for the iniquity that abounds in the world. Poor they feel themselves to be. For they hunger for righteousness more than they can attain; they thirst for holiness faster than they are filled. Blind they are aware they are, and naked. For they see not God, though they believe Him to be every where; nor heaven, though they count it to be close at hand. And their nakedness they are deeply ashamed of, when they reflect how a Spirit most holy surveys their most secret thoughts, notes every motive of their outward acts, every inward imagination of their hearts.

Thus must those who know most of God, those who trust most in Christ, own themselves also to be truly described in the text, as "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." And which of you could fail to fit this description to himself, if you would but consider the true account of your own condition, as it is manifestly set forth throughout the word of God. There you will find the Saviour of the world bidding us, when we

servants. There you will see the penitent publican preferred to the self-righteous pharisee. There you will learn that every idle word you utter is set down for you to give account of it hereafter. There you are told to go on unto perfection, instructed ever to press forward in the improvement of your hearts, unto the fulfilment of that difficult saying, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matth. 5. 48.)

And now look, how have you obeyed these directions? Examine in what single point of duty you have approached to the perfection of God's most holy law? Nay, in what are you conscious of having made, say for some time past, any effectual progress of improvement? Do you now any more heartily believe; do you now any more sincerely repent; than when last you were invited to like self examination? Do you love God any more earnestly? Do you any more seriously fear to offend Him? Do you pray with more devotion, hear with more attention, serve with more zeal? Do you forgive more readily? Do

you give more cheerfully? Do you restrain more carefully the words of your mouth, and the thoughts of your heart? Do you, in short, any the more thoroughly renounce the world, any the more constantly deny the flesh, any the more watchfully resist the Devil? If not; and if it be the bounden duty of every Christian to go on continually to perfection; must you not acknowledge that you have neglected this duty, that you have in this matter sinned against God, and that you are in his sight, on this ground as well as on many others, "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked?"

Few indeed if any are there of us all, who have not, besides this neglect of improvement, many other and more presumptuous sins to confess with shame and sorrow. But God be praised, for the love of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who "came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." (Mark 2. 17.) Let us watch therefore that we deem not ourselves righteous. Let us watch that we in

of nothing." Let us lay the very foundation of the Christian character in a profound conviction of sin; never reckoning that we think ill enough of ourselves, or of our own helpless and lost condition. Then the more we are poor, God will make us rich; the more we are miserable, He will bid us to be happy. The more we esteem ourselves to be blind, the more He will make us to see the things that belong unto our peace. The more we own ourselves to be naked, the more He will cover our sense of shame with the robe of his boundless mercy.

Be ye therefore humble; and God will exalt you to honour. Be lowly in your own eyes; and He will lift you up. Ask of Him, as hungering for grace; and surely ye shall be filled. Pour forth your tears as mourning before Him for sin; and He will make you truly to rejoice. He will give you in this world strength for weakness, in the next instead of misery and shame, a crown of endless glory, and pleasures at his right hand for evermore.

SERMON VIII.

SPIRITUAL NEED RELIEVED.

REV. 3. 17, 18.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. FROM the former part of this text I have endeavoured to convince you, even those of you who are most favoured in the estimation of man, that you are all in the sight of God wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. The faithful and true witness, who pronounced these words in the book of Revelations,