themselves Christians have power to live a godly and religious life. And to each of us individually is promised, in the participation of the sacraments, and in answer to our prayers, the gift of grace to enable us to walk with God. How then, my brethren, are we now living? How have we lived hitherto? The two opposing principles, by the one or other of which we are continually influenced, are the flesh and the spirit. If we suffer ourselves to be governed by our own misguided will, we may indeed bear the name of Christ; but instead of sharing the joy of His people we shall have our portion with the hypocrites and unbelievers. It is only when, being led by the Holy Spirit, we live in righteousness; it is only when we make the law of God, and not our own will, the rule and measure of our daily conduct, that we are walking in safety.

But oh! how little is this thought of! How little are most men concerned about the reality of their spiritual life! Let me beseech you to examine your hearts and lives! Let me persuade you to search and see, whether the spirit of the living God reigns in your hearts; or whether worldly thoughts, carnal affections, rebellious feelings have the dominion there! You know— at least you are aware the Bible teaches youthat your restoration to holiness is absolutely

necessary before you can be admitted into heaven. If you have not the Spirit of Christ, you are none of His. Think then what is the real state of your souls. See that you are not self-deceived. Test the reality of your religion, by referring to those devout affections, which are the fruits of the Spirit. For be assured of this, that when you return from the grave, to which we shall all soon be taken, you will find there is no hope of peace, and no heaven of happiness for you, unless during your sojourn upon earth, you have mortified the deeds of the body; unless in spite of an ensnaring world you have lived faithfully before God; unless in a spiritual sense, instead of having lien among the pots, you have been-in the beauty of holiness, in the bright lustre of a religious life as the wings of a dove, that is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold."

SERMON XI.

CHRIST MINDFUL OF HIS FRIENDS.

ST. JOHN xi. 11.

"Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep."

It was in this gracious manner that our Blessed Lord vouchsafed to speak of one of the children of men compassed with the same infirmities as ourselves. And we know that His words were ever faithful representatives of the truth of things. When therefore He speaks of Lazarus as a friend-"our friend Lazarus sleepeth"-we are sure there is a reality in the expression; and remembering what He said to His disciples"Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you," we are led to see that there is no reason why we may not go on our way through life under the joyful conviction, that there is One at the right hand of God in heaven, Who thinks of us continually, and in His tender love regards us as His friends.

It would indeed ill become us to venture on any presumptuous speculation as to what now occupies the thoughts and feelings of our Blessed Lord. But there is no irreverence in the reflexion that His love for man has undergone no change in consequence of His having ascended into heaven. And we lose a great encouragement to devotion and a strong consolation under affliction, if we overlook what He is doing in the intermediate period between His ascension and His coming to judgment. His absence from His Church does not make Him unmindful of its welfare. The same thoughts and feelings which He manifested while on earth, He still retains. He is still the Good Shepherd, the gracious Master, the loving Saviour. We know He sees what is going on in the world. We feel sure He is no indifferent spectator of what He sees. We cannot conceive that His love can be inactive, that He is doing nothing for His faithful people. The veil which interposes before our senses-the distance, great as it is to our apprehension, between His throne in heaven and His footstool here on earth-does not in the least interfere with His seeing and knowing each thought and intent of our hearts. It is not necessary that He should be visibly present with us, in order to His having us in remembrance, and doing us good. His