This means, not only that the whole life should be employed in the service of God, but that the life itself should be dedicated to God: that it should be given up to Him, to employ it as He may see fit; and that we should be ready to finish our life in his service, should it be required. It is on this principle alone that there ever was a martyr in the Christian Church, they "loved not their lives unto the death," but freely yielded them up, when they were called to do so, for the sake of God. We are not very far from the place, where many of our forefathers suffered in this way, at a stake, which I have seen, though the complaisance of our times has induced us to take it away, because it seemed a reflection on the cruelty of our ancestors; but at a stake in Smithfield, in the midst of flames, many yielded up their lives to him who was the object of their love, and "the Father of" their "spirits." This is the very principle of martyrdom; they dedicated their lives to God, and gave those lives up when it seemed necessary, not only when they were called to die in the common way, but when their deaths seemed to be required by peculiar circumstances.

3. With all thy strength. Put forth all thine energies, love God "with all thy strength." There is a great force in thought. Sometimes it will lead a man to go from one place to another, to accomplish a particular object: at another time, all the various powers of the man will be gathered up, and all will be brought into a focus as it were to act on a particular point; and the man fearing neither men nor devils, will trample Satan under his feet, and serve his God alone. Now, put forth all the energies of your minds thus in God's service; be not cold-hearted in God's work. If the devil can ever love, he loves such men, and considers those as the most valuable supporters of his cause, who, while they profess to love God, put forth

their strength for every thing but the service of God. Be careful then to exert all thy powers of body and soul in the service of "the Lord thy God." Then

4. With all thy mind.-The mind is that gate of the soul, by which God admits that light by which the judgment is able to decide positively and rightly. Thou shalt keep this gate open to receive that light which alone can teach thee what is right; and, what is also of high importance, thou shalt put out what is not proper and profitable. O, how much lumber have we laid up in that respository. -how much trash that is unprofitable. How much impurity that we are afraid to mention. Labour to get rid of all this. One of the finest effects of the Holy Spirit's influence on the human mind, is expressed in that fine sentence in the Communion Service, "cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy name." O, go to God that He may cleanse thy mind. God says that he will purge away the filth of Zion, "by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning." In other words, I will pour light into thy soul; I will lead thee from chamber to chamber, to see the images that are set up; I will reveal to thee all that is abominable; and then I will tell thee that I will famish all the false gods; but thou must make an effort, thou must loathe these abominations; thou must cast away these idols to the moles and to the bats. Thou must give them up-not as a sacrifice to thy God,-that is a most awful idea. But give them up to God, that they may be burned and destroyed for ever. Thus God condemns them as 66 a spirit of judgment," and destroys them as "a spirit of burning."

Then it is added "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Mark it is not said, "Thou shalt love thy

neighbour as thy GOD." This is interesting; there is an intensity of thought and feeling in reference to the love of God, that it would be evil, unholy, sacrilegious, to apply to our fellow-men. Thou shalt love thy neigbour as thyself. "Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." But what love do I owe to my neighbour? I owe him the love of equity, of succour, of benevolence, of charity. I must aim to do him. all the good I can; to advance his interest; to sympathize in his joys and sorrows; to promote his welfare. "Love thy neighbour as thyself;" whatever thou wouldst wish him to do for thee in ignorance, in weakness, in sorrow, in want, in danger, that do thou for him; thy turn may be next. And, again, God is the Father of all; therefore we should love as brethren of the same family. He is the Lord, the Creator, the Judge of all; and all are alike before him. Here, then, is the religion of God; the religion which God gave to the Jews by Moses, and which Christ gave in the gospel. This was the religion of the Apostles, and of all good men. May God in his mercy grant us to experience it in our hearts, and give us grace to exhibit it in our lives. Amen.

SERMON X.

MORAL AGENCY.

BY THE REV. SAMUEL ATKINSON.

IF THOU DOEST WELL, SHALT THOU NOT BE ACCEPTED? AND IF THOU DOEST NOT WELL, SIN LIETH AT THE DOOR."-GENESIS IV. 7.

THE history of Cain, although brief, is highly instructive and monitory. We learn a great deal respecting human nature from its few incidents. We mark the rapid growth of those principles of evil which were induced by the fall. How soon did they develope themselves, and attain their fellest height, in the conduct of this eldest son of Adam? Cain murders his brother Abel, because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous, through envy, hatred, and revenge. Sad picture of depravity! And yet we find God himself condescending to converse freely with this wicked man, reproving and instructing him, that he might have no excuse if he persisted in error. The immediate occasion of the text was an act of worship, which the brothers respectively tendered to God, but with very dissimilar views and feelings. "Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord; and, Abel, he also

brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect." In what way God testified his respect to Abel's offering we are not told; most likely by causing fire to come down from heaven, and consume the animal sacrifice, which Abel presented; as we read of God's doing in some other cases in the Old Testament. Whatever the means were, it appears that Cain knew that his offering was rejected, whilst his brother's was accepted. This filled him with wrath: he felt all the rage of disappointment. His anger betrayed itself in his very countenance.—" And the Lord said to Cain, why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well sin lieth at the door."

We confess it is a pleasing idea to our mind that words such as these were addressed to Cain, of all men, because those who advocate views of eternal election and reprobation imagine that Cain was one of the latter class, for whom there is no mercy. But where in the passage before us have we the smallest hint of such a dogma? Is not this passage as plain a contradiction, and proof of the contrary, as any thing could be? Could any one wish to be in a more hopeful condition, than these words represent Cain as being at the time? Could any one desire fairer terms of life and peace, than those here propounded by God himself to this fratricide?

We regard the words of the text as broad in their basis, and hence as highly important. We wish, by their assistance, to vindicate the ways of God with men, by placing in its true light the doctrine of man's moral agency. We shall therefore take occasion

I. TO PROPOUND WHAT WE REGARD AS BEING SCRIP