influence than their neighbours. Age gives influence, money gives it, power gives it, station in society gives it; and supposing all these points equal, yet, still men cannot be equal altogether, for then personal character gives it. Nothing can hinder firmness, and wisdom, and virtue, from exercising an influence over the minds of those who witness them. There must, then, be some every where, to whom Christ gives this solemn charge, "When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Every advantage which we have over others, makes us subject to this charge. If we are older, we should strengthen those who are younger; if we have the ascendency given by strength, and activity, and decision of character, or by general ability, or by consideration of whatever sort, then we, being converted, should strengthen our brethren; we are answerable not for our own souls only, but also, in a certain measure, for those of others. And this is a point which especially concerns us here. Every one of us who becomes awakened to a real sense of what it is to be a Christian, has a double call upon him, to save himself and his brethren also. You may say, How can we do this? How can we,—if we have no advantage of age, or situation, or great talents, or force of character,

how can we influence others? I answer,

that

the Spirit of Christ is still the spirit of power;

that to this day, signs and wonders follow them

that believe. the blind see, or the cripple walk; that you can drive away the stroke of sickness, or bid the dead arise. But never yet did any soul turn sincerely to Christ, but the spirit of power was there. Goodness is power, and ever will be. Steady and consistent goodness, whether in young or old, in rich or in poor, must enjoy an influence, must make itself felt amongst those who see it; must, in some instances, I do not say in all, or in the majority, for the miraculous gifts of healing extended to few only. amongst many sick; but it must, in some instances, open the eyes of the ignorant or thoughtless, bid the crooked walk uprightly, abate the fever of selfish and violent passions, nay, arouse the dead in trespasses and sins, till he is awakened and lives. Assuredly, the leaven will spread, the leaven must spread: not so fast, or so surely, alas! as the leaven of wickedness; yet, to a certain extent; they who are truly converted themselves, always, I believe, multiply the number of Christ's servants; they do find themselves enabled to strengthen their brethren.

I do not mean that

I do not mean that you can bid

And if the evil leaven be here of exceeding power, if evil influence be no where caught so readily, is it not so much the more needful, that all they who love the Lord Jesus Christ, should go forth between the living and the dead, and endeavour to stay the plague? Perhaps the very words, "go forth," require to be changed in our case: there should be nothing forward, nothing pretending, for that would rather defeat its object. I should dread nothing so much as our being talked of for a great show of religion; I should fear that there might be less of the power of it. By a show of religion, I do not mean, God forbid that I should mean ! a fearless reverence and love for God and the things of God, a fearless enmity to evil, and fondness for good. But I mean peculiarities of language and manner; any thing that is too artificial to suit well with your age, which, above all other times of life, requires a manner simple, straightforward, and natural. And even where there are these blemishes, they are by no means inconsistent with the power of godliness in ourselves, but they interfere with it in others; they make us less able to strengthen our brethren, because they excite a needless prejudice against us. This, however, is of far less consequence than that there should really

be a spirit of true Christianity among us, anxious for our own souls and for those of others. If it is the first, it will be the last; for he who knows what God's service is, cannot but be eager to teach it to others. And whether he succeeds with many or with few, two things he may be sure of; that as, on the one hand, they who hear will never be so many as those who refuse to hear, for the gate to life is ever narrow, and the way to destruction broad; so, on the other hand, his labours will never be utterly vain. Some fruit it will surely find; and infinite is the good, and infinite the glory, of having brought even one sinner to repentance.

SERMON XV.

PROSELYTISM.

MATTHEW XXIII. 15.

Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

THEY who are not familiar with the universal extent of God's revelation, with that peculiar mark of its divine original, its providing against opposite dangers with equal earnestness, although not always at equal length, inasmuch as one, though not less fatal than the other, may be less common; they may be surprised to find in the New Testament such words as those which I have just read. It may seem strange that the Founder of a religion, which was, in one sense, to owe its whole existence to proselytism, should thus strongly condemn the zeal of making proselytes; that he, whose disciples were to labour to convert every soul,