their deliverance from a worse bondage, and should issue forth on their even more important enterprise—not with a feeble purpose, a wavering faith, a chilling, trembling despondency, a faltering courage, a shrinking zeal — not with many reservations, calculations, and conditions - but with an ardent desire to attempt whatever Christian principle may require; a brave resolve to dare whatever peril Christian fidelity may impose; an unqualified determination to do whatever duty Christian truth may demand; throwing aside every weight, and the easily besetting sin, to run with patience the race set before them, well armed for combat and endurance in a waste and howling wilderness. This temper of firmness and steadfastness is one of chief importance in a religious life. It is better than all ardent passion and clamorous zeal. These may evaporate, or grow weary, or languish for want of excitement; but the resolution of which we speak, though sometimes almost discouraged, will still persevere; though sometimes cast down, will never utterly fail; but will ever press on in the heat and burden of the day, like Gideon's soldiers in the victory, "faint, yet pursuing."

5. Equally worthy of observation, in the last place, is the spirit of trust and hope expressed in the text. In that hour of solemn yet hurried departure, those men had no earthly source of confidence, no earthly pillow of reliance, no earthly bulwark of defence. Poor and unarmed, with an enraged power and bloody army watching and pressing upon them, they are arrayed at midnight for an enterprise, to human calculation altogether desperate; and yet they do not quail, for they trust in the God of Jacob, and their confidence in him gives them strength. They look forward with undoubting hope to a free and better inheritance in the promised land, and this hope casts a ray of light on the dark journey

before them. Their thoughts are occupied more with the fair visions of the happy future, than with present dangers and impending trials.

This spirit also becomes those who celebrate the memorial of Jesus Christ. Heaven more than earth, the bright future rather than the gloomy present, the promised joys and promised rest rather than the pressing hardships or threatening ills, should occupy the thoughts and raise the spirits. Religious hope and religious trust should animate them to duty, and compose them in trial. We, indeed, may have richer sources of happiness in this world than the Hebrews possessed in the land of Egypt; but still they are uncertain and failing; and we, like them, are called to seek a better country to seek it, too, in a path of arduous duties, and severe, perhaps long and numerous trials - trials in which earth cannot support or cheer us - duties for which the world cannot furnish or enliven us-in bearing and performing which God alone can animate, God alone can help us. Like the children of Israel, therefore, there is no frame of mind more suitable for us, none more needful, than that of religious trust and hope. And if suitable on account of our wants, O, how much more becoming on account of our obligations! For we not only seek, here at this table, light and strength in a difficult way stretching out far before us, but we celebrate that divine mercy which has offered us redemption; that matchless love which suffered and died to secure it for us; those labors and those sacrifices which have opened to us all our fair prospect of pardon, and peace, and life eternal. We celebrate the strong hand and out-stretched arm which have burst for us the fetters of sin and the bars of death. We celebrate the heavenly Light, which has displayed the path of immortal glory; the peace which has been as balm to our souls; the

gift of the blessed Spirit that helpeth our infirmities. Thus highly favored, thus highly blest, what obligation is more imperative, what duty more becoming, than a spirit of humble, childlike trust, and joyful, exhilarating hope? At this hour, in this scene, in the presence of these memorials, and the enjoyment of this holy festival, our hearts should always be ready to say, whatever may be our earthly lot, whatever our earthly prospects, still, "We rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of our salvation. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, nakedness, peril, or sword? Nay, we are persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Such, my friends, are the reflections naturally suggested by our view of the text. May they help us both to the knowledge and the performance of our duty. "Christ, our passover, has been slain for us;" and he has instituted a memorial of his death and his love, to be kept by his disciples in all generations. Why should we not all keep it? And if we keep it, why not for the purpose and in the spirit in which it was instituted? not as the end of our Christian probation, but as a beginning, a help, an encouragement, a security; 'not as the evidence that we have done, but that we are determined to do; not because we are now over the trials, and struggles, and perils of our way, but because, in the commencement of our strife, and in the heat of our warfare, and in the progress of our upward journey, we need the strength and comfort, the animation and support, which this will impart.

Let us thus observe this ordinance, and profit by it

girded for our journey, and resolved to hasten on; firm in trust and in hope; vigorous in determination. The banner of the Lord is waving over us; and that banner is love. The sword of the Spirit is put into our hands for our warfare; and that sword is the word of divine truth. A shield we have, wherewith to quench all the fiery darts of the adversary; and that shield is faith. Our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Our helmet is the hope of salvation. Hope, peace, faith, truth, love! In this beautiful and strong armor, having newly girded ourselves for the good fight and the onward march of Christian duty, let us snatch the refreshment, and press forward to victory and eternal life.

SERMON XVII.

SMALL SINS.

JAMES III. 5.

BEHOLD HOW GREAT A MATTER A LITTLE FIRE KINDLETH.

THE apostle uses these words in stating the necessity of watching the tongue. As the powerful horse is governed by a slender bit, and the mighty ship is turned about by a very small helm, so, he says, does the tongue, though a small member, boast itself in doing great things. With a few words it may produce large and extensive consequences. Its small errors may lead to vast mischiefs. The slander which it whispers in the ear, not intending it shall go farther, may be proclaimed aloud upon the house-top. The evil suspicion, which was started in jest, may be circulated in earnest. The unkind reflection, which was made thoughtlessly, and with no intent to injure, may be spread abroad, increasing as it spreads, till it causes wide ruin to reputation and peace. The little lively flame of scandalous gossip, which you play with in company as a very pretty and harmless thing, may grow wild and fierce, and rage far, and become a wide-consuming conflagration. So great a matter may a little fire kindle.

What is thus true of evil speaking, is true universally. Trifles oftentimes lead to the most important consequences.