kneeling; and it was never thought possible that any would be sitting at such a time. After this follows the Lord's Prayer; what is the direction concerning it? It is this: "Then the minister shall kneel, and say the Lord's Prayer with an audible voice; the people also kneeling, and repeating it with him." After this the people are

directed to stand till the end of the Belief; but at the end of the Belief there comes this injunction, "After this these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling." Not only kneeling, but "kneeling devoutly;" because it is possible even to kneel in a careless and slovenly manner. Then follow three collects the first for the day, the second for peace, and the third for grace, "daily to be said at morning prayer throughout all the year, as followeth, all kneeling."

So far as regards the Morning Prayer; and the same rules may be seen in the Evening Service. At the Communion it is the same; there also the people are directed to kneel. And we may be assured that these directions of posture were not laid down without a good reason, namely, the desire to make persons better. For why is it that from year to year many persons do not seem to improve at all in religion? The reason is, because they do not pray as they ought. And why do they not pray as they ought? The reason is, because they will not take the trouble. But if only a person would kneel down devoutly whenever he prayed, even that

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would be taking some trouble, and he would find the benefit of it, the very posture continually reminding him of what he was about.

First, then, you see it is natural to kneel, and unnatural not to kneel. Secondly, holy Scripture commands us to kneel, and our Lord and His saints have set us the example. Thirdly, the rules of our own communion require us to kneel. All this, then, being put together, it does appear quite wonderful and monstrous that Christians should ever have arrived at the habit of sitting during public prayer. For not only is this habit contrary to nature, to Scripture, and to the Church; but consider also how much real want of true humility of heart it shews, how much absence of fervency in devotion, how little understanding of the true nature of prayer!

And let no one say, in answer to all this, that he finds that, although he is sitting, he can still pray with his heart. For if it had been enough to pray with the heart only, how comes it to pass that all the holy men mentioned in Scripture did also pray with their bodies? and if a person can even contrive to pray in some degree while sitting, he should consider that if he can pray at all sitting, he would be able to pray much better kneeling. And most certain it is, we are all bound to be doing our best in all things for the glory of God, and to pray in the most earnest, and devotional, and best manner possible; neither can any person

know how much better he is able to pray kneeling than sitting until he tries.

If, again, men say that they have been in the habit of sitting at their prayers for a great many years past, this only renders the case worse; for no length of custom can make that good which is in itself bad but rather it is the greater sin to have continued in it so long. Some, indeed, there are, such as the infirm or very aged, who are really not able to kneel: to these it is their misfortune, not their privilege, to pray sitting. But of those who are here present almost all might kneel, if they chose; and if they desire to please God, they certainly will kneel; for it is impossible that healthy and strong men, who can discharge all their weekly business without feeling the worse for it, should of a sudden, when they come to church, become so faint as not to be equal to kneeling down, even for a short time.

Others, again, might say that they would kneel if they could, but that they have nothing to kneel upon. Yet this is no excuse; for what can be the harm of kneeling upon a hard board for a short time? If only in our hearts we desired to humble ourselves before God, we should rejoice to kneel down with our bare knees on the hardest rock.

May God grant us plentifully of His grace, that there may be in all of us less coldness, more warmth, more fervency, in our devotions to Him! May He enable us to set one another an improving

example for the time to come! May He give us willing hearts, and an anxious desire to do whatsoever shall be for His glory, through Jesus Christ! May we remember that, if we serve Him at all, we must serve Him with our best; and may we have the wisdom to give ourselves some trouble in serving Him now, so that we may escape trouble hereafter!

SERMON XXV.

CONVERSATION IN HEAVEN.

PHILIPPIANS iii. 20.

Our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

THE great end which St. Paul had in view in all his epistles and preaching was, to bring men to the practice of a holy life; so that, whilst still upon earth, they might be living, as it were, already in heaven. It is often said that example is better than precept. And so purified was that great Saint by the Holy Ghost, so exact in all his actions, that he was enabled, not only to preach holiness to his converts, but even to set himself before them as an example which they should follow. "Brethren," he says in the words preceding our text, "be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample." Not that by this St. Paul meant to insinuate that he was perfect; for he had just before, at the twelfth verse, confessed the contrary: "Not as