pardoned, unsanctified sinner, must go away into everlasting punishment, and wail forever under the frowns of his Maker. But thus regarding death, as they do, as an event far off in futurity, and wishing to live as long as possible in the indulgence of sin, they venture forward for the present in the path of disobedience.. They transgress once and feel no anguish, and this leads them to think they can do so again and again, and so they go on from week to week, adding sin to sin, perhaps resolving that when they see the wrath of God coming they will break away from their sins and flee to the ark of safety. For the present, since sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, they think they can with safety continue impenitent.

There is another class, comparatively small in number, who take a bolder stand: who, because punishment is delayed, come out and with a daring infidelity ask, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Summer and winter, day and night, heat and cold, seed-time and harvest, still succeed each other in regular order. The Deity still smiles benignantly on this world. We see no preparations making for the judgment. The dead still slumber in their graves waked by no archangel's trump. We see no signs of the second appearance of Christ, coming to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not his gospel. All things continue as they were. Thus from the fact that sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily they infer that it will never be executed at all, and give up themselves wholly to their wicked indulgences. Suppose now for a moment that the threatenings of God should in this world be carried into immediate effect; that every deviation from the path of rectitude should be

a direct deviaton from happiness and an incursion into misery: suppose that every falsehood should instantly call down upon him who uttered it the fate of Annanias and Sapphira; that every transgression of the moral law should meet the same doom, or one equally dreadful ;I say suppose things were thus constituted, and what different views would men have of sin! We do not say that in such circumstances they would cease to love evil; but we do say that their heart would not be fully set in them to do it: we do say that there would be a hesitating, and a trembling, and a shrinking, as they entered upon an evil work; we do say that the broad road to death would not wear so enchanting an appearance; that its dimensions would not be filled with so much thoughtlessness and gaiety.

Or suppose that the punishment which is connected to the persevering disbelief of the gospel should be immediately executed. Go preach my gospel to every creature, said the Saviour to his disciples: he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. Now what if the Saviour of the world had so ordered it that the man who after having had the gospel proclaimed to him,-all its claims to divine authority stated, all its promises unfolded, and all its duties urged upon him--rejected the whole message; what if he had so ordered it that this man should at once experience that appalling evil which is termed in the Bible, damnation. With what an amazing importance would the gospel in that case be invested! What an aspect of awfulness would it carry to all the impenitent. Were its mysterious threatenings brought up in reality to men in this world, what a solemnity would be thrown over this business of preaching and hearing the gospel? Then would it be seen that it does indeed take hold on eternity. Who in that case would dare to publish these truths abroad; or if constrained by the command of his Saviour, and by a desire to save some who might be induced to embrace his message, the preacher should enter on the work, how would he plead with his fellow mortals. Regarding it as a case of life and death-eternal life and eternal death-how would he call upon all his powers, heap argument upon argument, and entreaty upon entreaty; how vividly would he represent to his hearers a bleeding Saviour, and with what earnestness would he beseech them to lay hold of his atonement; how would he bring every consideration which he could summon from the upper and lower world, to bear upon them, and with what deep and unbroken attention would they listen to his message, -a message so big with interest, -on the reception of which their immortal all was directly suspended. We do not assert that they would of course give this message a cordial welcome, but we do assert that if they turned away from it they would do it with great trembling.

But sentence against the rejection of the gospel is not executed speedily: it is delayed for weeks and months and years; and what is the effect? Why men listen to it as they do to an idle tale; they remain insensible as the dead under its most powerful applications,fearlessly cast away its offers,--refuse obedience to its precepts, and live wholly devoted to their worldly gratifications. Take another supposition: Imagine to yourselves a man who knew that at the end of a certain period, say at the end of one month, he should be called to an account for all the sins he committed in the intervening time -that all his unholy actions, thoughts, and emotions, would then be brought to light and punished. In what solicitude would he pass his intervening days and nights! How would the anticipation of this 1826.-No. 8.

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speedy judgment and this speedy retribution harrass and alarm him every moment. As he pursued his business he would think of this; as he mingled in the world, as he spoke to his fellow men, and as they spoke to him, he would think of this, and the thought would awaken the most distressing anxiety. But let judgment be put off to some uncertain period in futurity, and he thinks no more about it, but sins against God without concern.

