men have still need of daily forgiveness from God, and need of daily preventing Grace to be with them to keep them from sinning more. But those who have sinned, and have not repented, who have forgotten the vows made for them in Baptism, and resisted the HOLY GHOST ever since; who have never since used the means of Grace, never joined their hearts to the prayers offered up for them here, nor ever approached the Altar to feed spiritually on the Body and Blood of their SAVIOUR; these have need to meditate with alarm on the words of David, which we have been using "If THOU, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O LORD, who shall stand?" for their iniquities are marked, that is, marked for punishment.

And we have no commission to offer to them that forgiveness of which David speaks as a comfort to himself and the servants of GOD, unless they too strive earnestly to be His servants. GOD gives forgiveness freely it is true, but He gives it upon conditions.

Recollect, brethren, those common topics of the Scriptures, nay, of your own

talk, which use makes so familiar that you almost cease to think of their meaning, namely, that the time here is at all events very uncertain; it must be short, and every day does assuredly make it less; then think how much there is to gain, and how much to lose, that is, everything. You can neither gain nor lose less. It will be either the entire enjoyment of Heaven, or the entire misery of Hell; there is no middle way left to your choice; God has given you none, and if you refuse His Grace, HE will allot to you His punishment.

Consider then whether with such prospects before you, you cannot with all dutiful fear give up the sinful lusts of the flesh, and set your affections on things on high. Consider whether, even in this life, the man who really lives according to the rule of faith, which CHRIST has laid down and His Church preserves for you as a precious treasure, does not receive an

earnest of future happiness by being now a happier as well as a better man than the man who loves the world only.

You cannot indeed look beyond the grave, but we are sure that there is perfect blessedness, something far beyond not our deservings only, but even our desires. It is also certain; quite unlike the happinesses of this present world, it does not depend on time or place, or person of man its time will be swallowed up in the unutterable, unfathomable course of eternity; its place will be the presence of GOD the FATHER, the Son, and the HOLY GHOST: its everlasting enjoyment will spring from the ALMIGHTY, and will be unalterable as HIMSELF. Finally, it is assured to you: all that the love of God can bestow waits only for your acceptance; it is refused to none, it is promised to all.

You indeed who have already laid hold upon these promises, who have found, perhaps all your lives long, that there is forgiveness with GOD that He may be feared; you have one step here only to

make, to which our Heavenly FATHER will lead you in His good time. You have to lay down your bodies here, till you shall be glorified in the second Advent of the LORD, and CHRIST Himself shall fashion them, and make them like unto His own glorious body, to fit them for the mansions of eternal peace and happiness.

SERMON XIII.

PEACE.

S. JOHN xiv. 27.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

THERE is a joy with which the stranger intermeddleth not; there is a peace which the world cannot give nor take away, and this it is which our Blessed LORD here

tells His disciples of. "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you;" as though we might understand that none but His could be left or given them which deserved the name of Peace, and that HE did not give them the thing which the world had called Peace.

But there is truly a thing which the world still calls Peace, and which it pro