them, and sin on. The throes produced will be like those of the second death; and whoever has tried, will not need again to ask what is meant by the undying worm. That eternal separation from the society of the good, and that imprisonment with the devil and his angels, if it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder, when only anticipated,-what will the reality be? I am scared at my own question. It will be a death that never dies—a living death! But,

7. There is still another thought. The sinner must have broken through all the restraints of public sentiment, before we can know how bad he would be; and this ligature he tries to snap asunder. But he will find that public very populous, before he gets through. After he has gone his round with mortals, and has learned not to care what men think of his conduct, he must cease, too, to care what is thought of his deeds, in heaven. Those beings that have kept watch over his pillow by night, that have warded off fire and pestilence, or waked him in time to flee, that have loved his father and mother, and love them still in heaven,-what will they think of the puny worm who has brought himself to despise them, and sport with their opinion. But even this is not all; for devils, too, have their opinion. And he must cease to care what they think of him in hell. And their judgment, remember, is not depraved like their hearts. One might almost as well attempt to silence the opinion of heaven as of hell. The murmurs of that dark world against the man who casts its burning sentiments behind his back, will be like the distant roar of a thousand cataracts, or like the dashing of as many icebergs conflicting with each other in some boundless polar sea. And,

Finally there yet remains to be noticed one of the most pow erful motives of restraint, the domestic affections. It is impossible to guess what men would be, till they throw off the hold, for instance, that a mother has upon a profligate son. We must recollect how John Newton managed, and how miserable he was, while a mother lived to hold the cord entwined about his heart. When every other tie had been sundered, the mother kept hold of him by this; when his character was gone, when he had descended to the meanness of serving a black mistress, and of eating his morsel from her leavings; when her favor was life to him, and her frown filled him with despair, and he had no other friend, then he remembered a mother's counsels and a mother's prayers; and then and there gave his heart to his Savior. There, from Africa's dark soil, and from a condition and character darker still, he first

lifted his eyes to heaven, and began to breathe eternal life; and he lives now, and sings redeeming grace in heaven, and tells in every song, how hard it is for a sinner to conflict with the restraints of infinite love.

But all these are a part only of the circumstances, the restraints, that go to modify human character; all of which the sinner deliberately strives to neutralize. And if in nothing else has he shown a character bad as language can describe, or actions prove, he has given a climax of the whole in his attempts to sunder all such ties, and cut himself loose from God, and from the whole family of kindly influences that would save his soul from death.

Such is the obstinacy, the rebelliousness, the ingratitude of the sinner: must he not, then, be born again, have a new heart and a new spirit, or never enter into the kingdom of God?

No. II.

RECIPE FOR A REVIVAL.

2 CHRONICLES VII. 14.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sins, and heal their land.

THE manner of the approach of God's people to him, so as to secure his blessing, and draw down covenant mercies on the Church and the world, is the grand secret of being useful and happy. I consider this thought amply and beautifully illustrated in the text, leaving scarcely any important point untouched. In illustrating this subject, my plan will be purely textual.

1. The Lord has in this world a precious people. They are "called by his name." They are "dear to him as the apple of his eye." He has "engraven them on the palms of his hands." They are more precious to him than any other portion of the creation. Hence we hear it said, the "Lord's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."

2. They are called by his name.

In great condescension to his people, God thus let's them bear his name. Jacob was so named when he wrestled with the angel

of the covenant at Penuel. And the Christians are so called, because they partake of the character of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we care not whether this name was given them by way of reproach or otherwise. It honors them, and if they honor it, they will promote their own best interests. In Eastern countries, it is a common fact for kings and princes to give their own name to strangers whom they would honor. And I suppose God has, for the same reason, and in reference to this custom, permitted his people to wear his name, while they stay in this distant world, away from his palace and their house.

3. If they shall humble themselves.

God seems to have put it into the power of his people to make themselves what he would have them. He shapes them, through their own agency, to be instruments of usefulness to the Church, and to be blessings to the world at large. There are many things brought to their view which are calculated to humble them. God may give them a distinct view of their own hearts, or of the spirituality and extent of his law. Thus permitting them to look to the rock whence they were hewn, and the hole of the pit whence they were digged, they are prepared to walk softly before the Lord, and take the very place he would have them take in his temple, and do the very things he would have them do for his honor.

