which are adapted to stimulate and inflame his bad feelings and desires; and the good man will be most likely to recur to those scenes, which are adapted to excite and confirm his good feelings and desires. So far, therefore, as vice may find an inlet by the imagination, almost every thing depends on the previous state of the character.

Nor is this all. Even where the object is not kept before the imagination by choice, but before the eyes by necessity, much still depends on the moral view, which we are led to take of it by the previous state of the mind. Familiarity with vice in any of its forms is always dangerous, I know; but it is so, for the most part, because none of our characters are what they should be, or might be. We have already had occasion to observe, that scenes which never fail to excite in bad men guilty longings, will often have no other effect on good men than to excite in them feelings of disgust and aversion; and in regard to the latter, the continued presence of such scenes will only tend, in many instances, to increase these feelings of disgust and aversion. Hence it sometimes happens, that a member of a vicious family, who receives an early and strong bias towards virtue, never becomes in the slightest degree infected with the family sins; but on the contrary acquires a noted disgust and aversion for them, which makes him less likely to fall into them at any future period, than if he had never been exposed to the temptation of seeing and knowing what they are. At the same time, I admit, that familiarity with vice is extremely dangerous in the present condition of society and mankind. It is so, because our

characters are defective, and many of them greatly depraved already. If our characters were what they should be, in all respects, and what the gospel would make them, then I contend that much of what is now called the contagion of vice, and dreaded as such, would cease to have any power over us.

I have dwelt longer than I intended, and longer perhaps than was necessary, or has been interesting, on the discussion of this subject. The conclusion is, that whenever any thing from without has the effect to excite in us a guilty purpose, desire, or thought, it must be because of something that was previously corrupt or defective within. I do not mean, that all human depravity is not acquired; nor that it is not the consequence of temptation from without. But I do contend, that this consequence would never follow temptation from without, except that it operates, in the first instance, that is, in early childhood, upon a character deficient in moral and religious principles, and afterwards on a character, in which these principles are still deficient, or have been perverted. It follows, therefore, that if in any period of life we were in all respects what we should be, and what the gospel would make us, alike in our moral preferences and our moral securities, we should be in no danger, notwithstanding the many and powerful temptations to which we are exposed. In the moral world the gospel would give us 'power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing would by any means hurt us.'

This doctrine was gloriously exemplified in the life and character of our Lord; who was in all points

tempted like as we are,' that is, exposed to the same outward temptations; and yet without sin,' that is, these temptations had no power over him. They

did not, and they could not excite a single guilty purpose, desire, or thought. It was because he was perfect in himself. If we, therefore, were perfect like him, we should enjoy the same immunity; and in proportion as we approach his perfection, we may expect to enjoy a degree of this immunity.

If, then, we find that temptation at all times gains an easy victory over us, if influences from without are continually exciting in us impure thoughts and guilty purposes or desires, if in our reveries our thoughts are apt to run on topics, the tendency of which is bad, if in the mixed company with which we associate, we find ourselves prone to imitate the bad, rather than the good qualities of our companions, if after reading a book we find that it is only its demoralising portions that abide in the memory-is this the case with any one of us-then let the present discourse assure him of the true reason. is because his character is already defective, or greatly depraved. He must look inward for the disease, and upward for the remedy. It is because he wants those selfdenying principles, those holy feelings, those pure and lofty aspirations, and all those invaluable moral aids and securities, which it is the purpose and end of the gospel to impart to the faithful and devout.

It

In our fraility and sin it behoves, on every account, to watch and pray, then we enter not into temptation. Still as entire exemption from temptation is not to be expected in this life, we should be assiduous in preparing ourselves to meet it. God has amply provided us

with the means for this preparation. Religion, and religion only, can disarm, and destroy the temptations of the world. Let us imbue our minds with the principles and spirit of the gospel, and we shall find, that they will not only prevent the vicious action, but extinguish and extirpate the vicious disposition. Nor is this all. They will exclude the probability, that the disposition will ever return; by breaking up those associations, through which evil thoughts and desires are suggested or revived, and by supplanting them with that holiness, with which nothing that is evil can have communion, or exist. The battle may be oft, and the strugle hard, but he has nothing to fear, who goes into the conflict girded as the christian soldier should be. 'Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to stand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.' Do this, and you may regard the words of the Saviour as still addressed to you, in their highest, namely, their moral acceptation. Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.'

SERMON III.

BY REV. FRANCIS PARKMAN, OF BOSTON, MASS

THE SOURCES AND REMEDY OF PREJUDICE.

JOHN 1. 46. NATHANIEL SAID UNTO HIM, CAN ANY GOOD THING COME OUT OF NAZARETH? PHILIP SAITH UNTO HIM, COME AND SEE.

These words present to us an example of prejudice ;and, few as they are, prescribe also the best means of removing it. Nathaniel, who was himself of Cana, in the vicinity of Nazareth, could not be persuaded, that any good thing could proceed from a place, so mean and uncivilized. The character, which the inhabitants of this little city, or village, as by some it is called, exhibited in their treatment of our Lord, would seem to warrant the opinion, here intimated concerning them. Though Nazareth was the place, in which our Lord was brought up; and the people must have been witnesses of the simplicity and holiness of his character, of his docile childhood, and of his gracious ministry, yet, we are told, he could not do many mighty works there, on account of their unbelief. Because they happened to know his family, which was humble, and his own appearance disappointed their worldly hopes of a Messiah, they rejected both him and his doctrine. And