Devote some certain part of your income to God and the poor. Wesley's rule was, "Get all you can (honestly), save all you can, and give all you can." Reckon your givings in proportion to your incomes. I commend those who give one tenth, and more so those who give one fifth; but there is no specific rule, only to lay by as God has prospered you.

Let not your charities be too methodical. Though you may have stated pensioners, yet do not be callous to all others. Surely, love cannot be so regular as to make us masters of ourselves at all times. Oh no, it has its ardours and transports, &c.

Lastly, I remind you, that the most proper objects are often those who are least willing to make known their distresses. These are the deserving poor; they are sought out by this society: you cannot enter the garrets, &c., but these members will dispense your bounty.

SERMON XL.

THE SECRETS OF MEN DISCLOSED AND JUDGED.

Romans, ii., 16.-In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ.

THREE topics.

I. The person who is the Judge.

II. The subject of investigation.

III. The rule by which the process will be conducted.

1. The Judge.

Take up the subject as a matter of pure revelation.

II. The subject of investigation.

The angel with his uplifted hand swearing by Him that liveth forever and ever that time shall be no longer-the trump of God sounded-every receptacle of mortality thrown open-the Son of Man manifested in his glory-the sun become black before him-while he descends from heaven with a shout.

*

What more awfully grand! What a contrast between the former humiliation of Jesus and this his exaltation! Before him all shall be gathered. What a spectacle! And for what assembled? To swell a pageant? No; some as witnesses, some as criminals, some as rejoicing spirits, others as executioners; all a personal part.

"The secrets of men." No distinetion. The kings of the earth on a level with their meanest subjects!-Opulence no longer powerful-poverty no longer obscure; rich and poor meet together. The judge cannot be perverted by bribes nor dazzled by rank.

"The secrets of men.” What a development! We are not to bend this term to our accommodation! All the secrets shall then be brought up.-We enumerate four classesof secrets.

1. Secrets of conduct. All those actions done under the cover of secrecy, and only known to God, angels, devils, and our consciences; those actions we concealed from friendship and from man-proclaimed on the housetop, &c. O how many secrets are now in progress in the world! Secrets of ambition, where the man is sacrificing all for it. Secrets of covetousness; call them secrets of trade, if you like, but O! there are many practices countenanced with them which cannot bear the light. How have you held back from the widow, and passed by the orphan, &c.

Secrets of sensuality.—In darkness-not to be named in public. Look in your closets; how have your consciences been contaminated. Secrets of envy: I cannot go into your closets; but what has God seen there! (Styles's Mysterious Stranger.) This is not declamation. Such a stranger has been with thee, and in the day of judgment thou shalt find it to have been the Judge.

2. Secrets of character. Character is formed by principle; it is that which originates conduct. Now this can only be known to Him who searches the heart. I know not the springs of your conduct, nor the principles on which your character is formed. Though Jesus says we may know the tree by the fruit, yet there is not always a faithful correspondence between principles and practice. How few seek

only the glory of God, &c. I appeal to the heart.

O! Self

is a subtle principle. In private a man will blush at his own hypocrisy; and Satan, helping him, may make him a selfdeceiver.

But every motive will then start up! How many actions now under the garb of humility, will then be seen to have originated in pride! How many blazoned deeds from selflove! How many actions, which seemed under the motive of zeal to God, like those of Jehu [to have been prompted by interest] !

3. Secrets of inattention. Those parts of our conduct which are secret by inattention-a large portion of our actions are thought to be venial, trifling, &c. "For every

idle word which men shall speak they shall give account in the day of judgment." Locke and the card-players. * * * Our conduct is also marked by that stranger. act under these impressions!

er.

O!

4. Secrets of influence. We are members one of anothWe are always, when in society, doing either good or harm. Little do we know how many are they whose morals we have poisoned! [or on whom we have in some way exerted an unhallowed influence]. In that day the author of blasphemous works will answer for all the evil he has done.

At the same time, I know many secrets of prayer will then be found-many tears, &c.-but I believe the term secrets is here used in a forensic sense.

Now this subject requires deep self-examination. O! what secrets will this night conceal! Perhaps some of you will commit sin to-night: "But remember, for all these things God will bring you into judgment."

What will be the effects of this judgment? 1. The shame of exposure; and remember, sin is the subject of shame. No shame to be poor, sick, &c. What would you not give here to avoid exposure ?-If exposed, perhaps you change your abode. 2. Besides shame, &c.-blush, &c.-the agony of remorse; and to this, 3. The horror of despair."Some shall awake to shame and everlasting contempt." III. The rule by which the process will be conducted.

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"When God shall judge the secrets of men according to my Gospel." That is the Gospel I am commissioned to preach.

1. This process will demonstrate the equity of the judgment; for, if judged by works, no fallen creature could be justified. But "He that believeth not is condemned." If my character meet not the requirements of the Gospel, I am justly condemned. And shall we not become acquainted with these requirements?-My ignorance of a statute law

is no excuse.

2. It will cover the sinner with the speechlessness of condemnation. This is the agony of trouble. If he could only know that he is not the architect of his own prisonhouse, &c.—his own fire burns him. Now, has not the Gospel been fully preached to you? I have nothing to do with others. Has not the Holy Ghost striven and conscience warned? You know God would have saved you a hundred times. Now, at the tribunal of Christ what will you say? "I knew thee that thou wast a hard man, but I never knew that thou requirest repentance ?" You know it now. "I would have repented, but had not moral strength: I could not!" Can you say this? Is not the Holy Ghost now striving? Ah! you will be speechless!-then bound hand and foot, and cast into outer darkness.

3. It cuts off the hope of farther mercy. There is but one plan of saving you. When the law cuts you down, you can fly to the Gospel; but when this is gone! "there remaineth only a fearful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation”—“The wrath of the Lamb!" O! remember, you and your preachers are all hastening upward.

"We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ." But how? It may be with joy.

"The arms of love that compass me

Would all mankind embrace."

Jesus now weeps-"O that thou wouldst know, at least in this thy day, the things that belong unto thy peace, before they are forever hid from thine eyes!" Is he leaving this sanctuary with the mournful exclamation, "O that thou hadst known." Alas! at midnight, perchance, death seizes upon

thee; then thou wilt cry, yea, roar. But thou shalt hear a voice issuing from the throne, "I have called, and thou hast refused now will I laugh at thy calamity, and mock when thy fear cometh." O! come; we are now at the mercyseat! And, Christians, be you watchful. "Cleanse thou me from secret faults."- "Then will an entrance be ministered unto you abundantly, into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."

SERMON XLI.

THE BODY RAISED AND CHANGED.

Philippians, iii., 21.-Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

THESE words express the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead-the dead body-it is a peculiar doctrine, which never entered into the mind of man to conceive, that after the flesh was corrupted, it should rise again-it was only taught by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost.-JOB.—The heathen had no knowledge of it; hence they looked on the sepulchre as the cemetery in which all their hopes were interred, and sorrowed as without hope. But life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospel; it declares that Jesus Christ was and is the resurrection and the life.

To heighten the idea, the apostle refers to our present state-" vile body"—original, humbled body! In many awful senses it is true.

1. Humbled by the fall. (Refer to the original state of man.) "In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die"-it was humbled that day. *

2. Humbled when God cut short the span of life.-See the patriarchs-but now how soon is the beautiful structure taken down.

3. Because of the labours to which it is subjected.

4. Because it is become the seat of sin-hence it is called flesh: "The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit