And to all your own endeavours to keep out of sin, do you add earnest prayers for grace, that you may keep your body in temperance, soberness, and chastity, and that your soul may be made a temple for God himself to dwell in?

My children, God has not called us to uncleanness but to holiness. He has called us to be like him here in true holiness, that we may dwell with him hereafter, and see him face to face.

Holy children are like lambs feeding on beds of thyme and delicate verdure, fanned by the breezes of heaven, and their thirst slaked by the purest water that runs down the mountain side, and their shepherd is the Lord of Life himself.

Impure children are like filthy swine wallowing in mire, as soon as they are washed returning to their wallowing again.

Every one admires a clean and innocent lamb. Every one dislikes the filthy and disgusting swine. Even the children of the family love to caress the lamb, and deck his fleece with flowers: but the greedy, the dirty, the grunting swine, they turn from with disgust.

Be a lamb in innocence and purity here, and the children of your Father's family above will love you, and, if permitted, will prepare for you a crown of immortal amaranth.

Yes, when you leave the pasture-ground on earth, Immanuel's land below; you shall be numbered with your Father's children, with the saints in glory everlasting; and dwell where dear children love to dwell, in their Father's presence for ever. But the unholy, the impure, whatsoever loveth and maketh a lie, shall be cast out of the holy city; for without are dogs, and all impure creatures. And how will impure children curse the vain delights, the carnal pleasures, which they followed so greedily on earth, when they see the holy children, whom once, perhaps, they despised and laughed at, admitted into heaven, while the golden gates thereof are closed upon themselves for ever.

O, my beloved children! repent of all your impure thoughts, words, and deeds; fly to your Saviour to be washed in his blood from all your past guilt, and pray for the Holy Spirit to cleanse your inmost soul; and,

in the strength of that Spirit, put away far from you every thing that is impure, take up your cross and deny yourselves.

Impure pleasures are like poisonous weeds; pluck them up and cast them from you, and God will repay you with enduring pleasures, which, like celestial flowers, shall bud and bloom, and never die. Remember, that he who soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Gal. vi. 8.)

ADDRESS VII.

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called 'the children of God."-Matt. v. 9.

THE character of a peacemaker is a very sweet character. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is the first and best of peacemakers. He came on earth to make peace between God and man, and to make peace between man and man. He suffered death upon the cross for our redemption, and made there a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. And when this glorious work was finished, he did as it were present us to his Father, saying, "Father, behold these sheep, for whom I have laid down my life." The Father, for Christ's sake, loves us; and, if we reject not the salvation which is purchased for us, he will lift up the light of his countenance upon us, not only in this world, but for ever. Thus did Christ bring peace and

good-will from God to man, as the angels sung on the morning of Christmas-day.

Our Saviour also came to be a peacemaker between man and man.

He was him

self a pattern of love in all his behaviour. In every part of the New Testament he is continually exhorting us to love, to pity, and to forgiveness.

Our Saviour also makes peace in the hearts of his people. His peace he gives to them and he puts within them the spirit of love, which teaches them to love God, and to love each other. And lastly, as the crowning work, he would have us not only love God and love each other, and enjoy heavenly peace in our own bosoms, but he would have us teach others to love God and each other, and point out to them the way of peace.

Our Saviour does not put this beatitude first for how can persons be peacemakers, who do not know what peace is themselves? We must first be humbled for our sins, and mourn for them, and seek for pardon through the blood of Christ, before we can be at peace with God. We must be meek and merciful, or we cannot know what peace is with our