"Jesus came and touched them," and said, "Arise, and be not afraid." It is the touch of the Son of God incarnate; it is actual communion with his blessed body, which enables penitent yet still frail sinners to look toward the Almighty and All-wise, without being oppressed by the glory.

Therefore it is that those who despise the sacraments, if they think of divine things at all, are sure to fall into some heresy; they have not the strengthening touch of Jesus Christ, the light and strength which flow only from communion with him; they are left, so far as we know, to their own natural courage and wisdom, to contend against the evil and seducing spirit; and we all know what is sure to happen, when in that war man is left to himself.

But lest any one, hearing or reading of the great and high mysteries contained in the gospel of our salvation, should begin to expect too much, that is, should look for fuller assurance, clearer light, concerning either God himself or any of his doings, than the condition of this world affords: mark what follows next. "When the voice was past, Jesus was found alone." "When they

lifted up their eyes and looked, they saw no man save Jesus only with themselves." As much as to say, that after all, the greatest saint must still expect to walk by faith not by sight; and to find such walking a severe trial and temptation. We all the days of our life, are as then the three apostles were in the immediate peculiar presence of the most holy Trinity: the Father and the Son, by the Spirit, actually, as he foretold by the prophet," dwelling in us and walking in us." But we see no such thing: we only see the church, the ministers, and sacraments, and Scriptures of Jesus Christ, which are as it were himself present with us, to touch us, and make us continually aware of the fearful unseen glory, with which we are encompassed. In this sense, although the whole Trinity is with us, yet that may be truly said of us, which when the voice was past was said of the three disciples, that " Jesus is found of us alone :" we see with our eyes, we hear, we touch, our hands may

handle, the proof, both by sacraments and by other church ordinances, of our Lord and Savior's abode on earth in his sacred body: and through that knowledge, and by the help of those ordinances, we come to know the secret things of our Lord. Therefore let no man expect too much, either of spiritual joy, or of quiet and peace in believing. He may, he must, lift up his eyes to heaven in faith; but let him not, while this world lasts, look for that clear knowledge of saving doctrines, which may be fitly compared to light.

Finally, the history of the transfiguration may show us what holy reserve God expects men to practise, in communicating the high mysteries of Christ to the world. "Jesus said, 'Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again."" It was not to be told: the holy mysteries are not to be rudely cast like pearls before swine, that is, made matter of conversation with all sorts of people, pious and thoughtful, self-willed and humble.

It is true, as times are now, one can hardly keep very unworthy persons from knowing the sayings which convey the knowledge of the trinity, and of other great and awful secrets in religion. But we may keep from wantonly discoursing of such things; we may keep silence even in our own thoughts, not rashly either speaking or conjecturing about the most holy trinity; never forgetting, very often expressly adoring.

In two words, would we know how best to behave ourselves in respect of these heavenly truths, which are but half revealed, yet the life of our souls depends on our entirely believing them; let us try to be minded as the two great apostles were; neither of whom ever after lost the remembrance of what he had seen in the mount; and how they remembered it, themselves have told us: St. John found in it great help to look steadily by faith and love on the face of God incarnate: the Word," says he, "was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory." Again, St. Peter found in the recollection of the same moment a sure and certain pledge of the second coming of our Lord; his words "We

are,

have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty... For the voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount."

With those great apostles, and with all saints, let us give glory to our transfigured Lord: to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be all honor and glory, all praise and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON XXX.

SAINTS ARE LIKE SPARKS IN STUBBLE.

PREACHED ON ST. ANDREW'S DAY.

ST. JOHN i. 42.

"He first [pros] findeth his own brother Simon."

WE are now come to the end of one more year of the church Sundays and holydays. For another twelvemonth we have had the church open, not only on the one day in the week which all who call themselves Christians at all, think themselves bound in some sort to keep holy, but also on those other days on which the Prayer Book directs us to remember the holy saints and martyrs of old, both for their good example's sake, and also in token of our continued communion by faith with that blessed company who have gone before us into paradise. We have tried to honor God in them as the holy church directs; but some persons would be apt to we have tried it with very little profit. Few, very few, were those among us who at first showed any disposition to take part in this service-and few, very few, they continue still. If one judged of such matters by outward appearance, or looked anxiously to any present visible effect, surely one should be much tempted to leave off these saints' day services altogether, or substitute for them something else, which should draw more people, and seem to do more good.

say,

But, in the first place, the rule of the church is plain. We cannot leave off these services, without direct and manifest disobedience to the Prayer Book. They are as distinctly ordered in that book, as the service of the Sunday itself.

In the next place, to leave off any service, merely be

cause we do not see the good effects of it, supposing it to be otherwise right, seems not well to agree with the first principle of all goodness-faith. Think of the great example of all. Jesus Christ hanging on the cross ceases not "all day to stretch forth his hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people." If the church be truly crucified with him (and that is the very pledge and seal of her being), she, too, must be content to do the same. She is not to cease stretchiug forth her hands, because her children are disobedient and gainsaying: not though they were all such.

And what if but few come? who can tell how much good the Almighty may have wrought, or may one day purpose to work, in and by some one or more of those few, who are able and willing to come? Who knows what ample growth, what abundant fruit may be given to some seed of truth and grace, scattered, as to men it would seem, almost at random, on such an occasion as this? an occasion which the world in general agrees to pass by in such utter neglect.

Let us just look to the history of the saint whose memory we this day honor. So it is, that he comes first in the list, of whom divine Providence has caused that to be set down, which may most encourage us in continuing such services as these, however little coun tenance we generally find for them.

St. Andrew is the first of the Apostles whom the church commemorates. Look now into the Scripture notices of St. Andrew, and see how he first came to Christ. Was it not by a kind of providential chance? by what the world, speaking humanly, would call a kind of happy accident? In the same sort of way as if any one person, coming here regularly when he could, on Saints' day as well as on Sundays, should happen (so we speak, but we know what it means) to hear something in the collect, or lessons, or sermon, which might just meet some spiritual want of his, and do him good for ever?

For thus it was:-St. Andrew, being a disciple of St. John the Baptist, happened to be standing with him one