tion of perpetual happiness and misery being the issue, of eternity itself being at stake. In whatever aspect we view the scene which is laid before us, it assumes importance, inasmuch as every thing connected with time is linked to eternity. Every pursuit we undertake has abstractedly an influence on the mind, calculated to strengthen the ties which bind us to this world, and weaken those of futurity. Every little incident in the drama of life tends to develop the final plot, the issue of which, by examining the detail, we can correctly learn. If the blow has not yet been struck, by a timely shifting of the scenes, and by giving a new impetus to the whole, we may yet change the issue, we may prevent the awful doom. Since it is passion which impels the man of genius in the pursuit of his science, we must look for the same to enable us to forsake the love of this world, and to lay up our wealth in heaven. But, alas! where shall we find this holy passion, this mighty principle, stronger than the love of women, and more triumphant than death itself? is it to be found in the covetous; dwells it in the bosom of the worldly? is it nursed in the lap of pleasure, or is it ever sprung from earth? Where can we find this passion, that shall so steal over us as to wean us from a world to which we are wedded, so that we shall seek to be for ever divorced from it? We are called upon to forsake that world we love, to give up those riches we covet, and to quit those pleasures we enjoy. We are called upon to lay up those treasures which we covet not,-to enjoy those pleasures that to us are pain,-to serve that master whom we hate, and to forsake that master whom we love. We are called upon, not to divide our hearts, but for ever to sever them from the object of all our hopes and fears, dearer to us than our lives, compared with which heaven itself to us is hell? Where is the passion which can make us willing to cut our very heart-strings, to break every link which rivets our affections, to make our gold appear but dross, and our silver dim; a passion that can touch our hearts with love of God, and hatred to Mammon, and make us prefer heaven to hell? I find no such passion in the human soul; I know not in what power or faculty of the mind it is lodged; in vain I seek it, for it is nowhere to be found. And yet we must serve God with an undivided heart; we must forsake all that we have, -we must deny ourselves, and take up our cross daily, we cannot serve God and Mammon. We have come, then, to this awful result, that, what God requires of us we can never perform. That which is contrary to our nature we are to love, and what is agreeable to the same we must hate. "Who is sufficient for these things? we are not sufficient of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." He that commands, must teach us to obey; he that demands our affections must help us to love; he that would occupy our hearts must come and take possession of them. While the Scriptures teach us that we must not "love the world, nor the things which are in the world; for if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him;" it teaches us that this can never be effected by our own power. But, blessed be God, his holy Word not only informs us of our disease, but teaches us a remedy. "Hope commences when hope is at an end." When once we despair of ever heartily loving God, we may be assured that this despair will lead us to hope, and hope conduct us to enjoyment. The Spirit of God alone can insure the holy passion of love to God, which will call forth all the energies and faculties of our soul upon a subject worthy of every power of the mind, and affection of the heart. Let us, therefore, pour out our supplications to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that of his bounteous mercy and love, and for the sake and merits of our mighty Advocate and Redeemer, he would send us his Holy Spirit, and infuse into our hearts that devotedness to him, that "faith, which overcometh the world." Let us not be occupied in laying up riches on earth, but treasures in heaven; and let our hearts be there fixed, where true joys only can be found. Let us not be solicitous of the future, but careful only of the present. Let us cast all our care upon him, for he careth for us. Let it not be our anxiety as to what we shall eat, or what we shall drink; nor yet for our bodies, what we shall put on. For our heavenly Father knoweth that we have need of these things. But let us seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all other things shall be added unto us. SERMON XI. 1 JOHN III. 1-3. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself, even as he is pure. : THE writings of the Apostle John are full of the most beautiful, spiritual, deep, and sententious aphorisms, which do not appear written with much connexion, but, in his peculiar and characteristic manner, are delivered with all the suavity of his divine Master, and impress us with the idea that there must have been a greater congeniality of feeling between himself and Christ, than between any of the other disciples and our Lord. This probably arose from their possessing much the same cast and turn of mind. This will at once account for our Lord having a peculiar regard to the dis |