all this, is to understand and believe all that is essential to the Christian religion. Nevertheless, we must not forget, that though we may believe all this, yea more, and have not charity, we are NOTHING. Charity is the spirit, the life of Chistianity. In vain do we talk of our faith, our knowledge, our public and private laborsif charity is not the spring of action to the soul, all is as the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal -in the balances of Christianity "we are nothing" without charity.

But this conclusion does not detract from the importance of believing the propositions before mentioned. For it is through the medium of correct faith, that we may generally expect to acquire the spirit of any known system in perfection, and hence we may hope that the benign spirit of Christianity will follow a due knowledge of its principles. And at the same time we may seldom expect the faith of the gospel to be cherished and received by a heart that is destitute of kindness. Thus do the faith of Christ and the spirit of his religion mutually cherish and sustain each other. And as we should seriously suspect the truth of that faith which leaves our hearts without benevolence, so we should be cautious about receiving those ideas of God and his government which ascribe cruelty to his power and eclipse the mercy of his throne. When we, therefore, believe in the Divine Existence, we should believe that the invisible God is as good as he is great-that he is as merciful as he is just. But we must conclude by remarking briefly upon the propriety of believing that system which we have briefly marked out.

1. Who can doubt the propriety and utility of believing in God? Or rather, who can doubt the truth of the proposition? Who can survey the visible things that are around us, and contemplate the order of nature and the adaptation of things to things, without feeling impressed with the existence of an Almighty, though invisible Power? But, we ask, what is man without this belief? A ship tossed upon the stormy ocean without a compass. He is like a traveller lost in the wilderness without a guide. He lives, but knows not who gave him life-he moves, but owns no Author of the powers he exercises, and has none to direct his steps. So natural it is to the mind of man to believe in God, that he knows no mental or moral rest without such a faith. And the moment he feels convinced of the Divine existence, that moment a new turn is given to his thoughts. He then feels rest to his soul. He feels that the Being who gave him existence regards him with care, and will provide for his reasonable wants. feels at once accountable for his conduct, and conscious of his relationship to his Creator. And his heart is improved and his affections elevated by an all pervading sense of the Divine

presence.

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2. But with all this, he is only impelled to seek for a more intimate knowledge of that Being whose magnificent works roll in such glory around him. What can be more suitable for man than to believe in Christ, as the Son of God, who came with those endowments and qualifications calculated to exhibit and ex

emplify to manking all they are capacitated to know of their Creator in this imperfect state of being? In him, says an inspired writer, dwelt all the fulness of the God-head bodily. He was the express image of the Creator. Let us look to Christ, then, and behold all of the disposition, character, purposes and power of God which it is necessary for us to know in our present condition. Let us study the history of his life, his feelings, his works, his prayers, his death, and his final resurrection and glory. Here is exhibited enough for mortal man to know of God.

3. When a sense of our sins gathers in horror upon our spirits, what can profit us more than to understand the gift of God in our Divine Master? What can be dearer to us than the light of the Gospel which guides us to salvation from our guilt.

4. When assailed by temptation or tossed by passion, what can be better calculated to restrain and regulate our feelings than a knowledge of the truth, that God will render to every man according to his works? And what is better calculated to soothe us in our afflictions than the reflection, that God never chastises us save for our good?

5. When the close of this mortal life approaches, what can so tranquillize our feelings and resign our minds as the glorious hope of immortality beyond the grave? where the whole human family, raised in the spirit and power of the resurrection, shall sing in triumph, "O, death, where is thy sting? O, grave, where is thy victory?" Amen.

THE DEATH OF ABEL.

A SERMON.

"And Cain talked with Abel his brother and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.-Gen. iv. 8.

THE weakness of human nature is exposed upon the first pages of our world's history. A few sunny days had shone upon the virgin bowers of Eden, while Adam was engaged in giving "names to all cattle, and to the fowls of the air, and every beast of the field," undisturbed by any unwelcome visitation. But, as if portentous of the evanescent nature of all subsequent earthly enjoyment, this season of tranquillity was of brief duration. The subtle serpent soon became the chosen and appropriate emblem of man's restless and aspiring passions. Unwilling to yield obedience to the wise commands of his Creator, man ventured to grasp, and eat the fruit of the one forbidden tree, thereby incurring the guilt, the death, of which he had been kindly and solemnly admonished, on being placed in the garden of Eden.

By this we are shown, that man is prone to indulge his passions and appetites even in violation of the known commands and wise prohibitions of his Maker. And, although a few discreet reflections are sufficient to convince the dullest of us, that God is not worshipped with men's hands, or obeyed by them, as though he needed any thing; and that therefore the good of his creatures is alone consulted in all that

God requires, and in all he has forbidden. Yet our rebellious passions often lead us astray, and the rankling virus of the prohibited cup stings us to the soul. And when it is too late, we find ourselves banished from the Eden of innocence, which we have forfeited by our presumption. So the parent pair of our nature, who could not brook the small restraint held over their passions by the kind hand of their Law-giver, and which was just sufficient to make them conscious that they rightfully owed all their blessings and privileges to his parental indulgence, soon presumed to judge for themselves, and thus procured their expulsion from Eden.

Although I deem it impossible for sober truth to bear with composure, all the wild, discordant fancies with which this event has been invested by poets, and still more extravagant theologians; yet, I allow that it was properly a tragedy, the first that ever cast its dark shadows over the prospects of our mortal nature; and practically demonstrated that the creation was made subject to vanity. Then the human bosom for the first time felt the keen pangs of remorse and died in sin.

Since that period, human nature has been permitted to arise to maturity by degrees; so that now, although our earliest departure from innocence may not rouse the upbraidings of conscience to so loud a note, as then on the primeval pair was sounded, yet could we call to mind our first sense of guilt, perhaps no subsequent shock could appear so appalling to our hearts. But as the first assails of sin were experienced