have made the greatest advances in holiness, remember, that this holy and spiritual joy is to be joined with holy fear and trembling: nay, the greater progress they have made in holiness, the more deeply will they feel this impressed upon their minds, so that they can by no means forget it, "The great Eye is over us, let us be afraid." Great is our God, and holy: even the angels worship Him. Let His saints approach Him, but with humility and fear; but, as for the slothful and those that are immersed in guilt, who securely and with pleasure indulge themselves in impure affections, let them not dare to come near. Yet if there are any, let their guilt and pollution be ever so great, who find arising within them a hearty aversion to their own impurity, and an earnest desire after holiness; behold, there is opened for you a living and pure fountain, most effectual for cleansing and washing away all sorts of stains, as well as for refreshing languishing and thirsty souls. And He who is the living and never-failing fountain of purity and grace, encourages, calls, and exhorts you to come to Him. Come unto me, all ye that are athirst, &c. And again, All that the Father giveth me, shall come unto me; and him that cometh unto me, I will by no means reject or cast out. John vi. 37.

Ask yourselves, therefore, what you would be at, and with what dispositions you come to this most Sacred Table. Say, Whither art thou going, and what seekest thou, O my soul? For it would be an instance of the most extravagant sloth and folly, to set about a matter of so great importance, and so serious, without any end, without the prospect of any advantage, and therefore without any serious turn of mind, or as one doing nothing. Yet, this is the case of vast numbers that meet together in Divine assemblies, and at this holy sacrament. Is it any wonder, that those should find nothing, who absolutely have nothing in view; and that he who is bound for no harbour, should meet with no favourable wind? They give themselves up to the torrent of custom, and steer not their

"Ομμα μέγα τρομεῶμεν.

course to any particular port, but fluctuate and know not whither they are carried; or, if they are alarmed with any sting of conscience, it is only a kind of inconsiderate and irregular motion, and reaches no farther than the exterior surface of sacred institutions. But as for you who, according to the expression of the angels, seek Jesus, fear not; you will certainly find him, and in him all things. For it hath pleased the Father, that in him all fulness shall dwell. Col. i. 19. So that in him there is no vacuity, and without him, nothing else but emptiness and vanity. Let us embrace him, therefore, with our whole hearts, and on him alone let us depend and rely.

Let his death, which we commemorate by this mystery, extinguish in us all worldly affections. May we feel his Divine power working us into a conformity to his sacred image; and having our strength, as it were, renewed by his means, let us travel towards our heavenly country, constantly following him with a resolute and accelerated pace.

The concern of purifying the heart in good earnest, taking proper measures for conforming the life to the rules of the Gospel, is equally incumbent upon all. For this is the great and true design of all Divine worship, and of all religious institutions; though the greater part of mankind satisfy themselves with the outward surface of them, and therefore catch nothing but shadows in religion itself, as well as in the other concerns of life. We have public prayers and solemn sacraments: yet, if amidst all these, one should look for the true and lively characters of Christian faith, or in the vast numbers that attend these institutions, he should search for those that, in the course of their lives, approve themselves the true followers of their great Master, he would find reason to compare them to a "few persons, swimming at a great distance from one another, in a vast ocean

*99

It has been observed long ago by one, “that in Rome itself he had found nothing of Rome†;" which with too great

* Apparent rari nantes in gurgite vasto.

Se in Româ, Romæ nihil invenisse.

