that can secure his willing admittance, and taking unto himself his great power to subdue the moral nature of man and to reign over it?-In this case there is something more than the mere displacement of an affection. There is the overbearing of one affection, by another. But to desolate his heart of all love for the things of the world, without the substitution of any love in its place, were to him a process of as unnatural violence, as to destroy all the things that he has in the world, and give him nothing in their room. So that if to love not the world be indispensable to one's Christianity, then the crucifixion of the old man is not too strong a term to mark that transition in his history, when all old

things are done away, and all things

are become new.'

Lastly, Let the strength of our desires be proportioned to the real value of the object desired.

If, on this enlightened principle, our desires be regulated, we shall be placed beyond the danger of serious and overwhelming disappointment. If we delight supremely in God, and supremely desire his favor, then our desires of things, inferior in value, will be only of proportionate strength, and will be kept in due subordination. We shall not desire them as things essential to our happiness, but only as subsidiary. We shall desire them, only on the supposition of their being

Dr. Chalmers.

agreeable to the will of Him in whom we place our felicity; so that could we ascertain that they were not, in his estimation, desirable for us, they would on that account cease to be objects of desire. We would be perfectly satisfied in the absence of that which it is not his will to bestow. "The very thing is even in this case done, which we should wish to be done." It accords with our heart's desire and prayer. We should be fully prepared to say to our Father in heaven;-"Lord, if thy wisdom, which is infinitely more than mine, see this thing to be not fit, deny me in this desire of mine."-And this general and habitual desire, which is the controller of every specific and oc

casional desire, cannot fail to be accomplished in favor of the man who delights supremely in the Lord. He must, in the highest sense succeed in obtaining the desires of his heart.

Let it be considered also, that if our supreme desire centre in God, it may be perfectly compatible with our best interests, that many inferior and subordinate desires should be granted. That description or degree of earthly good is incompatible with our spiritual prosperity, which we are inclined to over-value, and to seek with undue intensity of desire. It then becomes necessary to our welfare, that such an object should be withheld, lest it should attract the homage and attachment of heart, due only to the blessed

God himself. But if it be desired only with the moderation and submissiveness of feeling which ought ever to be cherished by the Christian, it may be granted without injury to our best interests; and God may see fit to indulge this subordinate and wellregulated desire of the heart. It was, I conceived, with these views that the inspired Psalmist penned the words of the text, and of the other connected verses, which have reference to temporal as well as to spiritual blessings:-"Trust in the Lord and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the