Lot ran out of Sodom; or as the manslayer to the city of refuge. Thy life is at stake. Ruin is behind, and pursues thee fast. O, run from danger! Safety, peace, and glory, are before thee. O, run forward! Haste thee on the way! Thou hast no time to lose!

We must run with patience. Difficulties and dangers call for patience. Our way will lead to both; but let patience have its perfect work. The apparent length of the way will require patience. When we set out at first, we think of being soon at the mark; but after running some time, perhaps it may appear a great way off: But let us exercise patience a little longer, and we shall have the prize.

Looking

IV. WHILE WE RUN, WE MUST CONSTANTLY LOOK to Jesus. It is not one view of Jesus that will answer our purpose. is a continued act, and it will be necessary for us to look to him all the way. Our eye must be fixed upon him every step we take.

We must look to Jesus as our great examplar. He has gone before us. Follow him in his spotless life, his zeal for God, his benovelence for men, and his steady perseverance to the end.

We must look to Jesus, as beginning and carrying on the great work of redemption and salvation. Look to him in the stable at Bethlehem; in his poverty at Nazareth; in his agony and bloody sweat in the garden of Gethsemane; in the hands of a furious deluded rabble; in the hands of Pilate, scourged and crowned with thorns. See him on the cross; in the tomb; rising again; at the right hand of God; and coming again to judge the world.

We must look to Jesus, for direction in difficulties; for protection in danger; for support in weakness; and for comfort in distress.

V. JESUS IS THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH. Jesus is the author of our faith, as he has revealed those blessed truths which we believe. We do not build our faith upon creeds, articles, liturgies, or homilies; but upon the infallible words of our Lord. Articles and creeds may be good; but the New Testament is the rule of our faith.

Our Lord is the author of that faith which brings salvation. It is through him that we have a power to believe; and through him that we are justified and sanctified by faith. He is the finisher of this faith, both as it centres in him, and as, by his blessing, it is perfected in us.

VI. FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE JESUS, HE ENDURED THE CROSS, DESPISED THE SHAME, AND IS SET DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND of GOD.

The joy which was set before our Redeemer, was, the prospect of saving lost sinners, and of being exalted himself, in his human nature, to high honours in the upper world. We have also a joy set before us, similar to his; for we may be useful to men, and our souls may alted to the heavenly world.

be ex

The death of the cross

To obtain that joy, he endured the cross. was painful; but he endured without a murmur. O, follow him in this. respect! You have a cross to endure; but endure as seeing the Invisible, and keep an eye to the recompense of reward.

The cross was ignominious; but he despised the shame. It was below him to notice it. Let this be the case with us. Let us despise the ignorant reproaches of men. If we shun either the pain or the shame of the cross, we shall lose the crown.

After the death of the cross, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God. The phrase denotes a settled state of honour and glory. In that state he does not forget us; but pleads our cause with the Father. O, let us raise our affections to him, that we may sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus!

To conclude. Have we begun to lay aside our weights? Have we begun to run? What progress have we made? Do we look to Jesus? Let us try ourselves. Ye who scarcely walk, now arise; cast away from you all your transgressions; enter on the Christian race; and hold on your way, that you may at length obtain the prize of your high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

SERMON XXXV.

CHRIST OUR GREAT HIGH-PRIEST.

Seeing, then, that we have a great High-Priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high-priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: But was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. HEBREWS iv, 14—16.

WHEN this epistle was written, the converted Hebrews laboured under a violent persecution, and the evident design of the writer was,

to guard them against apostasy. The character of Jesus was degraded by the Jews; but here it is represented in all its greatness and glory. The law of Moses was extolled above measure; but here it is proved, that the Gospel is far superior. It is also proved, that Christ is superior to Moses; that to refuse him will be followed by greater punishment, than that which was inflicted under the law; that Christ has provided a rest for persevering believers; that the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword; and, that, having a great High-Priest, who has passed into the heavens, we should hold fast our profession, and come boldly to a throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. This passage furnishes us with the following important observations:

I. WE HAVE A GREAT HIGH-PRIEST, THAT HAS PASSED INTO THE HEAVENS, JESUS THE SON OF GOD.

The law being a shadow of good things to come, we may consider the Jewish high-priests as types of Christ. They were great men in the sight of Israel; but their greatness was only that of frail mortals. Christ, the Christian High-Priest, took upon him the infirmities of men; but "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Col. ii, 9. Finding him set forth, in the holy Scriptures, as the Maker, Preserver, Saviour, and Judge of the world, we are constrained to say, he is a great High-Priest. Come, poor desponding Christian, be encouraged by a view of this greatness, and go on thy way with boldness.

Our High-Priest is Jesus the Son of God. Jesus is called the Son of God, both on account of his miraculous conception, and his resurrection from the dead; but he is the Son of God in a higher sense: He is "God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made." How he was begotten, we neither know, nor need to know; but that he possesses the nature of God, as properly as a child of man possesses the nature of man, is most clearly revealed in the holy Scriptures.

Jesus, our High-Priest, has passed into the heavens. The open air is called heaven; the region of the stars is also called heaven; but the third heaven, to which the apostle Paul was caught up, is the heaven into which Jesus has passed. As the Jewish high-priest entered once a year into the holy of holies in the temple, to present before the Lord the blood of the yearly atonement; so Jesus has entered the holy place, to present his blood before the Father on our account.

II. THIS SHOULD ENCOURAGE US TO HOLD FAST OUR PROFESSION.

As Christians, we profess to have renounced the world, to believe in Jesus, and to love and obey God. We profess to be men of another world, and to have our treasure and our hearts in heaven. This is a high profession, and far more honourable than any other. Some pretend to conceal their religion, for fear of appearing hypocrites, when probably they have none to conceal; but a real Christian comes boldly forward, and professes his Lord before men.

We must hold fast our profession. A mere profession is easily held fast; but the true idea of holding fast our profession is, that we hold fast