been straightway followed up by exertion continually more diligent, by humility constantly more deep, by devotion more and more enlivened, by more and more fervent charity. His last hour, whenever it may arrive, finds him prepared to meet his God. He too must now breathe his last, his faculties must fail, his strength must faint, his senses cease to act. But as his eyes grow dim to the sight of this world's glory, they are being quickened to the enjoyment of that which is celestial. The reasoning of the apostle, long familiar to his heart, is not now for the first time to be considered. Righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, have not been till now put away from his thoughts, but have been the subject of his daily meditation, the rule and guide of his daily conduct. Faith in Christ, to him no new and untried armour, has been his shield in every encounter of his soul with sin, the world, and the Devil. Many times already it has given him the victory; and it will now make him more than conqueror. If he tremble, it is the trembling not of fear but

hope; it is the last sign of imperfection in that frail nature which can here in no case attain to certainty.

Would you then, my brethren, thus hereafter die? Remember that you must now thus live! Remember that you cannot safely put off one day longer to reform whatever you know to be amiss, to do whatever you are aware is now your duty. Have you been false? You must now be true. Covetous? You must now take no thought for the morrow. Have you been used to be intemperate? Now be sober. Have you been used to swear? Now swear not at all. Have you profaned God's holy day, neglected his worship in the church, failed to take pleasure in the hope of heaven and the serving of God through Christ? Now then, this day, begin to serve God more heartily, to love Him more devoutly, to hallow more reverently his sabbath, to frequent more regularly his house of prayer? Tremble now, that you may not tremble then. Tremble now; and to trembling add godly sorrow for the past, and godly resolution for the future, and above all, for

H

the present, immediate amendment. Trust not to send for us hereafter, when you are ill; but hear us, and mind us now. This is the convenient season. Repent, and believe the Gospel.

And may God, my brethren, of his great goodness, incline your hearts to hear with joy his message of boundless mercy! May He make this unto you a convenient season for drawing more near unto Himself! May He turn your trembling into joy; and move you from taking pleasure in offence, to take delight in "righteousness" and "temperance," and in the hope of being saved in the "judgment to come."

SERMON X.

DIFFICULTY OF RELIGION.

LUKE 13. 24.

Strive to enter in at the strait gate. ERRORS in religion usually lie on the side of convenience; men being willing to believe any one, who teaches them, that it is an easier thing to go to heaven than they had thought for. This is indeed the reason why we see so many kinds of religion prevalent in the world. Not that the true one is not plain enough, and easy to be known from the rest, if a man will give his mind honestly to seek it out. But men persuade themselves they can find some wider gate, some broader way, some doctrine more palatable, some practice more agreeable, than those which are insisted on in the Bible.

Thus the Gospel teaches: "God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must wor

ship Him in spirit." (John 4. 24.) Now it is a very hard thing to worship God as a Spirit, whom one can neither see nor feel. And therefore some help themselves by looking at images, and bowing down before them. Others would avoid this difficulty, by teaching, that as we pray to God we may feel Him, manifesting Himself by a sensible impression, as of touch, or sight, or hearing. Again, the Scripture declares that we shall hereafter be judged according to our works. Now it is a very hard thing to have to give account hereafter of every idle word we speak, of every thought we indulge, of every action we perform. And therefore false teachers have interpreted faith as if it would profit a man without works; and have so preached the atonement of the death of Christ, as if it would save men whether they love Him and obey Him, or not. On the other hand, it is highly offensive to the pride of human nature to be persuaded that we can do nothing of ourselves, that all our sufficiency is of God, that when we have done all “we are unprofitable servants,” (Luke