the latter duly felt, sorrow would not fail to bring that true repentance by which sin is not only lamented but forsaken. ~ loved parent will with pleasure find that sober unprejudiced advice begins to supply the place of those commands which childhood required. On the contrary, while excuses are made, and a flattering une-On the other hand, the varying, tion" is laid to the soul, the evil inconsistent conduct of the heads will still remain: but true peace of a family, especially if accom can never shine with its mild and panied with ungoverned and unsteady beams, where there is not a forbearing tempers, will banefully spirit of mutual forbearance and influence the other branches of the conciliation. In these remarks, I household: each, unmindful of address myself to parents as well others, will seek his own ease and as to children, to brothers and sis- pleasure, bitter and endless-disters, to masters and servants, and, putes will ensue, disorder and in in short, to the members of every subordination will arise; love wilt relation of social life. In speaking languish, while distance and susof children, I refer not merely to picion occupy its place. If this those who are literally such, but to should occur in a family professedly those who are grown up, and be- religious, how great will be the come, in some measure, the com- scandal, and how extensive the panions and friends of their pa- evil which each individual con cerned will have to answer for before the judgment seat of Christ ! » rents. Let it not be supposed that I am wishing indirectly to derogate from the lawful rights of parents, who, by their offspring of all ages, ought to be treated with honour and dutiful affection, when I remark that the happiness or discord of their families depends, in a great measure, upon their personal conduct and example. I have found, from my own observation, and I think it will hold good as a general rule, that from the tempers and habits of the heads of families, the whole household receive their general character. Let the master and mistress be steady to certain rules, having all things arranged decently and in order; being guided in the main by Christian integrity, forbearance, and kindness, and unbiassed by improper partialities; and I believe it is morally certain that the good effect of such a line of conduct will be seen to extend itself through out the whole domestic circle, in producing a well-regulated and united family. Habits, engrafted on principle from early years, will have so established themselves by time, that no fear of a change will be enter tained as the younger branches grow up to maturity, and the be Let those who are ready to extenuate the guilt of such unchristian conduct, by imputing it to constitutional infirmity, or the peculiar difficulties of their situation; beware how they thus virtually make God the author of their sin. No temptation hath befallen any of us but such as is common to man, and "God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear, but will with the temptation also make us a way to escape." It is for want of recurring to this Divine assistance with full purpose and singleness of heart, by patient per severance, prayer, and watchfulness, that Christians so frequently disgrace their profession, and are led captive unawares by Satan at his will. Certainly when bodily infirmity is really in part the occasion of irritability, impetuosity, or bitterness of temper, (that is, when our spiritual enemy takes occasion from it to produce in us such works of the flesh), the individual has the more need to use strenuous exertion, with unremitting prayer and vigilance, to be deliver 1 劐 ed from the snare of the tempter. I believe there are few persons who do not find motives of interest or personal credit sufficiently powerful to effect a temporary command over their passions: surely, then, a constant sense of the immediate presence of the King of kings and Lord of lords would, if admitted, have a salutury influence in cheeking the evils of which I complain. Upon the whole, however, it will be found that nothing short of the grace of God, which is sufficient for all things, will be able effectually to root out these evils, when once established; and therefore I earnestly and affectionately exhort those of my readers who are under their influence, aud are thus insensibly destroying or endangering their happiness in the present and the future world, to seek without delay, by the prayer of faith, the aid of the Holy Spirit, to turu them from the error of their ways, and to confirm them in a spirit of unity and godly dove. The effect of righteousness, is quietness, and; assurance; but neither of these can be possessed while we are constantly agitated by the storms and tempests of passion. Let us therefore work, now, "while it is called to day," to subdue and eradicate every evil temper, without compromise or reserve. Let us meditate upon the various exhortations of the Scripture on this subject." If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." "Forbear one another in love, and keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace." "Do all things without murmurings and disputings, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God." "Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness." "Put on there fore, as the elect of God, bowels of meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another." "Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us." Let CHRIST. OBSERV, No. 185. us look with faith to that great High Priest of our profession, who was "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin;" let us remember the contradiction of sinners which he endured for our sakes, and let us pray and endeavour to be conformed to this blessed image. I conclude my remarks with the exhortation of the Apostle; "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice; and be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." S. S. D. FAMILY SERMONS.