But we need not resort to supposition for the illustration of our subject. Have you never seen a fellow being who had lived without God and without hope, brought low by sickness, and when his friends and physician informed him that he could survive only a few days at the longest-have you not marked with what consternation he looked at them? Have you not marked how he who was once thoughtless and trifling, suddenly became sober; how he who was once unmoved at the threatenings of God now spoke of them with deep agitation; how he who once welcomed to his fellowship the gay and the ungodly, now refused to see their faces? And what was it that produced this change in his appearance? No doubt he trembled at the thought of dissolution; as he thought of the shroud, the darkness, and the worm; but he trembled far more as he thought of that sentence, which, as he imagined, was about to be executed against his evil works speedily.

But perhaps this man was unexpectedly restored to health; and then have you not marked how, as his former blood and vigour returned, as he regarded the eternal world, once more removed at a distance, he thew off the fear of death and retribution; how he trifled again with all that is awful beyond the grave; how he associated once more with the gay and the ungodly; and how his heart was fully set in him to do evil?

In the light of this subject we see that the goodness of God will not of itself bring men to repentance. Some are of opinion that if we would reform the moral character of man we need only bring to view the kindness and mercy of God; that as soon as they behold him in this endearing attitude they will be so charmed by the exhibition that they will at once abandon their sins, love him supremely, and obey his commands. But how does this accord with the representations of the Bible. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily; that is, because God is kind and merciful and long-suffering, therefore-what? men repent?-no; therefore their heart is fully set in them to do evil. How can such beings be reformed by mere goodness? See what God has done for them, -opened a way of salvation for them when lost, by the death of his Son; is now affording them a day of probation, an opportunity to secure their immortal interests; conferring upon them every thing that is necessary for their happiness here or hereafter; insomuch that he seems to have completely exhausted upon them all the stores of his goodness. And now he says, O men, judge betwixt me and my vineyard; what more could I have done for my vineyard that I have not done? And what is the effect of all this cultivation and care and kindness? Does he behold his vineyard flourishing and abounding in fruits? Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes. When I looked to creatures for whom I had done so much, and expected to see them penitent, obedient, devoted, shining with the lustre of holiness, and glorifying me on the earth,-behold I saw them, in consequence of my kindness, only the more resolutely bent disobedience and rebellion. How can such beings, I ask again, be reformed by mere goodness;

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how can this be done when goodness manifested to them produces directly the contrary effect? Tell them of mercy and forbearance, and they will immediately pervert this to their own selfish purposes. Tell them of goodness and they instantly hail this as affording them a fresh opportunity for sinful indulgence-as enabling them to give a more unembarrassed scope and a wider range to their depraved inclinations; and the more you opened to them of the benevolence of God, the worse would they become, the more fully would their hearts be set in them to do evil.

Hence we see in the second place, the necessity of the influences of the Holy Spirit to bring men to repentance. Could any exhibition of the divine character of itself produce this effect it would be that of his goodness, but we have seen that this fails altogether. We must therefore repair, as our last and only resort, to the special influences of the Spirit. And how should we lift up our souls in thanksgiving to God that such an agent is abroad in this revolted, alienated world! He renews the man in the spirit and temper of his mind; brings order out of confusion, light out of darkness; opens his eyes on the beauties of holiness, on the glories of the divine character; raises his supreme affections to God: and now the man loves and adores his Maker, and no longer abuses his mercies. Now tell him that God has allowed him a season of probation, and instead of turning it to the account of sin, he will pray, So teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom. Tell him that Jesus has died for him, and his language is, O let him be formed in my soul the hope of glory. I thus judge that if he died for me then was I dead; and he died that I who live, should not henceforth live to myself but to him who gave himself for me, and rose again. Tell him of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and his prayer is, Let me be sanctified by his influences; guide me by thy Spirit, and afterward receive me to glory; let me serve thee faithfully here below, and after death sing thy praises forever beyond the skies. The Spirit of God gives him faith. He no longer infers that because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily it will therefore never be executed: he knows that it will; for God has told him so and he be lieves his word. He believes that though sin may delight for a time, yet at last it will bite like a serpent and sting like an adder. He believes that though his Lord may delay for a season his coming, yet he will appear at last in awful grandeur, call up the nations to his judgment-seat, and make an eternal separation between the righteous and the wicked. With this scene in view he shrinks from every evil work with horror, and lives a life of devotedness to God. Thus you see the man is renewed and sanctified by the Spirit of God, and fitted for heaven. And, my hearers, you must be renewed and sanctified, if renewed and sanctified at all, by this same Spirit.

