open the gates of the citadel to his temptations. Be watchful, therefore, and remember what you have professed. When tempted to sin, reflect, I have solemnly avouched myself to be the Lord's: I have professed the faith of Christ crucified; "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" When the fear of man comes in upon your soul, and tempts you to deny the faith, be ready to ask with pious and bold Nehemiah, "Should such a man as I flee?" 'Shall I who have so often in the sight of God and of the Church professed my attachment to the Gospel, now renounce my Creed, through fear of a man that shall die?' Thus will the true Christian's profession of faith in the Creeds tend to his sanctification. Let us then, beloved brethren, be thankful for the opportunity of thus manifesting forth the glories of our God and Saviour. Though He will continue the same infinitely glorious Being to endless ages, though all should reject the offers of mercy; and though the hosts of heaven cannot add to his glory, yet will His people delight to own His love, to sing His praises, to confess His power and grace and faithfulness, and to show forth His salvation from day to day. Nay, through the countless ages of eternity it will be their blessed employ to acknowledge the truths and avow the principles contained in the Creeds. Our language will be "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." When the confession of a mouth is dictated by a heart that believes unto righteousness, the worship of heaven is but begun upon earth. Soon shall the true worshippers, who have out of much tribulation, and have washed come up their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb, join in the confessions and adorations of those blessed and happy spirits of just men made perfect, who surround the throne, and who "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created." Amen. SERMON X. THE COLLECTS. JOHN XVI. 23, IN PART, AND 24. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." IN these sweet words our blessed Lord instructs his people in the great duty of prayer, whilst He encourages them with the gracious assurance that the prayer of faith shall never be offered in vain. And what is prayer? It is the pouring out of our souls before God. It is the application of a weak and helpless worm of earth, full of wants, to Him who is omnipotent to save, and who alone can give grace to help in time of need. It is the breath of a regenerate man. 'Prayer is the soul's sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed; The motion of a hidden fire, That trembles in the breast. 66 'Prayer is the burden of a sigh, The upward glancing of an eye, In order to be effectual prayer, it must be mixed with true faith in the only Mediator. The name of Jesus is the only medium of access to the Father, who is the "giver of every good and perfect gift.' ،، All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive," Matt. xxi. 22. Our petitions must be presented, not on the ground of any merit of our own, but simply on account of the all-atoning blood and the all-prevailing righteousness and intercession of Jesus Christ our Saviour. It is His blood within the vail, sprinkled upon the mercy-seat, which speaks loud for all covenanted blessings. Plead the merit of His sacrifice with faith. Let our prayers ascend up to the throne of our reconciled Father on the incense of Christ's righteousness and intercession, and we shall not pray in vain; we shall "ask and receive, and our joy shall be full." Prayer is a key, which being turned by the hand of faith, unlocks all God's treasures. Who can express the powerful oratory of a true believer's prayer? We knock at heaven, and the heart of God flies open! Alas! my dear brethren, that so very few feel either the need, or the power, or the value of prayer! The prayerless man is a Christless man: many never pray; they are content to live without God in the world, and to die without hope. Many are hypocritical in their prayers; "they draw nigh unto God with their lips, and honour him with their mouths, while their hearts are far from him:" and let not such think that they shall receive anything of the Lord. But the true Christian knows the value and comfort of a throne of grace: he wishes to be often there: and desires to be always in a praying frame. Communion with God is his delight, whether he seeks it in the retirement of the chamber, or in the house of prayer. And our Church contemplates such characters in that beautiful provision she has made for praying Christians in her various offices. Nothing which is really necessary or suitable for the public worship of Almighty God by real Christians seems to have been omitted by the compilers of our scriptural Liturgy. Among the most beautiful and spiritual of these forms of prayer, are those which we call the Collects and there are several points connected with them, which, in the continuation of our Liturgical course of Lectures, it may be interesting and profitable to consider. And O, may the Lord the Holy Ghost enable us to enter into the spirit of these prayers, that our hearts may be in unison with our lips when we utter them! I. THE HISTORY OF THE COLLECTS. Many of the Collects are of very ancient composition, probably as old as the fifth century. They have been in constant use in our Church long before she was corrupted from the simplicity of the Gospel by the superstitions and fables, the false glosses and idolatries of the Papacy. Our Church, "built as she is on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone," was in existence in England long before our country was inundated with Popish mummeries, or our scriptural Church brought under the yoke of the apostate Church of Rome; so that the |