members of the mystical body of the Son of God, our LORD JESUS CHRIST. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; but ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

And well may we believe, that the greatest differences belonging to this present world are done away in God's sight, by the common participation of such heavenly and divine grace, since Holy Scripture teaches further, that a much greater difference, a much wider mark of separation than any of these, is done away with by the grace of the Gospel. It unites not only young and old, rich and poor, learned and unlearned, penitent backsliders and aged men sound in faith, but it also has the gift of uniting the living with the dead, the living, warring, hard-working, imperfect saints, with those who are at rest in Paradise, and wait only to be made perfect in Heaven. For the Saints in Paradise are unquestionably in the number of those who fear GOD, that is, who are aware of His awful unspeakable presence, and own HIM with a deep reverential joy: they, therefore, as well as we on earth, are invited by the Voice from the Throne to praise God. And they do in a manner praise HIM, doubt it not, with us in our solemn assemblies. Why else, throughout the visions of St. John in the Book of Revelation, are they represented as bearing a part in the blessing, honour, glory, and worship rendered from time to time, in the Apostle's hearing, "unto HIM that sitteth upon the Throne, and to the LAMB," by " every creature that is in Heaven and in earth and under the earth?"

And why are "white robes given unto them," but to signify their greater advancement and perfection in the same holy joy, which we are feebly endeavouring to practise, when we sing hymns on earth?

Therefore the Church, in that ancient and most beautiful hymn, which sometimes comes in the place of the "Te Deum," and which begins, "O all ye works of the LORD," the Church, I say, in that hymn, does not scruple, amongst other works of GOD, to call on the faithful departed to join her in thanking and praising HIM. "O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the LORD, praise HIM and magnify HIM for ever." Indeed, why should she scruple? since the Bible expressly tells us, that when we sing daily to the Most High, "Holy, holy, holy, LORD GOD

of Sabaoth," we are doing that which the Angels in Heaven cease not from doing day and night. And none can doubt, that in Paradise, which is no place of silence, but full of unspeakable words, the like praises are given to the same Divine Being; else would the Church on earth be more like Heaven than Paradise itself; and it would not be better to depart and to be with CHRIST Contrary to St. Paul's words.

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Wherefore the Church, from very early days, has added to the angelic hymn, "The glorious company of the Apostles, the goodly fellowship of the prophets, the noble army of martyrs,"all join to praise and " acknowledge Thee" with "the holy Church throughout all the world." And thus it comes to pass, that the humblest poor man of us all, resorting in faith to this service, may know, for a certainty, that he is bearing a part in the same choir with St. Peter and St. Paul, and all the holy men from the beginning. The least in the kingdom of Heaven, when praising GOD in Church, may thankfully feel his communion with the greatest and most angelic.

Yet more he may feel his communion with our LORD JESUS CHRIST Himself; who, as Head and Priest of His Church, is ever present to gather in one, sanctify and offer up the praises and thanksgivings of His Saints in earth and in Paradise; and to make them, after a manner, his own praises and thanksgivings; even as His words in the text, saying to His people, "Praise our GOD," cannot but mean that He too, takes part in that praise, as He does by His intercession in our prayers.

Of this merciful privilege, to be vouchsafed to His Church afterwards, He gave a remarkable sign and token, by that paschal hymn, which He sang with His Disciples the night before His death, just as they were rising from the table of the Last Supper, and going out into the Mount of Olives. Who can say what power and virtue was in the Voice of our Blessed LORD, so offered up to His FATHER, to sanctify the Church's continual offering of psalms and hymns, sung or said, evening and morning, ever since there was a Church, wherever the name of CHRIST is named?

Those psalms and hymns, and our other forms of thanksgiving, are indeed CHRIST'S, and not ours; for they are offered in the name, not of individuals, nor of this or that particular congrega

tion, but of that body whereof CHRIST is the head, and which can do nothing without CHRIST.

Remember, then, (the thought is an awful one!) that whenever you sing or say a psalm in this place, you are singing or saying it, not with the saints only, but with CHRIST: and think what profanation it must be, if to that work you bring a voice used to any kind of bad words,-a mind impure, covetous, selfish, unforgiving, irreverent, or in any respect contrary to the known mind of CHRIST. Let us humble ourselves before God for all our sins in this kind, for surely we have great need; and let us seriously implore His grace, that we may so watch our own hearts and ways, as not to provoke HIм when we come here to join His Saints in praising His FATHER through HIM: but, rather, to make every psalm such an exercise of holy reverence and love, as we may hereafter hope to rehearse more perfectly, when " they that fear Him, both small and great," shall see HIM and one another face to face in His heavenly Kingdom.

SERMON CXC.

CHRISTIAN BEHAVIOUR IN HARVEST 1.

RUTH ii. 4.

"And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee."

ALL times and seasons have their peculiar trials: in every one of them GoD is proving His people, in every one of them the Evil One is watching to ruin them: for every one the Bible in the hand of the Church is a sure and sufficient guide. And among the rest, no doubt this time of harvest, coming round by God's Providence every year, and continuing commonly for many weeks; no doubt this also has its particular dangers, its own special trials and temptations, for all who are any way concerned in it. And who is not concerned in it, either as owner of crops, or as a labourer, or at least as a receiver and consumer of God's bounty so poured out on us?

Now, then, that we are about, by GoD's blessing, to begin gathering in the fruits of this present year, it may be well to consider seriously, seriously as before GoD, some of the duties and trials of the time of harvest. And to what part of holy Scripture can we so naturally turn, as to the beautiful history of Ruth? That history is in fact an account of God's gracious Providence,

VOL. VI.

1 Preached in 1843.

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blessing both rich and poor, a wealthy man and a poor widow, for their good and religious use of the time of harvest. I suppose it would be quite true to say, that whoever will keep in his heart, and practise, the good examples, and hints of God's pleasure, which are found throughout this short book of Ruth, that man, as far as his part goes, will surely win a blessing on whatever harvest he is concerned in. Which of us would not give a great deal, at this moment, to be sure of a blessing on the harvest, which is now just beginning, after so long delay? Is not this the very thing which has made us all so anxious for so many weeks, not to say months? Well, here is the way to make sure of that blessing: here is the relief and cure of that anxiety. See how the faithful servants of GOD, with whom we are sure He was of old, see how they began and ended their harvest : do you the same, and you will be favoured as they were.

First, and above all, remember always that your harvest can have no blessing except it be begun and ended in the fear of God. Look at the picture which the text sets before us: the picture of a harvest-field near Bethlehem, in the beginning of barley harvest, -which in that country, as in some parts of our own, comes before wheat harvest, twelve or thirteen hundred years before the birth

of JESUS CHRIST. The reapers have entered on the field, and the gleaners have begun gleaning after them: and behold the master comes out to see the work. Boaz comes from Bethlehem, and says to the reapers, "The LORD be with you," and they answer, "The LORD bless thee." See here a beginning made in the fear of GOD. The master blesses the men, and the men the master. It is like our Church Service, where the Priest and the people mutually pray for one another: "The LORD be with you,” “And with thy spirit." And indeed, perhaps, that very verse and response was in the first place taken from this simple salutation of Boaz and his reapers. They little thought, when with kind and devout hearts they so bade good day to each other, that they were setting a pattern for a holy service, which the Church of God, guided by His SPIRIT, would take up from them and use for ever. Yet so it is: they have somewhat of the same honour given them as David in the Old Testament, the Blessed Virgin, Simeon, Zacharias, and others in the New: the honour to have their words appointed to be used by all Christians in their solemn