and bring it unto us, that we may hear it." "The Word is very nigh unto us," and when it is to be obtained only by inclining the ear, surely it would be an unpardonable contempt of God's ordinance, when wisdom crieth out, not to hearken to her counsel.

Did any one profess to teach us an easy and infallible method of becoming rich, and powerful, and great; of acquiring all the pleasures and enjoyments of this world; how would the covetous, the ambitious, and the sensual, take heed to his counsel! Behold then the minister of Christ, the preacher of righteousness, prepared to lead you to the source of eternal joy in heaven, to teach you the way to glory, to honour and immortality, when all the transient enjoyments of this world shall be forgotten. And can those objects, which alone are worthy of rational and redeemed creatures, be received with indifference or reluctance? In vain is it objected that the teacher is destitute of eloquence, that his manner is ungraceful and his language without

ornament.

In the case just mentioned, that of a teacher of worldly wisdom, we should ridicule the absurdity of such objections; but, as a spiritual teacher, what does Saint Paul say was remarked of himself? Why, that his "bodily presence was weak, and his speech contemptible." And is not this cavilling spirit of the self-important Corinthians too common a charac

teristic among nominal Christians of the present day? Whatever pretences, therefore, men may assign, to excuse their inattention in the house of God, it really proceeds from a mind already pre-occupied by vanity or vice. They do not duly weigh the great and momentous value of the things spoken, nor do they consider the authority from which they proceed. The consequence is plain. The mind has not been habituated to entertain them: indolence will not consider them: pride and corruption cannot tolerate them. What should be received gladly seems too gloomy, because viewed through a false medium; what should engage an immortal soul, appears too trivial to be regarded by a perishing body. Others, perhaps, do afford some attention; but this may be merely the attention of a curious supercilious spirit, and therefore they are to be exhorted, in the language of the Apostle, "to receive the engrafted Word with meekness." The proud it is who seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not. He seeketh it in the attire of elegant and fashionable refinement, but finding it plain and unadorned, he therefore scorneth it. He seeketh it in the allurements of novelty, forgetting that the divine Word, like its blessed Author, is the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever; and must be thus preached, must be plainly delivered and repeatedly enforced, "line upon line, and precept upon

precept. The humble minded will consider that it is the Word of God, and not the word of man, which demands his attention; and, therefore, however weak and unworthy the instrument of conveying it may be, he will hear it with becoming reverence. He considers that the corruptions of his own heart and the temptations of the world around him, being ever ready to betray, it is necessary that the promises and threatenings of the Gospel be frequently sounded in his ears; and baneful is the vanity,-tremendous the danger, of that mortal by whom they are lightly regarded.

To attention, seriousness, and meekness must be added candour and impartiality. We should receive all revealed truths with the same readiness, and give the same credence to the minister of the Gospel when he promulgates God's dreadful judgments, as when he publishes his gracious promises; when he reproves the sins of which our consciences condemn us, as when he inveighs against those by which we are less tainted. It is written that God is merciful and long suffering, slow to anger, not extreme to mark what is done amiss. But it is also written, that he will by no means pardon the incorrigibly wicked; that without holiness no man shall see the Lord: and if we be impartial hearers, both these doctrines will have equal weight and influence. It is written, "This is a faithful saying, that Christ

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Jesus came into the world to save sinners." is also written, that he "gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." These different texts of scripture should teach us to regard Christ both with gratitude and godly fear, remembering that, as he once came down from heaven, to save the world, so he will assuredly come again to judge it. All these declarations being founded on the same authority, should meet the same reverence. If we really valued our eternal happiness, we should not cherish any desire to be deceived concerning our spiritual state, any unwillingness to have our eyes opened to real danger, any wish that the preacher should speak peace where there is no ground for it, any dislike of the boldest and plainest representation of our offences, nor any fostering of that fatal self-deceit which palliates, disguises, or conceals our own favourite sins.

Further, we should be convinced, it is not merely by attending God's house, or even being occasionally moved by what we hear, that we perform a service, in itself holy and acceptable. For what saith the apostle?-"Be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only." We should therefore hear, with a serious desire, an earnest prayer for divine grace, that we may improve, and apply, and practise what we hear; and little do we consider this great end of hearing God's

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Word, if we at once dismiss from our minds the things delivered, or the pious thoughts they have inspired; or, if we consider the time we attend, or seem to attend here, as an irksome sacrifice to worldly custom, and an unwilling tribute to the demands of religion. No, my brethren, the true and serious Christian will studiously revolve the precepts and admonitions he has received; will ask his own heart, "How have I heard?— How have I been benefited?-What vices must I correct? What holy resolutions must I form?" He will compare the things delivered with the volume of truth, his only infallible director. In the societies of friends and fellow-christians, he will take sweet counsel concerning what he has heard; and instead of dwelling on the defects of the preacher, he will converse respecting the importance of the things delivered. These he will inculcate on his children and domestics; and teach them, like himself, to hear with profit and improvement. And the Word, thus received, however imperfectly delivered, will, by the powerful influence of God's holy spirit, prove mighty in operation. Seed, thus deposited, shall bring forth abundantly; and the labour, both of the planter and the waterer, shall be blessed by his gracious and merciful assistance, who alone giveth the increase. On yourselves, then, you see, my fellow-christians, it in some measure depends, whether the offices of religion shall