darkness which is sought in the wilful misapprehension of truth.

Finally, in the grave, in the state of the dead, in the other world, there will be no hiding-place of darkness. A most effectual concealment from men,-men whose inspection alone they were solicitous to elude while on this ground of watchful inspection-the place of human inspection and judgment. And now they are gone off from it, into the wide universe. And whither ? But what signifies it whither? It will not indeed be left to their choice whither; but if it were, and they might see, or fly to the remotest orb, there would be no resource! No corner of the universe has a veil from its Creator. There is no recess into which a spirit can slide. The same all-seeing power and all-mighty justice are everywhere. Even if they "make their bed in hell," he is there! And if they look forward through time, there is in prospect the great day of manifestation, of which the transcendent light will be such as to annihilate the darkness of all past time. It will be not only as the light of seven days," but as the light of thousands of years all at

once.

But, in conclusion, why will the creatures of God seek or wish to hide themselves from Him-from Him, the Supreme Good, the source of life and eternal joy! who beams upon them in beneficence and compassion, in invitations and promises; who has given his Revelation to show the way to him; who has sent his incarnate Son to reconcile them, to atone for them, to redeem them, to display the glories of heaven to them, as what himself has to give: unless they will prefer the spirit and the works of "darkness," and the doom of seeking, at last in vain, for a darkness to hide them from the divine justice.

May the divine mercy grant that this doom may not be

ours.

October 20th, 1822.

LECTURE XVII.

THE USES AND PERVERSIONS OF CONSCIENCE..

ROMANS ii. 14, 15.

"The gentiles... having not the law are a law unto themselves: which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another.".

"HAVING not the law," that is, without a positive law revealed from God: yet there is "a law written in their hearts." The apostle therefore asserts, that man is, essentially, by his very nature, a moral being; naturally has some sense of right and wrong; which moral sense operates to two effects: opinions, judgments which men form of one another; and judgments, under the name of "conscience," which they are compelled to form of themselves.

This natural sense of difference between good and evil is made an inseparable companion and supplement to the endowment of reason. If there had not been this principle in the very constitution of man, it is not conceivable how any positive dictates from the Creator and Governor could have sufficed to impart it; that is, in the form of conscience. This natural principle has certain perceptions and powers antecedently to the revealed will of God. But, the dictates of that Supreme Authority having been given, this conscience ought to be indefinitely stronger, truer, and more decisive.

A most important principle in our nature, is this con

science, which places us in a sensible connexion with the government of the world. The whole world is under a solemn economy of government and judgment. A mighty spirit of judgment is in sovereign exercise over all, discerning, estimating, approving, or condemning. Now it was requisite there should be something in the soul to recognize this; that it should not be as some vague unperceived element around us; and something more and deeper than the mere simple understanding that such is the fact; a faculty to be impressed, to feel obligation, and awe, and solemn apprehension; something by which the mind shall be compelled to admit the indwelling of what represents a greater power. Conscience is to communicate with something mysteriously great, which is without the soul, and above it, and every where. It is the sense, more explicit or obscure, of standing in judgment before the Almighty. And that which makes a man feel so, is a part of himself; so that the struggle against God becomes a struggle with man's own soul. Therefore conscience has been often denominated "the God in Man."

This internal judge has not been in the world altogether in vain. Let it but be imagined how many men have wished they could be rid of it. Let it be imagined with how many men it has interfered to disturb and oppose them. Now in most of that vast multitude of cases it may be presumed that conscience has had some restraining effect. It maintained a controversy with them; arrested them followed them; warned them; threatened them; rose up in them suddenly, at times, to protest or condemn in the name of a higher power. Perhaps in no case this could be wholly without effect. The infinite multitude of criminals would have been still more criminal but for this. It has often struck an irresolution, a timidity, into the sinner, by which his intention has been frustrated. Its bitter and vindictive

reproaches after sin, have prevented so speedy or frequent repetitions of the sin. It has prevented the whole man from being gratified by sin; it has been one dissentient power among his faculties, as if, among a company of gay revellers, there should appear one dark and frowning intruder, whom they could neither conciliate nor expel. It has been at hand to approve, attest, apply, the divine declarations, commands, reproofs, and warnings, when sinners have heard them. It has struck on the soul, and said, "Listen to that!-that belongs to thee!" An ally, therefore, in men's own minds, to co-operate with those who have faithfully spoken in the name of God. It has served as an interpreter of divine judgments with which men have been visited; not allowed them to be taken as mere natural incidents and phenomena, but judicial and retributive. In many ways, therefore, it has been, if we may presume to the justifier of God to men's own minds; the justifier, also, of the genuine people of God. It has often compelled confessions and disclosures of great importance to truth and justice. Very generally, in the last scene of life, it has constrained men, even bad and irreligious men, to give explicit solemn testimony to the reality of religion, and the guilt and wretchedness of trifling with it.

express

it so,

But, better than all this; the force of conscience has often been made effectual to urge men to a persevering application to divine mercy; with a grateful accordance to the method of that mercy, as acting through the mediation of Christ. The guilt is too deep for divine justice to pardon.-There must be some grand expedient as a medium of mercy. And here it is. And also, the virtue, and value, and glory of conscience have been manifested in its habitual predominance in the spirit and conduct of good men. A good conscience has been the source of unspeakable complacency and delight; it has been mighty in trial and

temptation; consolatory under injustice, reproach, and undeserved ignominy; a sublime energy under persecution for fidelity to God.

Thus far we have the more favourable view of the office and efficacy of conscience. But there is a darker side of the subject; that is, the view of its perversions and frustration. One most disastrous circumstance is instantly presented to our thoughts, namely, that, with by far the greatest number of men that have lived, conscience has been separated from all true knowledge of God. All hea thens, of all ages and countries; with but little limitation the same may be said of the Mahomedans; and to a very great extent it is true of the papists. Now, God is both the essential authority of conscience, and the model for its rectitude. What is its condition, then, where the One True God is lost from human knowledge? and instead,—an infinite tribe of deities, believed or fancied, and worshipped; their characters exemplifying all varieties of iniquity; their wills dictating a confusion of all absurdities and abominations, blended, indeed, with some better things, which are spoiled and defeated in such combination. Or, (paganism being disclaimed) there is an essentially falsified notion of the Divine Being, and a perverted apprehension of his will. Think what an authority for conscience to acknowledge and represent, and to be strong and just in virtue of! What will be its allowances,-its dictates, its sanctions? What should it do but correspond to its authorities? With a firm belief in the true God, but with a wrong apprehension of some great principle relative to him, conscience may become the abettor, and even prompter, of the most flagrant iniquities; as in the instance of St. Paul, and some of the persecutions and exterminations by the papists. "He that killeth you shall think he doeth God service." A perpetrator in the St. Bartholomew massacre said, "God was