But as the Spirit of God operates only by means of the truth, I must present the truth to your minds, hoping by so doing he will make it effectual. God has not yet come out in judgment against you; and are you taking encouragement to sin from this delay of punishment? Pause and consider what you are doing. What should you say of a criminal who had been condemned to die, but who through the clemency of the government had been put upon probation for a few months, and who on condition that he pursued a particular course of conduct, should be pardoned, and restored to the privileges of society-what should you think of him, if you saw him attending to every thing rather than the course of con

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duct prescribed; wasting his precious hours in pursuits foreign to the object of his trial: would you not pronounce him--deranged. And what do you think of men who have been condemned by the law of God; who are now here on trial for a short time; who on condition that they pursue a particular course of conduct; viz. that they repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and lead a holy life, are at the end of this life to be freed from all punishment, and made eternally happy in the presence of their Maker ;what do you think when you see such probationers trifling away their days in vanity and sin; neglecting all the first duties on which their everlasting destiny hinges? Are they not so far as this subject is concerned-deranged? But, my hearers, am I not speaking to a number in this house to each of whom I can say, Thou art the man. you the man fellow-sinner? how then do you regard that in yourself which you would call derangement in another? How do you look upon your conduct, and how do you think it is looked upon by Him who is lengthening out your days that you may repent; how does he feel towards you when he sees your heart fully set in you to do evil, because sentence against your evil works is not executed speedily; when he sees you abusing his goodness, appropriating his mercies to purposes directly the opposite of what he intended? Is not his heart grieved and his indignation roused, and must not your destruction when it comes, come indeed like a whirlwind. After a life thus spent will it not be a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God? How will you dare to meet your judge ? But now he is on the throne of grace. Return fellow-sinner to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon you.

For the Christian Spectator.

principles, seem not to be aware that the social affections are equal

GENERAL AND EQUABLE CULTURE

OF ALL THE FACULTIES OF MAN.

In the developement and cultivation of the human faculties, great errours have in all ages originated, from not considering man as a whole. Endowed by their Creator with various classes of faculties, mankind have, almost universally, paid a disproportionate attention to some, and treated others with unmerited neglect. In warlike nations, and in the ruder and more barbarous ages of society, corporeal strength is the foundation of greatness, and, as an auxiliary to martial prowess, obtains an ascendency which renders intellectual, social and moral culture, comparatively insignificant. How often has the hand which could wield the battle axe, been unable to guide the pen of a ready writer. How often has the valiant champion been an infant in intellect, or cold-hearted, selfish, and corrupt.

As civilization advances, the importance of intellectual culture is more generally admitted, and strength of mind now claims the honour once assigned to mere muscular power. But here, as in all other cases, men are prone to run into extremes, and to devote themselves so exclusively to intellectual pursuits, as to neglect their social, moral, and corporeal powers. A man may become an eminent student, and yet be entirely destitute of moral excellence; or he may be cold in all his social feel ings; or he may be frail as a reed shaken by the wind. Nor are instances of this kind uncommon. Many who discipline their intelpetual faculties on well-digested

cordance with laws which may be developed, and arranged in a regular system. That there is a native difference of social character, cannot be denied; but is there not also a native difference as it regards intellectual powers? And if no one concludes that the intellect is to be neglected, because some are by nature superiour to others in this respect, let us decidedly reject the opinion, that our social affections cannot be rendered, by systematic and persevering cultivation, more ardent, refined, and constant.

The neglect of the systematic cultivation of the corporeal faculties, is still more common. Many acknowledge in general terms the importance of the subject, and admit the claims of duty. But how few have a well-digested system of rules, founded on principle and experience, and conscientiously observed. How few overcome the enchantments of sloth, and resist that aversion to muscular effort, which invades the system, when vigorous exercise is most indispensable? How many are desultory, and without perseverance in their efforts, sometimes rashly overacting, as though the beneficial effects of muscular exercise could be accumulated in large quantities by extraordinary efforts, so as to supersede the necessity of daily repetition? How many reduce themselves by a long continued course of intellectual effort and by intense emotions, and finding that the effects of exercise are not a miraculous and instantaneous recovery, rashly conclude that exercise is not adapted to their constitution: forgetting that when the system has been reduced gradual