Listen, Sinner, ere it be too late, to the voice of thy dying Saviour. He asks, "Lovest thou "me?" Oh, survey Him, and see if there be nothing in His person and character to attract and fix thy love. He who hung upon the cross asks, "Lovest thou me?" Every circumstance. of life may be considered as a proposal of this question to our consciences, and as a test of its solution. Every duty, every trial, and every relation in which we stand to God or our fellowereatures, prosperity and, adversity, sickness and health, life and death, may be regarded as criterions of our love to God, and as opportunities of exhibiting that love to view.

The state of those who are the genuine members of the Christian church on earth, is a state of education for eternal felicity. They are minors, and the Christian church is a school in which they are placed for instruction and the formation of habits suitable to their future designation. They are "heirs of God," and "begot"ten to a lively hope of an inheritance incor"ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, "which is reserved in heaven for them" when their course of education is finished. The sciences in which they are trained are "the fear ❝ and love of God," for the attainment of which they are prepared by initiation in self-knowledge and the knowledge of Christ crucified. The book which they are required to study is the Bible; and the great teacher is God the Holy Ghost. It is under His tuition that they receive the first rudiments of spiritual knowledge, and are carried forward to its high perfection. The pupils of this heavenly school are admitted at different ages and under different circumstances.

Some are called into it from the days of childhood, others in riper years, and some even in the decline of life. Some are closer students, of a more teachable temper, and more apt scholars, than others. Different methods are also necessary to be employed respecting them, some being disciplined more by the rod of correction than others. But the all wise Instructor of His people never fails to prepare those who are under His care for their future rank and station in the kingdom of God. The grand inquiry which we have to make is, Whether we are yet admitted into this academy, and are submitting to the tuition of its Divine Master?

The epithet "steadfast" is annexed to those qualities by which the objects of Divine favour are characterized, for the purpose of distinguishing more fully the temper of their minds from that of others. In carnal and worldly persons something which slightly and partially resembles the fear and love of God" may occasionally be discerned. In some instances they may be restrained from the commission of gross sin, or from the omission of external duties, by a regard to God. They may also do many things which God has required, after the example of Herod. (Mark vi. 20.) But though terror may curb, or passion excite them, the gracious influence of steadfast fear and love" is a stranger to their breasts. In the Godly, "the fear and love of God" are habitual, predominant, growing principles-not indeed always alike vigorous, but always influential.

"The favour of God towards those "whom "He brings up in His steadfast fear and love," is certain, constant, and unchangeable. For He

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"never fails to help and govern them " "hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake "thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord "is my helper, and I will not fear what man "shall do unto me;" no, nor what the whole host of hell may attempt to do, God's faithful promise binds Him to " help and govern" us, if we are pupils of His academy. And the experience of His people in all ages abundantly confirms the veracity of His promise.

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But what help does He afford? All that His pupils need. He helps them to repent, to believe, and to obey. He helps them to persevere in a course of repentance, faith, and obedience. He comforts them under trials, enlightens them when in darkness, succours them when in temptation, "strengthens them with might "by His Spirit in the inner man," whereby they are enabled to maintain the conflict against the devil, the world, and the flesh: in short. "He is a very present help in the time of need,' of whatever kind the exigency may be.

He moreover" governs" as well as helps His people. They are brought under a theocracy with respect to their spiritual concerns. His laws regulate their conduct; His shield defends them from their enemies; His approbation chears their souls, and binds them more strongly to their allegiance; and His honours will finally remunerate their fidelity.

It is assumed in our collect, that all who unite in it are of the number of those whom God is bringing up in His steadfast fear and love; for the collect is designed for general use in the church. But is this assumption just with respect to the writer and reader of these pages?

On this supposition we proceed to pray that "God would keep us under the protection of "His good providence, and make us to have a "perpetual fear and love of His holy name,

through Jesus Christ our Lord." We consider ourselves to be under His protection as His people, and pray that we may remain under it; we assume that the "fear and love of His name" have been implanted in our hearts, and pray that these graces may be perpetuated.

We pray that God would keep us under the protection of His good providence;" inferring, as the result of close self-examination, that we are under His care" who never fails to help "and govern them whom He doth bring up in "His steadfast fear and love." The protec"tion of God's good providence" is that help "and government" which He never fails to afford to His people. The propriety of praying for a continuance of Divine protection, both for our souls and bodies, is evident from a consideration of the many and imminent dangers to which we are ever exposed. We are only safe, either from ghostly or bodily dangers, while God keeps us. And His promise to keep us does not supercede the necessity of prayer," but implies dependence on our part, and is the motive and encouragement to its vigorous exercise. And we are also to remember, that although God's promise cannot be broken, and consequently His help and government cannot fail, yet we daily and hourly forfeit, by our failure in the duty which we owe to our sovereign Lord, the benefit of His protection, and therefore are bound humbly and earnestly to pray for a renewal and continuance of it.

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As the protection of God's good providence" is confined to those whom He is "bringing "in His steadfast fear and love," and as we cannot maintain in our hearts the fear and "love of His holy name," we therefore proceed to beseech Him, that He would "make us to "have a perpetual fear and love of His holy "name.' "" We pray for persevering grace, that the holy temper of mind which He hath produced within us may be subject to no interruption, but may increase more and more until it is perfected. And Oh, Christian reader, how needful a petition is this! When we consider how inadequate our "fear and love" are to the cause that produces them, to the object that claims them; how often their exercise is in a great measure interrupted; how, at times, they languish and seem ready to expire; how needful is the concluding petition of our collect, "Lord, we beseech thee, make us to have a

perpetual fear and love of thy holy name!" Our frequent past backslidings, our present consciousness of imbecility, our enemies, and our dangers, all concur in exciting us to importunity in the use of this prayer.

Let every one examine himself closely, whether he can honestly unite in it. No one can, in whose heart the fear and love of God are not predominant; for no one else can desire to have these holy dispositions perpetuated. Olet those who are unconscious of being under His tuition who brings up His people in His steadfast "fear and love," tremble for themselves! They have no reason to expect Divine help and governance. They are without God in the world, outlaws of His kingdom, and liable to His