things are possible to God, and that he may be proving their faith, as a preparatory trial, previous to the accomplishment of their wishes. Those who brought their friends to our blessed Saviour, to have devils cast out of them, must have been alarmed, when they saw the afflicted victims fall down in frightful paroxysms, and then remain motionless, as if life had fled in the conflict. Think you they judged from experience, and exclaimed, "Lord, I asked you to heal my distressed friend; and lo! you have tormented him more, and then taken life from him?" No:-we are told that they had faith, which doubtless preserved their confidence, during the mysterious works of power they were called to witness. It is certain, that if we were to pray more earnestly and perseveringly, we should receive many rare blessings from the hands of Omnipotence, which we now languish for, in our earthly prison house. Is it not strange,. that believers should often omit important subjects, when they come before the mercy seat? Would it not be advisable to quicken memory, by making out a written list of things, to be asked of Omnipotence, in our favoured seasons of communion? This practice might, at least, serve to remind us of our sins of omission. The fact is, that few people are aware of the strange and guilty supineness of their own hearts. They live in a narrow sphere of selfish avocations, and waste little thought on the imperious wants of their fellow beings. They see their friends or relatives living in unbelief, and yet never think of asking God to remove the cloud from their minds. If these very friends were sick or suffering, they would deem any neglect of personal attendance or sympathy inexcusable: yet of how much more importance is the welfare of the immortal soul, than that of the perishing body! They would save the body by disinterested exertions; but they let the soul

perish, when they could save it by prayer. Surely the inconsistencies of Christians are great and incomprehensible.

I recommend to you, my dear Mary, to make it a part of your devotional exercises, to examine yourself on this subject frequently; and ask your heart, whether it does really desire the conversion of sinners. Don't take it for granted that it does, because this desire is a plain part of your Christian duty. You may fail in it, for all its plainness. Ask yourself whether you are as anxious as a Christian ought to be, on this subject. By way of testing the sincerity of your desire, inquire how often you make it the subject of fervent prayer-how often you dwell with compassionate sympathy, upon the lost and ruined condition of infidels.

If you find, (as is not impossible,) that you are wanting, when weighed in this balance, take the thing seriously to heart, and humble yourself to the very dust. Acknowledge your coldness, your supineness, your hard-heartedness; and pray earnestly that your heart may be melted with the view of the forlorn state of your fellow beings. Select some striking instance of blind unbelief, and contemplate it in all its aspects, till you see its horrors; and then you will be in a state to pray for divine aid on the unfortunate victims of infidelity.

Some one has reported to me, that one of your most interesting friends has lately professed religion. I earnestly pray this may be true; but there are so many counterfeits abroad, that I am always fearful of giving way to hope, without proper ground for indulging it. The lady in question has been so popular, and so much beloved in her errors, that I have always feared lest she should persist in them. Many fallacious signs of conversion appear in those gentle, amiable characters, which easily give rise to reports such as I have heard. But I

know the world, and know with how much complacency even Christians draw up with good, amiable people of the world. They forget the danger of associating with such, and encourage their persistence in unbelief. It is a common thing, to hear a man of the world extolled for his moral correctness and propriety of conduct. Nay, we even hear of the goodness of his heart; when we have been told, that the natural heart is "desperately wicked." This is rather paradoxical; but we soon learn, that the same terms have different meanings, when applied to different things. A moral man is amiable in the sight of his fellow beings; but mere morality will not carry him to heaven; for without holiness no man can see the Lord. There may be strict morality without religion, though it is very certain there can be no religion without morality. Christianity must make a man moral; but all the morality in the world will not make him a Christian.

The first work of the Holy Spirit in the heart, is to establish upright principles on a sure basis. When a man forsakes sin because he loves God, his conduct will be radically correct, and there will be a beautiful conformity between his principles and his actions: but when his sins are restrained merely by the fear of worldly censure, or love of worldly approbation, the restraint will be only external. His heart will still retain the germ of evil passions, and they will continue to work in secret.

Many think they will go to heaven, because their lives have been outwardly virtuous; but this belief is prompted by the deceitfulness of the desperately wicked heart. It is not sanctioned by Scripture, and will be rejected by him who judgeth the heart. Such men dishonour God, by withholding from him his just dues, and will be treated according to their deserts. They have

sought the applause of man, and that will be their reward. The approbation of God they cannot expect to gain, because they have not striven for it. What will be their plea, when they stand before the mercy seat? Will their outward observances be sufficient to exonerate them from the neglect of a paramount duty? Will they be enabled to say, "Lord, I pleased my fellow creatures, is not that enough to procure me the reward of the righteous?" Will not these people be addressed with the awful denunciation, "Depart, for I know you not?" Alas! when will man be convinced that morality never has touched, and never can touch, the heart, out of which are the issues of life, and which believeth unto righteousness! As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he; not as he acts outwardly, under the impulse of worldly fear or worldly love.

The carnal heart is enmity against God, even when the actions are conformable to worldly morality. Christian graces and moral virtues are different things. The first spring from Christian motives; the last from selfishness-that bitter root of all evil. The first have the glory of God for their paramount object; the last, tend only to personal profit or pleasure.

But there is yet another grade of morals, which is attained by a strict attention to the forms of religion. Some men enlist with the Saviour, and put on his livery, without ever following his standard. The service is difficult, and they loiter behind, while others are bearing the burden and heat of the day. The forms of religion may be maintained, without any change of heart. They may be scrupulously observed, with as much tenacity, as if every feeling and faculty were interested in their observance. Where religion prevails in a community, many assume it as a sort of fashion. Some are educated in its forms, and adhere to them from custom. They

tread the path of duty, because it is the plainest, not because it is the pleasantest. Many are really sensible of the necessity of religion. They think it a powerful moral agent, and therefore wish to engage it in meliorating the condition of man. Conscience warns some that their propensities or practice require restraint. These take up religion as a sort of check, without intending a radical amendment. They begin right, but they stop short of efficient piety, and never make the discovery of their own inability to overcome nature. The sincere seeker after truth, soon becomes aware that religion is not the correction of an old principle, but the introduction of a new one. He finds that men may sometimes do right, without this radical change; but that entire reformation, is a thing not to be wrought without the grace of God.

Again, there are many who profess Christianity, from a mere speculative knowledge of its doctrines. This knowledge is certainly necessary to spiritual attainments, but it cannot supply their place. We must not only know God, but we must love him, before we can be Christians. Wicked men are sometimes speculative believers, and the devils themselves believe and tremble. They hold orthodox opinions, and are well versed in Scripture. Satan is himself a profound theologian, as far as speculative knowledge goes. He would not so well know how to make people err from the truth, if he was not intimately acquainted with it: though he is the father of lies; there is not a holy truth revealed in the Bible, that he does not know and believe. He has much deeper knowledge than many professing Christians, and this enables him to pervert those truths that they happen to be ignorant of. Speculative knowledge improves the head, while the heart remains in its native depravity.