great things, if they have spent part of their substance in that way. But concerning the giving of alms, and all other outward acts of kindness, they are part of Charity, if they proceed from the love of God, not else; but the substance and essence of Charity, the love of GoD itself, is within, and cometh, as St. Paul tells us, in the second place, of "a good conscience," and no other way. That is, the love of GoD is then perfect, when a man delights to have GOD near him, out of a humble and reasonable hope that his conduct is such as GoD approves of. That is the composed and steady devotion, which the commandments of GOD were intended to produce in you. And therefore it is here called "the end of the commandment;" and the way to come nearer and nearer to it, the way to have pleasure in God's awful presence, is to use yourself to keep the commandments; just as the way for a son or daughter to have pleasure in a parent's presence is to do what the parent would have done, even when he is out of sight. And that so much the more, as GoD can never be out of sight-can never cease for one moment to witness your thoughts, words, or deeds. So that to think seriously of HIM, without a good and approving conscience, is more than the spirit of a man can long endure.

Take it, then, for a second warning, that men must not think they have Christian Charity, the end of God's commandments, because they give such and such alms, or do such and such kind actions; but they must look to it that the answer of their consciences be encouraging in these and all other respects. For Charity cometh of a good conscience;" we love God, when we rejoice in the recollection that He is near us; and we cannot so rejoice, except we are conscious of trying to please HIM.

3. But here a difficulty arises. Stained and imperfect as in reality the best duties of sinful man are, how dares he talk of an approving conscience? how can he presume, at his very best, to take pleasure in the thought of his Judge looking on? The difficulty is answered by the last words of the text. Charity comes not only of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, but also of faith unfeigned:"-faith and trust in the merciful wonders, which the GOD and Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST has provided in His Gospel for penitent sinners. Take them into the account; lift up your eyes to the Cross of CHRIST; accept, with contrite and believing hearts, the cross which He lays upon you, that you may

not forfeit the reconciliation purchased long since by His precious blood; take also into your account the offered grace of His HOLY SPIRIT, to keep your hearts pure and your consciences calm for the future; and then the accusing remembrances of the past, though

they must needs make you tremble at the presence of your Judge, yet need not make you turn away from it. The hope of pardon may accompany the bitter sense of transgression, and the full purpose of amendment of life may render us composed and calm in God's sight, while the recollection of past failures should keep us humble and afraid of ourselves. And when our thoughts turn towards our brethren, we shall heartily wish them all the good which CHRIST died to purchase for them. This is true Christian Charity, to be practised in prayers and communions, and all purity and kindness on earth; and finally to be made perfect in heaven.

SERMON CCXLII.

HOW TO PROFIT BY SAINTLY EXAMPLES.

SEPTUAGESIMA.

MATTHEW x. 41.

"He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a Righteous Man, shall receive a righteous man's reward."

FOR three weeks before Lent, the Church seems in a manner to keep reminding us that Lent is coming, by the very names of the Sundays,-Septuagesima, Sexagesima, Quinquagesima; all which mean, so long before Easter; whereas we had now for some Sundays been looking backwards to the Epiphany.

Why is this change made? Because Lent is a time of particular trial, and the Church in her charity would have all her children prepare themselves against it with good thoughts and prayers.

The time of Lent, as you know, is a space of forty days before Easter, during which all Christians are to withdraw themselves, as best they may, from the world, and to get ready, by fasting and prayer, by self-examination and confession, by all kinds of holy mortification, for the holy week of our LORD's Passion and Resurrection.

Lent, therefore, is a time in which we endeavour to draw nearer to God than ever we have been yet, and to keep ourselves at a greater distance from sin. It is a time of conversion, a time of renouncing the world, a time of taking up the cross and following CHRIST. It is in its measure as really and truly a great trial for every one of us, as our LORD's forty days in the

wilderness were a trial and temptation to Him. As He was led up there of the Spirit to be tempted of the Devil, so the HOLY GHOST is even now about to call us every one out of the world; and the Evil One will, of course, be busy in tempting us to despise that call, and throw the blessed opportunity away. Lent cannot leave us just as it found us: if we are not the better for it, we shall be the worse.

Therefore the Church, in great love and care for our souls, gives us notice for some time before, as our SAVIOUR gave notice to His disciples of the coming of the HOLY GHOST. The gift is very precious and Divine, and we had need prepare ourselves for it with very serious and reverential thoughts.

What I mean will be the better understood, by imagining for a moment how we should feel, if ALMIGHTY GOD had given us notice that some great saint was to come visibly among us at such and such a time, to stay just so long, and that, on purpose that we might have a chance of becoming better by his holy example, by praying and fasting with him, and hearing his Divine instructions. Suppose we had notice from St. Paul, as the Corinthians had, "I will come to you and tarry a time with you, if the LORD permit :" would it not make us very thoughtful? Should we not have a fear and anxiety in our hearts, lest so great a saint should come among us, and we prove never the better for his presence? Now the annual return of Lent is like the coming of a saint among us. A holy time is a token of CHRIST's nearer presence, as a holy person would be.

And now that visible and outward holiness seems in so great measure to have passed away from the earth, now that we know not who are saints, and have seldom reason to think that any such come near us, it seems so much the greater mercy of God, as often as the season of repentance and holy self-denial comes round. It stands to us, if we have grace so to take it, instead of a saint's presence; it is a true token from ALMIGHTY GOD to the penitent, bringing fragrance and comfort from Heaven; a token that He is with us; that we may have good hope, that we are not cut off from HIM as we deserved. If we have not very unthankful, irreverent hearts, surely we shall have it in our thoughts before it comes, we shall wish and pray to be made worthy of the heavenly Guest.

But now there are many persons, too many, who seem to think that they for their part have little or nothing to do with Lent. They account it, perhaps, very well that it was observed in the old times they have no doubt there are persons in the world who may be much the better for it; but somehow or another they persuade themselves that it was not intended for them.

Now these same persons, if they saw a holy man or woman, a true saint of GOD, coming among them, how would they behave in regard of that favoured one? Would they really try to be the better for his presence? Would they think it was a token from GOD, which could not safely be neglected? or would they pass it over, as something very wonderful, perhaps, but not immediately concerning them?

For example, suppose again what I said just now; suppose the blessed Apostle St. Paul were actually to come here and live awhile in this place; no doubt it would cause a great deal of talk there would be great anxiety to see and hear him, much wondering how he would go on, talkings and questionings and reports concerning him in every company, and by every fireside; but when his ways of life came to be known, how many would think it necessary to follow him? I do not mean to follow him exactly, but according to their own measure. How many would esteem it their duty to live by the same principles as St. Paul?

For instance; St. Paul would not "lead about a sister, a wife," that he might be free to serve God the more perfectly: how many of us, for the same reason, would refrain from any thing which they thought they might take without sin? St. Paul

kept under" his own body, dealt rudely with it, afflicted it with fastings and watchings, that it might be more entirely under the command of his spirit: but do not the generality of Christians, without scruple, allow themselves all pleasures which are not positively wicked?

In short, we may judge a little what effect the presence of a real saint would have upon many among us, by observing how men behave towards those, whom they, rightly or wrongly, esteem in comparison saints. Every one of us would be able at once to name some few among his acquaintance, whom he