truth, that he might be saved? Can a parent, with unbroken heart, see a child in the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death? We sympathize with bereaved fathers and mothers. Yet we ought to hail those who have buried early hopes, compared with those whose offspring are living, but erroneous and infidel and wicked. Oh! Rachel, "refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded, and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. There is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border." "Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country." O ye ungodly! how unreasonable, how unjust are your reflections. You often reproach Christians for their sorrows, when you yourselves in the various relations of life occasion a large number of them. For they see the danger you see not, and weep for you when you weep not for yourselves. Have any of you connexions that are godly? and have you grieved them? Resolve immediately to end this cruel persecution. Retire and pray-" O God of my sister, be my God! God of my parents, be my God!" Let not thy father longer repeat in vain, "My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine." O hasten and ingenuously wipe away the tears of her who has long been saying, "What, my son, and the son of my womb, and the son of my Vows?" Yea, let them have joy of thee in the Lord; refresh their bowels in the Lord.

Such are the sorrows which arise from a pious source. These are not only compatible with grace, but spring from gracious principles and dispositions. They are not only found in religious people, but are religious. And we cannot conclude without encouraging, and commending them.

We are aware that this is not the way in which they are commonly treated. The subjects of these spiritual griefs are generally despised, or deplored. Commonly, as soon as persons begin to discover any tendency to these sorrows, they are men wondered at; and they are considered as likely to become melancholy or deranged. But the Prodigal lost his senses when he left his father's house, and came to himself when he resolved to return. And what but a carnal mind that is enmity against God, can lead a man to justify or excuse sorrow in all other instances, and degrade and vilify it here? What is the loss of property to the loss of

the soul? What is the burning of a house, or the loss of a limb, to the casting of both body and soul into hell? What evil can we bewail that deserves a thought, compared with sin-in its guilt, in its pollution, the miseries it entails, the God it dishonours, the Saviour it crucifies? Bunyan remarks, that when he was awakened to consider his condition, nothing amazed him so much as to see how much men were affected with their temporal inconveniences and troubles. "These," says he, "had no power now to interest me. All my concern was absorbed in something infinitely more weighty-what must I do to be saved?" And he is a fool, even judged at the tribunal of reason, who does not feel the same difference, if this book be true.

If, however, such persons escape scorn, they are sure to be pitied. They are regarded as strangers to every thing like enjoyment, and are considered as passing all their lives in mopishness and dread. But they no more deserve our commiseration than our contempt. They are to be pitied who have their portion in this life, which we spend as a shadow, and possess nothing to carry away with them into another world a few weeks hence-who can speak every language but the language of Canaan-who are familiar with the stars, those orbs of light, and are plunging into the blackness of darkness for ever-who are caressed by worms, but are an abomination to the Lord who are placed on a stream, and are gladdened with the flowers of the bank, and charmed with the music on board, and are gliding down into the gulf of perdition-these we pity; but not those who are weary and heavy laden-not those who are invited by the Saviour to partake of his rest-not those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven-not those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled-not those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Though their life may be deemed not only madness, but misery, it allows of happiness, and there is a blessedness arising from it. We cannot make out this to the compre hension of a natural man. It is a mystery to him, how we "become fools that we may be wise:" how, when we "are weak, we are strong:" how, "though sorrowful, we are yet always rejoicing." Yet so it is. There is pleasure even in these sorrows; and there is nothing so painful to a Christian as a hard, unfeeling heart. His weeping moments are his most welcome; and he is never more at home than when looking on him whom he has pierced, and mourning

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for him. This yields him evidence. It is a token for good. It is a proof that he is the subject of that divine agency which takes away the heart of stone, and gives a heart of flesh-that he is the heir of that promise, "they shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them."Observe the words of the Apostle: "The sorrow of the world worketh death; but godly sorrow worketh repentance unto life, and needeth not to be repented of." "Of how many of your griefs are you now ashamed! How unworthy do they now appear of the concern they once gave you! But you will never repent of a tear you shed the upon Bible, or a groan you utter at the foot of the cross.-It allows, it justifies every hope. He is faithful who promised and what has he said? "To that man will I look, even to him who is poor, of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word." "They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy." "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him." Yes, the Saviour is appointed unto them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified." Their comforter is the God of all comfort; and he will soon wipe away all tears from their eyes, and the days of their mourning shall be ended. But, wo to you that laugh shall mourn and weep. As there is a sorrow now, for ye connected with joy, so there is a joy that forebodes sorrow, issues in sorrow, is no better than sorrow disguised. Such are the pleasures of sin for a season. Such are all worldly enticements and dissipations. You boast of these. But one who had a much greater experience of them than you, and was much more honest and ingenuous, makes no scruple to say, that even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness." He said "of laughter, it is mad, and of mirth, what doeth it?" You may profess nothing like this; but while you wear smiles, the vulture is gnawing within. While you celebrate the day of your birth, wish had never been born. What have you to do with pleasure? "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

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Yield no longer to the temptation, which led many in the days of Malachi, to say, "It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that

we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?" Tell the enemy that he is a liar: that godliness is profitable unto all things, and especially in its griefs. Tell him that this is the high road to safety and satisfaction, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. And take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, "I will go with you, for I have heard that God is with you." "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go, and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me." "Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times." Remember me, O Lord, with the favour thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation; that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance." Amen.

LECTURE IX.

THE CHRISTIAN, IN HIS SPIRITUAL JOYS.

"Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength."-Nehemiah viii. 10.

My Brethren, some tell us, that religion has nothing to do with the passions. If it were necessary to refute such a notion, we could appeal even to the style of the Scriptures. When an author intends only to convince the judgment he expresses himself plainly, and merely reasons. But when he means to affect, as well as to inform; when he wishes to strike, and excite, and to carry along the feelings with the convictions; he is never satisfied with simple representation-his language unavoidably avails itself of circumstances, and qualities, and imagery. And can any one deny that this is the mode perpetually employed by all the sacred writers?

But we observe, also, that such a view of religion is not adapted to our very nature. Our passions are original parts of our being, and designed to be the impulses of action. And the Christian does not destroy, but sanctifies and employs the man. And what passion is there, for which religion does not find a place and an object? Is it anger? Be ye angry and sin not." Is it hatred?" Abhor that which is evil." Is it fear? "Be not high-minded, but fear." Is it sorrow? "They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him." Is it pity? "Have compassion one for another." Is it love? "Olove the Lord, all ye his saints." Is it joy?"We joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."