The subject will apply itself to backsliding Christians. Ah why should they who have seen his glory and known his love, and seen the world eclipsed by his charms, so often forsake the fountain of living waters for broken cisterns? Why should that which they have known to be the supreme good, be left for things which they know cannot profit? In better hours you have avouched the Lord Jehovah to be your God and portion: you have vowed eternal fealty and subjection to him. Your oath is recorded in the rolls of heaven. Why then violate your promises thus attested, and forsake the source of happiness for comfort which you know is no where else to be found? Awake from these enchanted slumbers. Pursue no longer the unnatural course which carries you from your life and from the centre of yourselves. And what can you find abroad to allure you from home? Precisely what the dove found on leaving the ark,-no place on which to rest the sole of her foot. May you, like her, soon grow weary of the damp and cheerless regions without, and return on lagging pinions, and with mourning notes plead for an extended arm to take you in. Consider also from what mercies you have fled, and through what obligations you have broken away: and then, with the melting griefs of the Psalmist, give it in charge to yourselves, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully

with thee."

In the last place, the subject addresses itself to those who have deliberately and heartily made choice of the supreme good, and who have never,

by the mists of earth or hell, lost sight of the good they have chosen. Hail, happy souls! All hail, ye unrivalled few! From my heart I give you joy. Ye have found the pearl of great price. Ye have found that treasure which worlds might be sold in vain to purchase. Accept our congratulations.Accept the congratulations of angels. Let your souls arise and shout for joy; for all the treasures of the universe are yours. The infinite God, with all that he possesses, is made over to you by a covenant well "ordered in all things and sure." Let your pious hearts be comforted under the loss of all terrestrial vanities. Let them shout for joy under all trials and crosses. For under the loss of all things, you possess all things still. The immortal God is yours; and in him you have all and need no more. Be not disheartened at the trials and conflicts in which you may be involved. Soon will

you emerge from them all, and like the sun breaking from a cloud, forever shine forth in the kingdom of your Father. It is in our heart to bid you God speed, and encourage you to go on and renew your wise and virtuous choice of the God of all benignity and blessedness. Be emboldened to take a larger and still larger portion of the supreme good. God has said "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it." Be satisfied with this portion, and murmur not though sinners take the rest. Never indulge vain regrets for the objects you have left behind. "Delight" yourselves more and more "in the Lord, and he" will more and more give you "the desires of" your "heart." And whatever allurements so

350 WHOM HAVE I IN HEAVEN BUT THEE?

licit you astray, whatever terrors arise in your course, whatever crosses you may have to encounter, never suffer yourselves to be unsettled from the habit of hourly saying, "Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee." Amen.

SERMON XXIII.

FORSAKEN THE FIRST LOVE.

REV. II. 4, 5.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

These solemn words were a part of the message of the risen Saviour to the church of Ephesus.That church had been planted by the apostle Paul, who at first continued there three years. Afterwards it was left to the care of Timothy and the elders who received from Paul that affecting charge at Miletus. At a later period John resided among them, and continued there till he was banished to Patmos by the emperor Domitian, about three years before this message was sent. Under all these advantages it is not to be supposed that the Ephesian church had departed from the Gospel in the articles of their faith or in the forms of their worship. Paul

had indeed forewarned them that after his departure "grievous wolves" would enter in among them, "not sparing the flock;" and that even of themselves men would arise "speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them." And we know that Cerinthus and Marcion were there, who denied the divinity of Christ. There were also Nicolas and Hymenæus and Alexander and Phygellus and Hermogenes. But men of this character who had belonged to that church, had been excluded; and the church in this very message are commended for their marked reprobation of the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Nor yet does it appear that the members of that church had fallen into any open immorality, or had relaxed in their attendance on divine ordinances. On the contrary, they are highly commended for their many labors, their patient sufferings for Christ, and their resolute resistance of those who had grossly departed from the Gospel in faith or practice. "I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars. And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted." Amidst this constellation of excellencies one spot appeared: they had forsaken their first love. That tender and fervent affection which they had felt in the days of their espousals, had grown cold. While sitting under the ministry of the heavenly minded John,-while bleeding under ferocious persccution, they grew cold. This is the only charge