The soul can live and thrive only, on that spiritual food, which is adapted to its spiritual nature. It can rise to strength, and vigor, and enjoyment, only when it is fed with truth, and knowledge, and active obedience, with holy meditation, with heavenly hope, with deep devotion. Without this, all that there is of greatness and excellence in man, is imperfect, and wanting its crowning glory. Without it, greatness may excite our admiration, or awaken our dread, but can never command what is higher and better, our confidence and our love. But with it, man fills up the full orb of the divine perfections, and shines with the same, though diminished and fainter light. To be like God-what a lofty thought. what a sublime aspiration! And yet, great as it is, it is within the reach of every human soul.

With such prospects of glory, honor and immortality before you, is there any motive wanting to prompt you now to resolve, that henceforward you will devote a part of your time and a portion of your energies, to labor for that meat which perisheth not, but endureth unto everlasting life? By every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, shall man live. The aliment of the soul is to be found in the inexhaustible riches of divine revelation. The voice of God invites you to come and partake of that living bread which came down from heaven, the doctrines which were taught by Jesus Christ his Son. Then shall you live in the highest sense of the term,-live not a mere animal existence, but in a deeper and intenser consciousness of being,live not days and weeks and months and years only, but LIVE FOREVER.

SERMON IX.

BY REV. JOSEPH FIELD, WESTON.

CAUSES OF RELIGIOUS INDIFFERENCE.

DEUT. XXXII. 18.-'OF THE ROCK THAT BEGAT THEE THOU Art UnmindFUL, AND HAST FORGOTTEN GOD THAT FORMED THEE.'

God is our creator, the preserver of our lives, the constant and unwearied benefactor of man. Daily and hourly, every moment that we live, we are experiencing his loving kindness and tender mercy. Is it not natural to suppose, then, that the heart of man would kindle with affection towards the author of his being; and that as he partakes of the streams of his bounty, his eyes would instinctively turn back upon the source from which they issue?

God is, of all intelligent beings, the greatest and best, the one and only infinite mind, the spring of all thought and action. His power, his wisdom, his goodness are displayed in the works of creation. The whole material world, universal nature, the heavens above us, with their remote suns and their innumerable worlds and systems of worlds, the earth on which we tread, with all its varied richness and beauty, the waters too

under the earth, sublime in their vastness, and flowing on in their unspeakable grandeur; these all are the works of God, and they are constantly before and around and above us, proclaiming the majesty and glory of him who made them. Should we not think, then, that God would be in all our thoughts? that it would be impossible for the eye to be constantly resting upon these various objects of divine goodness, and man be unmindful of his creator?

By him

God is the moral governor of the world. actions are weighed and character is judged. He has imposed upon man, obligations and responsibility, made him the subject of a moral law, made his happiness here and hereafter depend upon his observance of the divine commands. Should we not think, then, that under the moral government of God, man would act habitually, under a deep sense of his religious obligations, and with a constant reference to the will of that being, whose will is law, and whose word is destiny?

And yet, this is not so in point of fact. There is not that fervent love to God, that communion of the heart with God, which duty enjoins. Religious obligation is not, in general, sufficiently felt. Religious principle is not, so much as it ought to be, the operative motive of human conduct. In one word, mankind do not realize sufficiently the importance of religion. There is, on the subject of religion, too much indifference and insensibility. Whence arises this insensibility? What are the causes of religious indifference and apathy? It will be my object in the present discourse, to point out some of the most influential causes of religious indifference, and to make such observations upon them, as the subject may suggest or demand.

1. The first cause of religious indifference which I would point out, is, erroneous conceptions of the extent of religious obligation.

There are many, who would confine the spirit of religion within the walls of a sick chamber, or who would make it the companion only of old age. 'What need have we of religion?' say the young and the strong, the healthy and the prosperous. Religion is for the aged, whose sun is setting in darkness. Religion is for the weak and feeble, tottering under the load of human frailty and suffering. Religion is for the sick and unfortunate, racked on the bed of pain and anguish, or pressed down under the weight of calamity.' And it is even so. Yes, my friends, it is indeed true. Religion is for the aged; it speaks to them of that better world to which they are hastening, and smooths their downward passage to the grave. Religion is for the weak and feeble; it leads them gently along the rugged path of life, and bids them lean on an almighty arm for support. Religion is for the sick and infirm; for it lights up the sunken eye of disease, and breathes upon the agonized frame its softening influence. Religion is for the suffering and afflicted; for there is consolation in its hopes, comfort and joy in its promises, balm and healing in its spirit. With the finger of faith it points to a better world, where sorrow and trouble never come. It speaks, and the shadows that gather over the soul flee away. Grief wipes the tear from its eye. Affliction lays down the burthen of its cares. The sable weeds of mourning and woe are turned into garments of praise, and the haggard features of remorse and despair even assume a brighter and happier expression, as its accents

of mercy fall upon the ear, and the assurance of pardon and acceptance is given to the penitent. Yes, religion is indeed for the aged and the infirm, for the sick and the bereaved, and the wounded spirit sinking under the weight of conscious guilt. But is religion needed only in the hour of affliction?

Is it valuable only for

its consolations? No; it is valuable also, for the moral strength it imparts, for its restraining influences, for the power and efficacy of its motives; and mistaken, miserably mistaken, therefore, are they who believe that the young and the prosperous and the happy need not the aid and support of religion. Believe me, none need it more than they who are treading the dangerous steeps of successful enterprize; who are daily and hourly exposed to the snares and pitfalls that are thickly scattered in the path of youthful inexperience and worldly prosperity.

In speaking however, of erroneous conceptions of the extent of religious obligations, as a cause of religious indifference and insensibility, I would confine my remarks principally to the young; for it is upon this class of society that it is most operative and influential. Speak to the young of the importance of religion, and they are too apt to consider it as a subject ill suited to their period of life. They will tell you that their minds are not enough matured; that their spirits are too buoyant, their hearts too light for considerations so solemn and momentous as those connected with religion; that youth is a season in which we can hardly expect much decision of character, much religious feeling and principle; in which, in fine, religious indifference is excusable.