WE are now once more arrived at the
<:ommencement of that season*, which
the Church of England has set apart for the
purpose of enquiring into the state of our
account with God, of reviewing our past and
present way of thinking and acting with a
ccitical and searching eye ; of looking well if
there be any way of wickedness in us, of turn-



* Lent;



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S36 SERMON XVL

ii^ from it) if there be, of confessing and la*
menting our disobedience and ingratitude to
our heavenly Father, of imploring bis pardon,
of entreating the assistance of his holy Spirit,
and under his guidance forming the most se-
rious resolutions to cohrrect and amend, without
delay, whatever we find amiss in our temper,
principles, and conduct. This is the true
spirit and meaning of the religious solemnity
of this day% and the holy season which fol-
lows it ; this is the substance and the essence
of what is called in Scripture language, and in
the epistle we have just heard, " turning to
** the Lord with weeping, fasting, and mourn-
" ing." And what.fef therein all this^ but
that sort of solicitude concerning our spiritual
condition, and our future prospects, w^hich
every man of common sense, if he thinks theiti
worth his, notice, must see to be not only
highly reasonable, but indispensably neces-
sary? Is there a man who has any important
end in view for the advancement of his fame,
his fortune, his rank or consequence in life,
who does not frequently think and reflect upon
it, who does not give up a large share of his

* Ash Wednesday,

tima



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SERMON XVL S37

time and attention to it, who does not often
shut himself up in his closet tp consider whe-
ther he is in the ri^ht road, to it, whether he
is taking the most efficacious means to accom-
plish his end? We ail know that this, arid
much more than this, is, and must be done, in
such cases. And yet, in a case of infinitely
greater moment, we conceive all this care and '^
attention to be perfectly needless. 