you the kingdom of heaven. The best wish I can express for you (and it is uttered in the fulness of an affectionate heart), is, that may all, without exception, be enabled to arrive at clear and satisfactory views upon this important point; and to see that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed also your God and your Father! And as for you, dearly beloved, in regard to whom it is permitted us to speak with the confidence inspired by a conviction that Christ is your's, and that you are His, it is my prayer for be given you, to know more assuredly your calling that you, and election in Him. grace may May your faith in consolation by May it be Him be increased! and your granted you, at this happy season, to rejoice, that the life you live in the flesh, you live by the faith of Him who loved you, and gave Himself for you! and to feed upon His redeeming, dying love, in your hearts, by faith with thanksgiving. May the good work be performed in you! and may you grow in grace, till you come to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ! May the blessing of the God of blessing rest upon you all upon your families, and upon all that is near and dear to you in all the world, for Christ's sake. Amen. 201 SERMON XI. THE POLLUTION OF SIN. PSALM li. 2. "Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin." THE psalm of which this verse forms a part, contains the penitential confession of David, after he had lamentably fallen from his stedfastness, into a depth of sin; and his prayer for the pardoning mercy of Almighty God. He acknowledges his transgression; declares that his sin is ever before him; implores that his iniquity may be blotted out of the book of the Divine remembrance! and that a clean heart may be created, and a right spirit renewed in him. As many of you, my dear brethren, as know any thing of the peculiar character of a new life in Christ Jesus, and have had any experience in the school of His gospel, know also, I imagine, in some degree, what is implied in the petition in our text; and can, in some degree, enter into the spirit of it. You are well aware of the nature of temptation, and of the power of sin. You understand the agony that is inseparably connected with a departure from God; and what it is to long to have the conscience purged from dead works, that you may serve the living God. If, in the course of the few remarks which are to follow, any thing be advanced which may afford either instruction or encouragement, strength or consolation, to the true people of God, who know the plague of their own hearts, and are acquainted with the many and painful vicissitudes of the Christian life, I shall be happy indeed; for to be the means of comforting those who are cast down, of restoring the backsliding, or of communicating medicine to heal the sickness of those who are broken in heart, is, if I may be allowed the expres sion of the sentiment, at once the highest honour, and a source of the purest satisfaction. Would, dear brethren, that every ho hears me at this moment, could be sed to be in a state of mind to enter gly and practically into a subject of so tant and so interesting a description! oan under the weight of the body of d death, to go heavily under the opons of the enemy, and to long for that rance which is only to be had in the and Spirit of Jesus Christ, is the very ce of personal and spiritual religion. may I inquire, whether there are whose religion terminates in a cold, sible round of ceremonial observances? whether there are none, who, though have solemnly engaged to "renounce evil, and all his works," and dare not that "they who are Christ's have cru the flesh, with the affections and "dislike a religion of such discipline elf-denial, and look with a jealous and yourable eye on those who are under fluence? If any such be present, I d venture to assure them, upon the ority of the Bible, that the religion h saves the soul, and which will be to endure the scrutiny of the last day, mething more than ceremony. It is a |