we please; they are ever at hand! Not one account only, but four: not the recollections of mere men, but the inspired words of Evangelists, who wrote as they were moved by the HOLY GHOST: not the History of what passed in public, alone, but the very mysteries of Heaven,-secret things, which if GOD Himself had not revealed them, men could never have known, nor found out for themselves. . . . . Surely, the mere thought that such a treasure is ours should set us upon some very grave thoughts as to our opportunities, and the account we are prepared to render to Almighty GoD for the use we have made of them!

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Consider, further,-Where does this treasure lie? Is it in rich men's libraries, costing too much for the poor man to purchase it? Is it written in an unknown tongue, so that men must deliver the book to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee; and he saith, I cannot, for it is sealed ?' No: but it lies in every cottage. For a few pence, the poorest man may have the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST, -have it in English,-yea, and have it explained to him too, by those who have been set over every parish for that express purpose. The thought, if duly apprehended, is surely a bewil

dering one. It seems by far too glorious a thing

to be true!

In this respect then, we are happier and more blest than the men of that generation. We all have what but few of them had; and we all have far more than the most favoured of those few. CHRIST is ever with us,-in His Word. His miracles are always being acted before our eyes. His parables are always being repeated to us. His Divine Discourses are for ever ringing in our ears. CHRIST is ever with us. We can sit at His feet, and ask Him to comfort us, if we are in trouble; to instruct us, if we are in any special doubt or difficulty; to lift up our hearts, if they are being unduly weighed down with the things of earth; and, in His Word, He ever comes at our prayer. He discourses to us, as He discoursed to the multitude on the Mount, -or to the woman of Samaria at the well,-or to Nicodemus by night,-or to the Jews in the Synagogue of Capernaum,-or to the Disciples in the upper room on the last evening at Jerusalem. CHRIST is ever with us! The holy and the humble know it best know that, in His Word, CHRIST is to be found indeed, and to be found ever! Blessed are the eyes which see the things which they see!

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To conclude. The lesson from all that has gone before, is surely plain: it is a lesson of Thankfulness for a great, but seldom considered blessing,-the blessing of being who and what we are, Christian men and women. Ours is no vain washing of the body, no symbolical cutting of the flesh but the font with us is the laver of Regeneration, the very gate of Heaven! Ours is no dark paschal lamb, foreshadowing we scarce know what but CHRIST our Passover hath been sacrificed for us; and 'the cup of Blessing which we bless, is the communication of the Blood of CHRIST. The bread which we break, is the communication of the Body of CHRIST.'. . . . These are thoughts which may well arm the soul against many a rude assault. We have anchored the hope of our life, (to use the Apostle's image,) within the Veil; and we know it to be sure and stedfast there. Come what will, nothing can rob our eyes of the blessedness of seeing the things which they have seen neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come! . . . . Let us ever thank GOD for His unspeakable gift; and remember, as often as we are inclined to neglect the study of the Gospel, or to stay away from Church, if ever

the talk about holy things is a weariness to us, or the invitation to the LORD's Table no joy,let us, at all such times, call to mind the words of our SAVIOUR CHRIST; and remember that many a Prophet and many a King hath longed to see the things which we see, and yet hath not seen them; and to hear the things which we hear, and yet hath not been allowed to hear them!

The Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity.

THE DUTY OF LOVE.

GALATIANS Vv. 22.

The fruit of the SPIRIT is Love.

ST. JOHN, 'the Disciple whom JESUS loved,' teaches us in all his writings that we ought to love one another. His own heart was full of love, love to GOD, and love to Man. He often addresses us as if we were his children, and himself our Father: My little children,' (he says), 'let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.' At other times, he calls us his beloved.'-'Beloved,' (he says,) 'let us love one another; for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of GOD, and knoweth GOD. He that loveth not, knoweth not GOD, for GOD is love".' This is the strain of all his Epistles; and we make bold to assume that the heavenly temper which he so constantly shews, is that which endeared him so b 1 St. John iv. 7, 8.

a 1 St. John iii, 18.