4. And pray.

But what can this mean? Are not the Lord's people a praying people? and has it not been characteristic of them, "Behold he prayeth?" True as this may be, his people become cold in prayer, and virtually neglect to pray in the manner that God dictates. They often lose sight of God, and their prayers do not come up into his ear, nor reach his heart, nor draw forth those kindred emotions of his soul, which is the very design of prayer, and which, more than anything besides, secures the blessing of Heaven, as we shall see in the next particular.

5. And seek my face.

without

But what can this mean? Can the people of God pray, seeking the face of God? I suppose there may be this defect in their prayers, that they do not seek his face. God will not have his people approach him in that manner, which is characteristic of a mere slave, who may not open his mouth in the presence of his master, but who stands in the outer apartment of his house, and sends in his petitions by proxy. He would have us come immediately to his face. And there is one sweet text that encourages us to do so-" O, my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in

the secret places of the stairs, let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely." I do not believe that God ever intended his people should pray to him in that distant manner, which exhibits them as strangers.

6. And turn from their evil ways.

This is a condition in the hypothesis very important. If Christians do not turn from their wicked ways, they will not honor God, and God will not hear their prayer. He does not here define what are the wicked ways we are to turn from, but leaves the Christian's mind to operate under the influence of the Spirit. I am led to believe that any wicked ways, persevered in, will effectually shut out our prayers.

And now the promise

1. Then will I hear from heaven.

The way is prepared now for the Christian to offer any prayer he pleases, that is dictated by the Holy Ghost. To be a worker together with God in rendering the Church holy and the world happy. We have heard a great deal about the prayer of faith, but it strikes me there is too little account made of the preparation of faith which we here see carried out. "Then will I hear from heaven." I will hear any prayer my people shall choose to offer. I will hear them whenever they have this preparation. When Daniel would carry before God the case of the captive tribes, he began to pray at the time of offering up of the evening sacrifice. A council seemed to be called in heaven, and the decree went out, that his prayer should be heard and his request granted, and an angel came to whisper it in his ear while yet on his knees. And when Peter, sleeping between the two soldiers, cast his eyes up to heaven, the time of his deliverance came, his chains fell off from him, the gates of his prison flew open, and he was free. Thus God seems to have fixed the time when he will answer the prayers of his people, and has made it depend on their preparation to offer the prayer, when their requests shall be granted. There are two distinct blessings, which God is ready to pour out on his people, when they have thus prepared themselves to offer the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous, that availeth much.

In the first place, God will forgive their sins. As often as the Holy Ghost thus leads them to prepare themselves, he forgives them. Thus the people of God may be pardoned in the morning, again at noon, and in the evening; they may be pardoned

on the Sabbath, and through the week; and thus pardons be strung, like precious gems, along the whole course to heaven.

In the second place, he will heal their land. This includes the removal of any calamity that may have come upon them—whether war desolates, or pestilence lays waste, or mildew blights, or any other woe be upon them, every evil is removed, when they thus come prepared to the throne of grace. Thus there is dependent on the prayers of God's people the removal of all those calamities which are preying on the life-blood of the world. The same may be said with respect to the bestowment of all those positive blessings, of which his people, or the world, stand in perishing need. They may all be summed up in a precious revival of his work, by which he gladdens his Churches, blesses his ministers, and loves his people, and by which he holds back the world from those strides in iniquity which would carry them beyond the reach of grace and of glory.

REMARKS.

1. If any say, that this makes a revival depend too much on human contrivance; I can only say, it is God's own contrivance. It is the plan he contrived for his ancient people, and the plan he still pursues with his Church under the gospel, and probably ever will, to all future ages. He makes his people glad in his house of prayer for ever.

2. Thus the Church, like the ladder which Jacob saw, becomes a medium of communication between God and the world, presenting to him its wants, and communicating to it his favors.

3. If this be so, how important and responsible a situation the Christian fills! and how important that he should perform the duties incumbent on him!