daily sacrifice from the people to their God. That temple is now destroyed, and that altar overthrown. -- Nevertheless Jehovah has not withdrawn himself. He still dwelleth upon earth. There is a temple still, and an altar still. The temple is the human body, the altar is the human heart." What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God 1?" "Ye are the temple of the living God."—There is something more in these words, my brethren, than a strong figurative expression. In the time before the flood, and in the days of the favoured patriarchs-God walked more openly and familiarly with man, appearing by his angels, in a bodily form. Over Israel, liberated from captivity-and made a chosen people peculiarly his own, he looked out from the pillar of cloud by day, and watched from the pillar of fire by night. In the temple his immediate presence was visibly demonstrated-and

11 Cor. vi. 19.

2 2 Cor. vi. 16.

in the holy of holies the brightness of his glory shone between the cherubim.-Under this, the more perfect dispensation, he is still actually, though not visibly, present with his Church, and the heart of every Christian is "the place where his honour dwelleth." Hence the Apostle tells us, that whoso defileth his body by sin, shall be destroyed, because he has defiled "the temple of God."

"the

Here then we have a temple and an altar, but where is the fire that should alway be burning upon it, and never go out? That too, should be found, my brethren.-Not indeed a visible fire, reeking with the fat of the peace-offering,—or rolling clouds of perfume from frankincense that is upon the meat-offering," but a sacrifice of a sweeter savour, a light more pleasing in the sight of God: viz. the pure flame of sincere and earnest devotion. This is the fire, kindled by the divine inmate of the sanctuary—the Holy Ghost himself, which the Christian is commanded to keep alive. It must never go out, or it will prove that the altar is no

longer dedicated to the Most High God; and that the Lord has departed from that which has now ceased to be his temple. It must not be suffered to languish by neglect, lest a little more of inadvertence or indiscretion, extinguish it altogether. But it must be kept burning clearly, brightly, steadily-" a memorial unto the Lord" of our faith and our service for ever.

My brethren, is this flame alive within. our own bosoms?-A more important question can scarcely be asked-nor one, consequently, which it more nearly concerns us to be able to answer correctly; and yet perhaps it is not always easy to arrive at a certain conclusion about it. It is not always easy for a man to satisfy himself fully, whether the divine spark still gleams within his heart, or whether the light of his life is extinguished.

And the difficulty and perplexity on this subject are sometimes increased, by referring to a test which certain persons propose as applicable to all cases, and in all cases infallible. They assert, that a

man's feelings will decide the matter at once. They hold that, where a spirit of devotion exists, a strong feeling of devotion will always be experienced; and, that where this feeling cannot be distinctly recognised, there is none of that devout spirit, which (as they maintain) would necessarily engender it. Upon this same principle, they go on to estimate a man's advance in righteousness. The several stages in his progress, they mark by the different degrees of intensity in his feelings. In every stage there must be a perceptible glow, a decided fervour, and ecstacies and raptures will be the invariable accompaniments of a more advanced progress towards perfection.

I am well aware that these opinions are not forced in the present day to the extremes to which they were carried not many years ago: I believe that there are now very few who would appeal to their inward experiences as a sufficient evidence of their religious advancement, or make it a ground of vulgar and unchristian triumph over others, that they could not,

or would not, boast the same peculiar excitement of devotional feeling.-It is not, therefore, with any controversial view that I now bring the subject before you. I am not about to dispute the claims of those who aver, that in all religious matters their hearts burn within them. It is possible, no doubt, that in some cases, such quickness and liveliness of feeling may exist to the last. But I would endeavour to show that it is not always to be expected :-that the absence of this sensitiveness must not be urged by others as a sufficient proof of a reprobate mind, -nor must any individual, when judging of his own state, conclude at once, that because he cannot feel keenly, it is therefore impossible that he should feel correctly.

And this, my brethren, is a point which it is well worth our while to consider attentively, and to put, if possible, in a clear and practical point of view.—There can be no question, but that it has often perplexed the most confirmed Christians, men who have combined earnestness with