heaven. Christ's invitations are unto all. O hear, accept, and cherish them. May we receive the gift of faith, and know the blessings that flow from genuine repentance! To enjoy the songs, the employments, the praises, and the blessedness of heaven, our hearts must be properly attuned on earth, by congenial thoughts and feelings. Jehovah must in this life be the object of our holy fear, of our grateful affection. Thus loving God, with Jesus our only hope, and through the Holy Spirit of all grace reigning in our heart, we shall best enjoy the present passing scene of human life, and shall be most faithfully cultivating the objects of an existence in that unseen world, where God reigns in holiness and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Now may the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be amongst you, and remain with you al

ways. Amen.

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TWELFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

Let us pray.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear, than we to pray, and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve; pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy; forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid; and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask, but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

Give ear unto our prayer, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock, thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. Lord, let our prayer be set before thee as incense, and the lifting up of our hands, as the evening sacrifice. Thou art not confined to temples made with hands, but wherever two or three worshippers are met together in thy name, there thou art in the midst. We bless thee, for the means thou hast vouchsafed, and for the communications thou

hast afforded us in thy holy word. We thank thee, for its encouragements, to all who are desirous of abandoning the evil of their ways, and for the promises it contains to those, who truly repent of their sins, and desire to come unto thee through the blood of Jesus. We adore thine infinite mercy in the Saviour. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. O grant that thy gracious designs for our eternal interests, may be fully accomplished in us, and that we may know nothing in comparison with Jesus Christ, and him crucified. May sin no longer reign in our mortal bodies, for as Christ being raised from the dead, dieth no more, may we also reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Heavenly Father, we entreat thee to extend the blessings of thy kingdom of grace to the whole family of mankind, until they shall know thee, from the least unto the greatest. Lord, bless our native land. Bless the Queen, the nobles, the magistrates, and the people. Lord, prosper the church, and be thou the glory in the midst thereof. Gracious God, we pray thee to arrest the progress of vice, and the steps of wickedness, and turn men from darkness unto light, from the service of Satan, unto thee, the living God. O enable us to live as true disciples of Jesus. Sanctify us by thy Holy Spirit, graciously pardon all our sins, and accept of us in the Saviour, who, while on earth, taught us thus to pray :

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever, Amen.

THE SCRIPTURE.

The portion of Scripture is written in the Epistle to the Romans, the fourth chapter, from the 1st to the 12th verse.

"What shall we say, then, that Abraham, our father as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. For what saith the Scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered, blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was

reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised; that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed to them also, and the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised."

SERMON XLII.

ABRAHAM'S BELIEF.

In Saint Paul's Epistle to the Romans, the 4th chapter, at the 3d verse, it is thus written:

"For what saith the Scripture, Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.'

To impress upon all whom he addressed the important doctrine of justification by faith, was an object which the Apostle Paul constantly sought to accomplish. Convinced himself of its infinite importance, he addressed it to Jews, and to Gentiles, to bond, and to free. He seems to consider all other doctrines as only secondary to that of justification by Christ; and having himself been saved by faith, he entreats and persuades all men,

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