by Cyrus, a Persian soldier lifted up his sword to kill Croesus; when his son, under the influence of terror and eager desire to save the life of his father, by a wonderful effort of nature, cried out, "Soldier, spare my father." A discovery of the value and danger of the soul produces a similar effect. It renders the dumb eloquent in supplication. For the soul being lost, all is lost. The soul being preserved, all is well.

Our collect, further, implies a good hope, through grace," of preservation" from all "things that would hurt us." For it addresses God as "almighty and most merciful," and appeals to His "bountiful goodness." Now if God be "able to keep us from falling," (Jude 24) and if His mercy be, like His power, infinite; if His goodness be munificent; surely we may offer our request with confidence of success. His ability to grant it none can doubt who considers the past atchievements of His arm-who contemplates the millions now around His throne who were conducted safely by His power through the same dangers to which we are now exposed, and were made "more than conquerors through "Him that loved them." To doubt of His readiness to "keep us from all things that may "hurt us," will appear equally unreasonable, if we consider the gift of His Son which He hath conferred upon us, and the connection which subsists between that unspeakable gift and its subsequent benefits, of which conservation is one. The promises of His word confirm our faith and establish our hope. And when we recollect that He called us at first by a spontaneous act of omnipotence and grace "from "darkness to light," and "quickened us" when

we were "dead in trespasses and sins," and that the motive to this act of resuscitative energy was derived only from His own bosom; we may dismiss our fears while we call on Him in faith and prayer for present and future help.

But it is time that we hasten to consider the end for which the petition of our collect is addressed to the throne of grace,-" that we, being "ready both in body and soul, may cheerfully "accomplish those things which God would "have done." In this object of our devout wishes several things require consideration.

It may be asked, What would the Lord have us to do? This was the first inquiry of the trembling and astonished convert, Saul of Tarsus, (Acts ix. 6) and it is that of every awakened soul. The answer is supplied by the ten commandments, which are summed up by an infallible expositor, or rather by the Divine Lawgiver Himself, in the love of God and the love of our neighbour. What our duty towards God and our neighbour is, we were taught in our childhood by the catechetical instructions of our church; wherein we were also informed, "that "we are not able to do these things of ourselves, "nor to walk in the commandments of God "and to serve Him, without His special grace; "which we must therefore at all times call for "by diligent prayer."

The accomplishment of the whole will of God, as required by His commandments and enforced by the cogent motives of His gospel, is the object of fervent desire in every genuine churchman. Without such a desire, we have no ground for calling ourselves Christians or churchmen. Should the motives of this desire be inquired for, they are-The glory of God

And personal advantage. The accomplishment of God's will by His people is manifestative of His glory. It is the proof of love which He demands. "He that hath my commandments "and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.” (John xiv. 21.) This is love, that ye walk after His commandments." (2 John 6.) Surely this is a motive sufficiently strong to determine our choice, and to incite us to action. But there is another. Our personal happiness de-, pends on a compliance with the Divine requi-. sition. It would be as reasonable to expect the enjoyment of corporeal ease and comfort without health, as mental happiness without holiness. Now every creature pursues that to which instinct or intellect directs as a mean of happiness. Brute animals do this when uncontrolled with unvarying aim. In their food, their lairs and nests, and indeed in all their aversions and propensions, their election is made with infallible wisdom. Unconverted men would be found to act wisely, if their data were just. For, under the influence of carnal reason, supposing that sensual gratifications and earthly possessions are necessary and all-sufficient to confer happiness, they affect these with the greatest fervency. of soul. And in like manner the true believer, being instructed by the word and Spirit of God that in order to be happy he must be holy,-that conformity to the Divine will is essential. to comfort, earnestly desires to be "sanctified

wholly, in body, soul and spirit," and employs the means which are appointed for the attainment thereof. Let the reader inquire if this Divine instinct, this wisdom from above, be operative in his heart.

There is a cheerfulness required in pursuing the path of duty which is not yet attained by us, not even by the most advanced Christian. For this we pray earnestly in our present collect. In a state of perfect holiness the will of God, as such, is a source of ineffable delight and enjoyment to beatified spirits. But, alas! remaining corruption unnerves our souls, and produces an indisposition for running with alacrity in the way of God's commandments. Are we sensible

of this defect, and anxious for its removal?

A preservation from things hurtful-from the prevalence of corruption, the stings of guilt, and the power of temptation-is necessary to a cheerful accomplishment of the Divine will. Hence appears the propriety of the connection which exists between the two clauses of which our collect is composed. When the conscience is burthened with guilt and the heart is shackled with the chains of sin, duty must of course be a toil. The "heart" must be " enlarged," set free from guilt, bondage, and fear, in order that we may "run in the way of God's com. "mandments." (Ps. cxix. 32.)

The constituent parts of man are a body and a soul. Both are the workmanship of the Divine Artificer, and both have been purchased by the Divine Redeemer. It is no wonder therefore if both are peremptorily claimed for the service of God. The body is the instrument by which the soul acts, and by which its extrinsic operations are performed. Both these component parts of man are the subjects of Divine grace, whereby, when the soul is consecrated to God, the members of the body become also instruments of righteousness unto Him. Both these therefore must be made " ready" by the

effectual working of omnipotent power for the accomplishment of the Divine will, in which both have their offices to perform, that the whole man may be "a vessel unto honour, "sanctified and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." With a firm hope of success in our prayers, let us therefore" draw near with a true heart, in full "assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled " from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed "with pure water," "through Jesus Christ our "Lord," by whose "blood we have boldness "to enter into the holiest, by a new and living way, which He hath consecrated for us through "the vail, that is to say, His flesh.”