truth, might be applied to religion, about which we make so great a bustle at present; there is scarcely any thing at all of religion in it, unless we imagine that religion consists of words, as a grove does of trees. For, if we suppose it lies in the mortification of sin, unfeigned humility, brotherly charity, and a noble contempt of the world and the flesh, whither has it gone, and left us? As for you, young gentlemen, if you would apply to this matter in good earnest, you must, of necessity, bestow some time and pains upon it, and not fondly dream, that such great advantages can be met with by chance, or in consequence of a negligent and superficial inquiry. If we are to alter the course of our life for the time to come, we must look narrowly into our conduct during the preceding part of it; for the measures to be taken for the future, are, in a great degree, suggested by what is past. He acts wisely, and is a happy man, who frequently, nay, daily reviews his words and actions: because he will doubtless perform the same duty with greater ease, and to better purpose, when he is called to it with more than ordinary solemnity. And, therefore, they who have experienced how pleasant this work is, and what a mixture of utility is joined with this pleasure, will apply to it with a cheerful mind, whenever opportunity requires it. As to others, they must of necessity set about it some time or other: I say of necessity, if I am allowed to say it is necessary to avoid the wrath to come, and to obtain peace and salvation. Repentance may possibly appear a laborious and unpleasant work to our indolence, and to repent, may seem a harsh expression: to perish, however is still more harsh; but a sinful man has no other choice. Our Lord, who is Truth itself, being acquainted with the cruel execution performed by Herod upon the Galileans, takes this opportunity to declare to his hearers, that unless they repented, they should all likewise perish. Luke xiii. 3. The Saviour of the world, it is true, came for this very purpose, that he might save those that were miserable and lost, from the fatal necessity of being utterly undone; but he never intended to take away the happy and pleasant

necessity of repentance: nay, he strengthened the obligation to it, and imposed it as a duty inseparably connected with grace and happiness. And this connexion, he not only preached in expressions to the same purpose with his forerunner, John the Baptist, but even in the very same words: Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matt. iv. 7. And in another place, having told us, that he came not to call the righteous, but sinners, Matt. ix. 13, he immediately adds, to what he called those sinners; not to a liberty of indulging themselves in sin, but, from sin to repentance. His blood which was shed on the cross, is indeed a balsam more precious than all the balm of Gilead and Arabia, and all the ointments of the whole world; but it is solely intended for curing the contrite in heart.

But alas! that gross ignorance of God that overclouds our mind, is the great and the unhappy cause of all the guilt we have contracted, and of that impenitence which engages us to continue in it. Had men but the least knowledge how disagreeable and hateful all sinful pollution renders us to His eternal and infinite purity; and, on the other hand, what a likeness to Him we attain by holiness, and how amiable we are thereby rendered in His sight; they would look upon this as the only valuable attainment, they would pursue it with the most vigorous efforts of their minds, and would make it their constant study day and night; that, according to the divine advice of the Apostle, being cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, they might perfect holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. vii. 9.

347

AN

EXHORTATION TO THE STUDENTS,

UPON THEIR RETURN TO THE UNIVERSITY

AFTER THE VACATION.

WE are at last returned, and some are for the first time brought hither by that Supreme Hand which holds the reins of this vast universe, which rules the stormy winds and swelling sea, and distributes peace and war to nations according to its pleasure. The great Lord of the universe, and Father of mankind, while He rules the world with absolute sway, does not despise this little flock, provided we look up unto Him, and humbly pray, that we may feel the favourable effects of His presence and bounty: nay, He will not disdain to dwell within us, and in our hearts, unless we, through folly, and ignorance of our true happiness, shut the door against Him when he offers to come in. He is the Most High, yet, has chosen the humble heart for the most agreeable place of his residence on this earth: but the proud and haughty, who look with disdain on their inferiors, He, on His part, despises, and beholds, as it were, afar off. He is most holy, and dwells in no hearts but such as are purged from the dross of earthly affections; and that these may be holy, and really capable of receiving His sacred Majesty, they must of necessity be purified. Know ye not, says the divine Apostle, that you, even your bodies, are the temples of the Holy Ghost, and therefore are to be preserved pure and holy? 1 Cor. vi. 19. But the mind that dwells within them, must be still more holy, as being the priest that, with constant and unwearied piety, offers up the sacrifices and sweet incense of pious affections, cheerful obedience, ardent prayers, and divine praises, to the Deity of that temple.

Of your studies and exotic learning, I intend not to say