der every day. farther and farther from virtue, and hope, and heaven.

Build up every where the church of Christ; and every where spread, support, and foster, his Religion. Cherish it at home; and send it abroad. Labour with all your power to sow the seeds of eternal life, wherever there is a soil to receive them; and to convey the tidings of salvation, wherever there is an ear to hear them. On the final day it will be transporting to remember, that you have befriended the least of Christ's brethren. It will be divinely extatic to remember, that you have befriended them all. Let your right hand forget her cunning, ere you fail to prefer Zion above your chief joy. The first good, which you can do for mankind, is to live, as the Gospel requires you to live; to › adorn the doctrine of God, your Saviour. Let your light, therefore, so shine before others, that they, beholding your good works, may glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

To secure these delightful purposes. remember especially, that God is always where you are, and an awful witness of whatever you think, speak, or do. Continually refer your conduct to his omniscient eye; and regard it as the materials of your final account. Feel, that his favour is life, and that his anger is death.

Finally, seek always the company, the conversation, and friendship, of good men. They will furnish you a thousand unforeseen blessings in their kindness, their counsel, their example, and their prayers. He, that walketh with wise men, shall be wise. Of good men, in ancient times, it was said by the voice of God himself, "They, that feared the Lord, spake often one to another." What was the consequence? 66 They shall be mine, saith JEHOVAH, in the day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son, that serveth him."

What will proWhat will array

Can you, can I, want motives for such a life? cure us peace and consolation in the world? the face of conscience in smiles; and tune her voice to harmony? What will gain the approbation, the friendship, and the prayers, of wise and virtuous men? What will make us blessings to our own souls, our families, our friends, our neighbourhoods, our country, and the world? What will best requite the love of our

divine Redeemer? What will assure to us the blessing of forgiven sin, and the favour of a pardoning God? What will shed serenity, and peace, over the evening of life; and enable the setting sun to go down without a cloud? What will sooth the pain, and languor, of the last sickness; and disarm the final enemy of his sting? What will light up the lamp of hope in the grave? What will inspire the unembodied spirit with confidence, when it enters upon its lonely flight into the invisible world? What will open to its view the distant glory of Heaven, dimly, but extatically, dawning on its wistful eyes, and disclosing its untried way to the throne of infinite Mercy? A life, spent in honouring God, and doing good to mankind, will accomplish all these delightful things; will enable us to die the death of the righteous, and will make our last end like his.

Is there, then, one of you, who will not lead such a life. You are now all before me; all in the house of God; all employed in his worship. How solemn, how endeared, the assembly! how divine the employment! how becoming is it for immortal beings to hold their farewell meeting with their companions, and with each other, in such a place, on such a day, and for such a purpose! These instructions are the last, which I shall ever address to you. Regard them as my dying words. Let them sink deep into your hearts. That I regard you with strong affection, I know you cannot doubt. From this affection they all spring. To your best good, to your eternal good, they are all directed. Forget them not. Let them not fail of their full influence to produce this good.

You

You may live; I hope every one of you will live; through many years to come. How desirable will it be to live in such a manner, as to find, daily, the testimony of a good conscience, that in simplicity. and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, you have had your conversation in the world! must die. How joyful will it be to fall asleep in the Lord Jesus; give up your souls into the hands of God; and be able to say, with Addison, to those around you, "See, in what peace a Christian can die." You will rise again. How transporting will it be to see you all ascending from the grave, with bodies, sown in corruption, weakness, and dishonour, but raised in incorruption, power,

and glory; and arrayed in the youth and beauty of heaven. The world around you will be convulsed with its last agonies. How will you feel to be able, while multitudes are calling to the rocks, and to the mountains to fall on them, and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb, steadfastly, and serenely, to enjoy the blessed hope, and the glorious appearing, of the great God, even your Saviour Jesus Christ! You must be judged. How blessed will it be to behold you all summoned to the right hand of your Judge; the place of his friends and followers; the seat of distinction; the goal of immortal glory!

