Preparation for death.

your course and conduct. I feel that my future usefulness among this people now depends in no inconsiderable degree upon you. If the company of believers that last Lord's-day stood up to ratify their covenant vow to God, will every one of them be faithful, we shall see this precious work of God's Holy Spirit, which we trust has been going on in our midst, extending itself, until there shall not be one that visits these sacred courts, which is not in the fold of Christ. Oh, if you will only go forward in the narrow path, and illustrate and exemplify in all your conduct the precepts of the gospel, there is not a heart here, so hard or stubborn, that can hold out against this practical and resistless demonstration of the truth as it is in Jesus.

But if you slide back into a cold and careless state, if you do not go forward, you will stand as so many stumbling-blocks in men's way to heaven; you will effectually paralyze all our efforts, and make our ministry of none effect. See what an awful responsibility rests upon you! Look around you, and see how many souls you are about to save or ruin! Among them are the loved ones of your heart,— your children, your husbands, your wives, your parents, your brothers, your sisters! Their salvation very much depends upon the course you now take. Let all your conduct show that you are determined to be consistent; determined ever to be found in the way of duty.

Let us ever bear in mind that the world is continually observing our conduct, to see whether it corresponds with our profession. There is only one way in which we can silence the cavils of infidelity, and save the souls of our fellow men, and that is, by a consistent onward course in the path of Christian duty.

Finally, I remark, that to press onward in the narrow path is of infinite importance, in reference to a preparation and readiness for death.

That Christian does infinite injury to the cause of the Redeemer, who evinces as much fear on account of the advancing footsteps of death as does the unrenewed sinner whose portion is in this world. If, therefore, you would honour Christ by your death as well as by your life, and if it be your desire to meet that solemn hour in peace,

Christ a glorious luminary.

let no day pass without making some progress in godli

ness.

We can never enjoy heaven without a meetness for it. And one of the great purposes for which Christ established his church was, to train and fit us for the society of the blessed above. And just in proportion as we cultivate a spirit of deep piety, and become assimilated, in the moral attributes of our character, with the inhabitants of the celestial world, will death be stripped of his terrors.

In order thus to hold on our way, and continually go forward in the path of Christian duty, acquiring a meetness for heaven, we must keep our eye at every step of our course steadily fixed on Christ. He is the sun that warms, and animates, and kindles into life that vital spark of spiritual existence, which, by the breath of his Spirit, shall wake up in the soul a flame of love that will burn on, and at last enable us to vie in the brightness and intensity of our devotions with the burning seraphs around the throne of God. Christ is the glorious luminary that irradiates the path of the believer, and guides the bewildered wanderer through this region of death. The Christian, walking through this world, resembles the visiter who descends into one of those subterranean cities peopled with the gathered bones of former generations; those vast catacombs, where myriads of human skeletons are piled up to remain in silence and darkness till the echo of the judgment trumpet is heard through those sepulchral regions.* He who walks through one of these shaded

A traveller thus describes the catacombs at Paris:-" Underneath the ground you pass through innumerable streets and lanes, whose buildings, if one may so speak, are composed of human bones, collected from the different cemeteries of Paris, and arranged according to the receptacles whence they were collected. It is indeed a Golgotha; a place of skulls! You pass through parishes of the dead. It is Paris in the grave. Here its once gay and busy people lie ranged in their last house, according to the houses which they occupied whilst living. It is an affecting sight; it is like going down into the very heart of the empire of death, and intruding into the capital of the king of terrors! One pile alone contains two millions four hundred thousand human skulls, and the different heaps extend for a mile in length. Nothing

Christ the believer's light.

cities of death has no light except what is emitted from the taper he carries in his hand. And the only clue that guides his footsteps, and enables him, amid the multiplicity of streets and lanes, to find his way up again to the living world, is a black line drawn along the roof of the

cavern.

Christian, through such a Golgotha are you passing, Christ is the light that guides you. By this light you are enabled to trace the black line and follow the narrow path, which will guide you to the upper regions of life and day. But oh! if your light should go out; if you should lose sight of Christ, then will you in vain wander and grope your way through the various lanes and streets of death, bewildered and lost, and left to add another trophy to that frightful pile of immortal ruins which are already heaped up in this great charnel-house of sin. Let me beg of you then, to live continually united to Christ, even as the branch is to the vine; and may "he dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend, with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and heighth, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the fulness of God."

