But, if I may pursue the allusion, it is not the Ear-mark but the Heart-mark, by which at the great Day of Accounts, we shall be known and acknowledged as belonging to Christ's Sheepfold in the other world; nor is it the despising sound doctrine, the following vain fables and still seeking something new, that can denominate us of His flock in this world.

words are those of Bishop Andrews. But as the Author never had time to make any regular common place notes or entries of his reading; and this Sermon having been thrown together and committed to press on so short a notice when he was, at a distance from home, he could not then be sure that he had quoted the exact words, as they stood in the original Sermon, whosoever preached it. The Author must confess, that, in his situation, his reading was only a dipping into books, as occasion required and time would permit; for he does not remember, his ever having read any book regularly through, without skipping from place to place, except perhaps, Robinson Crusoe, Thompson's Seasons, and Young's Night Thoughts, a night at a time, as they first appeared. And in this collection of his Sermons into volumes, where he has fallen into the sentiments of former Divines (for there is nothing new in the Divinity of the Gospel) he cannot be certain, that he has retained any thing more, than the general sentiments of those respectable Divines, upon whose writings and sentiments of Orthodoxy, he endeavoured to form himself in his youth, and which he hath never scrupled, freely to make use of in his Pulpit Compositions.

The publication of these Sermons having been so long delayed, for the reasons given in the Preface to Vol. I. “ the Author is not now able, owing to the growing infirmities of age and his failure of sight, to search into the books of his former reading, nor to cite verbatim, the passages or pages of those respectable writers, by whose works he may have benefited himself many years ago."

Bishop Andrews was a great Divine, and probably a popular preacher, according to the prevailing taste of King James's days, when Pedantry, scraps of Latin, Redundancy of Metaphors, Repetitions, Quibbles, Puns, and other witticisms, were in vogue. But I never could read much of him at a time. I was determined, however, the other day, after eighteen years interval, to look into the good Bishop's huge Folio Volume of Sermons, to satisfy myself whether he was the real author of the witty passages which I had quoted as his, from memory; namely, "All is Hearing now. a-days, no Fruits; the Ear is all; and, but for our Ear-mark, no man could tell we were Christians." I searched his Index, and thought the

All other marks of our faith, therefore, are vain and delusive, unless we have that Scripture-mark of hearts glowing with Love-a transcendent Love, flowing forth in fervent Piety towards God, and universal Good-will towards Man!

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most probable place to find it was in his Ash-Wednesday Sermon, preached before King James, March 6, 1623, “ against unfruitful hearing," page 238, &c.—But I missed it on my first day's search; it being hid behind a long Preamble about Fruits and Hearing, Hearing and Fruits-always laying in-never bringing forth

The following is a specimen of the good Bishop's manner, and contains the passage, nearly verbatim, as I had cited it from memory

"Bring forth." Here, at the very first, we shall have some of his strictures, according to the fashion of his day. “ All, in carrying in : little in bringing forth. For, to take our age at the best, and our ordinary professours in the prime of their profession, and this is our vertue; we carry well in; we are still carrying in: but nothing, or as good as nothing comes from us, nor bring wee forth. So, this word comes very apposite to our times. All our time, is spent in HEARING; in carrying in repentance-seeds, and other good seeds many. All, in bearing in a manner; none, in doing what we beare: none, in bringing forth repentance, or any other good fruit.

"At Athens, they said to Saint Paul : Nova quædam infers auribus nostris. It is our case right, infers auribus: but, it is an infers without a profers; any profers at all. In at our eares, there goes, I know not how many Sermons: and every day more and more, if we might have our wills. Infer auribus; into the eares they goe; the care and all filled, and even farced with them: but there the care is all.

"It puts me in minde of the great absurdity, as Saint Paul reckons it. What, is all bearing? (saith he) All bearing? Yes: all is hearing with us. But that all should be bearing, is as much as if all one's body should be nothing but an eare, and that were a strange body. But, that absurdity are we fallen into. The corps, the whole body of some men's profession; all godlinesse with some, what is it, but bearing a sermon? THE EAR IS ALL, THE EARE DOTH ALL THAT IS DONE; AND BUT BY OUR EARE-MARKE, uo man should know us to be CHRISTIANS! They were wont to talke much of auricular confession: I cannot tell, but now, all is turned to an auricular profession. And (to keep us to proferte), our profession is an inning profession. In it goes, but brings nothing out, nothing comes from it againe.

"But, Proferte, bring forth (saith Saint John;) be not always loading in. And there is reason for it. As there is a time for, Exiit qui Seminat semiBare semen suum (in the Parable) wherein the sower goeth forth and carri 3 R

VOL. II.

