being sincere Christians, men will look to us for Christian principles and Christian practice; and, if they do not find them, they will be shaken in their belief, they will think that the holiness of the Gospel is a thing quite out of their reach; and that while many talk about it, all are in reality equally indifferent to it. I am very ready to allow that this applies above all to ministers of the Gospel; that men will not only expect more from them, but will be even more shaken in their belief by their bad conduct than by that of any other class of persons. Still it does not apply to ministers only, but to every body who is believed to be a Christian; and therefore all must be equally careful to let their light shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our heavenly Father. It will very many times happen that we must live above what our neighbours require of us, if we hope to enter into the kingdom of Heaven; but it can rarely or never be safe for us to live below it. Nothing is more fatal to the good conduct of people in a lower station, than the suspicion which they sometimes entertain of the sincerity of those above them. Such a suspicion at once destroys in their eyes the value of any act of kindness, and takes away the effect of any good advice which they may

hear either in private or from the pulpit. I know that this suspicion is very often extremely unjust; but it is not the less our duty to do every thing to prevent it from being felt; and one great means of doing this is to be very careful never to use a language in any of our addresses to others, public or private, which they can at once see not to be natural to us, or agreeable to the ordinary tone of our sentiments. Even a child has very soon sense enough to perceive the inconsistency of a passionate parent's reproofs to him on the score of temper; of an indolent and careless parent's remonstrances with him against idleness and inattention. Much more then will the poor turn a deaf ear to our admonitions, if, while urging them to be patient under the hardness of their lot, we are ourselves visibly disturbed at any little worldly vexations which may befal us: if while saying that they ought to be content and comfort themselves with the hopes of eternal glory, we ourselves are known to be keenly endeavouring to better our own condition, and seem in no respect to be cheered by those prospects of eternal happiness, which we speak of so warmly to others. These are, indeed, greater points, and which concern us on account of our own salvation more than for their effect

upon others; but there are things of less magnitude, in which, perhaps, the greatest part of the mischief which they contain arises from the impression which they must produce on those who witness them. Hastinesses of word or deed, nay even, sometimes, a mere injudicious use of our Christian liberty, may shock sincere but ignorant Christians, who do not make sufficient allowance for those remains of natural evil which even God's Holy Spirit does not entirely overcome, nor yet consider that in the use of means towards attaining the great end of holiness, different tempers and different minds are allowed a large freedom of choice. For instance, in the observation of the Sunday. Christians may differ widely as to the peculiar holiness which they are required to attach to that day, and the manner in which it best becomes them to enjoy it. But there can be no doubt that many sincere though perhaps weak believers, would be extremely shocked at any departure from those practices which they have been taught themselves to consider essential to the keeping of the Lord's Day holy; and there can be no doubt also, that we are bound to respect the scruples of such persons, and not needlessly to act in a manner which they would judge unchristian. If we ask the

question, "Why is my liberty judged by another man's conscience?" the answer is ready; "If thy brother be grieved with thy conduct, now walkest thou not charitably; destroy not him with thy liberty for whom Christ died." For if we are seen by an ignorant man to do what he considers unlawful, there is either the chance of our mere example tempting him to do the like, while it does not enlighten his ignorance, and thus leads him to do what he himself thinks wrong; or else it may perplex and unsettle his faith, if he sees those whom he considered to be Christians, living, as he deems it, in violation of their Lord's commandments. We are bound, therefore, to please all men; to recommend ourselves to them by a courteous and amiable and sensible behaviour, that they may see the excellent practical effects of Christ's Gospel; not to shock them by any carelessness of word or deed which may make them suspect us of hypocrisy, and so fall into that most deadly error, a general suspicion of all human goodness; nor yet to take so much liberty even in indifferent matters, as may disturb those whose notions are more narrow, and perhaps induce them to sin, by following our example, without faith that they in so doing are acting innocently.

SERMON XXI.

MALACHI iii. 16.

Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

THE Prophet Malachi lived some time after the restoration of the Jews to their own country and the building of the second temple, when they had been brought back from the captivity in Babylon. He was the last of all the Prophets, and flourished about four hundred years before the coming of Christ. Of this period of four hundred years, therefore, the Bible tells us nothing nor, as far as the Jews are concerned, can we learn much about it from any other quarter. We know only that they were left during this time just under similar spiritual circumstances to those in which we ourselves are living now. I mean, that they were left in a state of trial to see how far they would make