We pride ourselves on every thing we possess as our own; and though we may profess to acknowledge and worship God, self becomes really the sole object of our worship. The man who, being full of self-love, is destitute of charity, can see nothing but evil in others; and stimulated by covetousness and other lusts, every one who seems to stand in the way of his desires becomes an enemy. Hence arise adultery, theft, murder, and every crime which stains the calendar of human life. Do not let it be thought that this is an exaggerated statement. If self-love does not more frequently produce such enormities, it is because external circumstances restrain it. Its operation in such a criminal direction is generally counteracted by the desire which it generates for character and reputation, and still more generally by the fear of the punishment which may follow a breach of human laws. Those very laws, indeed, afford the clearest proof of the tendency of selflove. The laws of a community are essential to the very existence of the community. Imagine all external restraints withdrawn, and the inherent tendency of self-love to destroy, would soon. sweep the race of mankind from the face of the earth. But a time will come to every individual when all such restraints will be removed. When by death man is emancipated from his material body, he will appear in his genuine character, and act according to his ruling principles; and he who is not principled in love to the Lord and his neighbour will be principled in the opposite love. "He cannot serve God and Mammon." If he has not a delight in that which constitutes heaven, he will seek it in that which constitutes hell. He will choose his abode in the kingdom where hatred and discord eternally reign,-where the false suggestions of the understanding continually torment, and the most malignant passions and direful lusts never cease to rage,— "where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

Let us turn, my brethren, from this appalling consideration, with increased earnestness of desire to cultivate the love of God in our hearts. Let us take for our guide the precepts of the Gospel, and for our high pattern of imitation Him who went about doing good. We cannot but admire goodness wherever it is manifest. Let us, then, endeavour to be what we admire, never forgetting that if we would be partakers of the bliss of heaven, those principles and affections from which that bliss arises must really be established in our own breasts. Do we fancy that to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, to do good to them that hate us, is contrary to our nature? The Lord our Redeemer can change our nature. For

this purpose he became manifest in the flesh, and provided a medium for communicating blessings to repentant man through all generations. If we are inclined to follow him in the regeneration, he will support our every step. To the sincere desire to do his will, he will add all-sufficient power; and if we have a due sense of our own weakness, he will be our strength. It is his will that we should love one another; and if we look to him for the power, we shall not look in vain. Acting on all occasions with the desire of being useful in our respective spheres, and doing good to others, having a single eye to the glory of our God, as far as our influence can extend, peace, and harmony, and happiness must prevail even in this rugged world. Let us ever bear in mind, that to produce a reform among mankind, we must begin with our own hearts, and that all foes within must be subdued before we can have peace without. Our happiness then depends upon ourselves. From an humble obedience to our Lord's commandments because they are his commandments, we shall gradually rise to that celestial state in which good is loved for its own sake, and pure affections form the life of man. If in this world self-love cannot totally be removed beyond the influence of excitement, and holy affections reign entirely free from the risings of impure desire, such a state will be enjoyed hereafter, when, in the company of angels, we unite in eternal praises to our Redeemer, the God of love.

SERMON XXIII.

THE CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE.

BY MR. J. I. HAWKINS.

Deut. xx. 1.

"When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them, for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”

Ir is too generally supposed that the enemies mentioned in the text, and in many other passages in the Old Testament, refer only to those nations and people who opposed the progress and the natural aggrandizement of the children of Israel; that the horses and chariots signify nothing but natural horses and chariots; that by Egypt we are merely to understand the country where the posterity of Jacob suffered the most cruel bondage; that by the Lord bringing them up out of the land of Egypt nothing else is alluded to than the Almighty power with which the Lord, by the hand of Moses, delivered the Israelites from under the yoke of their oppressors, the Egyptians; and indeed, that all the persons named, and all the things and actions described and recorded in the historical books of the Divine Word, relate only to this world.

It is literally true that such events actually took place, as the bringing of the children of Israel up out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and an outstretched arm, with numerous particular circumstances of their journeyings and encampings in the wilderness, as related in the books of Moses.

