for salvation. Lastly, the church, as it provides spiritual food for all in due season, so it attends them through life, shedding a blessing on their most important concerns; consecrating the bond of matrimony; inviting to thankfulness for public benefits, and to prayer and humiliation in national calamities; smoothing the bed of sickness by the ministrations of religion; hallowing the ground where the bodies of the faithful repose, and committing them to their kindred earth with solemn and affecting ceremony.

All these points are here but hastily and slightly touched; yet, even thus imperfectly seen, may perhaps appear pleasing in your eyes, and worthy of more attentive consideration. Let me be indulged in one remark on the excellence of our liturgy and the other formularies of our church, as it is shown in the happy union of opposite qualities-of points which, if not at variance, yet greatly differ from each other. I would mention three instances of this.

The first is that which involves much difficulty, if not contradiction in theory, but none at all in practice; viz., the power of divine grace, and the duty of entire reliance on it, on the one hand; and, on the other, the freedom of man's will, and the necessity and duty of vigorous and unremitted exertion on his part. Practically, as I have said, there is neither contradiction nor difficulty here; for the faithful servant of Christ labours to work

out his salvation as though no care, no vigilance, no toil, could be too great; as knowing that he is called to holiness, and that, if he will enter into life, he must keep the commandments faithfully: yet he ascribes, and delights in ascribing, all to the free grace of God, -to the love of Christ in his redemption, -to the power of the Holy Spirit sanctifying him,-to the divine goodness and mercy following him all the days of his life, and accepting him, at last, not for his own merits, but for the sake of Jesus Christ. To the pious, singlehearted believer, I repeat, there is no difficulty in practice. Yet we know how greatly this question has disturbed the minds of men, while they have maintained opposite extremes. Now, how does our church treat the subject? It gives all the praise to the glory of God's grace, teaching us that "the frailty of man without Him cannot but fall;" that "through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without Him," that "we put not our trust in any thing that we do;" that "He alone can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men." Yet it is full of exhortation to repentance and turning to God, to holiness and newness of life. It instructs us, therefore, to pray constantly for grace to help our infirmities, stir up our wills, and enable us to think and do such things as be rightful." Thus it opens to us the secret, if secret there be, in this matter; taking the key and clue from Sacred Scripture, according to

that exhortation of the Apostle, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God that worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." *

The next instance in which our church brings together those things which seem in opposition to each other, is the union of a decent ceremonial with simplicity in divine worship. The service of the Romish church was so gorgeously decked out and dressed in all that could catch the eye, while, alas! it only deluded the heart, and smothered a spirit of piety, that it is not wonderful if some of the reformers went astray in an opposite extreme, and, tearing away all ornament, presented an unseemly nakedness in the room of true simplicity. So, again, disgusted with a multitude of forms and ceremonies, and an unmeaning repetition of ejaculatory prayers, which they deemed contrary to the spirit of the Gospel, and even to the express command of Christ, they rashly, in some places, abolished all forms; as if forgetting that man, being composed of body and spirit, cannot, in this his lower stage of existence, exercise his affections without some help to devotion; that he needs words wherein to express his thoughts, and some forms to stay and support his piety, lest it degenerate into unmeaning rhapsody, or waste itself in unprofitable excess of feeling. Our church, therefore, wisely choosing between

*Phil. ii. 12, 13.

two extremes, has retained so much of ceremony as may assist, not hinder, piety; as may exalt the affections, while they are restrained within due limits; as may show the service of God honourable to Him, and be instructive to many in short, it follows the rule of the Apostle, and seeks to do "all things to edifying."

The third instance which I would adduce is the adaptation of its services both to the use of the congregation in general, and to the wants of each individual. It is manifestly difficult to compose any set forms, whether of devotion or instruction, which may suit every person's case. Yet, perhaps, the desired object may be better attained in this manner than in unprepared effusions. In prayers, at least, and in thanksgivings, each may, if he please, bring home to his own heart, and apply to his own case, that which is intended for the use of all; which can scarcely be done where it is not known beforehand what is to be uttered in prayer. And our liturgical services will, if studied as they deserve, be readily applied in this manner of which it is a proof at hand, that, by slight alterations, they become excellent forms to guide our devotions in the family and the closet. In regard to the instruction given from our pulpits, a liberty is there allowed to the preacher; and it should be his business to carry the word of reproof, exhortation, and instruction in righteousness to the understanding and the heart of every

one of his hearers; so that each, without being in any degree marked or singled out by the speaker, may feel the address as strongly as if it were intended specially for his own conviction. This would probably be the perfection of preaching. Be it our care to avoid, on the one hand, the danger of giving offence by any personal remarks; and, on the other hand, that of wasting our force in general declamation, and exhortations which apply to none at all. Such useful instruction, perhaps, we have in those old sermons provided by our church, the book of Homilies. Let me add, be careful on your part, brethren, so to apply to your own case the forms of confession, supplication, and thanksgiving in the book of common prayer, and the word, whether read or preached, that your thoughts may be more and more turned inwardly upon yourselves, to self-examination and self-conviction, and that you may thus receive the full benefit of these holy ordinances for your edification and comfort.

Great and manifold, then, are the blessings attending upon the ordinances of religion, as administered in our church. Use them freely, brethren, constantly, devoutly, thankfully,

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blessing the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ,"-in Him who is the beginning and the ending, the first and the last, all in all to us,—in Him, who is the Head over all things to the church; the pre