proves, that all the errors which have sprung up in the Church of Christ, from its first establishment to the present day, have invariably originated in wrong interpretations of the inspired volume. Thus, to use the language of the Apostle, has "the truth of God been changed into a lie." (ROM. c. i. v. 25.) And the richest treasure of celestial wisdom, that was ever bestowed on the children of men, for their instruction and edification, has been perverted into an instrument of delusion and perdition. Nor should this be to us a subject of surprise; since we learn from holy Simeon, that even the divine founder of Christianity himself, though he came into the world for the salvation of mankind, " was born nevertheless unto the ruin, as well as unto the resurrection of many." (LUKE, c. ii. v. 34.) It is needless, however, my Catholic friends, in addressing you, to pursue this part of the subject any farther; since you are not only convinced in speculation, of the necessity of erecting the edifice of your faith on the foundation of the authority of the Church of Christ, in order to secure it from the fluctuations of doubt; but you also adhere in practice to this fundamental principle of your religious creed, so essential to the attainment of that tranquillity of mind, which I represented to you as the first quality of that heavenly peace announced by our blessed Saviour to his apostles in this day's Gospel.

I will now therefore proceed to the consideration of the second quality of that greatest of blessings

which it is possible for a human being to enjoy on this side the grave, which consists in an entire exemption of the heart from the remorse occasioned by deadly sin. Of the absolute necessity of immunity from guilt, for the acquisition of that invaluable " peace of God, which surpasseth all understanding," a stronger proof can hardly be adduced, than that contained in the declaration of the prophet, when he solemnly assures us in the name of the Almighty, that there is no peace to the wicked. "There is no peace to the wicked, saith the Lord of hosts." How, in reality, can that man be thought to enjoy repose of soul, who bears within him a secret monitor, constantly reminding him of his sinful state, reproaching him with his foul and criminal disorders, and terrifying him with the prospect of God's avenging justice? How can he enjoy repose of soul, when standing before the tribunal of his own conscience, he finds himself there convicted by witnesses, whose testimony it is not possible for him to gainsay, of his numerous violations of that divine law, which he is commanded to observe? How can he enjoy repose of soul, when thus convicted and condemned at the bar of his own conscience, he anticipates his appearance in the presence of that just and inexorable Judge, before whom, he knows, he shall be hereafter summoned to take his trial, and whose sentence will fix his lot for eternity. How, in short, is it possible, that he should enjoy repose of soul, whilst his mind is as it were haunted by a

tremendous spectre, plunging with one hand into his guilty heart the dagger of remorse, and brandishing with the other the dreadful scourge of provoked Omnipotence? No, my friends, there is no peace for the workers of iniquity. "Destruction and unhappiness are in their ways," says the Psalmist, "and the way of peace they have not known." (PSALM xiii. v. 7.) They may be in possession of all the advantages which the world bestows on its most favored votaries. They may abound with riches, riot in pleasures, and crowned with the proudest honors of the state, they may rear their heads aloft, like the cedars of Libanus. But they have not peace. No. They have not that first of human blessings, without which no real and substantial satisfaction is anywhere to be found, and the enjoyment of which will supply the place of every other. They may appear to the eye of superficial observers, to be the happiest of human beings. But they are not so in reality. For their happiness does not depend upon the opinions of others, but upon those which they entertain of themselves : and though all mankind should conspire in thinking them the most enviable of mortals, yet that would not extract from their guilty bosoms the envenomed dagger which torments them within. They may pretend perhaps themselves (though that, they will not always do,) to be perfectly free from all inward trouble, and to enjoy that peace and quiet of mind, which only a conscience void of reproach, is privileged to bestow. It is in the season

however of jollity, it is amidst the intoxications of pleasure, it is on occasions in short when they are least qualified to form a correct judgment of their real situation, that they are heard to deliver these boasting pretensions. But only follow them into retirement, only follow them into their secret closets, and there when the heat of the passions shall have subsided, interrogate them respecting the state of their feelings, and if they answer you with sincerity, the account they will give of themselves, will be very different. Yet, should the case be otherwise; should they still persist in the same pretensions, I do not hesitate to say, that the outward professions of their lips will be belied by the inward testimony of their hearts. Of this, the Spirit of God assures us by the mouth of his prophet, who represents them as saying

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peace, peace, when there is no peace." (JER. c. vi.) In vain would they endeavour to stifle the voice of conscience, in order to secure to themselves a false tranquillity. For in spite of their exertions to that effect, circumstances will in all probability occur in which it will make itself heard. And though even they should unfortunately succeed in suppressing completely the disquieting importunities of that upbraiding monitor, the deceitful calm which would thence ensue, would be, in its ultimate consequences, ten thousand times more dreadful than all the troubles which it was intended to remedy. A calm like this, would be the fatal prelude to the most destructive storm. It would be a calm, preceding the tremendous storm of

the divine vengeance, which bursting upon them with irresistible fury at the period of their dissolution, would involve them in endless and irretrievable ruin.

It is only therefore by walking in the paths of righteousness that you are to expect to find " that peace of God which surpasseth all understanding," which is sought in vain in the ways of iniquity. There indeed you will be sure to meet with it. Yes, you will there experience that divine peace which no circumstances nor events will be able to affect. For what earthly contingency will be capable of disturbing the peace of those who make invariably the law of God the rule of their conduct? Should he visit them with afflictions, they will receive them with submission from his providential hand, as trials to which he may deem it expedient to subject their fidelity. Should he suffer persecutions to be raised against them, they will consider them as pledges of that everlasting happiness, which he has encouraged them to look forward to in a future state, assuring them that "their reward shall be great in heaven." Should he permit them to be deprived of health and vigor, they will console themselves with the consideration, that not being any longer able to act, they are in a condition at least to suffer in his service. Should he allow them to sustain losses in their temporal possessions, or to be reduced even to a state of indigence and distress; still will their resignation to his divine appointments,