The time was-but it was not time, it was Eternity, before all time-when God alone existed, and in that Eternity, vast, unbounded, without beginning as without end, what was the employment of the Almighty God? How sublime to think of it! O! lift up your eyes on high, and contemplate the great Eternal seated on His throne of majesty before all creation, He is employed in knowing Himself, loving Himself, forming plans of the great works He is to execute in time for His own glory. Thus is God His own Beginning and His own End, by the necessity of His Being, there being no other end worthy of His divine majesty. Now, it was with this view that He created. man to His own image and likeness; that having an understanding, he would know his Creator; that having a will, he would love Him; and having a body and soul, he would use all the faculties and powers of both in serving Him, honouring Him, and glorifying Him: in a word, t hat he would concur with God Himself in pursuit of the same end, that occupied God from Eternity to Eternity. What a thought! How glorious! How transporting! With this thought before his mind it was, that holy Job exclaimed: "What is man, O Lord, that thou shouldst magnify him thus, or why dost Thou set Thy heart upon him?" (Job, vii. 17.) It is for this reason our Divine Saviour exhorts us to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect" (Matt. v. 48); and St. Paul, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children." (Ephes. v. 1.) And it was because man lost sight of this end, of honouring God, and promoting His glory by the offices of Religion, that the Psalmist complains: "Man

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when he was in honour did not understand, he hath been compared to senseless beasts and made like to them." (Ps. xlviii. 21.) Appeal.

2. The Offices of Religion.

Observe that in a wider sense the virtue of Religion comprises all our duties towards God; but that in the strict meaning, which Theology ascribes to it, its offices are restricted to devotion, prayer and sacrifice.

Define Devotion; and observe respecting Prayer and Sacrifice, that they furnish extensive subjects for several addresses, and that at present you can only allude to them.

3. Abuses of Religion.

They are very various, some owing to ignorance, and others to depravity, but they may be classed under three heads, Idolatry, Superstition and Sacrilege.

Define each, and say a passing word on Idolatry, deploring the blindness and stupidity of it. Mention the various kinds of superstitions, enumerating them as in the Catechism, and after defining sacrilege, say a few words in condemnation of it.

CONCLUSION.

Exhort to fervour in the practice of all the duties of Religion, using the motives above mentioned in a summary

way.

Consul! Bishop Hay's "Devout Christian," vol. 1, chap. ii. quest. 15, for development of motives, and chap. x. sect. 3, 4, 5, on the sins against Religion. Consult Theology, also on the first precept of the Decalogue, Tract. de Religione.

N.B. Before each motive repeat your proposition, as also at the close, before appeal.

FIRST DISCOURSE ON

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT OF GOD.

WHAT IS COMMANDED BY THIS COMMANDMENT.

Announce the Commandment for your text.

INTRODUCTION.

Observe that God being our Creator and Sovereign Lord, we owe Him the service of our entire being, body and soul; that being ennobled above all visible creation by the gift of speech, we are particularly to use this precious gift in honouring His sacred Name, &c. Therefore, He says to us: "Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain," &c.

[A word to say how important this Commandment is. Invite attention, after which invoke a blessing.]

BODY OF THE SUBJECT.

I. The Name of God is the same as God Himself, so far as the sign is the same as the thing signified. Explain how by honouring or dishonouring the name of a fellow-being here on earth, parents or others, we honour or dishonour themselves. Therefore, for the same reason, the Almighty has declared Himself exceedingly jealous of the honour due to His holy Name.

[Quote some remarkable Scripture texts, which you will find in "Concordance," under the title " Nomen," or in Hay's "Devout Christian," vol. 2, chap. xi., after which exhort and appeal.]

2. Different ways of honouring God's holy Name.

Ist. By prayer.-Say what prayer is; and lay stress on the words" to bless His holy Name." Observe how the Psalms, and other portions of the Sacred Scriptures, abound with praises, &c. of God's holy Name, as also our prayerbooks; and how our Divine Saviour made the first petition of the Lord's Prayer an act of praise and blessing of the Name of God: "Hallowed be Thy Name."

2ndly. Blessing ourselves.-Hence we should begin our prayers and all other important works by saying, "In the Name of the Father," &c.

3rdly. Blessing others.-Hence the pious custom of asking the blessing of Bishops and Priests, who invoke the Name of the Lord in the blessing they impart. Hence also dutiful children ask their parents' blessing, who invoke the Name of God for that purpose. Hence, too, the pious practice of invoking a blessing in our salutations and farewell expressions. (Some examples.) Observe how Christian-like this habit, and deplore the substitution of the forms of modern, and what is called fashionable, society.

4thly. By vows.-Define, and distinguish them from mere purposes or resolutions. Distinguish also the several sorts of vows, and discourage private vows made without the advice of confessor.

5thly. Oaths.-Define, and show how they do homage to God's holy Name. Point out the conditions. Insist particularly on truth, and inveigh against perjury.

CONCLUSION.

Say we have now seen the various ways of honouring God's holy Name. Recapitulate them, and add: we have also seen how jealous the Almighty is of the honour due to His holy Name. Let us make great account of the command the Most High gives us in the matter, and resolve, &c.

Consult Bishop Hay's "Devout Christian," vol. 2, chap. xi; as also Theology, on the Decalogue.

SECOND DISCOURSE ON

THE SECOND COMMANDMENT OF GOD.

WHAT IS FORBIDDEN BY THIS COMMANDMENT.

INTRODUCTION.

Recite Commandment for text, and refer to previous Instruction, briefly recapitulating the points; and proceed to say, that having considered how God's holy Name is honoured in the preceding discourse, we are now to consider how it may be dishonoured.

[A few words on the importance of the subject. Invite the attention of the audience, and beg a blessing.]

BODY OF THE SUBJECT.

1. State it, by saying the Second Commandment is violated, and God's holy Name dishonoured by [here quote the Catechism], and observe, that having considered the subject of oaths and vows in previous Instruction, you will confine yourself to the subject of blasphemy, cursing and profane swearing. [See "Devout Christian," vol. 2, chap. xi., sec. 4.] 2. Remedies against these evil habits.

Ist. Resolution renewed every morning.

2ndly. Vigilance, and an act of sorrow immediately when any violation occurs of the resolution.

3rdly. To do some penance, at night, when one has to accuse himself of any violation of the resolution; and to continue in these practices till the bad habit be subdued.

CONCLUSION.

Rejer to the considerations, and call upon the audience to join you in a solemn act of abhorrence of the vices in question, and a resolution to avoid and discountenance them in others,

Consult, as above, Hay's "Devout Christian," "Challoner's Meditations," Sept. 24; as also Theology on the subject.