feelings in the view of unavoidable evils, without desiring a known impossibility.

5. If it is impossible to choose a known impossibility; then the reason why sinners hate the light and will not come to the light, is because they really think it is darkness, and that it will not reprove their deeds. They cannot understandingly prefer, that darkness should be light, and light, darkness; because this would be preferring a known impossibility.

6. If it is impossible to desire a known inpossibility; then Christ did not desire the cup to pass from him, even in itself considered.

But enough. The sentiment, from which these inferences are deduced, is false and absurd; because it leads to false and absurd conclusions.

Dr. Taylor has undertaken to point out the precise way in which a sinner may secure his own conversion. He says, (pp. 32, 33.)

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We have already said, that the sinner is the subject of that constitutional desire of happiness called self-love, to which no moral quality pertains. "Let the sinner then, as a being who loves happiness and desires the highest degree of it, under the influence of such a desire, take into solemn consideration the question whether the highest happiness is to be found in God or in the world; let him pursue this inquiry, if need be, till it result in the conviction that such happiness is to be found in God only;-and let him follow up this conviction with that intent and engrossing contemplation of the realities which truth discloses, and with that stirring up of his sensibilities in view of them, which shall invest the world, when considered as his only portion, with an aspect of insignificance, of gloom, and even of terror, and which shall chill and suspend his present active love of it; and let the contemplation be persevered in, till it shall discover a reality and an excellence in the objects of holy affection, which shall put him upon direct and desperate efforts to fix his heart upon them; and let this process of thought, of effort and of action, be entered upon as one which is never to be abandoned, until the end proposed by it is accomplished,-until the only living and true God is loved and chosen as his God forever; and we say, that in this way the work of his regeneration, through grace, may be accomplished. Ou this course he may now enter instead of perverting, or abusing or sinfully using, the truths of God another moment. In this way he may become a child of God, while truth and duty are present in his thoughts."

Here Dr. Taylor undertakes to inform the sinner what he must do to be saved. But does he consider this whole pro

cess as using the means of regeneration? If not, why does he recommend it to the sinner? If the whole process is to be regarded as using the means of regeneration; then why does Dr. Taylor insist, that using the means does not precede regeneration in the order of time, but only in the order of nature?

From other remarks which Dr. Taylor has made, it seems he would have only the last step in the process regarded as using the means of regeneration. The first part of the process is only using the means of suspending the selfish principle; and when the selfish principle is fairly suspended, then the sinner begins to use the means of regeneration. If then, the sinner would be converted, he must begin, in earnest, to use the means of using the means of regeneration. Dr. Taylor, therefore, ought to have the credit of having done more than point out a way to the way. He has pointed out three ways. The first leads to the second, the second leads to the third, and the third is the straight and narrow way which leadeth unto life.

Suppose, then, the sinner follows Dr. Taylor's directions. Suppose he takes the first way which the Dr. has pointed out, and hopes soon to get into the second. But suppose he does not proceed far, before "he hears a voice from behind him, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it." What shall he do?

Press forward, or immediately repent? The "voice, from behind him," says Repent. Dr. Taylor's voice, before him, says, Persevere till the selfish principle is suspended; then "make a desperate effort," and you MAY BE converted.

But the means which the sinner is to use in order to suspend his selfish principle, and thereby get into the way to the way, deserve to be more distinctly considered. "The sinner then, under the influence of self-love, must take into solemn, consideration the question, whether the highest happiness is to be found in God or in the world. This appears to be the first step in the process. But to multitudes of sinners, this

step will appear altogether needless. They know already that the highest happiness is to be found in God. . Besides, how can the Dr. expect any sinner to follow his directions, if that sinner has no sort of wish to be converted? But no sinner wishes to be converted, who does not believe already, that the highest happiness is to be found in God. The object of the first step in the process, therefore, is to produce a conviction in the sinner, which he has already.