It is literally true that the Israelites were commanded by Moses not to be afraid of their enemies when they went out to battle against them; and for this reason, because the Lord their God would fight for them, as he had done before.

It is also literally true that the Israelites rebelled against the Lord, disobeyed his commandments, and committed various

enormous crimes, notwithstanding the many wonderful works which he wrought in their behalf.

But if nothing further is contained in these literal facts than what the mere history presents to our notice, where is the spirituality of the Word of God? How does it conduce to our edification? In what way does it accomplish our salvation? How does it help us forward in the regenerate life to know that the children of Israel gained this or that battle, or that they committed this or that enormity? How do the transactions of the kingdoms of this world direct our footsteps to the kingdom of heaven, which our merciful Saviour declares is not of this world?

These questions can never be satisfactorily answered, except it be known that there is a spiritual sense in every part of the Word; that it is this spiritual sense which distinguishes this holy book from every other writing; and that it is this spiritual sense which constitutes it the Word of God, the very Divine Truth.

If it be asked how can we attain to a knowledge of this spiritual sense of the holy Word? Let it be answered that the Lord, in his great goodness and merciful kindness to the children of men, has in these latter days made his second advent; a coming, not in person, with external pomp and splendor, riding on the visible clouds of heaven, surrounded by innumerable hosts of holy angels, as is vainly expected by some Christians, but a coming in the power and glory of his holy Word, by a revelation of its internal

sense.

To accomplish this his second advent, the Lord, in his infinite mercy, has been pleased to employ a scribe and messenger, to open and unfold the treasures of wisdom which lie concealed in the sacred Word, and of which the letter is but the external covering.

In the writings of this messenger of the New Dispensation, it is clearly proved from the holy Scriptures that every natural thing and action, mentioned in the Word, corresponds to some spiritual thing and action existing in the eternal world; and that the record of every earthly transaction is descriptive of some heavenly transaction, or its opposite, that is, of something infernal, in opposition to that which is heavenly.

And here, my dear brethren, allow me to remark, that as the kingdom of heaven, or the dominion of hell, rules in each of our hearts, every circumstance recorded in the holy Word is personally applicable to your case and to mine, either for reproof, instruction, or encouragement.

But can every one attain to a knowledge of this spiritual sense? No, my friends; only those who put away the evil of their doings, and who look to the Lord Jesus Christ alone as their Creator, Redeemer, and Saviour.

Others may hear, may read, may even learn by rote some portions of this internal and spiritual sense, but they will never apprehend it, they will never lay hold upon it, for it is impossible for any of us to receive the genuine truths of the Word in the love of them until we have, in the strength of the Lord, begun to wash away our filthiness of flesh and spirit; and it is only in proportion as we become cleansed from our impurities that our eyes can be opened, and our understandings illuminated by the light of Divine Wisdom.

But whensoever, by a diligent searching of the Scriptures, with a view to the amendment of our lives, humbly supplicating the assistance of our heavenly Father, he will mercifully flow into our understandings with the light of his divine truth, and into our affections with the heat of his divine love, warming our hearts with love to him, and charity towards our neighbour.

Let us, in all humility, implore the Divine blessing on our endeavours to obtain a glimpse of the instruction treasured up in the words of our text.

"When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses and chariots, and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them, for the Lord thy God is with thee, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

By enemies, in the spiritual sense of the Word, we are to understand spiritual enemies,-the evil and false principles which dwell in our natural affections, and which continually oppose our advancement in the spiritual life. These are the foes of our own household. The love of self, and the love of the world, with all the innumerable train of evil loves and false principles branching forth from these, as a tree branches forth from its roots.

By going out to battle against these enemies, is signified the examination of ourselves, and the searching out of our evil and false loves, principles, and inclinations, for the purpose of putting them away.

This duty of self-examination we are called upon, by a multitude of passages in the holy Word to perform, and we are constantly furnished by the Lord with faculties and powers for the accomplishment of this indispensible work. If we go not out to battle against our enemies, they will most undoubtedly come upon us