any sacrifice and personal self-denial, to which we ourselves do not cheerfully submit. If some of our plans of life are unfriendly to the performance of duties immediately religious, let those plans be either modified or abandoned.

The evil of listening to the instructions of religion, without a solemn, distinct and humble purpose of applying them practically to our own cases, is painted by the apostle James in such lively and faithful colours, that I cannot do better than set his portrait of a hearer of this class before your eyes. Observe what constitutes the self-deceit, of which he speaks, and how it acquires strength: "If any one (says he) be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face," the features of his countenance, "in a glass: for he beholdeth himself," superficially and hastily, "and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." He very soon ceases to have any clear and precise recollection of the image given back to him from the mirror-he is in the class of those careless or perhaps those enthusiastic hearers, whom our Lord describes as having no root in themselves, and who yield to the quickly-changing impressions of the moment. On the other hand, James has represented, with not less beauty and success, the benefit of a steady, undivided, personal atten

tion to public religious teaching: and the picture which he had just drawn, has its counterpart in the following: "But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty"-he who, with all the intenseness and self-collection which he can exercise, applies himself to the contemplation of his moral features, as they are reflected in the mirror of the Gospel,-which dispensation makes its votaries, in the truest sense, free, and, though it be a law, is still a law of liberty, in opposition to the ritual of Moses-whoso looketh into this law-"and continueth therein," 'continues,' that is, 'in the employment of regarding it,' "he, being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed"-he goes on from strength to strength; from one degree of religious improvement to another-until, finally, all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart are brought into captivity to Christ-and his character attains an excellence as little alloyed as possible by the infirmities of our nature.

We thus see that the most likely means, under the blessing of Almighty God, of removing the hindrances to the success of public religious instruction, are comprehended in our personal cultivation of Christian principle, and in our joint efforts, domestic and social, to form and invigorate it within the hearts of our fellow-men. In this manner, we may all co-operate

with those who lead our united devotions, and address us from the pulpit; and these concurrent exertions on your part will be their best reward, next to the approbation of conscience, of Jesus and of God.

"Brethren, pray for us." Pray also for yourselves. Acts of devotion preceding and following our humble instructions, may greatly contribute towards making you doers of the work, and therefore obedient hearers. of the word. Amen.

SERMON XIII.

ON VASSALAGE TO SINFUL HABITS.

GALATIANS v. 17.-THE FLESH LUSTETH AGAINST THE SPIRIT, AND THE SPIRIT AGAINST THE FLESH, AND THESE ARE CONTRARY THE ONE TO THE OTHER; SO THAT YE CANNOT DO THE THINGS THAT YE WOULD.

I AM not acquainted with any principle or fact in Man's constitution, which is at once so remarkable and so alarming as what these words place before us: I mean, the complete tyranny of evil habits.' There are states of character-alas, not uncommon-in which sense, appetite and passion keep the will in bondage; in which the sinner perceives certain actions to be wrong, yet cannot avoid them, and others to be right, but possesses not the power of doing them; the impulses of his animal frame having the ascendency over his intellectual and spiritual nature. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament often declare or intimate this truth: it is more than once represented with great clearness and strength in Paul's

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