its success fill our hearts with joy; so that we can say, "Lord! even the devils are subject unto us through thy name!" Then let us beware and take heed to ourselves of our Lord's most timely warning. "In this rejoice not, because the devils are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in Heaven." Let not our joy be in ourselves, but in Christ our Redeemer. Through him our names are written in Heaven, and not through any the best deeds of our own. Let us rejoice safely that He is at the right hand of God to make intercession for us, and that through Him we have an entrance into that most Holy Place, whither He, our High Priest, has passed in by the sacrifice of himself.

It well shows how much we always require to remember Christ's command, to watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation, that even our very duties may be a snare to us; and we may be falling away from the path of life, even when we seem to others and to ourselves to be following it most steadily. This concerns all those who are engaged in promoting works of charity, and most of all, those who are labouring to do good to their neighbour in the great business of his soul, and who therefore may be inclined to think that they are employed most

securely. It concerns too every man who is busily and honestly engaged in his regular calling; who, living in the fear of God, is making his work a godly service; and who doing good in his generation, is setting forward the kingdom of Christ; and is so far casting out devils in his Master's name. We cannot deny to such a man the joy of a good conscience; we cannot deny him the pleasure of being a willing servant of Christ: nay, might it not be said that this is the joy which Christ promised to his Disciples; a joy which no man taketh from them? No; we cannot forbid them to rejoice that the devils are subject to them; but we would say to them in the words of our Saviour, "Rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven." Draw off your thoughts from yourselves and your own works, to Christ and to what he has done for you. It will save you from every danger that might accompany your joy, and increase the joy itself ten fold. Let us see then how this is to be done, and what it is that the spirit of Christ's words recommends

to us.

Every one can easily understand, that a man may give away a great deal of money, and give it very judiciously, so as to do a great deal of good, and yet that he may possibly do it for

the sake of worldly fame, or from some other improper motive, which shall hinder him from receiving any reward from Christ at the last day. It is easy, therefore, to see, that our lives may be very useful, that we may be casting out devils in Christ's name; and yet that our own names all the while may not be written in Heaven. But we may go further than this; and say, that even when a man is labouring to do good for Christ's sake, and therefore with no improper motive, but with a very good one; he may fall into a very dangerous state, which will in time lower his motives, and relax his practice, thus proving that it is an evil tree which brings forth such evil fruit. He falls into this state by forgetting the words of Christ; "Abide in me, and I in you, as the branch cannot bring forth fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you, except you abide in me;" and again, "Without me ye can do nothing." He abides in us by his Holy Spirit, and without that Holy Spirit of Christ we can do nothing that shall fit our souls for Heaven. It were a great injury to the sense of Christ's words, to suppose that when he said, "Abide in me," he meant no more than if he had said, Keep my commandments." There is all this difference, that by telling us to abide in him,

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he tells us to do that which will alone enable us to keep his commandments. The way so to abide in Him and to procure His Spirit to abide in us, is by an earnest and constant prayer. Most unwisely does he reckon, who thinks that his devotions are really kept up while he is doing God's will; and that it is less necessary for him to give up his time to especial acts of prayer and meditation. I would not be understood to speak of hypocrites; or of those fond and fanciful persons who would pray and meditate only, but never act; but I would say to him who is not trying to cheat God and his own soul; who really is anxious to do the will of his heavenly Father, and to set forward the kingdom of God; that no time will be less lost to him than that which he passes in direct communion with God and Christ by prayer, and devout meditation. This is to feed on Christ, to feed on him as our bread of life; to eat his flesh and drink his blood, which is meat indeed, and drink indeed. We are so formed that we cannot even work in the most useful calling long together without finding our spiritual state go backwards, unless we often go to Christ the fountain of life, and refresh ourselves with his spirit. We look back on a day usefully spent with a natural pleasure: the

general impression which it leaves on our minds is one of satisfaction; and the good that we may have left undone; the cold, or proud, or selfish feelings which may have risen within our hearts in the course of that day, do not strike us with any concern. But these are weeds, which, if not constantly checked, will soon overspread the ground most mischievously. Another day is spent in the same useful employment again, the mind is satisfied; and again, the evil that has arisen within us is unnoticed and unrepented of. Thus it gains strength insensibly, while our feelings of confidence and satisfaction with ourselves are all the while more confirmed. It is not that our conduct in life in those great points which alone are noticed by other men, is soon affected by this inward decay; we are still no less diligent, no less upright, no less desirous to do good in our calling. But in little points, scarce seen but by Him to whom all hearts are open, there is a change; we grow prouder, and colder, and harder; more selfish or neglectful of others in little things; less anxious about the welfare of our brethren's souls, less grieved at sin in ourselves and others; less full of the love of Christ. I once heard of a clergyman, who, when the communion was going to be administered in