money; whether we pray and read the Scriptures; whether we are kind, temperate in all things, pure, and true. But we do not do well when we wish to scrutinize nicely the exact nature of our faith or our repentance; whether we were sorry enough for the offence which we had committed against God; whether we really abhor our own righteousness entirely, and have no lurking trust in our hearts, in any thing that we do; whether, finally, we love God truly for himself, or are most moved to do so by the hope of his rewards. These inquiries, vain and perplexing to all, are to some most fatal; they turn our thoughts to that which none can safely or healthfully watch, the actual workings of our own minds and feelings; they teach us to try to analyze what defies analysis, the mingled nature of our desires, and hopes, and fears; they make our spiritual state to depend upon our power of metaphysical observation. And the object of all this is to gain, what no sound mind can ever gain, an assurance of its own perpetual acceptance with God. All this unhealthy

restlessness is to ascertain that we have had true faith, as if then the work was done, and all the rest of our lives might be peace and security. But be assured that this is not the

self-examination which God's word, the pure and calm spirit of wisdom, encourages us to practise. It is easy to know generally whether we care for God or no, whether we believe in Christ, whether we are aware of the imperfection of our own goodness. But the more particular examination belongs to our actions; and from looking at them we can best judge of our feelings. "He that loveth me," says Christ, "keepeth my commandments;" so far as we do not keep them, our love is deficient; so far as we do not overcome the world, our faith is weak. Pray we that both may be increased more and more; but let us not turn our cares and anxiety from this wholesome prayer to the fond inquiry whether our faith is of such a kind as may release us from all further anxiety about it.

APPENDIX TO SERMON XI.

THERE has been no period since the apostolic age in which the truth enforced in this sermon has not been needed by the Christian church in practice. But in theory it would not commonly be disputed in any country where the Scriptures were studied; and it is only the recent revival of the doctrines of the nonjurors of the last century, which makes it proper to add some further explanation of it.

There are three characters which have belonged, either separately or jointly, to the ministers of religion; the characters of teacher, of governor, and of priest. Of these, one or other of the two first is essential to a minister of the Christian religion, and both together are perfectly legitimate; the third is absolutely inconsistent with his office, and cannot be assumed without profaneness.

We understand readily enough what is meant by a "teacher" and by a "governor;" but what is meant by "a priest," many perhaps would find it difficult to

explain. And this is natural; for the notion having originated mostly in falsehood and delusion, is full of vagueness, and has from time to time sheltered itself under the clear and well understood notions of teaching and government, with which it has no necessary connexion. But it is important, if possible, to develop it.

The assumption on which a priesthood proceeds is the perpetual superiority, in a religious point of view, of some men over others, so that the inferior require the mediation of the superior before they can offer to God any acceptable worship. I lay the stress on the epithet "perpetual," for in this consists the essential falsehood and evil of the system. It may well happen that some men have the knowledge of God, while others have it not. But here is the difference between a ministry and a priesthood; that while a minister of religion labours to destroy his own superiority over his neighbours, by communicating to them all his own knowledge, a priest wishes it to be perpetual, and therefore keeps his knowledge to himself. Accordingly, wherever a priesthood has been based on a real superiority of knowledge, the utmost pains have been taken to prevent this knowledge from being fully enjoyed by the people at large; it has been sometimes communicated in part, but certain esoteric doctrines or mysteries have been kept in reserve, on purpose to ensure to the priest's superiority a perpetual duration.

This has been the practice of those priesthoods, which not being hereditary, have grounded their superiority on their superior knowledge. In the hereditary or caste priesthoods, the superiority being grounded