your thoughts, and God's praise upon your tongues. You have felt, with me, that it were a shame and a sin to keep silence, and not speak good words, while we are receiving, as we are now, such manifest marks of His loving-kindness.

Surely we should be more blameable far than the idolaters of old, did we not see in this present harvest season, a witness for God-did it not fill our hearts with a holy gladness. Surely we should ill deserve to have our garners full, and plenteous with all manner of store; to have no complaining in our streets; to have those two chief earthly blessings, now again restored to us, peace and plenty in our land—did we restrain our thankfulness-did we not give to Him from whom they come, all honour, blessing, and praise, and vie with one another in making our boast of God-in rejoicing, and giving praise for the operation of His hands!

And now, in the last place, let us consider what that praise is, in which God delights, and which He will be best pleased to receive, in token of our gratitude.

It is the praise of a people dwelling together in unity and love-the praise that goes up from a full and devout congregation, in the place of His public worship. It is the praise of a sober, godly lifethe praise which each man offers, who walks in the

way of God's commandments. It is the praise that whole families offer, among whom He is servedwhere the bond between master and servant, child and parent, sister and brother, is religion.

Again, it is the praise which is the out-growth of charity; that which rises up from the widow's heart comforted, from the sick visited, from the poor succoured; that which springs from wrongs redressed; from quarrels made up; from forgiveness granted; from wrath turned aside; from the sinner won back to his Saviour; from the weak and the ignorant sheltered from harm-in a word, the praise which God seeks, is that which proceeds from a life led by the faith of His dear Son-from Jesus Christ, not simply believed in, but closely followed.

Such, surely, is the praise that God will regard -the praise that we ought, all of us, to try and render Him. And this praise, you And this praise, you will see, is not transitory; it does not stop, and intermit, but it goes on continually, pervading, where it is found, the whole habit and conversation, and quickening, with its leaven, our whole life.

May God, when He maketh inquisition, find such praise amongst us! May He, looking down, see here, and everywhere throughout this highlyfavoured land, a people that serveth Him,—a people in whose hearts there is that "due sense of His mercies, which makes them "unfeignedly thank

ful!" who show forth their thankfulness in the true spirit of the English race-by what they do, more than by what they say,—who hold all they have— their property, their talents, their influence in the world, their health, and strength, as not their own, but His; and who use it all for Him-use it in doing good-in adorning the doctrine of God their Saviour-in causing the light of His gospel to shine ever more and more among men, and in reflecting that light in their own hearts, and tempers, and lives!

Shiplake, Aug. 10, 1856.

SERMON XXII.

THE INDIAN MUTINY.

[FAST DAY, OCT. 7, 1857.]

Ps. lxxvii. 2.

"In the time of my trouble I sought the Lord."

WE are met together to-day, brethren, by the command of our Sovereign, to humble ourselves before Almighty God, to implore His pardon for our sins, and His blessing on our arms for the restoring of peace and tranquillity in India.

And they have done well who have advised this duty. If ever there was a time that called for national humiliation, it is the present. "It is, indeed, a day of trouble and of treading down, and of perplexity, by the Lord God of hosts." Not since we became a nation have we had to mourn for a greater, and a sorer calamity than this which has suddenly come upon us in India. And as yet we know not the utmost of it. A day's post may add God forbid that it should!- fresh cause for

sorrow, and give increased bitterness to the cup of which we have already been made so copiously to drink.

Therefore, as I said, it is well ordered that a solemn day like this should be set apart, on which, as a people, we may humble ourselves and pray; on which we may turn, one and all, to Him who is ever a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heatand in the time of our trouble seek the Lord.

Such being the case, my duty is clear. It is to urge you, brethren, to carry out the objects of this solemn fast, so as to make it effectual for the general welfare; so as to draw down God's favour upon our land, and the renewal of those mercies, which for our sins are at present withholden.

Suffer me, then, to plead with you, with all plainness of speech, and bear with me, while I attempt to set before you your part, and mine at this critical moment,-what we ought to do, and what we ought to leave undone, who desire to be of use to our country; a help, and not a hindrance, to those our brethren whose lives are now imperilled by war and violence in the East.

And, first, our plain duty is to pray for them; not only as we do this day in our solemn national service, but on other days as well-day by day in our home-prayers; Sabbath after Sabbath in