-No. CI. Rom. xv. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. WHATEVER be the subject discussed by the great Apostle of the Gentiles, he always speaks like a man whose heart and affections are deeply engaged in it. It is evident from the whole of his writings that the religion which he laboured to disseminate, was of a high and sacred character; pare in its injunctions, and elevated in its privileges., The Apostle was equally free from that spirit of enthusiasm, which expects the consolations of the Gospel without a desire to discharge its duties, and from that sordid misconception, which dwells wholly upon the precept, without regard to the promise. He knew, by his own experience, that the life which he lived was at once a life of obedience and of hope: it was his earnest desire, in whatever he did, to do the will of the Lord; and he found in all his labours that the presence of God was with him, and the comforts of the Divine Spirit refreshed his soul. In the privileges of the Gospel it was his ardent wish that all men 2 Q should be altogether such as he was: the love of Christ constrained him to abound in love toward others; and even for his enemies he was ready to invoke the mercy and the blessings of God. We cannot, therefore, wonder that for his, children in the faith he was peculiarly earnest and affectionate in prayer: and that he was anxious that they might adorn the doctrine of God their Saviour in all things, and might even bere have their conversation in heaven, and finally receive an abundant entrance into the kingdom of Christ and of God. In the chapter from which the text is selected, he is endeavouring to convince the Romans of the inportance of certain duties, which in that day were sometimes apt to be forgotten: but he cannot do this without expressing his earnest wishes in their behalf, that they may possess in large measure the blessings of the Gospel. Whilst speaking of the comfort and patience which spring from the Scriptures, he prays, that the God of patience and consolation would grant them to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus: and again, while citing from the prophet the prediction respecting the Root of Jesse-that is, of Christ--who should rise to reign over the Gentiles, and in whom they should trust, he evermore lifts up his voice on their behalf: "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." In concisely examining the passage, we may consider 1. The blessings which he implores for his converts. II. The way in which they are to be obtained. The blessings which he solicits are joy, peace, and hope. This joy is represented in other parts of Scripture, as a rejoicing in the Lord-a rejoicing in Christ Jesus, and in what belongs to him the glory of his attributes, the dispensations of his providence, all that he has done for his people, and all that he has promised. Those who have had the widest views of the goodness of God and the longest experience of his mercy have been most abundant in the joy of the Gospel. This sacred feeling often survives, undiminished, in the fierceness of tribulation. "Sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing," was the testimony borne to the Apostles, by one who was the companion of their labours and the partner of their consolations. To the men of this world who knew nothing of the principles of true religion, it must have appeared a strange and inexplicable occur. rence, that those who seemed to be of all men most miserable, should still be continually rejoicing But was there not a cause? If we should ask the reason, what would be the reply? "We were once the children of darkness, but are now the children of the day. We once walked in the error of our ways, without hope and without God in the world: but he who caused the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined into our hearts. We are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints and of the household of God. We rejoice because he is reconciled to us through the Son of his love: we rejoice that he gives us the witness of his Spirit, the earnest of every blessing in the future world. We know that all events are ordained in mercy by our heavenly Father; and that no good thing shall he withhold from them that love him. We rejoice, therefore, in the present communications of his love, in the grace which he affords to us, in the consolations of his Spirit; and we know that he never will forsake his people that trust in him." The next blessing which St. Paul implores for his flock is peace. This heavenly blessing is a distinguished privilege of the Christian; it forms a striking contrast between the men of the world and the children of God. There is no peace to the wicked: even, literally, if we could look into their hearts, in how many cases should we see the workings of malignant passions, the strong conflict of unholy dispositious, which bespeak the dominion of which flows every thing that is evil. They have no peace with God; for conscience tells them, whenever its voice can be heard, that God's wrath is kindled against them, and that at the day of his appearing he will render to them according to their evil deeds. But "peace is sown for the righteous." It was the legacy of our Lord to his disciples, and is still the portion of the humble Christian. The Apostle prays for the Romans, that they might be filled with peace and to the same purport it is said in the book of Isaiah, that if the people had hearkened to God, then should their peace have been as a river; that is, should have continued to flow with a constant and undiminished stream. The object of our desires should be, not that we may sometimes possess that peace which cometh from Heaven, but that it may dwell in us continually; that it may take an absolute and exclusive possession of our souls; and that God would subdue in us every passion which is inconsistent