are all put by seem, by a kind of tacit consent, to be laid aside for the day. Is heaven a reality? Is Christ indeed beloved? Is the soul imperishable? The faith of the child, such as it is, is gradually sapped and undermined. All that the foolish inconsistent parent is building up with one hand, he is himself, by this restraint, effectually weakening and destroying with. the other. (5.) I only farther remark here, that near relatives are, by this restraint, deprived of one of the mightiest incentives to a holy life. I do not refer to the direct influence of the unfettered intercourse; that belongs to a previous particular. But I allude to its indirect power in engaging the parties, unavoidably making them feel committed to God and to each other, in exact proportion to the sacredness of their communications, and the freedom with which they are interchanged, to a life of universal holiness. Ah, I suspect this lies nearer the root of the whole evil-this committing of each other than might at first view appear. Of this a little more immediately. But, meanwhile, it is very plain that, if near relatives were freely conversing together of God and of his Christ, of his love, of their duty, of Scripture, of heaven, in their family circle, at their meals, in their brief seasons, it might be, of leisure and retirement—it could not fail mightily to engage them, and very happily and irrevocably commit them to a higher, a more holy and blameless life. Yea, the very communication itself would in fact be just an implicit vow to the effect of those words of David, "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way; O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."

II. But let us now inquire very shortly into the causes of that restraint, of which we have endeavoured to mark the evil and mischievous character. I believe that the much esteemed divine, whose words I read at the outset, spoke but the plain truth when he said that “it looked almost like a satanic influence, by which the prince of darkness contrived to obstruct this sort of reciprocal interchange in families, lest his kingdom should suffer by it." No doubt the God of this world has much to do with this matter. Under him, however, it is clear that one leading cause of the restraint is to be sought, (1.) In the unregenerate condition of too many parents, and other near relatives, professing religion. They cannot speak of Christ, because they are ignorant of him. They cannot commend him to others, because they have never themselves embraced him. His name is seldom in their lips, because he himself is not in their hearts. The world is their theme, because it is their treasure, their God. "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also;" 'Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." beloved, how is it with us in this matter? Are we living Christians or

O

no? Let us not seek for causes lying comparatively on the surface, while the seat of the disease may be at the heart, in the very vitals, in a soul "dead in trespasses and sins." There is no doubt, however, that this restraint prevails to a melancholy degree even among the children of God. And, therefore, we must look for other causes, short of an unconverted state and character. (2.) I observe, secondly, under this head, that careless inconsistent walking before God and each other, among near relatives, is one painful and powerful cause. Persons professing godliness, united in very endearing ties, are not careful to order their lives in each others sight, entirely as becomes the gospel. Each is conscious of this secretly in himself, and perceives it in the other; and there are two distinct ways in which this operates to the restraining of communication about spiritual things. Honesty, in the first place, forbids it. It is felt that it were hypocrisy, in such circumstances, to talk of Chrst's love and of his law, unless, at least, it were with the avowed design of committing the parties to an immediate change. If they are not prepared for this, the words of piety would be choaked in the very utterance. Indeed, spiritual conversation is neither possible nor desirable in such circumstances. And thus observe how it is, again, that if the parties are not prepared for rising to a higher standard and tone of living, they will restrain religious conversation more or less, it may be unconsciously, just that they may not be engaged and committed to a course on which they are not prepared to enter. Strange and melancholy thought that thus those inconsistencies, which are in the first instance a cause of this restraint, become in their turn a fruit of it-are fearfully deepened and perpetuated by it, inasmuch as the parties are deprived, as we saw, under the last head, of the unspeakable benefit of being committed, before God and each other, to their removal, and to a life of universal holiness. But still farther, (3.) and in close connection with inconsistent walking, yet distinct from it, I believe that the chief cause of the restraint in question among the people of God is to be found in the want of soul-prosperity, and of a close and habitual intercourse in secret with God and his blessed Word. This is distinct from inconsistent walking; for, though there cannot assuredly be prosperity of soul where there is such walking, yet, on the other hand, there may not be inconsistent walking in the ordinary sense of that expression, and yet there may be very little soul-prosperity. There may be a low and carnal state of soul, far from the spirit of that word, "Enoch walked with God;" and that word, "I rejoiced at thy Word as one that hath found great spoil;" and that one, Truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ;" and that one, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." There may be a state of soul that

will either close the lips about God altogether in the daily intercourse of the family, or make anything that may be uttered so cold, and stiff, and unnatural, as possibly to be worse than entire silence. O! it is the spiritually prosperous soul, warmed with the love of Christ, that alone can speak of him or for him to any purpose. It is the man who cannot but speak of Divine things that alone will speak of them to much use. It is the Christian who has come forth from his closet breathing the air of heaven, the Word of Christ dwelling richly in him, and the hope of glory animating and cheering him-it is he who naturally and easily, without any stiffness or constraint, will speak of the things which he has seen and heard; "for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." "These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart; and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in the house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Is the restraint we are discoursing of so very strange a thing, after all? Strange assuredly, that, at this day, at this period of the dispensation of the Holy Ghost, the interests of vital godliness should be so low among us! But being as they are, the restraint follows necessarily, partly an effect, and partly in its turn a cause. The want, in short, of religion, or the low state of it, are the real causes of this evil.

