sequently, the conditions of our future acceptance, may be comprised in one single word,charity, or love,-love towards God, and love towards man.

The first of these duties is exceedingly simple. It requires of us to devote the faculties of our souls and bodies to the obedience of our Master's will,-to purify ourselves even as he is pure, -to believe his word,-to pray for his assistance, -to submit to his dispensations,-to watch against every temptation which may disturb our faith, our hope, or our patience.

Nor is the principle of brotherly love less easy to be understood, though its operations may sometimes require direction. Let us, therefore, ascertain how we may best exhibit those kind affections which Christian charity inspires.

This question is of the greater importance at the present time, because piety and benevolence always go hand in hand; and those devout persons, who possess the means of doing good, are anxious to satisfy themselves how they may demonstrate their affectionate gratitude to the Almighty, for that instance of his redeeming love, the commemoration whereof will shortly assemble them round his table, by the most effectual exertions of kindness towards their poorer brethren, This conviction has

tre many individuals in every parish, ocations, or whose benevolence, by

hem into constant intercourse with have rendered them familiar with the their humble arrangements. I am

uch

persons cannot have had all their to so little purpose as now to require on concerning the cause of most of y which they behold. Indeed, they ell, because they have witnessed it, ibly the absence of economy aggraprivations of indigence. It may sound al, but it is not the less certain, that y of expenditure prevails to a greater the cottage of the labourer, than in on of his employer, although the sums are necessarily of an inferior amount. afely be asserted, that the good quali

t rarely found among the poor, are economy and forethought; while habits nditure, always inconsiderate, and often l, together with a recklessness of debt uperism, paralyse our most active efforts eir benefit.

e source of all this evil may, perhaps, not ep; but this is neither the time or place vestigate it. Enough has been said to ✓, that if we are able to encourage our inent brethren in the acquirement of frugal

guided me in selecting the text and subject of my discourse. I am well aware that none of my hearers require any exhortation from me to call forth their charitable feelings; but still it is always an important enquiry how our liberality may be most advantageously employed.

For this reason I would now solicit your attention to the merits of a Charitable Institution, which, for upwards of three years, has been the source of great benefit to the poor of this parish: I allude to the CLOTHING SOCIETY. I have the greater confidence in making the consideration of this Society's claims form a part of our present holy employment, because, as it will be my business to prove, it is calculated to promote principles which have always been considered as the most important auxiliaries to the cause of religion,-the principles of industry, frugality, and good management. If, therefore, this Institution, from its very nature and mode of operation, must produce the effect of awakening and confirming in the minds of the poor these excellent principles; surely, then, by contributing to its prosperity, we shall confer a much greater benefit on the indigent than the mere alleviation of the hardships of poverty. We shall thus also be found acting in the full spirit of that injunction of St. Paul which requires us, " as we have the op

portunity," or, (as it has been more significantly rendered,) "while we have time," to "do good unto all men, especially unto those who are of the household of faith."

Suffer me here, while the associations called forth by this day's service are yet present to your minds, to dwell for an instant on the first passage of this text. The experience of some, and the judgment of all of us, ought to make us deeply sensible how awful a meaning is conveyed in the words " while we have time." On the duration of that time no living being can reckon even for an instant. That Holy and Just One, before whose tribunal we must all appear, hath himself declared concerning the time of His last manifestation, that it will be as a thief in the night. It was in order that we might not be summoned to judgment unprepared, that He exhorted us so to conduct our works of piety and benevolence, that whenever that fearful hour burst forth, we might be found watching, as servants who await the coming of their Lord. As, therefore, you know that the time is uncertain, and as you have just received the Apostle's admonitory assurance that "the night is far spent, and the day is at hand," let it be your anxious care that its glorious dawn may beam upon your labours of love.

Now, my brethren, since in the whole tenor