instead of the perversion of feeling, is the total absence of feeling-is even this an accidental and a cureless matter? Are we irresponsible for it before God, and devoid of all remedy against it ourselves? Is it not, on the contrary, perfectly evident, that the cause and the sin lie at our own door? And that the reflections and acts which would arouse us from it, must be our own? Al-. though the fountains within be sluggish and lethean as the sea of Sodom, we must ourselves," through Christ strengthening us," (his strength being presupposed in all personal spiritual endeavour,) move and agitate them. From the slumber of indifference, and the very death of feeling, we must quicken and rouse ourselves, for the command is, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead."

It may seem as though all were cold and dark within-and yet, from the latent spark of God's grace, there may be kindled the flame of zeal for eternal interests, which shall cheer and warm the whole soul. In regard to earthly things, men certainly do, by a personal effort, shake off sloth and torpor. They do rouse themselves to a just concern for present interests, and a vigorous prosecution of temporal pursuits. They reflect-and reflection incites to diligence, sets the springs and wheels of their mental and bodily machinery in motion. They gather together motives, and these motives have their effect. Now, why should it not

be thus in spiritual things? In regard to them, reflection would as naturally commence, and for reasons of infinitely greater weight, ought to be pursued and cherished--the choice of motives is wider, and the motives themselves more elevated in character, and endued with a holier force. The most pitiable trifler upon earth, with his eternal interests, who, thus far, has not thought of them at all, can, through the grace of God, lead himself to think, and to think seriously and soberly. There is no natural or moral necessity, because of which any are compelled to hear or to read God's word in dreamy listlessness, as though they heard or read it not for previous reflection and resolve, in the spirit of prayer and faith, woul break the charm or the spell, how potent soever that has held them, quicken mind to its work, generate a personal concern in subjects of lasting and awful moment, and redeem the passing days of their pilgrimage from vanity, or, at the best, from being very blanks among the pages of the book of life: so that they are personally guilty for suffering upon and within them, that spirit of carelessness and dulness which precludes the faintest hope of spiritual benefit, and which can never consist with the honest and good heart, which receives the word and improves it.

But, 2dly, As to the heart.

To overcome its natural enmity, and to bring the moral affections to a right state, is certainly a

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and

more difficult work, in which prayer must be specially relied on, and in which the grace of God will be far more conspicuous than the assiduity of man. And yet even here, while to God it appertains effectually to "take away the heart of stone," and to give an heart of flesh," he has not chosen that man should be altogether passive. Even the unrenewed can do much, either to perpetuate and deepen their animosity against God, or to convince themselves of its unreasonableness, its utter futility when directed against him, its certain re-action upon themselves. It is only necessary that, as reasonable men, they should bring reason fairly into play; and that as honest and candid men, they should deal by the Gospel and its Author with somewhat of that common fairness which marks their dealings with their fellow men; and that as those who live under the light, and must be judged by the law of the Gospel, they would walk by that light, and submit themselves to that law, and then all will be well. "Doth our law judge any man before it hath heard him," was a question very pertinently asked by one living under a far less perfect law than ours; nor is it common to hate another without a cause; yet it would be well to ask whether the Gospel is not often pre-judged and condemned without a hearing, and its Divine Author not only "hated without a cause," but in opposition to every reason that should induce men to love and

serve him. It is very important for those who are still alienated from God, to ascertain something concerning that perfectly loose and vague repugnance to sacred things, of which they now know nothing; and to test fairly the validity of those excuses for self, which they have hitherto received without examination. In the course of such an investigation, their causeless opposition will gradually weaken and die; they will think less highly of themselves and more highly of God; and they will be continually approximating more closely towards that right state of the affections, "that honest and good heart," in which the word takes root with ease, and brings forth fruit with patience, to the honour and glory of God!

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CHAPTER IV.

THE BROKEN AND CONTRITE
ᎻᎬᎪᎡᎢ.

"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

"Now I rejoice not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance."

"For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation, not to be repented of-but the sorrow of the world worketh death."

"For behold the self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge!"

SPIRITUAL Sorrow naturally follows in the train of spiritual concern. The religiously anxious mind usually leads to the broken spirit—the broken and contrite heart." He who seriously reflects on the serious topics connected with his eternal state, will find cause to mourn for the sins of his present state. And he who mourns aright for sin, will have his heart broken to "repentance not to be repented of."