except by embracing the appointed way of salvation through Christ, by repentance, faith, and holy living. What are tempests or thunder storms, earthquakes or volcanos, to the rolling up of the heavens as a scroll, the convulsion of all nature, the wreck of elements, the crash of falling worlds, and the utter destruction of heaven and earth amidst the consuming flames? We ought now to be preparing for that awful scene, by securing in time our interest in the merits of the Son of God. We ought daily to be advancing in that lively faith in Christ, that entire sincerity of heart before God, that unfeigned earnestness in the cause of piety, righteousness, and purity, that scriptural communion with God's Holy Spirit, which shall justify us on all occasions, however fearful in themselves, in looking up to God, not indeed without awe, yet with tranquil confidence in his mercy, and a joyful hope of eventually enjoying it. To a man thus established in a dependence through Christ upon the divine favour, no scenes will be overwhelmingly terrific, no losses intolerable; for the Lord himself is his shield, and the portion of his inheritance. He commits himself to the supreme King and Governor of the world, to the Saviour and Judge of men, and will fear no evil. Oh! that we could attain (and, praised be God, by his grace we may attain) to this degree of pious confidence in Him, "with whom is everlasting strength, and

who will keep those whose minds are stayed upon Him in perfect peace," not only in the awful visitations of this life, but amidst the infinitely more awful terrors of the day of judg

SERMON XIX.

IMITATION OF GOOD EXAMPLE.

JAMES V. 10.

Take, my brethren, the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

THE two great means of forming our own character are precept and example; and of these two, by far the more interesting and more efficacious is example. It is not meant to disparage moral doctrine, or to separate it from imitation; God has joined them together in the economy both of nature and of grace, and far be the presumption and the folly of putting them asunder. But examples have obviously their peculiar advantages. Whilst they illustrate precept, and point out its practicability, they carry with them moreover an animating, and insensibly constrain

a Preached before the University of Oxford on St. Barnabas' day, 1822.