limited by time or space, a spirit pervading the thousand spheres of his own vast creation, present before the worlds, and in the worlds, and after all worlds: God of Gods, and Lord of Lords: not receiving any thing from another, but being himself the ultimate source of all things: having all other natures, powers, perfections, attributes united in his nature, and dispensing them to others at his will: the sole cause of all existence, with the faculties, and properties, and organisation, and energy, with which existence is endowed. And the uniformity of design that pervades creation, and the apt relation of its parts one to another, evince the unity of the counsel by which all was created and connected. The universal order of the boundless heavens, and systematic coursing of ten thousand worlds; the magnitude of earth determining our strength, and the depth of atmosphere the condition of our fluids; the incomprehensible relations of mind and matter framed to meet the necessities of each; the vital action of organs independent of

our will, when our faculties are not capable to direct their action, and the submission of other organs to the impulse that proceeds from thought; the eye formed with relation to the extent and grandeur of creation which it embraces at a glance; that of man for the air, that of fishes for the water which is their dwelling-place:-in a word, the whole book of nature every day repeats what the Almighty spake by his prophet, " I am the first, and I am the last, and beside me there is no God." He has no competitor. In receiving his commands we shall find none to countermand. In obeying his will, we create no jealous enmity of a rival who can dispute or gainsay it. In devoting ourselves to his service, we provoke no envious persecution of his antagonists. In giving him all our hearts, we throw no apple of discord among those who can control our destinies. We are not as the heathen, whose rabble of divinities had conflicting wills, and passions,

1 Isaiah, xliv. 6.

and interests, like those of men; and the votaries of one became exposed to the hostility of another. Our God is God alone, and supreme; and none can stand before him, or wrest any thing out of his hand. And in the hosts of heaven none can say unto him, "What doest thou?" and in all the kingdoms of the earth existence hangs on his support.

This is the Being who commands us to have none beside himself for our God. This is the Being whom alone we are to regard as clothed with divinity. Let us then consider, first, how we should bear ourselves towards him to have him for our Lord; and, secondly, how we are to avoid having any other gods. And may the grace of his Holy Spirit be with us, both to enlighten our understanding, and to warm our hearts with gratitude, and hope, and love towards him.

There are two things essential to our having the Lord for our God, that we should think of him as God, and that we should serve him as becometh God,-ac

cording to the paraphrase supplied by the Church Catechism; that we should "believe in him, fear him, and love him, with all our heart, and all our mind, and all our soul, and all our strength,' in the inner man; and that we should "worship him, give him thanks, put our whole trust in him, call upon him, honour his holy name and his word, and serve him truly all the days of our life," as regards our external and general conduct and service. We must believe in him: for "he that cometh to God must believe that he is :" nay, more! we must believe that he is an eternal and all-perfect Being, the Maker and Preserver of all things, and the rewarder of them that seek him." We must fear him: so as to "work out our salvation with fear and trembling;" yet with a dread of offending him, rather than of the penalties of his vengeance, lest we become like the devils who believe and tremble. We

1 Heb. xi. 6.

2 Phil. ii. 12.

must love him: for his gracious attributes, for his goodness, for the beauty of his holiness, for his mercy, and his truth. And these things we must do with all our heart, and with all our mind, and with all our soul-in a word, with all our inner man for no one can serve two masters; we cannot serve God and Mammon. Thus will he frame his disposition, who really has the Lord for his God. He will shrink with horror from infidelity in thought, and, what is much more common, and more important to insist upon among ourselves, in practice and manner of life. He will repress at once unworthy sentiments, and blasphemies, and levities, when they rise in the imagination. He will dread, lest he should seem to be indifferent, or others should think him regardless of the power and goodness of Providence. And, above all, he will guard himself against those determined and habitual sins, which, as they are continuous and unceasing, present a living and practical evidence, that the sinner