active nature of our social duties, and the claims which mankind in general have upon us both for usefulness and for example;-and when we make the serious enquiry, whether our conduct hitherto has been really such as to warrant us to wish for our dissolution, we may rather be inclined to declare, severally with the patriarch Job. "All the days of my appointed time will I wait, until my change come."

There are two methods by which the world may be serviceable to our eternal well-being. The one is, by the admonitions that it holds out to us ;— the other is, by making it the medium of our selfgovernment. It will be our effectual monitor, if we observe, and learn wisdom from its deceitfulness,— its allurements,-the emptiness of its honours,-the precariousness of its favour,-the poverty even of its abundant riches, the irksomeness of its habitual pleasures, and the vicissitudes that attend all its

concerns.

The Holy Spirit will bless our endeavours to make this world the passage to a better, by exercising us in prosperity and adversity, in charity and active usefulness, and in "setting our affections on things above." All this will be done effectually, if we fix our attention on the great duty of self-government. We should consider that our passions, our affections, and our habits, become evil, because either from wilfulness or from carelessness, we make an evil use of them,—because we indulge instead of combating, that principle of corruption which, indeed is natural

to us. St. Paul's advice is, that we should "mortify our members which are upon the earth;"—or, in other words, that we should check and regulate our propensities to pride, avarice, and dissoluteness. We should act against nature, if we attempted to destroy entirely the principle of these propensities. Our business is, to withdraw them from improper objects, and to apply them to something that is profitable-or, at least, innocent. A proud and ambitious temper is extremely perilous to our souls : yet the correction of it does not consist in shunning and abhorring all those decencies of self-respect which are, at the same time, consistent with Christian humility, and with our preservation from evil companions and bad example. It does not require us to reject all honour, or to despise our reputation and esteem among men :-for that would be to treat the world with an unfeeling contempt, which the Christian religion neither enjoins nor contemplates. The natural principle which gives rise to pride and ambition, is the desire of honour or of praise; a desire which, in itself, is innocent, and which becomes sinful only when it grows into an excessive eagerness for worldly distinction and homage. Surely, we need not despise the good opinion of the world, when we have no arrogance or ambitious policy to gratify : →for what says St. Paul upon this subject?“ Do that which is good; and thou shalt have praise of the same."" Render honour to whom honour is due."" Whatsoever things are of good report; if

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there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." The reason assigned for the timidity of those Jewish rulers who, though they believed in Christ, did not openly confess their belief, was, that "they loved the praise of men, more than the praise of God." If we invert that method, and “seek the honour which cometh of God only," we shall do right; and our due portion of worldly honour will follow of course; or, if it does not, we shall not need it, for we shall have within ourselves, resources which are more valuable.

The same reasoning applies to the passion of avarice. The excessive desire of perishable riches is the fault to be guarded against; for it will expose us to the heavy condemnation of having served mammon rather than God. We are not required to give way to a sluggish neglect, so as to make no reasonable provision for our present and future support in this life. Covetousness does not consist simply in the desire of riches, but in the inordinate craving after wealth, or such other accommodations, for their own sake; and forgetting the Gospel rule, as laid down in our Saviour's memorable question, "Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment ?" The great maxim is, that we should fix our chief attention on the end of life itself-the salvation of our souls-and not merely on the means of life,—all of which "perish in the using." We are to seek the true riches" to "lay up for ourselves treasures in heaven"--to "seek first the kingdom of God and

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his righteousness;"—and then all those other things shall, in their necessary and convenient portion, "be added unto us."

The temper that leads us into habits of dissoluteness, is the excessive desire of pleasure. The desire itself is harmless, as long as it is kept within due bounds,—for we naturally long after happiness, and are unwilling to encounter over-much sorrow. In the innocent enjoyments of life, guarded by the restraints of religion, we shall find enough to gratify our utmost wishes; especially when we take into the account, the immediate satisfactions of religion itself, -and those "pleasures for evermore, which are at God's right hand," and to which our faith invites us to look forward.

We shall be assuredly "kept from the evil of the world," if, under the guidance of God's blessed Spirit, we "walk according to these rules." Our Saviour's intercession will be available to us, if, in imitation of his example, "we seek not our own glory, but the glory of him that sent us.” From the cares and anxieties of life, we cannot hope to escape entirely ;-nor is it compatible with our religious condition that we should; because we were sent into this world to do good, and to perform our duty, amidst the common vicissitudes that happen to all men; but if we "make it our meat and drink to do the will of God ;”—he “ will bless us, and be merciful to us, and will shew us the light of his countenance."

SERMON XII.

ON ESAU AND JACOB.

ROMANS ix. 12, 13.

It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

THE first verse of the text refers to the 25th chapter of Genesis, verse 23, where we are told, that upon Rebekah's going "to enquire of the Lord" before the birth of her twin sons Esau and Jacob, it was said to her, among other particulars, that "the elder should serve the younger.