with it, and promote the growth of those holy desires and heavenly principles which tend to confirm and increase it. The third subject of the Apostle's prayer is, that they might abound in hope. Peace, joy, and hope tend mutually to the confirmation of each other; and those who are eminent for the possession of any one part of the blessings which the Apostle enumerates in his prayer, will usually possess also the others; but by mentioning them separately, and dwelling upon each in its turn, the Apostle seems to admonish his converts with what earnestness they should seek for the attainment of each. Hope is the great comfort and support of life: our happiness is generally in prospect; and if this friend of the wretched were banished from the world, even the season of enjoyment could impart no pleasure. But what are all the hopes and expectations, which this world can furnish, when compared with the hope of immortality! The worldly man delights in things which perish in the using: the disciple of Christ is animated by a hope which extends beyond the grave. His language is that of the Apostle, "I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day." All worldly hopes are clouded by uncertainty: "Thou knowest not what a day may bring forth" but the hope of which St. Paul speaks is a firm and assured hope;-it is built upon the truth of God. The effect of this Christian hope is of a purifying nature: "Every one that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as God is pare." He constantly endeavours to avoid all sin: he seeks to obtain more and more of that holiness which shall be perfected in heaven; to become daily more meet for that inheritance towards which his hope continually aspires: he watches over every propensity which is contrary to the Divine will; and trusting that hereafter he shall be like his Saviour, when called to see him as he is, he seeks for the highest degree of conformity to his Lord which it is possible on earth to attain. Having noticed the blessings which St. Paul implores for his converts, we may proceed II. To shew the way in which they are to be obtained. It appears from the text, that joy, peace, and hope, are to be derived from God. In speaking of the benefits to be obtained, St. Paul adopts that description of the Almighty which is best suited to his subject, and most directly calculated to inspire us with encou ragement in our prayers. In a pre ceding part of the chapter, when entreating that they might possess a spirit of love and unity, aecording to Jesus Christ, he speaks of the Father as the God of patience and consolation; thus inviting us to east our dependence upon him as the Author of those spiritual blessings which the Apostle solicits. If peace and joy be associated with Christian hope, by what terms can we better describe the Author of these benefits, than that which is here adopted," the God of hope ?" The declaration of this passage is consistent with other parts of the sacred volume. Whatever benefits we possess, whether temporal or spiritual, whether in relation to the present life or the future, are freely given to us of God. "Every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of lights;" and he that seeks true peace, joy, or hope, from any other source, will find all his labour end in disappointment. In praying that God would fill them with these spiritual blessings, and then reminding them of the source from which all their hope and consolation must be derived, the Apostle does not intend to throw discredit upon the means of grace. On the contrary, he himself uses earnest prayer for these benefits; knowing that prayer is the usual channel through which they are communicated. But neither are we to suppose that joy, peace, and hope, will invariably be sent in answer to our prayers: many ask and have not, because they ask amiss: we must therefore desire to pray in that manner which God has enjoined, and with that spirit which he requires. Our prayer must be the prayer of faith. This Christian grace is expressly noticed by the Apostle as the means of obtaining the above-mentioned blessings; for he says, " All joy and peace in believing." They belong to that man only who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Saviour of sinners. It is being justified by faith," saith St. Paul, that we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ:" and in a similar strain St. Peter speaks, in his Epistle to the strangers of the dispersion;→ "Whom having not seen ye love, in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." It was this faith in Christ which gave them an assured confidence and persuasion that God was their reconciled Father. By it they were justified in his sight, and made heirs. of God, and joint heirs with Christ. It is by faith that we are enabled to appropriate to ourselves the benefits of our Saviour's cross and passion; and thus to possess in our minds a lively impression of that glorious state which is the portion and inheritance of the people of God. The Agent, by whom faith is im planted in our hearts, and by whom the blessings here mentioned, of joy, and peace, and hope, are communicated to us, is the Holy Spirit. The Apostle, therefore, prays that God would thus "fill us by the power of the Holy Ghost." By His agency the work of salvation is to be begun, and to be perfected in us. Whatever knowledge we poss sess of God as our reconciled Fa ther, or of Christ as our Redeemer whatever progress we make in that spiritual life, which is preparatory to eternal life, all proceeds from the influence of the Spirit of God, enlightening our minds, convincing our understandings, subduing our worldly affections, releasing us from the dominion of sin, imparting to us a new nature, and gradually leading us on in the way of holiness, till we become meet for a better state, We have no power of ourselves to do any thing as of ourselves. If we speak peace to our hearts, when |