is chastity. There is purity of heart. There is unspottedness from the world. There is subdued affection. There is regulated desire. The beneficial effects of these virtues upon society at large may not be so immediately recognised, but their influence upon the individual who exercises them will soon be perceived and acknowledged. The mild dignity of the Christian character; the calm of the passions; the elevation of the thoughts; is a book in which all may read the power of that religion which changes those who embrace it into its own image.

Let it not be supposed that the duty which we owe to God is here forgotten. Without fervent and habitual piety what indeed are we? Frail, and feeble, and depraved creatures, weaker than the reed which bends to every breeze, lost in sensuality and pride, at enmity with God, hateful and hating one another. Unless we have submitted to the humbling doctrines of the Gospel; unless we go forth in the strength of our Redeemer; we cannot even perform the vir

tuous actions upon which we would arrogantly depend. "He casteth down the proud and lifteth up the humble." He accepts the sacrifice of the contrite heart, but rejects the offering of the self-confident and secure. When he said, "let your light so shine before men that they may see your

good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven;" he addressed himself to his real followers, to those who had embraced his religion from conviction, and made considerable progress in the path of life. We must sanctify all our exertions by religious motives, or, though they may benefit others, they will not benefit ourselves, for they will be unblessed of God. At the throne of grace we must apply for illumination to perceive our duty, and for strength to perform it. Thus alone can the precept in the text, as well as every other precept of our Saviour, be worthily obeyed. Thus shall we finally enjoy his approbation, and receive the reward of faithful obedience, in that day when he "maketh up his jewels."

SERMON X.

On the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees.

5TH. CHAP. OF ST. MATTHEW, 20TH VERSE.

"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven."

T was constantly alleged against our Sa

IT

viour, that he was not only hostile to the abuses which had crept into the established religion of his country, but that his aim was to undermine and subvert all that was venerable in its institutions, and all that was excellent in its precepts. Amidst the general prevalence

prevalence of superstitious observances, and the palpable neglect of virtuous conduct, the voice of prejudice was raised against him, who was only anxious to recal that religion which originally came from God to its pristine purity, to elevate its sanctions by the sure and certain hope of an eternity of happiness, and to give to the Law the spirituality which constituted its perfection. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." This was the end and aim of the ministry of Jesus Christ. In the prosecution of his design he invariably showed his respect for the religion of his ancestors, and complied with its ceremonies as far as they were consistent with the word of God. He saw in it much that was excellent, much that was important. He saw that, while its types and ceremonies were only transitory, to be superseded by a simpler ritual, and lost in the substantial realities of the Gospel covenant; its moral precepts, and the sanctions by which they were enforced, were, like the

Divine Nature from which they flowed, im

mutable and eternal. Of these he declared,

Verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." On this subject therefore, no strenuous advocate for the exclusive excellence of the Jewish faith could be more ardent and zealous than our Saviour. It was "his meat and drink," not only "to do his Father's will" himself, but to see it done by others. From him could-be expected no departure from the strictest observance of moral duty, no tendency to lower the standard of obedience, no toleration of the slightest wilful failure in what we owe to God, our neighbour, or ourselves. It was not necessary that he should guard himself against such an error, for he knew too well the nature of the religion which he preached; but he was anxious to warn others of the mistakes into which they might ignorantly fall, or the misrepresentations which they might wilfully make. "Whosoever shall break one of

these