of that flock which he purchased with his own blood. Such persons, if it has pleased God that they should be parents, have made it a principal matter of their thoughts and cares that their children should be also God's children. They brought them in their earliest infancy to the baptismal font, they selected for them sponsors, who, in case of their own decease or negligence, might be to them really, and not in name only, fathers and mothers in God; they taught them, as soon as they could speak, the language of prayer and praise: in short, they labored that their dwelling-house should be, as it were, a little church, a consecrated habitation where God should be daily honored, and the wicked world shut out.

:

Or, to take the case of other sincere Christians whom God has not made parents or heads of families, or pos sibly has deprived them of their children by death or separation, they too call to mind that the lambs of Christ's flock are in a manner committed to them, not merely generally, but particularly, because on them especially lies the responsibility of being godfathers and godmothers to the children of friends and relations ;and this office they undertake readily and cheerfully for the great Shepherd's sake, and to fulfil one of the purest acts of Christian charity and as they promised at first, so afterward they bear in mind, that it is their part and duty to see that the children, for whom they answered at the holy font, shall be instructed, as soon as they are able to learn, what a solemn vow, promise, and profession they then and there made; and chiefly they provide that they shall be well-grounded in that admirable summary of Christian principles called the church catechism, and so conducting them to the bishop to receive his apostolical blessing in confirmation, and thence to the communion feast of our Redeemer's body and blood, they feel that, as far as human frailty will permit, they have discharged the duties of a Christian

sponsor.

If these things were more attended to by parents and friends, and a holy example in unison with good instruc

tion set before young persons by their parents and other their elders, the Christian world would not be in the state in which we now see it, the Lord's flock would not be as it now is, "carried away captive."

Let then all grown-up Christians, especially parents, guardians, and other friends of children and young persons, put it seriously to their hearts and conscience, what a heavy responsibility lies on us in this respect, how the lambs of the Lord's flock are, as it were, committed to our care and charge.

Can you imagine, for example, that it is sufficient to send children to school, even the best of schools, unless you set them an example of consistent piety at home? Can you think it right to take no personal pains in the great work of Christian education, directly or indirectly? And can you suppose it possible, that you will not be called to account for thus neglecting the Lord's flock given into your care and charge; and whose eternal interests, for anything you can tell, depend on the advice you impress on them, and the example you set them? These things, I repeat, are serious considerations, highly deserving the regard of all faithful Christians.

And this the more, because we are not sufficiently aware of our responsibility herein. I mean, that every grown-up person in any parish or place is to a certain degree answerable for the right instruction of every child; at least so far as this, that every one has it in his power to set a good example. But as to grown-up and elderly people, whose lives belie their professions, to them may be applied most emphatically the awful words of our Lord: "It is impossible but that offences will come, but wo to him through whom they come. It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend (that is, mislead by false doctrine or evil example) one of these little ones.'

In no words is it possible more forcibly to express the awfulness of our responsibility, the responsibilty of each generation in behalf of that which succeeds it, of grownup persons in behalf of the younger. Especially, there

is here set before the world, by the omniscient Judge himself, the wickedness and cruelty of misleading children by bad example, or even neglect.

May he, the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, pardon our past sinfulness in these respects, and by the aid of his blessed Spirit, so lead us for the time to come into the paths of righteousness and true holiness, that we may not have the blood of the souls of the poor innocents on our hands; but rather seek more earnestly and consistently than we have ever yet done, to preserve in Christ's fold those lambs which are yet within its holy pale, and by all gentle and compassionate ways to bring back those which are gone astray.

SERMON II.

THE CERTAINTY OF JUDGMENT.

2 COR. v. 10.

"We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”

It seems, at first sight, strange and unaccountable that Christians should go on from day to day, or at least from Sunday to Sunday, reading and hearing the word of God, and many attending to it too, and yet that all the while they should make little or no progress in holiness: for years and years remaining much in the same state, neither becoming much better, nor much worse. Whatever may be the cause of this, we may be certain that it is a very dangerous mistake:- and the more dangerous, because we are too apt to be unconcerned about it, and even to think we do very well if we do not grow worse.

It was an old heathen maxim, that "he who does not go forward, must go backward.' And how much more important is it, in regard of our conduct as Christians! For there is surely no ground to be met with in all the Bible and Testament for supposing that, when we have arrived at a certain point, we may stand still, and say, "We are good enough"-" if we remain as we are now, we are safe." On the contrary, we are taught over and over again, that it is necessary we should " grow in ," and "in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," and "press forward toward the prize of our high calling," and that " as we know how we ought to live so as to please God, we should abound more and more," that "we should not be weary in well-doing," but should

grace,

"take good heed lest we lose those things which we may have already wrought or gained, and miss of receiving a full reward."

That many souls are eternally ruined by this kind of error who can doubt, that considers what Christians require, and how most people live and die? And perhaps among many causes which may tend to produce so dreadful an effect, this is one-that we are so apt to hear, and read, and even meditate on God's word, without applying it to ourselves. Or, at least, if we do embrace any part as our own, and really treasure it up in our hearts, it is rather the promises, the blessings, the rewards, and the comforts of religion, than its strict commands and painful warnings. Not, however, but that we apply these too, readily enough-but then it is not to ourselves that we apply them, but to others.

We

consider not whether we are concerned in them or not. Indeed we take it for granted we are not. But we acknowledge at once their power and piercing sharpness, as directed against other people.

Thus when we hear the solemn warnings and the bitter rebukes contained in the Psalms, the Prophets, and the other scriptures of the Old Testament, these we apply chiefly, if not entirely, to the Jews; rather pleased to flatter ourselves with the notion (be it true or false) that we have never treated God so ungratefully as they did.

So we get rid of the Old Testament, and as to the New, we hear and read even the warnings of our Lord Jesus and his apostles, without being much, if at all, moved by them; because we do not take them to ourselves, though we may be quick enough at applying them to our neighbors. We are more fond of looking at other men's sins than at our own, and, therefore, we think that the threatenings and reproofs of the gospel are meant for them, not for ourselves. And so like the Pharisees of old, we "make the word of God of none effect;" every body applying it to others, and no man taking it to himself. In some matters this self-deceit. may pass off more easily, but in the matter of the last