I would conclude this lecture with the solemn words in which the Greek church addresses her young members on a like occasion.-" The bonds are now sealed, and Christ, who is in heaven, hath received them; remember your promise and fulfil your engagement, which will be produced openly in the day of judgment. Take heed you blush not at Christ's awful tribunal, where all the

can be conceived more solemn and affecting than a visit to these dreary abodes. The indistinctness with which objects are seen by the feeble light of the tapers you carry in your hand; the intricacy and uncertainty of the path you traverse, and which is only indicated as the right one, by a black line drawn along the roof of the cavern, the loss of which clue might be fatal to the party; the thick and palpable darkness into which the innumerable passages branch out; the ghastly and affecting materials of which the walls that on every side enclose you are composed; the deep silence that reigns around, broken only by the voices of the visiters in curiosity or terror, conspire to render this the most interesting and instructive of all the exhibitions I have ever seen."-Raffles' Tour.

The Christian character.

powers of heaven tremble, and all mankind must stand to be judged; where the devil will be present to accuse you, saying, Lord, this wretch in word renounced me, but in deed was my servant. Then angels will sigh, and holy men bewail your misery. But father and mother cannot help you; brethren and friends will not own you; but every man will be naked and destitute. Consider, therefore, and provide for your own safety."

LECTURE XII.

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.

[Addressed to the recently confirmed, after having renewed their vow at the table of the Lord.]

And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. From the 14th of the Apocalypse.

I HAVE been endeavouring for so many weeks to guide you, as a distinct part of the flock, in "the way everlasting," that I feel unwilling that you should lose this distinct character, though you are now in full communion with the church, until I have addressed you once more. It has been my object, in this series of lectures, to delineate and present to you each of the essential features of the Christian character. Unless we possess these, we can exhibit no evidence that we are the children of God. I trust that there are none of you destitute of these evidences of your adoption into the divine family.

But, beloved friends, if you would be truly happy in yourselves, useful to the world, and approved of God, you must seek to possess all the several parts of the Christian character in just and due proportion. These parts are all lovely in themselves, but when symmetrically combined and harmoniously blended together, they constitute a living illustration of the truth and excellence of Christianity. Such an illustration was seen in the character of Jesus Christ, when he tabernacled in a house of clay and so

Biographical sketch of Anzonetta R. Peters.

journed upon earth. Even the bitterest enemies of the gospel are forced to acknowledge that the character of Jesus is more lovely than that of any other being that ever bore the human form. Those heavenly tempers; those holy affections; and that sinless walk with God, which the blessed Redeemer exhibited, evince traits of moral excellence which, meeting in constellated brightness in his character, place him before us an object of unrivalled loveliness; and a model after which every Christian should seek to fashion his life.

you

Let

It is my earnest wish to hold up before Christ as your only hope of glory, and Christ the only pattern for your imitation. Let no one shrink from aiming, and ceaselessly striving to reach this high standard. no one relinquish the hope of being able, through divine grace, to tread in the Redeemer's footsteps. Only imbibe his Spirit, and press with all your vigour on "towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God," and you will have your walk close with him, and gather upon your character all the graces and virtues of the gospel. There is no need of discouragement, though you start at a low point, though you feel that you are now no better than a "bruised reed, or the smoking flax." He who is able to make all grace abound unto us, will, if you look to him with earnest importunity, and at the same time put forth unwearied efforts, ultimately conduct you to the highest attainments in the divine life.

In illustration of the truth of this remark, I intend in this lecture to give you a short biographical sketch of one who formerly attended upon my ministry, but has recently been called to her rest. I allude to Anzonetta R. Peters, whose name is known to some of you.

She was early taught by her devoted and affectionate mother to fear God, and walk in the way of his commandments. When a child she exhibited many wayward dispositions, especially great irritability and impatience under restraint. These early outbreakings of a rebellious spirit, awakened many painful apprehensions in the bosom of her mother, and led her to carry her child often to the feet of the Saviour, entreating him that she might be subdued by divine grace. The Most High listened to her prayers. Anzonetta grew up an amiable and a lovely child. T