aims, the undertakings and enterprizes, the honours and dignities, the elegances and refinements of the world; nay, in some measure, detach us from this world itself, this world which is not our abiding city, and which we are so soon about to leave.

For this I say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; and they that use this world, as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away.' This remembrance should further teach us to redeem the time; to make up, so far as we may, by increased exertions, for that portion of it which has been already misemployed or lost;-in a word, to make the most of that time, which is so short, by having order and method in its distribution and management; by taking a regular account of it; and by seriously examining how it has been spent, and how far it has been turned to profit. It should, likewise, teach us not to tamper with conscience, so as to fritter away our years and energies in empty wishes and idle intentions, never carried into effect, never strenuously followed up in our behaviour; but to seize, henceforward, at the moment, every occasion of doing good;--not to procrastinate; not to delay the works of penitence and amendment; not to trust to the morrow; not to prolong the time ere we keep God's commandments; but to hasten the footsteps of our obedience and to do strenuously what each hour demands of us; because the night cometh, when no man can work; and because our sun may go down while it is yet day most of all, not to put away the Spirit of grace, but to receive and welcome at once the influences

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of the Holy Ghost, when he knocks at the door of our hearts, and condescends to dwell with them; at once to resolve and strive that, as we advance in age, we may advance in virtue; and to use at once all the appointed means of salvation. Finally, brethren, this remembrance should admonish us to agree with our adversary quickly, while we are in the way with him: to make our peace with God and man, before we go hence and be no more seen; and to prepare ourselves, with all diligence, for that state of being, when our short time shall have vanished, when time itself shall be no more, because swallowed up in eternity; and when it shall be found that all the weal or woe, all the gratifications or pains of this mortal life, are unspeakably less in comparison with an everlasting duration of intense consciousness, than one particle of spray is in comparison with the whole immensity of the ocean, or one atom of dust with the entire earth. Soon, very soon, wealth, power, authority, popularity, fame, all earthly possessions, attributes, accomplishments, will be nothing to us any more. For these things we shall no longer pray. Our prayer would rather be, Give me back some of the opportunities which I have neglected, some of the hours which I have wrongly spent. Give me back a portion of my lifetime, that I may live it over again.' But vain, vain petition! The time, which now embarrasses us, shall then be denied. The opportunities are irrecoverable; the hours are irrevocable; both are for ever gone! Now is the accepted time! O may we be seen doing in it the things that are acceptable.

With such views, my brethren,-for I will not fatigue you with further reflections, which, pertinent as they are to the season, must occur to your own minds, even before I could express them-with such views let

us enter this new year: upon such principles let us act from its commencement, whether, or not, God spares us to the end of it. And may that God himself enrich us in its course with His almighty protection; may he guard us in all temptations, and save us in all dangers; so that, being faithful and earnest in our Christian calling, we may be preserved both in body and soul; and that, whether living or dying, we may live or die unto the Lord!

SERMON XVIII.

JESUS PREACHING TO PUBLICANS AND SINNERS.

LUKE XV. 1-3.

Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes

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murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying.

N the entire compass of Holy Writ, few, if any, passages can be more characteristic of our religion, or more remarkable as an epitome of its doctrines and a concentration of its essence, than the Gospel appointed for this day. The fact will at once become evident, as we proceed, by the simplest exposition, and in the precise order of the evangelical narrative, to examine, first, the nature of the audience which crowded round our Lord; then, the objection started by the scribes and Pharisees; and, finally, the answer of Jesus, containing a full vindication of his conduct, in the succeeding parables.

In each of these points is matter suitable to our own condition, and eminently calculated to be profitable to our own souls. So be it, my brethren, through the influences and operations of the Spirit of God!

1 This Sermon was preached on the Third Sunday after Trinity.

1 In the first place, then, we have to consider the nature of the audience which crowded round our Lord. Then drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him.'

Recently, as we read in the preceding chapter, he had declared, whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' He had said to his inviter, 'When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.' He had shewn, by the most significant and touching announcements, that his servants were to go out into the highways and hedges, or into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and the maimed, and the halt and the blind; that all, in short, except the obstinately careless and supercilious who spurned the summons, all, without distinction of persons, should be induced, by all means, to come into the kingdom of heaven. The consequence was, that there went great multitudes with him; and he turned and said unto them, 'Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.'

Sayings, such as these, while they offended the haughty and the mighty, were as gracious sounds of invitation and encouragement in the ears of the miserable. The self-righteous might turn away in surprise and indignation; but the poor in spirit were attracted and comforted. Jesus, moreover, had performed miracles of compassion in their behalf. He had healed all that came to him.' That reply given to the inquiring disciples of John was known to be true, 'Go, and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear; the dead are raised up,