at last, and disappoint his hopes, what is there to prevent the dejected pastor from sinking into complete despair, or from saying in the bitterness of his haste, “all men are liars," even though he should therein be condemning the generation of God's children?

It is in times like these, that the only real motive for entering the ministry-the love of Christ-shows most clearly its true practical value. When the hope of influence is disappointed by the persevering neglect of those who were to be influenced; when the hope of obtaining comfort or respect is frustrated by the misrepresentations, the calumnies, and the ill treatment of those to whom we would fain do good; in seasons when there is neither the consciousness of human sympathy to cheer us in our labour, nor the sight of any successful result of our zeal to encourage us to hope for more, it is then that every other human motive fails, and that he alone perseveres in his thankless and laborious duty who feels the love of Christ warm in his heart, and who by that love is urged to "feed his sheep." How peculiarly that love is fitted to sustain the heart of the parish minister at such a time,-with what exact and beautiful adaptation it offers the precise strength, sympathy, and encouragement which he requires, whereby even yet he is willing to cast his bread upon the waters in the hope of finding it after many days, I would fain inquire;

but I have already exceeded the limits to which this occasion should have restricted me.

Yet I would not conclude without observing, that if the difficulties of our situation are great, and by this one motive alone surmountable, (and none will think that they are at this time less great or less terrible than in the worst ages of the Church's danger,) so is the glory and the reward of surmounting them great, and greatly incomparable to them. It is true indeed that obedience, and honest zeal in prayer, and unflinching reliance upon the promises of God in Christ, form to the minister and the humblest of his flock alike the only road to a happy resurrection; but it is true also that "whosoever shall do these things, and teach men so, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven,”—that “he who has been faithful over many things” shall be more highly exalted than " he who has been faithful over few things."

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When our Lord repeated for the third time to St. Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved that he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me ? and he answered, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

My brethren, we may think and feel that our hearts are whole in this matter, and we should perhaps be grieved like St. Peter if any suspicion were breathed or hinted of the purity or earnestness

of our love. May that love be by God's Holy Spirit nourished, confirmed, perfected in us!

But let us know, and feel, and acknowledge our weakness and our danger. Let us, through our lives, pray to God in Christ that the Holy Ghost may assist our frailties, and sanctify our labours: and if the dangers which have been described should ever beset us in our ministerial course, and we should feel ourselves returning to a secular and worldly mind, let us recal the solemnity of this day, the love we feel,-the vows we make,-the holy influence under which we well believe we act, -the hopes we cherish; that thus by the operation of that blessed Spirit we may be urged forward in our labour of love, and at last hear that glorious salutation, "Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.”

SERMON XVIII.

ORDINATION.

ST. JOHN xxi. 15.

"Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs."

THE world in which we live may be regarded in two ways: we may view it, as it is itself alone,—a stirring scene, in which millions of human agents are unceasingly engaged in various and busy occupations, each having a life interest in its multifarious concerns, and then passing away and leaving his place to be supplied by others. In this view, which is the one furnished by the first aspect of the world, human motives and human objects are the prominent ones. Some men rise, and some fall. Human passions and interests are incessantly producing new complexities in the great web and tissue of life. Individual energy and virtue are more or less re

gularly rewarded with the prizes of honour, wealth, or power some are blessed with health, station, talents; others have to fill the less arduous, perhaps not less happy, situations of poverty, sickness, and labour.

Or we may look at the world in another point of view,-as God's world, as part only of a larger scheme, as preparatory to the other state of life and immortality which is brought to light in the Gospel.

It is very remarkable, how entirely different the world appears when viewed in these different respects. From the first point of sight all seems full of life, energy, and success. Men are ranked according to birth, talent, usefulness; the distinctions are visible and recognised, the objects clear and well defined; the qualities whereby they are to be gained, honourable and universally honoured. But view the same scene from the other point, and all is changed: "not many rich, not many noble, not many mighty," are to be found in the first rank, as seen from thence. The qualities by which that rank is attained are invisible, not generally honoured, unconnected with temporal advancement. The kingdom of Christ is in this world, pervades and surrounds this world, but it is not of this world. The officers of Christ's earthly kingdom, the priesthood of His word and sacraments, are not the same as the officers of the visible kingdoms in which they live. They derive authority elsewhere-they have