Do you deny your appetites? Do you stifle the rising emotions of resentment and wrath? Do you resist the secret desires of the soul after wealth? Do you guard against worldliness and covetousness? Do you mortify that love of distinction and fame, which often prevails in the breast where great external modesty is affected? In a word, do you understand the purity of the comandments; not merely confining yourself to the duties specifically enjoined, but attending to the spirit of the precept, and endeavouring to possess corresponding dispositions of heart?

4. To sum up all: Is your righteousness sincere?I do not speak of the perfection of its degree, but of the soundness of its quality. There may be sincerity in the youngest Christian as well as in the most experienced. Sincerity may belong to the most imperfect righteousness upon earth, as well as to the most perfect in heaven: that is, however imperfect, it may comprise a real and conscientious desire to honour God in all things; and this may evidence itself in a general respect to all his commandments, to internal graces as well as to external duties. In a word, the man may be inwardly what he is outwardly, and in the sight of God, what he is in the sight of man. When this is the case, a Christian's righteousness, however imperfect in degree, does still exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.

There are many professed Christians whose righteousness, it is to be feared, does not even equal that of the Scribes and Pharisees. They do not even cover their worldliness or conceal their lusts; they do not even put on the appearance of devotion. Now these may not be guilty of hypocrisy, but they belong to a class which is even below that of the Pharisees. It resembles that of the Sadducees, who were evidently worse even than the former. How, then, can such enter into the kingdom of heaven? Alas! they stand self-condemned. Their Their righteousness is not of an inferior quality: they have no righteousness, nor do they pre

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tend to have any. Their condemnation, therefore, is clear; for "without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

But there are many others who far more nearly re→ semble the Pharisees. These appear devout; they attend the ordinances of the Church, receive the sacrament, and give some alms to the poor; but they are, at the same time, proud, selfish, covetous, vain, idle. Their obedience is partial, external, and founded in no love of God and of Divine things, but rather in regard to the opinion of their fellow creatures, and a servile obedience to custom. To these I would say, Listen to the words of our Lord, "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." What, then, is its character? Is it more pure in principle? No: it has the same principle. Is it more general? No: it is equally partial. Is it more spiritual and internal? No: it is, like theirs, external: it consists in the observance of ceremonies and outward forms. But, alas! what are these without the substance? The Scripture speaks of having the form but denying the power of godliness. And is such a righteousness sufficient? Hear, I entreat you, and engrave on your heart, the words of our Lord. He it is who shall sit upon the throne of glory, and who shall judge all men; of his words not one jot or tittle shall pass away: and he has declared, that, without a better righteousness than that of the Scribes and Pharisees, none shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: without this, ye shall in no case enter. God has shut up every other door: there are no possible means by which you can escape condemnation.

These expressions, my brethren, are of very awful import. May they produce the most firm conviction, that, without real holiness-a holiness not formal, partial, or corrupt, but pure, spiritual, and universal-we cannot enter into heaven. This is the declaration of Him who will be our Judge; a Judge, not severe, but

kind and compassionate, for he is also our Redeemer, who so loved us as to lay down his life for us.

To conclude: the subject which has been considered may serve, not only to shew us the vanity and uselessness of that superficial religion with which many are content, but it may remind us of the depravity and deceitfulness of the human heart, which carries insincerity into religion itself. It may also suggest to us the absolute necessity of Divine grace, to cleanse us from our sin, and to give us that entire renovation of the inward man, without which our best righteousness will not exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees. It may also dispose us with humility and thankfulness to embrace the offer of that salvation which has been provided for us by the Son of God;a salvation which comprehends the gift of righteousness and true holiness, as well as the pardon of every past offence. Let it then lead us to seek, in the fulness of Christ, these blessings, of which we stand so greatly in need.

SERMON VIII.

COMPARISON OF THE JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN DISPENSATIONS.

Heb. xii. 22-24.

But ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem; and to an innumerable company of angels; to the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven; and to God, the Judge of all; and to the Spirits of just men made perfect; and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant; and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

IN this passage of Scripture the Apostle is comparing the Jewish and Christian dispensations. He is exhorting the Hebrews to bear cheerfully and courageously all the sufferings which they might encounter for their adherence to the Christian faith; and, amongst other arguments he advances that of the superiority of the Christian above the Jewish economy: "Ye are not come," he says, "unto the mount that might be touched" -not to a gross terrestrial mountain, the object of