finitely important fact, that they are born of God, that they are fitted for every spiritual conflict. They are provided with consolations, which the day of adversity will require. They are qualified for an advantageous approach to divine ordinances: their anticipations are bright and triumphant.

2. Eminent piety recommends itself by its effects on those who witness it.

Cavillers are silenced.

The inconsistent and grovelling are exposed.

The young and inquiring are furnished with a directory and model.

Promoters of such a character are animated and encouraged. Hear the apostle,- -"Brethren, we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith; for now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God, &c. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming? For ye are our glory and joy."

With the following reflections let us conclude.

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1. Eminent piety is very rare.-He who exemplifies it fears God above many-he is a singular man, or as we commonly express it, a man of a thousand." The majority, even in this christian country, seem as if they took pains to convince us they have no religion. And we are compelled to stand in doubt of many others; their excellencies and defects appear so exactly to balance against each other. How many eminent Christians does this assembly furnish? How many can you enumerate in your circle?

2. The means of acquiring and promoting eminent piety are invaluable. What are they?

Intercourse with good men-attendance in a christian sanctuary-reading, meditation, and prayer.

3. If eminent piety is advantageous; real piety is indispensable. We may not, alas! fear God above many, but if we do not fear him at all, we lie exposed to his

irresistible, intolerable wrath.

Everything we do in this state is tinged with sin- afflictions are penalties ordinances are accusers, and enjoyments at once increase our self-complacency, aggravate our guilt, and thicken the approaching storm.

What, then, my hearers, is our character? Careless as we may be of the honours attaching to these first-rate Christians, are we content without being Christians even of the lowest class?

But "who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?" "What meanest thou, O sleeper, rise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not."

"Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity."

Blessed Spirit, breathe into us all that carefulness, that indignation, that fear, that vehement desire, that zeal, that revenge, which constitute true repentance; lead us to the Mediator, assure us of the Father's love, and having made us not only sincere, but exemplary on earth, inspire us with the hope of distinguished elevation in the heavenly kingdom!

IV.

HEAVENLY MINDEDNESS.

BY THE LATE REV. ROBERT HALL.

COLOSSIANS iii. 2.

"Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.”

THIS epistle was evidently written to check some of those evils into which the church at Colosse had

fallen, and particularly their fond adherence to abrogated rites and ceremonies. Its tendency is obvious -to restore them to a just sense of the superior value of their privileges. Instead of going back to an antiquated economy, the apostle directs them to elevate their views to that illustrious dispensation founded by Christ Jesus, which is so calculated to raise their affections to the celestial world.

By "things above," we are clearly to understand things in heaven. Heaven is always spoken of as above us, partly owing to our relative situation on the earth, and partly to express its superiority. When John speaks of Christ, it is "He that cometh from above," and he interprets this term by a subsequent remark, He that comes from above, is above all. Thus we are not only taught his heavenly nature, but his transcendent superiority. Thus the text, speaking of things above, points us to heaven as the place where they are, and intimates, by the same phrase, their great superiority.

In a former passage, the church at Colosse is exhorted to seek those things which are above; in the passage before us, the manner of seeking them is made known. We are to have them in our hearts. They are to be objects of affection. They are to be sought after with an intense desire. There are some persons who would exclude the exercise of the affections from religion. But to do so, would be to exclude all that is excellent in the compassion and mercy of God, and whatever is melting in the love of Christ. We should be left by such a process, with a fleeting shadow instead of an invaluable substance-with a lifeless skeleton instead of an animated body.

The exhortation before us is founded on the fact that temporal objects have greater power over us than those which are eternal; and on the stronger desire to possess the visible things of time, rather than the invisible realities of eternity

But why are things above to be sought after? What is there in those objects to demand the exercise of an intense and holy desire? A solution of these

inquiries will justify and enforce the exhortation of the

text.

I. Things above are transcendently excellent.

They are not to be compared with any material object. They are heavenly, and therefore we consider them more excellent than the highest forms of earthly good. Heaven is God's throne—the earth is his footstool. Not that this world is destitute of the most vivid expressions of the glory of the divine Being; but the heavenly regions alone are irradiated by the display of his visible glory.

They are elevated far above temporal good. They are more difficult to be comprehended. Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, what God hath laid up for them that love him. If there be such a place as heaven, who can doubt, after such a statement, its vast superiority?

The apostle John, when living an exile amidst the solitudes of Patmos, had a vision of the heavenly world, and beheld some of its glories. Yet he afterwards declared, It doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. When heaven has,

in any way, been partially opened to mortal vision, the impressions made by its glory have been deep and lasting.

Angels have sometimes visited our world in a visible form. Though they brought with them only a few beams of that glory which fills heaven, their presence has always been insupportable. Manoah, when he saw the angel ascend in the flame of the sacrifice, said to his wife, We shall die, for we have seen God. When John, in the visions of the Apocalypse, saw the Redeemer, with whom, in the days of his flesh, he maintained the closest friendship, he could not endure the brightness of his glory, but fell at his feet as dead. If such be the overpowering effect attending these distant and imperfect glimpses of heaven, how glorious must be the

things that are in it, how happy and joyful an abode for the humble Christian!

It can occasion no surprise that we are destined to undergo a mighty change, ere we can enter into heaven. Behold, says the apostle, I shew you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; for flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.

And if you consider its dignities and enjoyments, you will discover another proof of their high excellence. They consist partly in being made like unto God, and having his divine image indelibly impressed on the heart to see him face to face-to resemble Christ to have angels for our associates-to bear, not the image of the first Adam, but the second Adam, which is the Lord from heaven. To enjoy such dignities to engage in the employments which are necessarily connected with them, give to those celestial things a transcendent excellence.

For what so great or good, as to be like God? What so happy as eternal union with Christ? What so honourable as the association with the highest and holiest intelligences? What so full of enjoyment, of the most pure and elevated order, as the pleasures flowing from such sources? Can any precept be more proper than the one contained in these words? does not this transcendent excellence render things above suitable objects of intense desire ?

And

II. Things above are satisfying, and exactly suited to our nature.

The highest forms of earthly good are only suited to us in a very subordinate sense. They are of the earth, earthy. But the soul of man being immortal, naturally seeks after purer and higher joys than earth can afford, and these are at the right-hand of God. When debased by sin, it sinks to a level with present things, when regenerated by the Spirit, it soars to heaven.

The most prosperous, in a worldly sense, are not