men and seducers," who, as the apostle asserts in the text, "shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." It is scarcely necessary that I should here remind you, that the church, as established in this country, is precisely similar to those churches which were established by St. Paul and the other apostles in the earliest ages of our religion. To deny this fact, and to believe in the writings of St. Paul, is an inconsistency which is altogether unaccountable. To every member, therefore, of this holy catholic and apostolic church, the exhortation contained in the second verse of our text is applicable: "Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them." Timothy had submitted to the imposition of hands by St. Paul, and therefore recognized the propriety of the church over which he was appointed to preside. And it was in allusion to such recognition, that St. Paul directed him to "continue in the things which he had learned and been assured of." Hence, brethren, may we infer how important it is, how necessary to our eternal welfare, that we should continue in the bosom of that church into which we have been admitted by baptism. Hence may we infer how sinful is the conduct of those numerous separatists in respect of whom the ministers of God are thus exhorted in the following chapter of this same epistle: "I charge you before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word;

be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." And why, brethren, is every minister of God thus exhorted by the Apostle? The reason is thus given by himself: "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

The apostolic injunction which has been just recited, is of by far too awful a nature to be perused by any minister of the gospel carelessly and inattentively: "I charge thee before God, preach the word, rebuke, exhort those who having itching ears heap to themselves teachers, who shall turn away their ears from the truth, who shall be turned unto fables." Why most assuredly by the aid of the Holy Spirit did St. Paul clearly penetrate through the mist of futurity, and behold the identical epoch of our present existence, this present generation of men of which we form part; most assuredly through this mist of ages-this barrier of nearly two thousand years did St. Paul behold those countless numbers of sectaries, that infinity of self-appointed teachers, with which the rural districts, no less than the great and populous towns, are beset. And, therefore, is it clearly my duty, as it is the duty of every minister of the gospel, and in truth of every member of Christ's flock who is calculated so to do, to warn every one of the enormous sin of leaving their church and running after those

teachers who are self-appointed, and whose appointment is clearly and incontestibly repugnant to the word of God. St. Paul. asserts positively that it is so, and St. Paul received a direct commission from above, by the personal appearance of the Holy Spirit. But the things which Timothy had learned were according to the Holy Scriptures, which he had known from his childhood, and "which were able to make him wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus." And, brethren, such are the things which you have learned, or which, at least, you may learn, from those ministers of your church whose authority has been handed down in direct succession from Jesus Christ, through the apostles and those who were appointed by the apostles, who ordained "elders" or "bishops," that is, in the language of the present day, priests or ministers, as they themselves had been appointed. Such facts as these are plainly asserted in the Scriptures, though they are denied by many who profess to believe in these Scriptures, and who even profess to expound them to others. I therefore, brethren, exhort you, as I trust you will, as occasions may offer, exhort others. Recollect that the church to which you belong, is a branch of the holy catholic church which has been established by Christ. The principles of this church are correct, though, indeed, she is oftentimes practically defective, and some of her ministers (for the truth must not be withheld) are not at all times such as every disciple of Christ ought to be, especially those whose duty

it is to instruct others, and to exhibit to them a good example in their own persons. Perfection, however, you must remember, cannot be obtained here on earth; and for this reason are the principles, or rather the theory and the practice of your church, oftentimes at variance; for the former are heavenly, whereas the latter are earthly. Recollect, however, that by the blessing of God, correctness of principle will promote improvement of practice; and if you forsake the church because she is defective, if you go elsewhere in quest of perfection, where, I ask you, do you expect to find it? Is it Is it among that variegated body termed " body termed "Dissenters," who though indeed, they all dissent from the holy catholic and apostolic church, to which you belong, yet do they agree with each other in nothing but in their hostility towards her? Is it among those who openly deny the Lord that bought them; or is it among those who once separated from the reformed church of England because the reformed church was not as much opposed to the Romish church as they were, but who now uphold that church in those very superstitions and absurdities against which they were even more clamorous and more violent than ourselves? If, brethren, it be among any such as these that you expect to find perfection, be assured that your expectations will be disappointed. If it be not among such as these, then, as your only alternative, will you remain within the bosom of your venerable parent, the beloved sister and spouse of Christ your Saviour, who, like a fond mother, will

indeed correct in you what is amiss, but be ever willing to pardon the sins of those of her children who truly and sincerely repent?

As I have just now made allusion to the inconsistent and disgusting alliance between two extreme parties or principles, Popery on the one side and Dissent on the other, the following anecdote, taken from a provincial paper of a neighbouring county, may not be unacceptable. I am also induced to recite this extract because it will elucidate and confirm certain remarks which I made on Sunday last, respecting the inconsistency, and the ignorance or wickedness of those who contribute either their influence or their money, or both, for the establishment of principles the truth of which they deny, and for the erection of buildings in which such principles are to be taught. The article runs thus: "The newly erected Popish chapel in this town, which is to replace the inconvenient and dilapidated structure hitherto used, was opened yesterday by Dr. B. It is a melancholy proof how far political sympathy will induce men to forsake the duties of their professed religion, that some Dissenters of the town have subscribed towards the erection of this edifice, and a pompous announcement of the opening has been for several days placarded in the window of a leading Dissenter!" I regret, brethren, to add, or rather to repeat, that not only professed Dissenters, but professed members of the church of England, and with shame be

a See Sermon XII.