zeal of fanaticism, or by the incoherent ravings of mysticism, or by the cunning pretensions of hypoc risy, or even by the misguided ardour of an honest though mistaken ignorance; but yet a fact, the truth of which is attested by thousands of sober and discreet men-men of philosophy, of science, of literature, of political sagacity and of military wisdom-men whose testimony on every other subject would be received without the least scruple or hesitation.

I say, then, this very influence of the Spirit of God is offered to all who resort unto Jesus Christ, in order to purify and to elevate their affections, and to shed serenity on the soul. He offers also to all who trust in him, to stand by them with the succours of his grace, in an hour which has appalled the stoutest hearts-an hour when the strongest arm is palsied, and the proudest eye droops-an hour in which the visions of worldly glory sink into eternal darkness, the charms of pleasure vanish into nothingness, the delights of wealth and the acquisitions of industry crumble into insignificance around their very possessor-an hour in which even the kindest offices of friendship, and the sweetest solaces of domestic love, are unavailing-an hour in which the spirit trembles on the verge of an unknown existence, and in which its hopes and fears, abandoning the petty concerns which have so long agitated them, become absorbed in the momentous realities of its approaching condition. Then is the moment to compare the yoke of Christ with that

of the world, and to say whether it is not worth some sacrifices to obtain a victory over the king of terrors, and to have the beams of a divine serenity illuminating the darkness of the valley of the shadow of death.

Shall I carry this comparison any farther? Shall I lead you to watch the last look, and to catch the last accents, of the unbeliever? His brow, perhaps, still preserves its firmness, and his voice its composure he has summoned up all the resources of his philosophy, and he is ready to die with gaiety and an heroical pride. Not a sigh escapes him, no self reproach for any action of his past life, no apprehension of the future state upon which he is just entering. But in spite of all this, occasional doubts flit across his mind, and he can find nothing certain on which to establish an unshaken confidence in the approbation of that awful Being before whom he is soon to appear. No visions of hope pass before his eyes, and at the best he has to confess that he is about to launch upon an ocean which is shrouded in the deepest obscurity and darkness.-But there are few who reach this elevation of stoical apathy. Thousands there are, who though bold in scepticism in the days of health and pleasure, have shrunk from the trial of the last hour, and have spent its fleeting moments in bewailing the rashness that has led them to meet it unprepared. But the instance cannot be produced, in which the true disciple of Jesus Christ, when brought to the test of his dying hour, has ever abandoned the principles of the

Gospel, or exchanged the hope of religion for any

other.

Shall I carry this comparison still farther? Shall I venture to lift the veil which separates eternity from our view? No. It is enough for my present purpose to have contrasted the yoke of Jesus Christ with that of the world, in reference to this life alone. I will not enter upon the awful subject of the future destiny of the righteous and the wicked. Revelation discloses enough, however, upon this topic, to excite our liveliest hopes and fears. Christ has declared in such explicit terms, what will be the fate of those who reject him, that it is sufficient to read what he has spoken, without endeavouring to enhance its momentous import by any images of terror. Let His declarations, to which we must give an important and surely alarming significance or else suppose that he used words without a meaning -let his declarations be soberly regarded, and in their light let his yoke be compared with that of the world. I need not say which will be deemed, by the judgment of prudence, the easiest to be borne. In prosperity, then, or in adversity, in sickness or in health, in life or in death, with regard to time or eternity, the world deserves to be held low in our estimation, when compared to the service of Jesus Christ; and the yoke which he calls upon us to sustain ought to be deemed easy, and his burden light. Let those who profess to believe his doctrines, and to tread in his steps, be mindful of these truths. Let them cultivate the liveliest

affections of gratitude to that Saviour who has redeemed them from the thraldom of the world; and let them bear the yoke which he may see fit to impose upon them without a murmur or a complaint. Let them be careful, too, not to be again "entangled with the yoke of bondage ;" nor to suffer that world to gain the ascendency over them which they are bound to conquer, with all its trials and temptations, by faith in him who himself gained over it a complete victory. Let those, too, who have suffered their affections to be engrossed with the cares and business, the pursuits and pleasures of this life, be induced to ponder for a moment on the imprudence of their choice. Let them try their rejection of Jesus Christ, and their dislike to his service, by the same principles of prudence which guide their daily concerns. Let them be careful to inquire how wise or how safe it is to procrastinate their preparation for eternity, because it is at a little distance; to be absorbed in pursuits which the grave must end forever; and to decline placing an entire confidence in Jesus Christ, as the only Saviour of men, because the repentance and faith which he demands are irksome duties, and his service is attended with many and great sacrifices. In such momentous concerns, may the Spirit of Truth so enlighten our minds and affect our hearts, that our choice may be the choice of wisdom; and that, after having meekly borne the yoke of Christ through the wilderness of this world, we may be admitted to the Canaan of eternal rest! Amen,

DISCOURSE IV.

Ì CORINTHIANS Xi. 29.

For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

THIS Solemn warning was originally addressed to

the church at Corinth. The members of that church had fallen into many gross errors and sins. Beguiled by false teachers, they perverted, and in some cases almost denied, several plain and important doctrines of the Cross. Seduced by the example of many in this rich, populous, and very corrupt city, they were guilty of conduct unworthy, in the last degree, of those who professed to be the disciples of Jesus Christ. This dreadful degeneracy discovered itself even in their religious exercises; and at the most solemn of all these exercises-at one which, from its very nature, was calculated to inspire them with reverence and awe, with purity and peace, with kindness and charity-a scene was often exhibited of discord, intemperance, and confusion. Seated round the very table of the Lord, holding in their hands the mystical symbols of his