"And now Lord, what is my hope? Truly my hope is even in Thee," through Jesus Christ my Saviour.

But, my brethren, suffer not this sentiment to be the mere produce of a death-bed; you will want it for your comfort and encouragement then; it is the most unfavourable time that can be selected for the first planting of it in your hearts. It is a lamentable error to put off the sowing of the seed till that season when you should rather be reaping the harvest. The hour of death is not the best time to learn, but to derive consolation from what you have learnt long before. It is not the best opportunity for the first thoughts of religion, but for putting your faith to the actual proof, and experiencing its power, and receiving its aid. Hope should have flourished long before you arrive at that period, when you would reach forth your hand to gather its richest fruits. Unwise is he who says he will not study the art of sailing, till his vessel is in danger of running on the rocks. See therefore, (may God grant you the grace needful for this purpose) that your hope be well settled and established, before "the rain descend, and the floods come, and the winds blow," for it will be difficult to lay your foundation even on the rock, if the stream beat vehemently at the very commencement of the work.

And remember that it is of the Christian hope nly that I now speak, and have all along spoken, know of no other; I know of no method of jusification in the sight of God, of no grounds upon which you may expect the blessed rest of heaven ereafter, but only the merits and mediation of Our gracious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

If this be the foundation of your hope, happy Are ye; though the sorrows of life may crowd. around you, "your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you." To you are addressed the words of St. Paul, "you that were some time alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath Christ reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in "his sight," (as we are presented holy, and unblameable, and unreprovable in God's sight,) "if you continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard."

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost!"

SERMON XXII.

CHARITY.

1 COR. xiii. 1, 2, 3.

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal;

And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing;

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

WHEN you shall have considered well how lovely in itself, how conducive to the temporal happiness and welfare of mankind, and how necessary to salvation is the virtue, the cultivation of which St. Paul is here so powerfully enforcing,

nay, what is still more, how worthless are all other religious qualifications whatsoever, where this is wanting, you will allow that the words of the text have the highest claim to our attention.

But, in strict propriety of speech, it is not correct to call charity a virtue; for it is rather all virtue; that is to say, it is the principle, the root, the foundation of every virtue; it connects and binds them all together in such a way, that they cannot be separated. If you have true Christian charity, it is not that you are endowed with one particular good quality out of many, but that you have all those combined, that are necessary for the proper fulfilment of all the duties which the gospel requires of you; as members of society, you are just, honest, temperate, chaste, forgiving, gentle, kind in word as well as deed, of strict integrity in all the various occupations of life, and ready to do your fellow creatures all the kind services in your power.

This is not my argument, but St. Paul's; "he that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law; for this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet, and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to