Faith, therefore, according to my text, cannot be a mere empty assent to truth, but the holding of truth in love. It is love that shews the true nature of faith. By this it must work; and by this only can God be pleased. For love flowing from faith is the

eth with him good seed, and casts it in. So there is a time too (saith the Psalme;) for Rediit messor, ferens manipulos secum, that the Reaper comes back; and brings his sheaves with him; the sheaves, which the seed (he carried in) brought forth. But with us, it is otherwise. For, a wonderfull thing it is, how many Sermons, and Sermons upon Sermons (as it were so many measures of seed) are throwen in daily; and what becomes of them, no man can tell. Turne they all to wind? Or run they all thorow? for, Fruit there comes none. Omnia te aversum, all in: Nulla retrorsum, none out."

By the foregoing quotation, I meant only to give a specimen of the style and manner of Composition, from one of the most accomplished writers, in the days of a King, who wished to be thought a second SOLOMON; nay who declared as much in his own favour, viz. “I am the AULDEST King in a' the WARLD-and I trow, the WISEST."-But it means no reflection against the good and learned Bishop Andrews; whose pen, if it had been possible for any pen, would have given some kind of credit and stability, to the reigning Taste, and quaint Modes of that day.

Bishop Andrews left ninety-six Sermons, all of them (except three) CourtSermons, and" published by the special command of King James;" under the inspection of two learned Bishops, viz. (the Bishops of London and of Ely) who were so scrupulously strict to their charge, that they tell his Majesty," if the Notes of the Sermons had not come perfect to them, they would "not have ventured to add any Limme [Limb] to disfigure such complete "bodies, as the works of a person, who was from his youth a man of "extraordinary worth and note-A man, as if he had been made up of "Learning and virtue."-And, indeed those who could find leisure and would persevere in the labour of an attentive reading of all Bishop Andrews's Sermons, would find many deep strokes of sound Divinity, which might be digested into the most instructive Aphorisms, exclusive of such witty turns, as his reply to the King, so often quoted, on his Majesty's asking the courtly Bishop Neale and our Bishop Andrews, whether he might not take people's money out of their pockets at his pleasure, when he thought the public good required it—Neale immediately answered," God "forbid but that your Majesty take the money of your subjects, whenever "you want it-You are the breath of our nostrils." Bishop Andrews continuing silent-the King pressed him for his opinion-" I think, says he,

hand-writing of God on the heart. Whatever proceeds from it thus, will bear His image and superscription. He will know it as his own, and at the last day openly acknowledge it as such before men and angels-This fruit of Love is the mark which our Apostle every where gives for the trial of faith and of spirits. The fruits of the spirit are "Love, "Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, "Meekness, Temperance, and the like."

All inward marks attempted to be laid down for this purpose have ever been found to have this capital defect; that they themselves stand in need of other marks, and are too often but ungrounded presumption, and a dangerous ministration of Fuel for Inflammable Tempers; or of fatal Despair to those of a contrary Frame.

Such is our imperfection in this state, that we can form few certain conclusions, by immediate Vision or Intuition. Almost all our conclusions are by reasoning from the Effect to the Cause-At least this is our most certain way; and if any other were to be depended on, God, who does nothing in vain, would never have given further marks in his written word.

How think you that the tree shall tell most safely whence it derives nourishment, from the earth, or from the air, or from both? Is it by inspecting all its ramifications,and tracing the sap or juices through

your Majesty may lawfully take my Brother Neale's money, since he offers "it."-Many such witty turns as this, may be found in his Sermons also; and even in the most serious parts of them-such as I have cited already, viz." the Ear- Mark of our being Christians;" and such as the following on the power, or strength of Death.—“ There is no Habeas Corpus from "Death-nor Habeas Animam from Hell"

the various small conductors and vessels in which they are made to circulate? We say no! And surely it leads to a safer conclusion to behold itself covered with a rich and abundant foliage, and producing fruits of its kind, according to the season.

Far be it from any one to deny that God, who influences the whole world of matter with his goodness, should not also delight to influence the Spirits of men, and to give Testimony to our souls in every thing that is delightful to Him. This world would be a most gloomy scene, without such a belief as this.

It is not my desire, nor, indeed, in my power, to enter particularly upon what passes on the inner stage of men's hearts. My text is Love-I would not violate my subject-my disposition forbids uncharitable censure. I would judge no men's hearts, nor wish to shake or weaken those comfortable workings, which any may apprehend they feel there. But I would warn, I would exhort, all who think they stand, to take heed lest they fall. If they think they skip like roes on the mountains, their height will require all their own eyes about them. Let them not cast them down in scorn upon those whom they consider as walking in the vale below; lest thereby they miss their own path and be precipitated to the greater depth; but let them try their faith by the marks here laid down. For, however warm their souls may feel, it will always be their safest course never to pronounce too assuredly, even of their own state, till they have well examined their heart; till they find their joy is not barren, but has mended their whole