expostulations of his more judicious friends. It was regarded by them as a heartless violation of the secrets of the sepulchre, as a throwing open of the closet of the anatomist to the gaze of the vulgar, and a yielding to the pryings of a prurient curiosity, under a pretence of correcting certain false notions of religion. How few of us would be willing to submit it to the most discreet friend that might survive us, to draw our religious character from what we might write from day to day of our religious exercises, under a full conviction at the time we penned it, of its truth! We say then, in conclusion, that while this doctrine is never to be used as an excuse for wilful delinquency in any, it may afford effective consolation to the afflicted believer when bowed down with infirmities of soul which he cannot overcome. If rightly understood it will tend not only to minister relief, but will make us more watchful against sin in all its forms, and especially against that to which we have a constitutional bias. Are we naturally passionate and excitable; are we envious, proud, covetous, or jealous, it will cause us to pray and watch against these besetting sins with peculiar vigilance; while our numerous failures in this and every other duty, will make us feel our absolute dependence on the Spirit, both for grace to enjoy our religion, and strength to obey its precepts. Above all, it will commend to our hearts that great Redeemer who hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. We shall look away from our desperate moral defilement, to that blood which cleanseth from all sin; from our weakness, to his strength; from our sins, to his perfect righteousness. It is but a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. The day of our emancipation is fast approaching, when the earthly house of this tabernacle will be exchanged for a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The spirit shall no more be impeded by the disorders of the flesh, for this vile body shall be fashioned like unto Christ's glorious body. But as godly Mason says, we are not to expect the sunshine of joy all through this vale of tears. Comfortable frames and joyful feelings, though sweet and delightful, are not always most profitable. Were we ever on the mount of joy, we should forget we are strangers and pilgrims on earth-be for building tabernacles of rest in a polluted place, and cry out with the highly favoured disciples, it is good for us to be here. But they knew not what they said. It is the glory of a Christian to live by faith on Jesus; to judge of his love by the word of truth, more than by sense and feeling;—yea, under dejection and disquiet of soul, to hope and trust in God; to check and rebuke one's self for doubts and diffidence, is the real exercise of faith. Thy frames may vary with the changes of thy health and of thy mortal part, but the foundation of God's love standeth sure. Thou mayest meet with many things from within and without to cast down and disquiet thee; but thou art called to look to Jesus, and say, Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God! CHAPTER III. TEMPTATIONS. This is the very painting of your fears.-SHAKSPEARE. Me oft hath fancy Myself creating what I saw.-CowPER. THE apostle James reproves those who are too ready to connect their enticements to evil with supernatural causes; who ascribe to circumstances around them, an influence which proceeds from a susceptibility within them. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth he any man. But every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own lusts and enticed. The danger of walking among sparks belongs only to those who wear combustible garments. Nothing is more common among the desponding and morbid than a proneness to this very mistake. They im pute their unhappy experiences to a cause which very often is only "the painting of their fears." How far the prince of tempters may take occasion, from their sickly physical state, to lead them into errors concerning their spiritual, we presume not to say. There is, however, the same intervention of second causes in their case, as in that which James speaks of. They are drawn away by their own bodily affections, and enticed into grave mistakes, which cause their many doubts and disquiet about their spiritual safety. It is a temptation of some, in their desponding state, to think that they have committed THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. We have known Christians, with eminent gifts, and piety which nobody doubted but themselves, who have been at times exceedingly distressed with the apprehension that they were guilty of this unpardonable sin. The perplexing question concerning its nature, than which, Father Austin said, "there was no harder in all the Scriptures," is clearly answered, as they suppose, in their own forlorn |