be in all respects the same. Two persons, for example, shall give alms, or perform any other act of charity: two persons shall come to Church, pray, and return home again. But one of these persons may be a great sinner, and the other may be a great saint: for one may have given, in order to win the praise and admiration of his neighbours; the other, because he loved the SAVIOUR who died for him; and because he desired to shew his love by some act of piety to one of that SAVIOUR'S poorest members. So, again, the one may have come to Church because he was ashamed to stay away, thought it respectable to come, and desired the good opinion of his fellow-Christians: the other, because he was burthened with the sense of need to pour out his heart before GOD. Acts, then, may be the very same; but they may proceed from sources, oh! how different. And, the thing we have to notice is, that GOD, and GOD only, sees the source of every action; watches the first beginnings of it, and takes notice whether, at the outset, the eye was directed to Earth or to Heaven; whether it took its beginning from a pure motive, or the contrary.

This is a matter which concerns us very nearly; for though Prayer and Almsgiving alone have

been specified, it will be evident to any one who at all considers the matter, that every act of every hour in every day is either pleasing or displeasing to GOD, according to the source from which it proceeds. And this thought, when fully realized, will be the means of making us often turn our eyes inwardly; will set us on tracing the stream of every action back to its fountain-head; and inquiring anxiously for what we find there. The motive of our actions is the thing which GOD looks to. This it is which makes them good or evil, in His sight. Whereas it is not until they are seen in their results that men are able to judge of them. Then, indeed, men are prompt enough to own that some are fit only for cursing; while others may win a crown.

And this, it will be felt, supplies the key to many a mystery in the Bible; explains many a hard thing in the lives of Patriarchs,—Judges,— Kings. For example: Jacob had the fear of GOD before his eyes, which Esau had not: he had a longing desire to inherit the promises, which Esau despised: he had a burning Faith. That was why Jacob was loved, and Esau hated. And yet, Esau appears the more amiable man of the two appears very unlike what he really was, -namely, a profane person and a fornicator.

Faith, in short, was the well-spring of one man's actions: self-indulgence, the source from which the actions of the other proceeded. Hence, one won the favour of Almighty God; while the other was rejected; and these are types of the two great divisions of mankind, even at the present day.

These remarks will not have been in vain, if they help us to realize, more and more, that the Eyes of Him who 'seeth in secret' are evermore upon us that it is to Him we live,-to Him we die that we need His Grace, day by day, to renew a right Spirit within us;' and to keep the fountain-head of all our actions, pure.

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The Seventh Sunday after Trinity.

GROWTH IN GOODNESS.

2 ST. PETER i. 5-7.

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your Faith Virtue; and to Virtue Knowledge; and to Knowledge Temperance; and to Temperance Patience; and to Patience Godliness; and to Godliness Brotherly kindness; and to Brotherly kindness Charity.

THE Collect for to-day, which yields to none in the Prayer-book for harmony of language and dignity of expression, is a prayer for spiritual growth. We shall not do amiss, on such an occasion, if we dwell upon one of the most remarkable texts in the Bible where constant accessions of goodness seem to be contemplated as the very condition of our Christian life. And it will add to our pleasure if we will be at the pains to realize the fact that the speaker is none other than the Apostle, Peter; who, in these words, is drawing from the deep well of his own spiritual experience, and delivering a few words. of exhortation to the flock which his Divine

Master had so affectionately and earnestly commanded him to feed. Add to your Faith Virtue; and to Virtue Knowledge; and to Knowledge Temperance; and to Temperance Patience; and to Patience Godliness; and to Godliness Brotherly kindness; and to Brotherly kindness Charity.' Herein, we only invite you to notice how the great Apostle links grace to grace, and virtue to virtue; heaping up the sum of goodness until it reaches to the skies. By the steps of so glorious a ladder, it was surely intended that men should mount up to Heaven. For do but see how one gift rises above the other; till that which began in perfect Faith, ends in universal Charity, or Love!

If, therefore, we were set to guess the mind of St. Peter from this passage, should we have any difficulty in doing so,-at least in part? Would not, at least one striking and highly instructive feature come very plainly out; namely this, that the great Apostle aimed at perfection? and that the means by which he proposed to attain it, was the same by which men make their advances in any other department: namely, by many single steps taken in the right direction? . . . . This is evidently all his secret.

And if it occurred to us to ask the question,