ever maintain His own cause. He will raise up better and brighter stars. The stars are all in His right hand. Leave off all anxious thought about the future. Cease to be cast down by the measures of statesmen, or the plots of wolves in sheep's clothing. Christ will ever provide for His own Church. Christ will take care that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. All is going on well, though our eyes may not see it. The kingdoms of this world shall yet become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ.

Suffer me now to say a few words of practical application of this sermon. I speak to many, whom I speak to for the first time. I speak, perhaps, to many whom I speak to for the last time. Let not this service conclude without an effort to press home the sermon ou each heart.

1. My first word of application shall be a question. What shall that question be? Wherewith shall I approach you? What shall I ask? I ask you, whether you are a member of the one true church of Christ? Are you in the highest, the best sense, a "churchman" in the sight of God? You know what I mean. I look far beyond the Church of England. I speak of the church built upon the rock. I ask you, with all solemnity-Are you a member of that one church of Christ? Are you joined to the great Foundation? Have you received the Holy Ghost? Does the Spirit witness with your spirit, that you are one with Christ, and Christ with you? I beseech you, in the name of God, to lay to heart this question, and to ponder it well.

Take heed to yourselves, dear brethren, if you cannot give a satisfactory answer to my inquiry. Take heed, take heed, that you do not make shipwreck of faith. Take heed, lest at last the gates of hell prevail against you, the devil claim you as his own, and you be cast away for ever. Take heed, lest you go down to the pit from the land of Bibles, and in the full light of Christ's Gospel.

2. My second word of application shall be an invitation. I address it to all who are not yet true believers. I say to you, Come and join the one true church without delay. Come and join yourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ in an everlasting covenant not to be forgotten. Come to Christ and be saved. The day of decision must come some time. Why not this very evening? Why not to-day, while it is called to-day?— Why not this very night, ere the sun rises to-morrow morning? Come to Him, whose I am, and whom I serve. Come to my Master, Jesus Christ. Come, I say, for all things are now ready. Mercy is ready for you, heaven is ready for you, angels are ready to rejoice over you, Christ is ready to receive you. Christ will receive you gladly, and welcome you among his children. Come into the ark-the flood of God's wrath will soon break upon the earth-come into the ark and be safe.

Come into the life-boat. The old world will soon break into pieces! Hear you not the tremblings of it? The world is but a wreck hard upon the sand-bank. The night is far-spent the waves are beginning to rise -the winds are rising-the storm will soon shatter the

old wreck. But the life-boat is launched, and we, the ministers of the Gospel, beseech you to come into the life-boat and be saved.

Dost thou ask, How can I come, my sins are so many? Dost thou ask how thou shalt come? Hear the words of that beautiful hymn :

"Just as I am, without one plea,

But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God I come."

That is the way to come to Christ. You should come, waiting for nothing, and tarrying for nothing. You should come, as a hungry sinner, to be filled,—as a poor sinner to be enriched,—as a bad, undeserving sinner to be clothed with righteousness. So coming, Christ would receive you. "Him that cometh" to Christ, He "will

in no wise cast out."

Oh! come, come to Jesus Christ.

3. Last of all, let me give a word of exhortation to

my believing hearers.

Live a holy life, my brethren. Walk worthy of the church to which you belong. Live like citizens of heaven. Let your light shine before men, so that the world may profit by your conduct. Let them know whose you are, and whom you serve. Be epistles of Christ, known and read of all men; written in such clear letters, that none can say, I know not whether he be a member of Christ or not.

Live a courageous life, my brethren. Confess Christ before men. Whatever station you occupy, in that

station confess Christ. Why should you be ashamed of Him? He was not ashamed of you on the cross.

He

is ready to confess you now before His Father in heaven. Why should you be ashamed of Him? Be bold. Be very bold. The good soldier is not ashamed of his uniform. The true believer ought never to be ashamed of Christ.

Live a joyful life, my brethren. Live like men who look for that blessed hope-the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is the prospect to which we should all look forward. It is not so much the thought of going to heaven, as of heaven coming to us, that should fill our minds. There is a good time coming for all the people of God-a good time for all the church of Christ-a good time for all believers-a bad time for the impenitent and unbelieving-a bad time for them that will serve their own lusts, and turn their backs on the Lord, but a good time for true Christians. For that good time, let us wait, and watch, and pray.

The scaffolding will soon be taken down-the last stone will soon be brought out-the top-stone will be placed upon the edifice. Yet a little time, and the full beauty of the building shall be clearly seen.

A

The great master Builder will soon come himself. building shall be shown to assembled worlds, in which there shall be no imperfection. The Saviour and the saved shall rejoice together. The whole universe shall acknowledge, that in the building of Christ's church all was well done.

"Not Corrupting the Word."

2 COR. II. 17.

"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."

MY REV. BRETHREN,

It is no light matter to speak to any assembly of immortal souls about the things of God. But the most serious of all responsibilities is, to speak to a gathering of ministers, such as that which I now see before me. The awful feeling will come across my mind, that one single word said wrong, sinking into some heart, and bearing fruit at some future time, in some pulpit, may lead to harm, of which we cannot know the extent.

This address and the one which immediately follows it were delivered at an aggregate clerical meeting, held at WestonSuper-Mare, in August, 1858, under the presidency of Archdeacon Law. The reader will kindly remember that neither of these addresses were written, and that he has before him a reporter's notes corrected.