III. And thus, finally, there can be little difficulty in discovering and noticing the remedies, under God, for the evil. These must take their character from the causes. For example, (1.) I besought you to ask yourselves, as in God's sight, whether ye were Christ's indeed. If the cause of the evil should lie in an unregenerate heart, God forbid we should "daub with untempered mortar," attempt to heal the hurt of your souls slightly, or propose any surface remedies, while the disease lies at the vitals. The only remedy in such a case is to get into Christ, to obtain a new heart, to flee from the wrath to come, to the Lord Jesus, the hope set before you in the gospel, "the resurrection and the life." And so again (2.) If the cause lie with you in careless and inconsistent walking, whatever other remedies you may employ, let that command be heard, "Put away the strange gods which are among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only." Search out and remove the accursed thing, the Achan, that interferes with your free communication about the things of God. "If we walk," says John, the Apostle, "in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." "If ye call on the Father, who, without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in No. 7.-SER. 6.

fear, as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance; but as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation." And especially, (3.) in the third place, seek the remedy for this evil in a closer walk with God, in a more habitual, living fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ, in a nearer and more intimate converse with this blessed volume. All will be in vain without this. This, next to conversion, is preeminently the remedy for the evil-—a prosperous soul, a heart breathing, burning with the love of Christ-a mind richly stored with the truths and the words of the Lord Jesus. Which leads me to say finally, (4.) offering one or two closing hints towards that fuller and franker communication on spiritual things, so much in Christian families to be desired. Let Scripture texts be made very frequent use of as the materials of conversation. There is a Divine fitness and mighty power in the Word of God for this purpose, if we would only trust it. Different plans might be taken here-as, for instance, each in a family circle, when they have met for some meal, perhaps in the morning, might repeat a verse of Scripture— by way of suggesting materials of thought, providing food for the soul, throwing out subjects of pleasing and useful intercourse. But whatever the plan be, or whether there be any fixed plan at all, the Scriptures will afford endless facilities and means of communication; and even as to those the most disposed to complain of the lack of materials, I will venture to say that a little courage, with but simple texts, chosen with a moderate degree of judgment, may soon, in a very great measure, overcome the whole difficulty. Passing incidents, also, ought to be viewed in their connection with Providence, and to be marked accordingly. Mercies, afflictions, difficulties, duties, and trials in prospect, will all furnish to a spiritual mind topies of natural remark. Courage will often require to be exercised by those united in the nearest bonds, to get at the most vital and personal concerns of the soul. Let stiffness also be carefully shunned, and all austerity and gloom. It were well if love, still more than even faithfulness, were the moving spring and principle of the whole; and, in one word, let us never be satisfied with our state of mind till we can assure ourselves that our chief desires and anxieties for those most dear to us, are really and unquestionably engaged about their spiritual and everlasting welfare. "Exhort one another daily." "Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord harkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Amen.

SERMON VII.

THE LOVE OF THE FATHER.

BY THE REV. ANDREW A. BONAR, COLLACE.

For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."-JOHN vi. 38-40.

NONE of the Evangelists or Apostles speak so much of the Father as John, who knew most of his Son Jesus Christ, and leant upon his bosom. The reason is, John felt that the mind of the Father and the mind of the Son were the same-entirely the same. He was, therefore, engaged in the same topic when he unfolded the Father's love.

It is remarkable that it is this apostle who records what Jesus revealed concerning the Father, and how Jesus delighted to point his disciples to him. Thus, he shows us in the context, verse 37, that Jesus went into the secret of his pavilion when his soul was grieved by the perverse unbelief of men. In that hour, when Jesus could find no refreshment in the men around him, he turned back for a moment's joy to the Father's love. "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me!" He bathes his soul in that depth of eternal love. He surveys those given to him— Abel, and the saints of his age-Abraham, and his faithful ones-Peter, John, Mary, Lydia-the few in Sardis-the souls under the altarand, as he surveys them, he sees his Father's love sparkle from each one, for these are his Father's gift; and forthwith his own love overflows on all that stand by. He flashes out his own love when he in the same moment cries, "And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." It seems that in that hour he thought upon the future. He saw, as he uttered the words, " All whom the Father giveth me,” how man would be prone to take this reference to the Father's love as indicating a difference between the grace of the Father and of the Son. He saw that many would say, that Jesus damped the rising hope of the coming sinner when he said, "All that the Father giveth me," and therefore does he forthwith cast out that other cord of love, "And him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." So great is my Father's