After the sinner is convinced that the highest happiness is to be found in God, there is nothing to hinder his immediate conversion; if conversion consists, as Dr. Taylor supposes, in choosing God for the sake of personal happiness. For the Dr. himself says, that "the will is always as the greatest apparent good;" and if this means as Dr. Taylor supposes, that the will is always as the greatest apparent private happiness ; then it is strictly true of every sinner on earth. Only convince the sinner, therefore, that the greatest happiness is to be found. in God, and, if Dr. Taylor's theory of a new heart is true, the work is done.

But yet Dr. Taylor thinks it will be necessary for the sinner to take another step, in order to get to the way to the way. After the sinner is fully convinced, that the highest happiness is to be found in God, he must endeavor to deepen this conviction. Nor must he stop here. He must persevere in the contemplation of Divine things till his "active love of the world," (that is, "the selfish principle,") shall be chilled and suspended. By this time, the sinner is fairly in the way to the way. As his selfish principle is suspended, he can begin to use the means of regeneration. He must now try to discover a reality and excellence in the objects of holy affection which shall put him upon direct and desperate efforts to fix his heart upon them." This reality and this excellence, by the way, the sinner has already discovered. For they are supposed to consist in nothing more nor less than a tendency to promote his happiness, Indeed nothing but a tendency in

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these objects to promote the sinner's happiness, could "put him upon direct and desperate efforts to fix his heart upon them." I presume that Dr. Taylor will admit this. For he says, "Of all specific voluntary action, the happiness of the agent, in some form is the ultimate end." Although this sentiment is not true in respect to holy beings, yet it must be admitted to be true in respect to sinners.

But in what are the sinner's "desperate efforts" to consist? If I get the idea, the sinner must make "desperate efforts " to put forth a holy choice; and these efforts must of course precede the choice itself. That is to say, the sinner must make " desperate efforts" to work in himself to will and to do. I should suppose, that this would require a desperate effort;" if not an almighty effort. But I suspect the Dr. thinks, that if the sinner will only make a desperate effort to love God, the Holy Spirit may possibly grant him some assistFor he says, "that in this way, the work of his regeneration, through grace, may be accomplished."

ance.

Still it is to be regretted, that Dr. Taylor had not been more explicit, on a point of so much importance. The sinner would doubtless, be pleased to know in what these "desperate ef forts" must consist. It can hardly be supposed that they are muscular or bodily efforts. For "bodily exercise profiteth little." The "desperate efforts," therefore, which the sinner must make, are undoubtedly mental efforts. But are they ef forts of the understanding, or efforts of the will? I presume Dr. Taylor does not use the phrase, "desperate efforts," to signify the operations of the understanding, or any involuntary states of mind whatever. The Dr. has too much sense, to exhort sinners to make desperate involuntary efforts to love God. These "desperate efforts," therefore, must be efforts of the will, that is, choices. The meaning of the expression is, if I understand it, that the sinner must make one desperate choice after another, to choose God, till he succeeds in bringing the choice which he has in view, into existence.

But if the sinner's will" is always as the greatest apparent (personal) good," why should it require so much effort on his part to choose it? If his "will is always as the greatest apparent good," as it doubtless is, in Dr. Taylor's sense, I should think it would require a most desperate effort for him to avoid choosing it. As soon as he is convinced that "the greatest happiness is to be found in God," I should suppose it would require desperate efforts for him to avoid choosing God for the sake of being happy.

Dr. Taylor insists, that "using the means of regeneration," consists in such acts as are not of a moral nature. In proof that such acts are possible, he alleges, that "man is a moral agent, and therefore possesses those constitutional properties, viz: the self-love, the power of contemplating the objects of choice, and those susceptibilities to the good and evil set before him, which fully qualify him for the process described."

is

This is the same as to say, that man, as a moral agent, fully qualified to suspend his moral agency; and, thereby to divest himself, for a time, of all moral responsibility. But I am at a loss to see, how the principles of moral agency can qualify a man to divest himself of moral action; and I find it still more difficult to see, how he can use the means of a moral change in himself, after he has thus rendered himself a moral blank.

But Dr. Taylor says, again,

"If the eye of contemplation must be turned and fixed upon the objects which truth exhibits, as indispensable to the requisite impressions on the conscience and to the exercise of right affections of heart, --- if the constitutional suscepti