regard to books in particular, would it be wise, even if it were practicable, to advise you to content yourselves with such as amused your fathers? Here, then, is an excitement, of doubtful character indeed, yet still inevitable. The world is moving at a quicker pace, and we cannot help moving on with it. Yet two things we can do: the one to watch ourselves amidst this worldly excitement, and not allow ourselves to move faster than we must; the other to have recourse betimes, to begin early, and to go on late, with that other and divine excitement of which the Apostle speaks, and whose virtue, alike to kindle, to strengthen, and to soothe, keeps pace by Christ's appointment with the increased activity of what is of doubtful character, or of evil.

And first, let us watch ourselves amidst this worldly excitement, and not allow ourselves to move faster than we must. In this respect our studies here greatly help us. For, as it were foolish to bid you live out of your own time, and not to avail yourselves of its inventions and activity, so it is the happiness of our employments here that they hinder us from living in our own time exclusively. They acquaint us and oblige us to become familiar with a calmer and simpler beauty, with a less pretending and excited wisdom than that of our own age. And what the studies of this place do for us we may also now and here

after do for ourselves. We may, and should always, temper the draught of modern interests, and tastes, and passions, with the cooling and sobering study of those of past times. In this way it is possible to partake of the activity of the present without catching its feverishness; our very taste will shrink from what is over exciting, as the healthy appetite shrinks from over luxuriousness of living in matters of food. Again-although this undoubtedly is harder to practiseyet those who are entering upon life may in other ways also temper and moderate the vehemence of their progress. It may not be needful, or far less needful than formerly, to say, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess;" but it is quite needful to warn against excesses of other kinds. I do not speak of things absolutely sinful, but of things over exciting. Excess of bodily exercise, to which consciousness of strength often tempts us; excess of intellectual exercise, whether in reading or in society, to which we are no less tempted by a consciousness of power of mind; excess even in our hours; for though it seems a little thing to speak of, yet it is really not so: and the habit of sitting up during a great part of the night is essentially injurious, let the hours thus unnaturally gained be employed as they will. I well know that to all these things there are abundant temptations; but do you suppose that,

forty or fifty years ago, the temptations were less to the grosser excitement of drunkenness? And if every one would say that it would have been our duty, then, to struggle against that temptation, shall we not confess also that it is our duty to strive against those temptations of our own days, wherein there is excess also, though of another kind; excess and excitement opposed to that happiest of all tempers, the temper of Christian sobermindedness?

But most of all, whilst we strive to lessen our worldly excitement, let us begin early and go on late with that divine excitement of which there is no fear of drinking in over measure. I am not forgetting the evils of fanaticism; but is the spirit of fanaticism indeed the Spirit of God? and is not the Spirit of God as truly a spirit of peace and wisdom as it is a spirit of love and of power? Truly we need put no caution, no restraint on the Apostle's command, "Be ye filled with the Spirit." Study the things of God in their depth and in their simplicity, and then see how they realize that seemingly impossible problem, at once to excite and soothe. I spoke of exhausting subjects of human interest, of having accustomed our taste and feelings to such varied indulgences from early years, that ere the vigour of manhood was over they would have lost all healthful activity, and crave the strongest excitements to awaken them.

But who can ever exhaust the subjects of eternal interest? Who has come to the end of the goodness of God? who has sounded the depths of His wisdom, or drained to the bottom the cup of His love? Enter life as Christians, and you need not fear lest the world should hurry you on too rapidly. There is much to learn, much to admire, much to enjoy, and much to do. Vast powers are at work, vast results producing; do not despise them, nor yet fear them. Walk amidst them, study them, use them; you will not be carried away with their intoxication; for on the one hand you see also what there is in them of weakness and of unworthiness; whilst you see and know what is hid from other eyes, the workings of a far greater power, results a thousand times more wonderful; -good brought out of evil,-good triumphing amidst evil, and over it,self subdued,-God glorified, Christ's kingdom advanced in man's salvation. Never at any time, since the Gospel was first preached to mankind, were its peculiar qualities better fitted to the peculiar evils of the world. It raised and excited an age of barbarism: it is no less able to excite and to tranquillize an age of the highest civilization. For let the human mind go on as far as it will, and the wisdom of the Gospel still expands before it, satisfying its highest refinement, as it humbled itself to its greatest ignorance; but whilst giving a perpetual

interest to life, it is also perpetually soothing, because it calls us to those thoughts and to those quiet and humble actions which must be sobering; which must stay the vehemence of our feelings, and give us intervals of rest and of peace.

But who can be thus filled with the Spirit, unless he seek the appointed means of gaining it? In comparing the reading of the present generation with that of their fathers, I cannot but think that, amongst the higher classes of society, the Scriptures are less familiarly known than they were formerly, in those cases where religion has been really attended to. There were more instances of utter ignorance and carelessness in former times; but where there was a serious mind, and a religious education, I am not sure whether the Bible was not more familiarly known than it is in similar instances now. But be this as it may, it is at least certain that very many who are in earnest, and who serve God in Christ Jesus, are yet so far deficient in their knowledge of the Scripture, that its various stores for counsel, for encouragement, for warning, are not enough at their command; they go out into the world knowing some other things better. This, however, should not be so; it is not well to be more familiar with any thing than with the word of life and truth. This should be our most complete knowledge, as it is our best; and thus only will.