to Jesus, but in a sense more exalted than this disciple, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Lord, give me to know by experience the joy that results from the union of a soul reconciled to its God, and I shall ask no other pleasure; it shall blunt the point to all others.

6. Are we destitute of the piety of taste and sentiment? It is because all things being equal, we prefer a good, easy of acquisition, to one that requires labour and fatigue. And would to God, that we were always disposed to contrast our motives with our fatigues: the estimate would invert our whole system of life. We should find few objects in this world, to merit the efforts bestowed in their acquisi- tion; or to speak as the Supreme Wisdom, we should find that we spend money for that which is not bread, and labour for that which satisfieth not. Isa. lv. 2. Would to God, that the difficulties of acquiring a piety of taste and sentiment, were but properly contrasted with the joy it procures those who surmount them. In this view, we should realize the estimate, that the sufferings of this present life, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. Rom. viii. 18. Seeing then, that whatever part we' espouse, whether it be the part of religion, or the part of the world, this life is invariably a life of labour, we should prefer the labours attended with a solid peace, to those which involve us in anguish and inquietude.

7. The affairs of life engross the capacity of the soul. A mind which is empty, at leisure, and unoccupied with ideas and sentiments, is much more liable

to be animated and filled with a passion, than one that is already concentrated on certain objects, which have no connection with that passion. This is the last reason assigned for our non-attainment of the consolations of religion. Let us keep to the point. Casting our eye on the crimes of men, we regard, at first view, the greater part of them as monsters. It would seem, that most men love evil for the sake of evil. I believe, however, that the portrait is distorted. Mankind are perhaps not so wicked as we commonly suppose. But to speak the truth, there is one duty, my brethren, concerning which their notions are quite inadequate; that is, recollection. There is likewise a vice, whose awful consequences are by no means sufficiently perceived; that vice, is dissipation. Whence is it, that a man who is appalled by the mere idea of death and of hell, should, nevertheless, brave them both? It is because he is dissipated; it is because his soul, wholly engrossed by the cares of life, is unable to pay the requisite attention to the idea of death and hell, and to the interests of this life.Whence is it, that a man distinguished for charity and delicacy, shall act in a manner so directly opposite to charity and delicacy? It is because the dissipations inseparable from the office he fills, and still more so, those he ingeniously procures for himself, obstruct attention to his own principles. To sum up all in one word, whence is it, that we have such exalted views of piety, and so little taste for piety? The evil proceeds from the same source our dissipations. Let us not devote ourselves to the world more than is requisite for the discharge of duty. Let our affec

tions be composed; and let us keep within just bounds the faculty of reflection and of love.

If we adopt these maxims, we shall be able to reform our taste; and I may add, to reform our sentiment. We shall both think and love as rational be ings. And when we think and love as rational beings, we shall perceive that nothing is worthy of man but God, and what directly leads to God. Fixing our eyes and our heart on the Supreme object, we shall ever feel a fertile source of pure delight. In solitude, in deserts, overtaken by the catastrophes of life, or surrounded with the shadows and terrors of death, we shall exult with our prophet, My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips, when I remember thee in the night watches; and when I make thy adorable perfections the subject of my thought. May God enable us so to do to whom be honour and glory for ever. Amen.

SERMON IX.

On Regeneration.

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JOHN iii. 1-8.

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do those miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, 1 say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

THE transition which happened in the condition of Saul was very remarkable. Born of an obscure fa