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name. What remains, what impressions, what "difference or distinction do you discern in the mass "of fire? Rome itself, eternal Rome, the great city, "the empress of the world, whose domination and "superstition, ancient and modern, make a large

part of the history of this earth; what is become "of her now? She laid her foundations deep, and "her palaces were strong and sumptuous; she glo

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rified herself, and lived deliciously, and said in her heart, I sit as a queen, and shall see no sorrow. "But her hour is come, she is wiped away from the

face of the earth, and buried in everlasting oblivion. "But not cities only, and the works of men's hands"the everlasting hills, the mountains and rocks are "melted as wax before the sun, and their place is no "where to be found. Here stood the Alps, the load "of the earth, that covered many countries, and "reached their arms from the Ocean to the Black "Sea: this huge mass of stone is softened and dis"solved, as a tender cloud into rain. Here stood "the African mountains, and Atlas with his top "above the clouds; there was frozen Caucasus, "and Taurus, and Imaus, and the mountains of "Asia; and yonder, towards the north, stood the "Riphæan hills, clothed in ice and snow. All these "are vanished, dropped away as the snow upon their “heads!-Great and marvellous are thy works, "Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, "thou King of saints!"

Thus you see, "old things are passed away." But out of their ashes a new creation shall spring

forth. According to the divine promise, which cannot fail, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwell righteousness, joy, and life, and from which, consequently, sin, sorrow, and death, are for ever excluded. We wait, in faith and patience, for the time when we ourselves shall be restored with the world, and "all things shall become new." To prepare for this glorious and unexpected time, let us be first "renewed in the spirit of our minds; let us

put off the old man, corrupt with the deceitful "lusts, and put on the new man, which of God is "created in righteousness and true holiness;" addressing ourselves, for the necessary strength and power, to him that sitteth on the throne, who saith from thence, "Behold, I make all things new." This done, we shall descend undismayed to the grave, and our flesh shall rest there in hope, like a grain of corn in its furrow, to appear in another and better form, at the appointed season, to begin an everlasting spring, and be for ever young. And when can we enter with so great propriety, upon the blessed work, as now, when a new year affords us opportunity to repair the miscarriages of the old one? -Let me leave in your ears, and upon your minds, the charming words of that kind and affectionate invitation, made in one of the sacred books, by the Redeemer to his church, who, you know, throughout the Scriptures is considered in the relation of his spouse:

Lo, the winter will soon be past; the rain will "be over and gone; the flowers will appear on the

"earth; the time of the singing of birds will come; " and the voice of the turtle will be heard in our land. "The fig-tree will put forth her green figs, and the "vines, with the tender grape, give a good smell.

Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, "and Christ shall give thee light."

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DISCOURSE XXIX.

THE CHILDREN IN THE TEMPLE.

MATTHEW, XXI. 15, 16.

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

THIS part of sacred story presents us with a very extraordinary scene. Messiah, the promised Saviour, prefigured by the law, foretold by the prophets, and universally expected to appear, appears accordingly. Exactly in the manner described by Zechariah, he makes his public entry, meek and lowly, into his capital city, Jerusalem. Agreeably to the celebrated passages in Malachi and Haggai, "The Lord, whom men sought, came to his temple," and by his personal presence rendered "the glory of "the latter house greater than the glory of the for"mer." "He came to his own, but his own re

"ceived him not." The rulers of the then church would not acknowledge him: they were offended (it was but a natural consequence) with those who did so. The voices of children, proclaiming his titles, sounded harsh and grating in their ears; and they hinted by their question, that he himself ought to reprove, rebuke, and silence these little heralds of his praises. "Hearest thou what these say?"-as if they had spoken blasphemy. But mark the answer: "Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou "hast perfected praise?" In other words, "You "are ignorant of your own Scriptures; at least you "do not recollect what is written in the eighth

psalm; that when God is to be glorified for his "works, and those who should do it will not do it, 66 he makes even children the instruments of sham"ing and confounding the adversaries of his truth: "out of the mouth of babes and sucklings he perfects praise," or, as it is in the original Hebrew, "or"dains, appoints, constitutes strength, to still the enemy and the avenger.'

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The proposition arising from the text is evidently this; that God is pleased to esteem himself honoured, when children are taught to confess and to praise his holy name. A few considerations shall be offered, touching the grounds and reasons of such proposition, whence an application will follow to the charity which this discourse is designed to recommend.

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On hearing, that "out of the mouth of babes and "sucklings God ordains strength to still the enemy,' the thought which first strikes us is that suggested in

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