The final sentence you must hear. What emotions will you experience, should the Judge of the quick and the dead address to all of you those enrapturing words, " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom, prepared for you from the foundation of the world!" How solemn, how angelic, will be the flight, to ascend, with you in his immortal train, to the Heaven of heavens ; the house of JEHOVAH; the mansion of everlasting joy! Finally, what tongue can describe, what mind can conceive, the ecstasy of mingling with the church of the first-born; of conversing with the innumerable company of Angels; of standing before the throne of God, accepted and beloved; and of uniting in the eternal song, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him, that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, forever and ever!"

In that divine assembly; at that great era in the kingdom of Jehovah; that birth-day of the new heavens and the new earth; when those undefiled mansions shall be filled with all their inhabitants; when, like the drops, that form the bow in the cloud, in the day of rain, the children of God shall be illumined by the Sun of Righteousness with supernal beauty; and all, united, shall form one perfect circle, arrayed in the endless diversities of immortal light and glory; let me ardently hope; and Oh may the Father of all mercies fulfil the hope; that not one of you will be found missing.

SERMON XXIII.

ON CONFORMITY TO THIS WORLD.

PREACHED TO THE CANDIDATES FOR THE BACCALAUREATE IN 1808.

ROMANS xii. 2.

And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.

THIS Chapter is the beginning of St. Paul's practical Application of the preceding parts of this Epistle. It commences in the first verse with an earnest request of the Apostle to the Roman Christians, that they would present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God: in other words, that they would consecrate their bodies to his service finally, and without reserve, as a sacrifice is consecrated to him. In the text he urges them to be no longer conformed, to this world, but to be transformed, by the renewing of their mind, in such a manner, that they may prove, or experimentally discern, the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. In the former verse, the Apostle beseeches the Romans to devote their external powers and actions wholly to the service of their Maker. In the text, he exhorts them not to suffer either their external or internal conduct to be conformed to the opinions, or practices, of the World; and so to regulate the state of their minds, as that this shall be the happy consequence. The words may be thus rendered. Be not fashion

ed like unto this World; but give to your life a new form, or shape, by means of that renovation of your understanding, which ye lately received from the Spirit of God.

As the Roman Christians are here directly spoken of as already renewed; the transformation, mentioned, cannot be that great change from sin to holiness, customarily styled Regeneration; nor the conformity to the world. that general spirit of sinning, found in unregenerate men Both the conformity here forbidden, and the new fashioning or transformation of character here enjoined, plainly respect the course of life; and the doctrines and practices, according to which it should, or should not, be regulated. To the opinions and practices of the World the Romans, and, for the same reasons, all others who are under the Gospel, are forbidden to conform. To the doctrines, and precepts or rules of practice, contained in the Gospel, they are required to conform. In doing this, they are also required to avail themselves of the renovation, or spiritual illumination, of their understanding : i. e. to make use of the heavenly light, which they now enjoy, for the direction and purification of their conduct.

These explanations, will, I hope, either prevent, or remove, all doubts concerning the construction of this passage of Scripture. I shall, therefore, proceed to address the directions, given in it, to the Youths, who are just finishing their Academical education in this place. The two precepts in the text are so intimately related, that they may without any disadvantage be considered together: every departure from conformity to this world being a real advancement in the transformation here enjoined. Concerning both sides of this subject, therefore, I shall make such observations, as shall occur to me. promiscuously, and without any formal marks of separation. In performing this task I shall be necessitated to confine myself to a few particulars only. The field, opened by the text, is in a sense boundless; and can be barely entered, at the present time. The particular subjects of conformity to the world, which I shall especially select, will not be the obvious, the gross, and the scandalous; but such, as are scarcely suspected of coming within the reach of the prohibition; such, as are generally esteemed decent, often honourable, and perhaps almost always safe. They will be schemes of thinking, generally believed to be almost,