how can I help longing, how can I forbear praying, that this communion may be with you all?

"Amen." So be it, heavenly Father. Grant unto these thy servants, that as they have been grafted into the body of Christ, and admitted into the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, they may abide joyfully in this heavenly communion, and bear much fruit to the glory of thy name. Make them sensible, that for these and all their privileges, they have so much the more to answer for, in case of their neglecting the gift that is in them. Let them take warning that they cannot more grievously provoke thy wrath, than by doing "despite unto the Spirit of grace." (Heb. 10. 29.) Make them watchful to observe, and cherish, and obey, that holy, heavenly influence, by which thy Spirit strives within their hearts. Make them earnest in prayer for thy grace, as knowing that this is thy sure engagement, to give the Holy Ghost to them that ask Thee. And instead of our being selfishly content with obtaining thy precious gifts

unto ourselves, grant to those of us, who already have them, that we may so diligently labour, bountifully spend, and devoutly pray, in behalf of others, that we all, even all who are here assembled this day, may have fellowship with Thee, and with each other, to all eternity.

"The communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen."

SERMON IV.

SEPARATION FROM THE UNGODLY.

2 COR. 6. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18.

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

THIS passage supplies us with a rule for our conduct, in the many difficult cases

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which arise, when the righteous hold intercourse with the wicked; when they who are in earnest serving God, are exposed to the corrupt communication of those, who are avowedly serving Satan. And besides a rule for our conduct, we have also in this passage a powerful motive suggested, for following the rule laid down. God will be a father to those who herein obey his will; He will take them for his sons and daughters. Let us endeavour to understand what we ought to do. Let us endeavour to feel why we ought to do it. Let us beseech God, both to stir up our endeavours, and to give us good success, for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

In order to apply profitably to our own case the counsel of St. Paul to the Corinthians, we ought first to examine carefully in what sense it applied to them. To whom then was this whole epistle addressed? It is written in the first verse of the first chapter, "unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia." And

what was at that time the condition of that church? It consisted chiefly of persons newly converted to be Christians, when at full age to choose for themselves, and when they knew, that the profession of the Christian faith would expose them to the persecution of the heathen. And what is the advice here pressed upon them by St. Paul? That they should not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; that they should refrain from any close intimate connexion with those who would not embrace the Gospel.

We know that St. Paul must not here

be understood as forbidding all intercourse between Christians and heathens; for he says, in his first epistle to these same Corinthians, that in order to this they must needs go out of the world. (See 1 Cor. 5. 10.) In the world, as it then was, no one could help keeping company with idolaters. But he forbids all close connexion. He urges the duty of preferring in every connexion, as far as possible, believers to unbelievers. He means to teach how little good agrees