liness without the power." And, finally, with what prayer can we appear on such occasions, before the throne of grace, which embraces more completely and piously all that has been said than with that most beautiful collect of our Church-" Oh! Lord, who for our sakes, didst fast forty days and forty nights; give us grace to use such abstinence, that our flesh being subdued to the spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end."-Amen.

T

SERMON XIV.

Philip. iii. 17.

66 BRETHREN, BE FOLLOWERS TOGETHER OF ME, AND MARK THEM WHICH WALK SO, AS YE HAVE US FOR AN ENSAMPLE."

IT has been said, and with great propriety, that "example is living instruction ;" and they, who are at all acquainted with the constitution of human nature, must be convinced, that embodied virtue or embodied vice cannot but be attended with the consequences of a wide spreading influence. Effects the most beneficial or the most pernicious, are inseparábly connected with the character and conduct of every human being; and he who can so far disentangle himself from the relations and connexions of life, as to think little of the results attendant on his own character and station, must forget at once all pretensions to the man or the Christian. Such an one is dead to all moral responsibility, and can only be actuated by principles as destructive of the

welfare of the community, as they are certainly hostile to himself.

The Apostle Paul was deeply acquainted with the tendencies of human nature-he well knew the efficacy of example, and fearful of its evil effects on the Church at Corinth-he warns them that "evil communications cor rupt good manners." Of the Church & Philippi he had formed a very favourabl opinion-he recognises in them the fruits of the Spirit-he saw that their conduct was in accordance with the principles of the Gospe and accordingly he opens his Epistle with the expressions of his fervent and continued r gard. But like a faithful pastor, ever alive to the interests of his flock, he warns them of approaching danger. The enemy had already begun to sow his tares, and he perceived even in this favoured Church, that there were men of perverse minds, given alike to worldly and sensual indulgence--and as their example might prove extremely injurious to the general in terests of the Church, he not only deplores the grief which such misconduct produced in his own mind, but he calls upon the Philippians to follow the example which had been set before them, as well in the person of himself as of those who were walking in his footsteps.

"Brethren, be followers together of me,

and mark them which walk so, as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the è cross of Christ-whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things)-for our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ."

In attempting an improvement of the passage I have selected for our meditation this day, we shall consider the example proposed for our imitation.-The Apostle Paul, in the sacred writings, stands before us in a two-fold capacity, as the Apostle of the Gentiles, and as the private Christian. It might be profitable, as well as interesting, to enlarge on his character as a minister of the Gospel-to behold him as the messenger of the glad tidings of salvation burning with an holy ardour, to consolidate and extend the Redeemer's kingdom-and we cannot but confess, that it is with some degree of reluctance we forbear dwelling on so delightful a subject. As, however, in the passage under consideration, the Apostle is evidently speaking of himself in his private capacity, in that capacity we shall consider him as exhorting us, through the medium of the