filial dependence on the unmerited love of a Heavenly Father. Are they wont in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to make their requests known unto God? Let them thus seek for success, if they would have a scriptural hope of obtaining it, and of finding it a blessing.

Thirdly: Let some few seasonable words be spoken to the dejected; to those who, being depressed by a conviction of sinfulness, scarcely dare to believe themselves authorised to cast all their cares upon God, and to hope for that peace of God which passeth all understanding. Be not surprised, ye who are thus bowed down and dismayed, be not surprised to hear, be not afraid to hear with joy, that you are the very persons whom your God particularly encourages to cast your cares upon Him; you are the very persons to whom He specially promises His peace. Examine the Scriptures; and you will perceive that the promises and consolations of the gospel are offered and ensured to those persons in particular, who feel their need of them the most. Mark your Saviour's expressions: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted, Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy

laden,

laden, and I will give you rest (g). Have faith in God. Thou wilt keep him, O Lord, in perfect peace; whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee. Trust in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Cast all your care upon Him: for He careth for you (b). He careth for you the more, because because you feel your need of His care. Mark how St. Paul was supported through all his manifold trials, because he was careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving made his requests known unto God. In whatever state he was placed, he was enabled therewith to be content. In tribulation, he could always rejoice. Though troubled on every side, he was not distressed. Under every circumstance he found the grace of Christ sufficient for him. He could do all - things through Christ, who strengthened him. The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, kept his heart and mind through Christ Jesus. animated and cheered, for well you may, by the encouraging instruction specially ad

Be

(g) Matth. v. 4. xi. 28.
(b) Isaiah, xxvi. 3, 4.

1 Pet. v. 7.

dressed

dressed to you by the Apostle in the text; and by the comfort which his own example, in consequence of being correspondent to that instruction, holds out to you. Those things which you have both learned and received and heard and seen in him, do: and the God of peace shall be with you (i).

To conclude: let the minister of the gospel, in declaring the scriptural promises of peace, let the private Christian in applying these promises to himself, beware of speaking. peace, where there is no peace. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked (k). The peace of God the wicked cannot possess. And without that peace, all other peace is delusion. It is the calm which forbodes a tempest; the lethargy which is the forerunner of death. If you are not a real servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, you are the enemy of your neighbour: you are your country's enemy, and your own. You are aggrieving your neighbour by evil conduct: you are corrupting him by unchristian example. You are adding by your unrighteousness to your country's danger: you are heaping condemnation upon yourself. A kingdom may be spared from subversion : but an unrepenting sinner shall not escape judgment. Your (k) Ezek. xiii. 10-16. If. lvii. 21. country

(i) Philipp. iv. 9. 8

country may be permitted to stand in the earthly conflict: but you shall perish in the great day of the Lord. Do you love your neighbour? Seek for grace to be righteous. Do you love your own soul? Seek for grace to be righteous. Do you love your Redeemer? Seek for grace to be righteous. Lay the foundation of religion in a deep conviction of the natural corruption of the heart; and of the entire change which must be wrought by the power of the Holy Ghost. in the heart of every man, before he can see the kingdom of God (1). Proceed through unfeigned self-abasement and repentance to living faith in the only Saviour. Prove your faith to be the faith which justifies, by manifesting it to be the faith which worketh by love. Acting on Christian principles, to the Lord, and not unto men, demonstrate their superiority by the practical holiness which they produce. Glorify the master whom you serve by adorning His gospel in all things, and by leading others to give him glory. Then shall the peace of God through Christ Jesus rest upon you throughout eternity.

(1) John, iii. 3.

SER

SERMON

XIII.

On CHRISTIAN OBEDIENCE to CIVIL

RULERS.

MATTH. Xxii. 21.

Then saith He unto them; Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

MANY years before our Saviour commenced his public ministry, the Romans had rendered themselves masters of the land of Israel. They established a governor in Jerusalem : and required the Jewish nation to pay tribute to Cæsar. To the people in general this demand was extremely odious: and nothing but superior force awed them into compliance. The tribute was a mark of national subjection; a tax paid to a victorious adversary. On that account it was highly of fensive to the Jews. But there was another circumstance which possessed great weight. A religious scruple came in aid of the public

feeling.