Thus, there can be no doubt that the first step in most men's corruption and degeneracy is their wilful neglect of private prayer; of reading and meditating on holy things. I call it "wilful neglect of prayer," not only when men begin to leave out their own appointed and customary forms, but also when they begin to hurry them over more than they had done: to let their imaginations wander as they pray; to forget that they are speaking to the great God who has his eye upon their hearts. As soon as ever any person detects this change in his devotions -and I suppose, if he were ever devout at all, it cannot take place in them without his being aware of it-he has cause to fear that he is relapsing into sin, for all God's mercy in making him whole; he had need turn his thoughts very seriously to that

worse thing," which is finally appointed for all such; he must rouse himself, and pray that he may pray better; he must take so much the more pains to command his thoughts at other times, and recall them often to eternal hopes and fears in the very midst of his ordinary work; and he must turn away more earnestly than ever from such thoughts as are loose and evil. This is no more, surely, than any ordinary Christian may endeavour; and this being sincerely endeavoured, I dare promise you the sure help of that merciful and condescending SPIRIT, who is always making intercession for Christians according to the will of God, that He will help you to pray as you ought. Bodily infirmities may still discompose you, and make your thoughts at times wander: but go on thus doing your best, and then at any rate you need not fear lest your prayer should be "turned into sin."

Again it is a perilous step towards relapsing, when a man finds himself content to stand still, and taking no pains to get forward. There are some hills so steep, that he who would climb them must keep urging himself upwards, else he is sure to fall back he cannot stop and breathe where he will. Somewhat not unlike this is our Christian task of preparing ourselves for Heaven: this "one thing" we have to do; to "forget those things which are behind, and reach forward to those things which are before." It was the temper of the great Apostle: and if men feel little or nothing of it; if they find themselves disposed to rest where they are, and fancy they may do well enough, if

only they become no worse, they would do well to compare themselves with him: that, one would think, must make them ashamed. St. Paul never thought himself good enough: and you, a mere beginner in goodness, are content to remain where you are. Truly that heart has begun to relapse, which can ever satisfy itself with such a thought. That man must have somehow neglected himself, and let his spiritual concerns go on at random, till, according to the fearful parable of our LORD, the unclean spirit which had gone out of him begins to find room in his heart again. Consider the alarming words which follow: "Then goeth he and taketh to himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first." Who can think of this, and refuse to be prevailed upon not to give way to spiritual idleness: not to leave his soul, whose weakness he knows, empty," and unfurnished of good thoughts," swept and garnished" to receive his worst enemy?

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On this point of spiritual indolence I wish to be a little more particular; for it is one on which we generally find it but too easy to deceive ourselves. Whoever will look into himself, will perceive there are two several ways, in one or both of which he is tempted to be wilfully imperfect. He may leave out altogether some part or parts of Christian duty, some one or more of the many graces which are the work of the HOLY GHOST in GOD'S faithful people: or in what he does attend to, he may be satisfied with going a very little way-may make no effort to advance onward to perfection.

For example: there are persons, and in many respects, good sort of persons, into whose minds it never seems to enter that they will have to answer for the conduct of their servants, or of others any how depending on them. They let them go their own way, quite forgetting the praise of Abraham, that he taught his household" as well as his children; and that if we are bidden to give them what is "just and equal" in this world, much more ought we to provide them with their portion in the means of grace.

Others again, aware of this duty, cannot be easy in the entire neglect of it: they now and then speak a good word to their dependants, cause them sometimes to hear prayers and sermons, check

them occasionally for irreligious ways; but all the while there is nothing like a regular, strict, careful controul over them; nothing to show that our duty to them is constantly felt in the heart as a point of conscience, for which an account must be given at the last day. Cautions are neglected, dangers overlooked, opportunities of doing good put off from day to day; and by and by, when the servant, or the apprentice, or the scholar, turns out ill, men are surprised, and say, "I am sure I warned him often enough: "whereas if they had looked attentively at their own doings, they would have been aware that they were taking the matter much too easily.

Now as it is in this instance of servants, so in all other departments of practical duty, there are two chances of our going wrong, and we are in danger of guarding against one only. We may examine ourselves very strictly on some points, and seem to ourselves very zealous, and be satisfied; and there may be other points of which we never thought, but of which GOD thinks a great deal. Or we may go over the whole of our duty to God and our neighbour, as it stands in the Catechism, and find or fancy that there is no part of it which we utterly and entirely neglect, and then be well pleased; although in no one thing are we really trying to do our best. The first of these is the error of persons who, from education, or temper, or other circumstances, have a kind of zeal, but not according to knowledge; the other of such as have been well taught, and know what is right, but indulge a sort of lightness of temper which hinders them from going to the bottom of any part of duty. These are commonly more childish; the others more ignorant and wilful. These are more easily convinced of their error; the others more likely to make a strong effort, and reform, if you could once convince them. However, both are in wilful imperfection, and will continue in serious danger of falling back, and losing what little fruit they have in holiness, except they will be persuaded, once for all, to set themselves such a rule as will not let them be contented till they are trying to serve God in every thing, and with the very best of every thing.

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To conclude there is one blessing in the Church of God, by which, more than by all others, His providence would guard every one of us against these and the like dangers. It is the Holy

Sacrament of the LORD's Supper; which, whoever duly attends, JESUS CHRIST has pledged His word to receive that man into nearer Communion with Himself, than He could any how else be received, remaining in this imperfect world. JESUS CHRIST has promised to all who have been made whole by His blessed Baptism, the strengthening and refreshing of their souls by His own saving Body and Blood, to help them to sin no more, and to keep them from that worst of all things, which is sure to come on them if they sin wilfully. Why, if men do not intend to sin again, why should they refuse to trust their Redeemer, affectionately inviting them so very near to Himself? Why not depend on His love, which is able to protect us against ourselves, more than fear your own future backslidings; against which, if you resolve sincerely, this very Sacrament will enable you to guard. That very dread of relapsing, by which so many would excuse themselves from partaking of CHRIST, is the reason, if you will believe CHRIST Himself, why you should make haste and come to His Table. He only should stay away who means to go on in His sins, who cares not for the grace of His Saviour, and thinks he can do well enough without it. But if there be truth in the word of God, such an one must make up his mind to stay out of Heaven also.

SERMON XII.

CHRISTIAN HOPE OF IMPROVEMENT.

ST. MARK V. 35, 36.

"While He yet spake, there came certain from the ruler of the synagogue's house which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? As soon as JESUS heard the word that was spoken, He saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe."

THE day on which these words were spoken was one of the most remarkable days in our LORD's ministry-a day on which He seems to have permitted the rays of His essential unspeakable Godhead to break forth with more than usual majesty through the veil of His flesh. The evening before, wearied with long teaching of the multitude by His divine Parables, he had crossed the lake with His disciples, and having fallen asleep on his passage, had been awakened by them in alarm at a sudden storm, and had vouchsafed to them a kind of glimpse of His Divine majesty, rebuking the winds, and saying to the sea, "Peace; be still." Presently, on landing on the opposite coast, He showed no less marvellous power over the invisible world of spirits, commanding a legion of devils to depart out of the soul and body of one whom they had possessed, and to enter into a herd of swine, which miserably perished accordingly, before He ordered them away to their place of punishment. And now straightway returning again to Capernaum, He is distressed father, Jairus, who beseeches Him to lay His hand on his daughter, then at the point of death. On His way to

met by a