times-one who can secure your interest in God? He is one whom the Father heareth always. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell. “Look unto him, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth." He is Jesus, the Son of God, the Lord of life, the King of glory, the Saviour of the world—the great I AM the express image of the Father-the mighty God,' who in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of his hands.

"Let us therefore run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus." Keeping this lovely example, this mighty helper in view, every step of your pilgrimage, your souls will feel a healing virtue from the sight of him, and will drink deeply at the fountain of his power. Read of him, think of him, pray to him, praise him, trust him, copy him, and speak of him, that by your words you may be refreshed. See the law honoured in his righteousness, the curse borne on his cross, sin put away by his sufferings, justice satisfied with his blood, the guilty redeemed by his death, death buried in his sepulchre, the grave vanquished in his resurrection, mercy reigning by his sceptre. See him sitting with the Father in glory, pitying you in your conflicts with sin and sorrow, and holding out for each in his hand a pure and immortal crown of glory. Be faithful unto death, and he will give you a crown of life. Blessed Saviour Thee to know is life eternal. A sight of thee changes weakness into strength, misery into joy, darkness into light, conflict into victory, and an inward hell to an inward and outward heaven of boundless and endless glory.

To you who have never yet looked to Jesus, I would say one word. You are running a beaten and a broad road, and you need no help from Jesus to run your race. No wonder that his grace is not needed by you for your progress. Nature is sufficient for you. But consider your ways. Every step brings you near the end, and oh what an end! Since last Lord's day, you are one week nearer to everlasting condemnation. O, ye poor wanderers, will ye never bethink yourselves? Will ye never say-What race am I running? Where will my course end! You have your difficulties: do you never feel need of the grace of

Jesus?

"What will you do when life departs,

And leaves your withering eyes—

Without one cheerful beam of hope,
From the superior skies!"

Let me warn you in the words of God. "Thus saith the Lord, Stand in the way, and enquire for the good old way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." The command is, "Seek, and ye shall find-knock, and it shall be opened." May you this day begin that race for an incorruptible crown. The race is for life, for rest, for peace, for glory; and though some may outrun others, yet all who run in the right way will obtain the prize.

XXVI.

OUTLINES OF A SERMON ON THE GAIN OF
GODLINESS.

66

1 TIMOTHY vi. 6.

BUT GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN."

THE writings of St. Paul bear the stamp of the utmost wisdom, and the utmost tenderness: and if ever the maxim was verified that a man is known by his writings, you see it in the familiar letters of St. Paul to Timothy. Timothy was a young minister, Paul was an old one: Timothy had been converted by his ministry, and Paul was anxious to see him honoured, happy, and useful. He writes to him in his second Epistle, from his confinement at Rome, whence he was never to emerge till he went to his martyrdom; he writes to him with all the tenderness of a pious father, under sentence of death, to a beloved and affectionate son, anxious to leave with him his dying counsels and encouragements. And we can all see that those letters breathe the spirit of heaven, before he entered upon its enjoyment.

He was anxious to see him once more before his martyrdom ("Greatly desiring to see thee"), but he was most anxious to animate and cheer him in the prosecution of his great work: and so far from repenting the course he himself had taken, he recommends the youthful disciple to live, and labour, and suffer as he had done. "Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner-but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel:" assigning this reason, that he himself was unabashed, and undismayed-bearing his brow aloft-in nothing terrified by his adversaries, but calmly happy in his religion, and supremely confident in his Saviour's love. which cause I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed."

Timothy was appointed to abide at Ephesus, one of the richest and most luxuriant cities in Asia Minor, to oppose the errors prevalent there-errors in doctrine, and errors in practice.Chap. i. 3, 4. Not giving heed to FABLES-fables invented by the Jewish doctors to recommend the observance of the law of Moses as necessary to salvation; "Endless GENEALOGIES," by which individuals idly endeavoured to trace their descent from Abraham, in the persuasion that they would be saved, merely because they had Abraham for their father: "QUESTIONS;" intricate questions and strifes about some words of the law—and, as in the chapter before us, "PERVERSE DISPUTINGS of men of corrupt minds," who reckoned that to be the best godliness which produced the greatest worldly gain.

In the text we have three emphatic words-Godliness: Contentment: Gain.

1. GODLINESS.

Godliness in its more restrictive application relates to the regard due to God, but in its larger acceptation denotes the whole of piety-personal and practical religion-and conse. quently includes the relations in which we stand to God, to ourselves, and to one another. Godliness comprehends,

1 The affections which we owe to God;-namely, the cherishing towards him of that faith, fear, and love, of which he is the proper object.

Our Lord has stated the whole subject in one word, LOVEThou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and it is a reasonable requisition that God should be regarded by us proportionably to his own excellence, and answerably to the great benefits we have received at his hands.

The first four commandments respect God,-the last six relate to man. The first is, Thou shalt have no other God besides me-plainly implying that we should choose him for our God, and consecrate to him our supreme regard. This "Thou' reaches to every man. And Luther well observed that in this first commandment the keeping of all the other nine is included and commanded.

The second is, Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image-proving that as God will admit no rival in Empire, so he will tolerate no alienation of our affections. "Little children, keep yourselves from idols."

The third is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.

The fourth, Remember the Sabbath-day.

Godliness includes the knowledge, love, and likeness of God. 2. The duties we owe to ourselves.-These are self-respect self-protection: self-improvement. Man, reverence thyself. Though in ruins, you stand forth as the wreck of no common creation you are intelligent, moral, accountable still, and capable of restoration to a glory unequalled by man in innocence, or angels unfallen. Respect yourself-not for what you have made yourselves, but for what God originally made you capable of, and for what by redeeming and renewing grace you may yet become. What expansion of mind, what riches of knowledge, what exalted worth and excellence, may you receive from the grace of God, and enjoy through ceaseless ages.

Self-protection implies, the preservation of life, health, morals, liberty; concern for reputation; the formation of habits of self-control. All morals turn on, Do thyself no harm.

Self-improvement involves the culture of the mind and heart; and, above all, genuine religious principle. We are bound to advance, improve.

Without habits of faith, repentance, and devotion, we are utterly and for ever undone. Unless we drink continually richer draughts of heavenly wisdom, our existence will be unblest. Without nearness to God, and communion with him, we perish.

If the interests of the soul be unregarded, you live in eternal insolvency. Sooner or later you will be a wretched bankrupt in mind, in morals, in estate. Yourself becomes the greatest CREDITOR, and the greatest SUFFERER. The ruin of the soul will require an eternity to deplore, and an eternity to comprehend.

3. The duties we owe to others are comprehended in the ideas of justice and benevolence. “What doth the Lord require, but do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God?"

Respect public opinion, and respect the public claims upon you. No man can stand alone; and no man can fall alone! "He who thinks the world can live without him is unwise: he who thinks he can live without the world is a fool!" None of us, says Paul, liveth to himself: none of us dieth to himself. Your family, the church, the world, all have claims upon you. Let your light so shine. Holding forth the word of life; among whom SHINE YE, as lights in the world.”

II. CONTENTMENT.

"Godliness with contentment." Contentment is a fruit of godliness, for nothing else can produce it: it is a proof of godliness, for where the fruit is, the tree cannot be far off. Godliness alone is able to cause it, because godliness only brings man home to God, out of whom contentment and happiness cannot be enjoyed. "Our soul was created," says Austin, 66 by God, so for God; and is therefore never quiet till it rest in God." It purifies the heart, stills the conscience, and gives assurance of greater benefits than the world can countervail.

Mark some of the signs of contentment.

as

1. A warm sense of mercies actually enjoyed.-Jacob