vague indefinite hopes: he cannot be satisfied without solid ground for comfort. "Peace" with God is essential to the tranquillity of his conscience, his growth in holiness, and his comfort in death.

The state of an awakened mind, in the use of this collect of our church, may be illustrated by a circumstance which occurred a few years since on the southern coast of this island. A man was pursuing his daily occupation on the extensive sands which form that part of the shore, and had walked to an unusual distance from it, when he perceived that the tide was rising very fast. Being impeded in his retreat by the flat boards which were fastened to his shoes for the purpose of preventing his immersion in the sand, which there is not sufficiently firm to support the weight of the human body resting on the narrow basis of the feet, he found that the tide gained upon him. At length it overtook him, and by its pressure on the wooden supporters which he wore fixed him immoveably to the spot where he stood. Here he was obliged to remain in the torture of uncertainty and dreadful apprehension, till the tide had gained its height and had again receded. It gradually rose higher and higher till it reached his chin; when providentially its reflux commenced, and in due time left the poor wretch at liberty to pursue his journey homewards. How excruciating the feelings of his mind were during the increase of the tide, what words can describe? And it is equally difficult to say, what was his joy on his discovery that it had reached its utmost elevation, and began to decrease. Similar to the former are the emotions of a penitent sinner, while he is kept in suspense respecting the pardon of his sins; and analogous to the latter are

the sensibilities of a believer on attaining a good hope through grace that his sins are forgiven.

We are here led to observe that, according to the doctrine which is deducible from our collect, a "knowledge of salvation by the remission of "sins" is to a certain degree attainable by the people of God in the present life-not indeed in a way of mathematical demonstration, but a moral certainty, such as is adınitted in the general business of life. Otherwise how can we presume, in the hymn styled Te Deum, to “ac

knowledge also the Holy Ghost the Comfor"ter." This, however, is denied by many, and considered as enthusiastic. But to rest satisfied without it, is surely the apex of fanaticism. How dishonourable to the character of God is the supposition that He totally withholds from His people the means of attaining to the knowledge of that, concerning which a suspense must be the torture of the rack to a conscious mind.

But how is "peace" of conscience to be obtained and preserved? It implies a persuasion of reconciliation with God. But how is this persuasion to be produced? St. Paul resolves the question by saying, "The Spirit itself beareth "witness with our spirit that we are the chil"dren of God." (Rom. viii. 16.) There are properly two ways by which the Holy Spirit satisfies an awakened soul concerning its Divine adoption; either by illuminating the intellect that it may be able to substantiate the comfortable assurance on Scripture evidence; or, by a more immediate communication of His powerful influence to dispel its fears and clear up its doubts. The former is His general method of

own hopes and fears, desires and aversions, joys and sorrows, with the portrait of a Christian as drawn and exhibited to view in the Gospel, and from the resemblance between the copy and the original painting to form a conclusion in his own favour. To this mode of determining our state we are referred by St. Paul, (2 Cor. xiii. 5.) "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the "faith." But, besides this, there are seasons, in which "the love of God is" so powerfully "shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Ghost

given unto us" as to leave no doubt of our adoption. By these manifestations of Divine goodness our doubts and fears are scattered, as the column of smoke is dispersed by a gale of wind. These favours are, however, short-lived and infrequent; and are designed, either to prepare the soul for extraordinary trials, or to comfort it under them. These favours, being gra tuitous, we have no right to ask or expect; but are to give all diligence to "make our calling "and election sure" in the ordinary method which is prescribed for that purpose. Let us therefore examine our evidences with accurate attention, not making a sudden gust of passion or a temporary fervor of devotion the test of our safety, but observing the habitual bias of our souls and the general conduct of our lives. For from hence the genuine Christian may without hesitation infer, notwithstanding occasional lapses and continual deficiencies, the renewed state of his heart.

Let not those persons who are unanxious about the attainment of pardoning mercy and of peace with God, because they are unacquainted with the demerit of sin, and their consciences are stupified by the opiate of self

righteousness-let them not condemn the genuine members of our church for their solicitude to obtain "pardon and peace." But rather let

them pause, and yield to the rising doubt whether they have any pretensions to churchmanship or Christianity. Let those who imagine that they have received these blessings, examine the legitimacy of their confidence. Let as many as long to enjoy them adopt the prescribed means of attaining them, fervent prayer and close self-examination. And let those who on good grounds "have peace with God through "Jesus Christ our Lord," beware of losing their inestimable treasure; and, by every ex ertion and constant circumspection, labour diligently to preserve it.

We proceed to consider the manner of praying for these blessings which is adopted in our collect. There is an earnestness in the mode of supplication, which corresponds with the importance of the blessings implored. No words indeed can fully express the high importance of the benefits for which we here ask, nor the pungent feelings of the awakened mind concerning them. The 51st Psalm is perhaps the finest effort of penitential importunity that has ever been committed to paper. But our collect, considering its brevity, is full of energy. O let the professed churchman examine whether his heart be in unison with its spirit or not.

The character of Him to whom our prayer is addressed, next demands our attention. It is addressed to our "merciful Lord." "None

can forgive sins but God only." The verdict of man is of no value. The opinion even of good men cannot satisfy an awakened mind.

church depends for its validity on its correspon dence with the testimony of the Divine word and Spirit, with respect to the comfort which it is calculated to afford to any individual sinner. Do I truly repent and believe? is the important question.

The "mercy" of God flowing through the Divine Mediator suggests the first dawn of hope to the contrite mind, and from hence also is derived the meridian blaze of assured confidence. Divine mercy is so rich that no past demerit and no future unworthiness foreseen can suppress its emotions, or prevent the yearning of its bowels over relenting penitence. O let us remember what it hath done, and that it can be glorified consistently with the utmost claims of rigid justice; and then we shall be encouraged in asking for "pardon and peace" with full confidence of success!

The important ends for which we implore these inestimable benefits are, "that we may be "cleansed from all our sins, and serve God with "a quiet mind." But as this latter clause of our collect is an amplification or explication of the former, we need not to dwell long upon it.

Purification from sin is twofold-from its guilt by absolution, and from its pollution by sanctification. These benefits are inseparable from each other, both to be derived only from God, and both to be obtained by prayer and supplication.

It is the former of these which we implore in our present collect. And it is to be observed that a truly penitent soul intreats for the pardon of "all" his sins. The generality of men can discern the necessity of pardon for some heinous offences of which their conscience accuses