how or why, but they will not always fail. There will be more thought, perhaps more resolution-and less to cause these powers and forces to fail.

Per

Sometimes particular circumstances in a man's history are suffered to excite in him a kind of superstitious hope. Perhaps, for instance, in his childhood or since, he was saved from peril or death in some very remarkable manner. His friends thought that this must surely be a propitious omen; and he, too, is willing to persuade himself so. haps very pious persons have taken a particular interest about him; he knows he has been the subject of many prayers. I recollect the instance of a man, and not at all a weak man, in point of general sense, who was surrendered to the vanities of life; but retaining constantly and fully the right conviction as to the absolute necessity of religion, and the final consequence of the neglect of it. A kind friend said to him, "How long is this to continue? you know perfectly to what end this is going." He answered, that he had great hope that a better state of things would come some time; for he had great confidence, that the prayers of his pious departed mother could not have been in vain!

A man may encourage this soothing confidence, that he shall not fatally neglect, that he shall yet become in earnest, from recollection of moments and occasions when he thinks he was so. There may have been times of affecting, though transient interest. He is willing to persuade himself they were genuine emotions, excited by a principle imparted from above; which principle he believes, if really imparted, will not be wholly and finally withdrawn, though its operation may be long intermitted. And on this he rests some kind of confidence; instead of soberly judging, that emotions so transient, and subsequently useless, could be no more than superficial effects on his passions.

So many deceptive notions may contribute to a vague

sort of assurance that a man will not alway neglect religion, though he is doing so now, and is in no serious disposition to do otherwise. And, in addition to all, there is that unthinking and unscriptural manner of considering, and carelessly throwing ourselves upon, the infinite goodness of God.

Thus we have attempted to discriminate and describe some of the causes that it is so difficult to impart any interest, or even draw any steady attention, to a topic so plain, and trite, and general, as the necessity of being quite in earnest, though about concerns confessedly the most momentous. This representation might pertinently be followed, by some admonitory observations and enforcements, which may afford a useful employment, we hope, for a future hour.

September 23, 1822.

LECTURE XV.

EARNESTNESS IN RELIGION ENFORCED.

REVELATION iii. 15.

"I would thou wert cold or hot."

IN a preceding discourse, this short passage was taken for the use of enforcing an exhortation even still more general and common, though still less particular and specific than that which would fairly arise from the import and connexion of the words. Its most proper application had been to insist on the criminality, the peculiarly absurd inconsistency, and the consequences, of indifference in the professed servants of Christ; its dishonour to their profession; its offensiveness to their Lord; its danger to themselves ;a reference to their profession being constantly made.

But we were content to go on the wide general ground, where all men may be met with, the plain, serious admonition of the absolute necessity of being in earnest about their highest concerns. Our time was chiefly employed in attempting to distinguish and exemplify a number of things which contribute to render inefficacious this constantly repeated general inculcation of so plain a matter;—and not only inefficacious, but even dull and uninteresting, insomuch that mere attention is with difficulty gained for it, except by aid of some special and subsidiary topic.

But still it would be strange, very strange, if this plain consideration, or fact, of the absolute necessity of EARNEST NESS IN RELIGION, even in the most general and accustomed form in which it can present itself, should be reduced to take its rank with the things which have been repeated till

we mind them no longer! It would be very strange if the renewed mention of such a matter should be exactly that which may be made with the fullest assurance of not disturbing the soul into thought or emotion; so that you may mention one thing and another, and you will rouse the spirit;-mention this, and it will sleep! Very strange again, if the compelled attention to the fact that I am indifferent and careless, should be quite unavailing to disturb and alarm that indifference! A strong application of the terms that charge and reprove indifference will sometimes force a man to verify his own consciousness that he is indifferent,—that it is not a vague reproach which may perhaps strike there or yonder; but that here at homein his own soul, is the very thing which the oracles of Heaven pronounce to be so fatal. And yet even this shall not break but for a moment, the dull tranquillity! So that neither the things themselves that should excite to earnestness can avail,-nor the solemn charge and consciousness that they do not. But what a depth of depravity, that can thus receive and swallow up such masses of alarming truth and fact, and then be as if all this were nothing! How sad, that for men to be awfully wrong, and to be admonished, and to be aware that they are so, should leave them still at ease!

It is not that men are constituted creatures without feeling. No; they are warm through their whole being with affections and passions; and an infinite multiplicity of objects acting on them. Think of the movements of the heart, in the inhabitants of a great city, during a single day,loving, desiring, hoping, hating, fearing, regretting! What an infinity of emotions! What a stupendous measure of active vitality! Now consider, to these souls are presented, among the other objects of interest, the things most important, desirable, and terrible in the universe; these things

are placed before them, and pressed on them, as evidently and as closely and palpably, as reason and revelation can. We know what should be the effect of these. We can think what it should be on any individual whom the eye happens to fix upon, known or a stranger. We can look on the passing train, or the collected crowd, and think what it should be on each, and all. (What a measure therefore this would be of a good spirit in such an assemblage!) What is the effect on the far greater number? There are abundant indications to inform you what it is, or rather what it is not. And if the case be so, and that in an enlightened and Christian community, what is MAN!

"What is MAN!" might be the compassionate sentiment of an angelic beholder, or of a saint in heaven, supposing him in view of this object on earth;-observing a rational and immortal being, involved in a relation the most perfect, vital, and inseparable with all that is most important;-the reality of that relation manifested to him, enforced upon him;-and yet, he generally as insensible to it almost as a statue of stone is to the objects surrounding it! But might not the compassion become mingled with indignation when it should be observed how unlike an insensible figure he is toward other objects with which his relation is separable and transient ? Nevertheless the great interest is still the same;-bears all the importance of eternity upon it;-remains as that sky above us, with its luminaries, and its solemn and infinite depth, whether we look at it or not. And the effects must be continually renewed for breaking up this wretched and pernicious indifference, both in others and in ourselves. And the considerations applicable to this purpose are innumerable, and have been all repeated, times without number. But we may do well to give some moments once more to a few of the most obvious of them.