may you ever be exempt in your prayers and supplications before the throne of mercy! Pride not yourselves on any little advantage, even if you should possess it, over other of your fellow creatures; for, think not only how many in this world may be better than you are-but how far, even the most perfect, have fallen short of the glory of God. Every time that we prostrate ourselves in this place of divine worship, our liturgy very wisely teaches us to declare that we have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and have done those which we ought not to have done: that there is no health in us: and that, so far from enumerating our good qualities, we call on God to spare all those who confess their faults. Moreover, we supplicate him to deal not with us after our sins, nor reward us according to our iniquities: This, it must be confessed, is somewhat different from the vain presumptuous boasting of those who trust in themselves that they are righteous. And although the frequent recurrence of these forms of prayer, in our most excellent Liturgy, renders them, in some minds, of less avail, yet we should do well to ponder on them, to apply their force and meaning to ourselves, and

our respective conditions; and every time we repeat them, to abstract ourselves from those surrounding objects which are wont to lead astray our treacherous thoughts. In one sense, or point of view, let us imitate both Pharisee and Publican. Let us resort to the Temple, or the House of God, to pray; and, above all, let us remember, when there, that it is prayer and penitence alone which can lead to pardon: which can make us go down to our houses, or return to our homes, justified, much better than if we had only listened with attention to the preacher's exhortation. Imitate therefore, I beseech you, the humble attitude, and pious ejaculation, of the Publican. Consider, you stand immediately before your MAKER. Would you, when about to make a request of your Monarch for some donation which would add largely to your temporal advantage, suffer your attention to be diverted by any trivial, unmeaning object, and thus betray a want of decency and respect towards your Sovereign? It may, I think, be taken for granted that you would not act in so absurd and inconsistent a manner. What, then!-can you reconcile yourself to trifle with your Almighty Creator, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!? Can you, when

asking for such blessings as may lead to eternal life and eternal happiness, conduct yourself in a listless, indifferent, and offensive manner? Instead of the sighing of that contrite heart, which the Publican appears to have possessed, will you, like the Pharisee, thank God that you are not as other men are? No true and sincere Christian will thus rush into the presence of his Redeemer: will thus, with all the weight of original sin pressing upon his heart, breathe out his unhallowed petitions.

How infinite the space between God and man! How vast and merciful the views of the one, how contracted and severe the thoughts of the other. But blessings innumerable wait on him, who, on a thorough examination of his own heart, and a conviction of its depravity, lays open his inmost, secret, thoughts before divine mercy: and lowly bending on his knees, and smiting on his breast, exclaims, " God be merciful to me a sinner! My sins are many, and can only be washed away by the blood shedding of thy crucified son. O Lord, I know not what I should ask of thee. Thou only knowest what are my wants; and Thou lovest me better than I can love myself. Give me, thy ser

vant, what is necessary, whatsoever it may be. I dare not ask for either crosses, or consolations. All that I should do is, to present myself before Thee: to lay open my heart to Thee. Behold my wants, which are many, but with which I am unacquainted: yet, only behold, and do according to thy mercy. Smite, or heal-depress, or raise me up. I adore all thy purposes without knowing them. I have nothing to say in my own behalf. Take me in sacrifice. I entirely abandon myself to Thee. I have no more any desire, but to accomplish thy will. Lord, teach me to pray-and pray thou Thyself in me!"* That our hearts and hands may always be lifted up under the impression of such, or similar sentiments-and that we may, in consequence, by leading a life conformably to such pious entreaties, be admitted finally to bow down at His footstool-and, with the four and twenty Elders join, night and day, in the heavenly hallelujah of praise, gratitude, and thanksgiving-God of his infinite mercy grant, for the sake, and through the merits of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

* Vide Fenelon's Pious Reflections.

SERMON XIV.

ST. JOHN vi. 67th and 68th verses.

Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.*

Ir has been remarked by ingenious and learned annotators upon the New Testament, that, however precise and pertinent are all the observations therein contained-however they may impress us with a lofty idea of the wisdom of our Saviour, and of the immense importance of christian salvation-however they. may inculcate, in purity and force of language, precepts the most useful for the regulation of human affairs and of human passions -yet, throughout the four gospels we have no express declaration of the manner in which certain truths were declared by our Saviour:

* Preached at St. Mary's, June 20, 1824.