complish. It is for the Divine Spirit to present and keep the two objects manifest before the mind in their stupendous contrast, and at the same time to impart a new principle of preference; without this latter, the mind would only be overpowered by that contrast; its real taste might remain the same.

One other form of bondage, for the truth to deliver from, is often spoken of in the New Testament, namely, that which some thoughtful, conscientious, anxious minds suffer, in not having come clearly off from the ground of the divine law as that of their acceptance with God. They attribute great importance and value, and some undefined degree of efficacy, to both the sacrifice and the righteousness of Christ. But still as God's government and judgment are constituted upon his perfect and eternal law, that continually comes in upon them, and presents its menaces and its terrors. And well might they be terrified, even to utter despair, if this were the ground of their acceptance with God. But here comes in the evengelic truth which declares us totally removed off this ground for justification and salvation, because on it salvation is plainly and absolutely impossible. "The truth" declares a new and extraordinary economy, in which it is appointed that the Mediator's merit is all-sufficient and alone. And this is to be laid hold of, and relied upon by faith; thus a glorious freedom will be effected.

Lastly, there is the bondage of the fear of death. This bondage needs no illustration. Look at the general feelings of mankind; let each reflect on his own! But imagine these feelings substantially reversed. Is not that a sublime freedom? The Christian truth and He that brought it from heaven, came to confer this freedom. Combine in thought all these kinds of freedom, and think whether we shall be content to live in miserable captivity! Think

whether it be possible for our being to be thrown more completely away, than by a stupid indifference, or a protracted delay in regard to the attainment of so divine a deliverance !

March 25, 1822.

LECTURE VII.

CHARACTERISTICS OF VAIN THOUGHTS.

JEREMIAH iv. 14.

"How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?"

THERE are some of our duties which are occasional and temporary; there is, in a strict sense, a "time for them," a time marked out from other time. But there are some which are habitual and continual; so that when they are thought of, it is always, "now is the time."

Now it is not implied that any duty is unimportant, any precept insignificant, when we say that there is a peculiarly great importance in those duties which are habitual and continual. Yet it would appear that actually less importance is attached, in general apprehension, to the continual than to what may be called the temporary duties.

In a case of this latter class (the temporary duties) a great deal of importance may seem to be collected into one particular time, and one particular portion of conduct. This particular matter of duty may be such, that there is an extremely obvious good or evil involved in performing or neglecting it; in doing it well or ill; in doing it or the reverse. There is the immediate threatening of bad consequences;-the divine displeasure and a weight of guilt;— perhaps disgrace in society,

Whereas, in a matter of the other class (the continual duties), the duty seems (so to speak) to be thinly diffused over a very wide space, and to be of great and special importance nowhere. The obligation is not peculiarly strong here, nor there, this hour or the next. The guilt of

neglecting it at any one time is but as a particle. Therefore the accumulation of guilt is insensible and unalarming; each little portion passes and vanishes away, and is too slight to leave a legible trace on the conscience; so that the innumerable small portions are never felt as collected into the great sum.

The kind of evil reproached in our text comes too much under this latter description. The habit of vanity in the thoughts may prevail in many persons who would be appalled at the aspect of one great substantial sin, and are not found neglecting the chief obvious, practical duties of external life. They may little suspect how much duty they are neglecting, or how much guilt they are contracting. They go quietly to repose each night, and hardly recollect to ask for its pardon. Yet a month, a year, or many years, of vain thoughts! in a being preparing for an eternity of seriousness and thought!-it is truly an awful account! Yet with many this stands for little in comparison with some one or two very wrong external actions. It were, it is true, too vague and fanciful a kind of calculation to pretend to assign the proportion between any given measure of sin in external action, and a long succession of vain thoughts; but it is quite certain that we are all liable to underrate the guilt of the latter. It may therefore be useful to give a little serious consideration to this subject.

But we may first observe, what a mighty amount of thinking there is in human spirits that does not come under the censure of the text. And do we say this in congratulation of our race? No! It is little cause for satisfaction that a criminal stands unaccused of one degree of guilt because it is a deeper guilt that is imputed. The epithet "vain," in its strict acceptation, implies something trifling -light-insignificant-empty. It is therefore not the proper description of wicked thoughts. For example,

impious thoughts respecting the divine Being;-thoughts formed in the spirit of disapproval, aversion and rebellion; -thoughts of malignity;-thinking, in order to indulge malevolent dispositions, rancour, revenge;-thinking how to give effect to these dispositions, purposes, devices, schemes, expedients;-thoughts intent on wickedness of any kind; dwelling on it with complacency and preference; pursuing it in desire, intention, and project. Such thoughts are of too aggravated evil to be called "vain" thoughts. They are not trivial, idle actions of the mind, but often strong and grave ones; tending powerfully to an effect.

And but consider, how much of this order of thinking there is in human minds! So that it looks like a quite minor vision of evils when we turn to the view of the mere vanities of the mind. But how striking the reflection, that it looks so only by comparison with something so much worse that there is in human spirits!

Thus, if a good man had been compelled to sojourn awhile among the most atrocious of mankind, cruel savages rioting in blood and the infliction of tortures (as in Dahomey, Mexico, Ashantee); or pirates, desperadoes, and murderers, and at last escaped into the society of frivolous, vain triflers; by force of comparison this might seem almost like innocence and goodness; till he recollected his rules of judgment and said, "But this, too, is bad.”

So we see how the case is with the moral state of man! You may fix upon an evil, and by the application of rules rational and divine, see that it is absolutely a great one. But going deeper, you may reduce it to seem as if it were but a slight one, by comparison with something else which you find in man. Thus vain thoughts, compared with vicious polluted thoughts, malignant thoughts, and blasphemous thoughts. Oh, the depth to which the investigation and the censure may descend!