from saving. That is true faith and an effectual repentance, which infuses spiritual life into the soul, which reforms the outward conduct, and purifies the affections, and sanctifies those recesses of the heart,which no eye but the divine can survey. It is another sweet and cheering truth, which our blessed Lord teaches, that in the production of this spiritual life, the influence of the divine spirit is afforded. That the feeble creature is not left to itself." in working out its salvation, but that God worketh in it to will and to do of his own good pleasure ;" and that he graciously listens to the prayer of an anxious soul, and giveth the holy spirit as freely as men give good things to their children. But I hasten to remark,

III. That Christ is eminently the light of the world, by those holy precepts which he has given in the gospel. It was truly said of him by his enemies"Never man spake like this man." Never was matter so new, so excellent, so searching, uttered before, nor in words so concise and clear. He explained, and enlarged, and perfected the law of nature, and the moral law of Moses, adding precepts and prohibitions of greater perfection and extent; and relieving those laws from the corrupt glosses which had perverted them. He forbade polygamy, and divorce, except from a criminal cause, and likewise revenge, which the heathen thought noble, and the Jews justifiable. Besides, there is a spirituality which breathes in his precepts, not found in the laws of Moses. The laws of Moses regulate the outward man; those of Christ the inward too. He

emphatically required truth in the inward parts; in the thoughts, the desires, the intentions of the heart, although they should never be manifested in action he arraigns and judges. Not he who sheds the blood of a fellow creature alone is a murderer, but he who desires it. His doctrine is, that whosoever indulges malice, and lust in his heart is a transgressor of the sixth and seventh commandments.

vene.

I observe farther, that Christ has given some new precepts, such as became a most wise and benevolent mind; such as the world thought strange, and such as the maxims of a corrupt and wicked world still contra"Love your enemies; bless them that curse you; and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you." Christ greatly extended the bounds of neighborhood, and brotherhood; and, according to his law, all the children of Adam, the numerous branches of one great family, are required to lay aside their national and individual prejudices and to feel and exercise mutual charity.

This copious theme, which is however only touched upon rather than exhausted, has left me but a few moments to say what improvement we should make of this divine light.

When we look to the plains of Bethlehem, and see what heavenly joy was manifested at the birth of a Saviour, angels exulting in the wonderful mercy of God, not to themselves but to men ; when we look to the city of David, and behold the rejoicing shepherds with wonder, contemplating the holy infant, and wise men from

the east, guided by a preternatural star, bowing before him with reverence, and presenting their offerings; when we see the aged Simeon in the temple, embracing the infant Saviour, and asking leave to die, since he had seen the salvation of God, prepared before the face of all people "a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of his people Israel; it becomes our grateful duty with Zachariah, in the text, to "rejoice in the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring on from high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Let us rejoice, that there is peace on earth, and good will to men; and responsive to the angelic chorus, let us ascribe glory to God in the highest ; and from our inmost souls, give thanks to God for his unspeakable gift..

Has the day-spring from on high visited us? Then it is our solemn and responsible duty to take good heed to this heavenly light. It shines with undiminished brightness in the gospel; it shines to bring to our astonished view other worlds than this, and to reveal to us the interesting truth that we are to exist beyond the grave; it shines to reveal to us the path of glory, honor, and a joyful immortality. Our duty is to receive and improve this light to the grand end for which it has been given; to study the gospel with daily care and diligence, to know what are those precious doctrines which it reveals; and what are those pure and sanctifying precepts which it commands for the regulation of our lives. It is not a light thing, that such a treasure of truth and

such a guide to salvation is in our hands. If we neglect it, fearful will be our responsibility.

But knowledge of the gospel is not enough. To hail the day-spring with joy, and to behold the sun of righteousness rising and risen is not sufficient; it is not suitably to improve it. "We must walk as children of the light, and of the day." We must obey the gospel; deny ourselves with inflexible resolution what it forbids, and perform with indefatigable zeal and perseverance what it demands, and suffer with unconquerable patience whatever may be laid upon us for the trial of our faith and fidelity. This it is to improve the light which has been given us.

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give unto us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him; the eyes of our understanding being enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe. Amen.

SERMON XX.

THANKSGIVING.

(Preached on the day of the annual Thanksgiving in 1819.)

I. CHRONICLES, xxix. 13.

Now, therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious

name.

In the chapter, with which our text is connected, are recorded the death of the devout monarch and psalmist of Israel, and some of the latest acts of his life. His piety, gratitude, and humility appear in these acts, in a most striking light. After God had given him peace on every side, and had established the kingdom in his hand, and settled the succession in his son Solomon, it became an earnest wish of David, to close his reign and life by a memorable act of piety: to build a temble at Jerusalem. He proposed the great design to the prophet; but, though it pleased God to approve, and to commend him, that it was in his heart to build