der, and infirmity, and yet he is mortally angry with
you if at any time you remotely and tenderly hint that he may be just a
shade wrong in his opinions, or one hair's-breadth off what is square and
correct in his actions. Look to yourself, Julius, and to your insincere
heart. Look to yourself at all times, but above all other times at the
times and in the places of your devotions. Ten to one, my hearer of to-
night, you may never have thought of that before. And what would you
think if you were told that this Sincere shepherd was appointed us for
this evening's discourse, and that you were led up to this house, just
that you might have your attention turned to your many miserable
insincerities of all kinds, but especially to your so Julius-like
devotions? 'And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. And David
said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.'

What, then, my truly miserable fellow-sinner and fellow-worshipper, what
are we to do? Am I to give up preaching altogether because I am
continually carried on under the impulse of the pulpit far beyond both my
attainments and my intentions? Am I to cease from public prayer
altogether because when engaged in it I am compelled to utter words of
contrition and confession and supplication that little agree with the
everyday temper and sensibility of my soul? And am I wholly to eschew
pastoral work because my heart is not so absolutely clean and simple and
sincere toward all my own people and toward other ministers' people as it
ought to be? No! Never! Never! Let me rather keep my heart of such
earth and slag in the hottest place of temptation, and then, such
humiliating discoveries as are there continually being made to me of
myself will surely at last empty me of all self-righteousness and self-
sufficiency, and make me at the end of my ministry, if not till then, the
penitent pastor of a penitent people. And when thus penitent, then
surely, also somewhat more sincere in my designs and intentions, if not
even then in my attainments and performances.

'O Eternal God, Who hast made all things for man, and man for Thy glory,
sanctify my body and my soul, my thoughts and my intentions, my words and
my actions, that whatsoever I shall think or speak or do may be by me
designed to the glory of Thy name. O God, turn my necessities into
virtue, and the works of nature into the works of grace, by making them
orderly, regular, temperate, subordinate, and pr