of the world which faith must overcome, in order to show itself by its effects. This signifies every thing of which men boast, or make a show, so that it is varied according to our tastes and circumstances. With many it is the love of finery in dress; with others it is display in furniture, and in their habitations; as with those in higher ranks, it extends to palaces, and carriages, and liveries. The pride of mixing with what is called good society, which means not good, but great, is a very extensive form of the pride of life. The amusements of the world, balls, races, theatres, parties of pleasure in general, are valued chiefly for the sake of being seen where our pride may be gratified. But it would be unjust to pass by those who pursue science and literature, in the same spirit as others hunt after pleasure. A valuable library may be as much an object of pride as a splendid carriage, or mansion. One may be more vain of the title of doctor, than another is of that of duke. If the motive is the same, where is the difference between crowding to the conversaziones of the learned, or the soirées of the fashionable? There is as much pride in science as in wealth, and the most arrogant of mankind were the ancient philosophers; not the rich only, in their splendid porches or rural groves, but the poor cynics also, like Diogenes in his tub. For, when he trode contemptuously on the rich furniture of Plato, exclaiming, "I trample on Plato's pride," the retort was-"Most true: and with still greater pride." In fact; the pride of life may appear, as it too often does, without a blush, in the assemblies

of the church; and in the pulpit too, where a thousand arts are employed to catch the eye, and the ear, and to fish for applause by those who ought to be "fishers of men." Verily, here is "the abomination that maketh desolate standing where it ought not." "But this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith ;" and to show it by our works, we must renounce the pride of life in every form. It should, however, be known and remembered, that what is guilty pride in one, may be perfectly innocent in another. A king, born in a palace, cannot lay aside the splendid appendages of royalty, at his own pleasure; but, then, he may have no more pride in these things, than a labourer in his neat cottage, and pretty garden. "The rich and poor meet together, and the Lord is the maker of them both;" nor does it appear that he designed to destroy the differences of ranks, by the influence of religion. The pride of life is that which faith must overcome; and every genuine believer watches against this evil principle, so that to the eye that searches the heart, there may be more humility in high than in low life; "the brother of high degree rejoicing in that he is made low" by the Spirit of Christ, and the one of low degree vaunting that he is exalted, though he is "vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind."

A man that would show us his faith, must shun whatever would feed his pride. Who can read the apostolic writings, without being struck by the total absence of the spirit of the world which they evince? If any one were to say, they were clothed with purple

and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day; that they accumulated fortunes, and were gay and fashionable, figuring in courts and theatres, and public amusements, who would not be shocked with the gross violation of truth? But was it peculiar to the apostles to renounce the world? No; Christians in general tread in their steps.

Not merely by negative excellence, or what would be called innocence, putting away every sin, do we show our faith, but by works of obedience. When our Redeemer sent his apostles into the world, to preach the gospel, that he who believeth might be saved, he added, "teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have commanded you." "Faith worketh by love, and this is the love of God, that we keep his commands, and his commands are not grievous.' For what some, who rely on their own works, think so hard that they take the liberty of neglecting it, faith makes easy. Of this, what a triumphant display is given in the eleventh chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews! There we see believers at God's command, quitting their country, to go they knew not whither; offering up, without murmuring, an only child, passing from a court into a desert, and braving the wrath of a tyrant; in short, "working righteousness, obtaining promises, stopping the mouths of lions, quenching the violence of fire." For that faith which some think a dull, passive thing, a mere apology for indolence, is the only working principle that produces obedience to all God's commandments.

But a life of devotion is a special fruit and proof

of faith. If we truly embrace Christ's assurance, "All things that ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive, we must pray without ceasing." In the house of an unbeliever, you would not expect to find a room set apart for prayer; but a man of faith must have a closet for secret communion with God; for, he knows him that has said, "Thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet, and pray to thy Father in secret." In his own house, a believer shows his faith, by the worship of God, gathering his family round the mercyseat and saying, “I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.”

We show our faith by our works, when we join ourselves to the church of God, knowing that, as he has said, the Lord added to the church daily such as are saved, and that the gates of death shall not prevail against the church; it cannot be preserved, in a dying world, but by newly born Christians filling up the place of the departed. So important is this, to show our faith, that all the world views the man who is not joined to other Christians as not one of them. United to the company of the faithful, we take our part in obeying the last solemn command, to eat bread and drink wine, of which our Lord and Saviour said, "This do in remembrance of me." Around this holy feast, we are drawn into that communion of goods by contributing to the necessity of the saints, to which Christ the Judge will appeal at the last day as the decisive proofs of faith and love.

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CHAPTER VII.

Of the Sacraments.

As neither Paul nor James speak of Justification by the sacraments, this chapter had been unnecessary, were it not that Rome says the sacrament of baptism is the instrumental cause of Justification, and Mr. Newman affirms "there is nothing inconsistent in faith being the sole instrument of Justification, and yet baptism also the sole instrument, and, that at the same time, because, in distinct senses."-p. 259. He says also, "the theology very common in this day, differs from our own, in considering that faith and not baptism, is the primary instrument of justification."-p.31.

Of the sacraments we know that Rome speaks proudly, as does also Mr. Newman: "And, again, (which is a point not yet touched on) Justification is conveyed particularly through the sacraments, as holy communion conveys a more awful presence of God than holy baptism, so must it be the instrument of a higher Justification, and this enables us to understand how infants may be regenerate, though they give no indications of being so. Moreover, if Justification be the inward application of the atonement, we are furnished with a definition of a sacrament for

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