some instances an unconquerable antipathy to the ways of godliness. Yet is it rational to have our minds thus prejudiced against christianity, by the apostacies of those who were only its pretended disciples? But can that system be divine, you exclaim, amongst whose followers there are so many hypocrites?-Can that system, I reply be otherwise than divine, which has outlived them all, and triumphs alike over the apostacies of its seeming friends, and the opposition of its real foes? Considering the numberless instances of this kind which have occurred, even from the beginning, I am persuaded that had not christianity been supported by Omnipotence, nothing more than its name as an ancient delusion, would have reached the nineteenth century. Nothing but that which was sustained by a principle of divine life, could have outlived so much internal decay, and so much external violence. Besides, does not the perpetual effort to counterfeit, prove its real excellence? For who imitates that which is worthless? Look at the bright, as well as at the dark side. Against the troops of deserters and renegades, muster the thronging millions, who have endured temptation, and continued faithful unto death; call up the noble army of martyrs, whom neither dungeons nor fetters, scaffolds nor stakes, could intimidate; who held fast their principles amidst unheard of tortures, and suffered not the king of terrors to rescue from their grasp the doctrines of their faith.

Judge of religion, as it demands to be tried, by its own evidences, and not by the conduct of its professors. Look at it in its own light, and there you will derive a conviction of its truth

and importance, which would make you cling to it in a crisis, when even all men should forsake it. Religion an imposture, because some of its professors are false !! As rationally may you conclude that there is no real orb of day, because by an optical illusion mock suns are sometimes seen in the atmosphere.

Remember your neglect of religion will not be excused, on the ground that your prejudices were shocked by the misconduct of professing christians. Your obligations are in no degree dependant on the manner in which others discharge theirs.

7. A spirit of procrastination, has considerable influence, in preventing the young from attending to the claims of religion.

This has been the ruin of multitudes now in hell. How many amongst the lost souls in prison are now rueing the cheat, which was practised upon their judgement, when they were persuaded to put off the affairs of eternity till another time. Perhaps there is not one in perdition, but intended to be religious at some future period. It is recorded of Archius, a Grecian magistrate, that a conspiracy was formed against his life. A friend who knew the plot, dispatched a courier with the intelligence, who, on being admitted to the presence of the magistrate, delivered to him a pacquet with this message:-" My Lord, the person who writes you this letter, conjures you to read it immediately, it contains serious matters." Archius, who was then at a feast, replied, smiling, "Serious affairs to-morrow," put the pacquet aside, and continued the revel. On that night the plot was executed, the magistrate slain, and

Archius, on the morrow when he intended to read the letters, a mutilated corpse, leaving to the world a fearful example of the effects of procrastination. My children, do not, when God and the preacher say to-day give your attention to religion, reply "to-morrow;" for alas! on that morrow you may be in- -eternity.

Young people are very apt to presume on long life but on what ground? Have they an assurance? No, not for an hour. Is it a rare thing for young people to die? Go into any church-yard in the kingdom, and learn the contrary from the records of the tombs. Have you any security in the vigour of your constitution from the melancholy change produced by decay and death? "So have I seen a rose newly springing from the clefts of its hood, and at first it was as fair as the morning, and full with the dew of heaven, as a lamb's fleece; but when a ruder breath had forced open its virgin modesty, and dismantled its too youthful and unripe retirements, it began to put on darkness, and to decline to softness, and the symptoms of a sickly age; it bowed the head, and broke its stalk, and at night having lost some of its leaves, and all its beauty, it fell into the portion of weeds and worn-out faces."*

But besides, admitting that you should live, is not your inclination likely, if possible, to be less and less towards religion? Your acts of sin will be confirmed into habits. Your heart will become harder and harder, for it is the

* Jeremy Taylor's Holy Dying, p. 8.

nature of depravity to increase. If you

wished

to extinguish a fire, would you wait till it was a conflagration? if to cure a cold, would you wait till it was a fever?

What if God should withdraw his spirit, and give you up to total insensibility? For consider his grace is necessary to salvation. Religion is the work of God in the soul of man. Despised and rejected to-day, is he not likely to abandon you to-morrow? and then what a situation are you in? Like a barren rock, insensible both to the beams of the sun, and the showers of heaven! You may felicitate yourselves in these circumstances on the protraction of life, but it is your curse and not your blessing. You would tremble with indescribable horror at the thought of going the next hour to the flame which is never to be quenched; you would account it the climax of ruin. No, it is not. I can tell you something worse than even this. What; worse than going immediately to the bottomless pit? Yes. To live longer abandoned by God! given up to the deceitfulness of sin, and hardness of heart; left to fill up still more to the brim the measure of iniquity; this, this is worse than instant damnation. Horrible as it seems, yet it is true, that many now in torment wish they had been there before: and that they had not been permitted to live and commit those sins, which are the sources of their bitterest sufferings.

These are amongst the most prevailing obstacles which often prevent young people from entering on a life of piety. Happy are they who by the grace of God are enabled to sur

mount them, and press through these impediments into the kingdom of God.

CHAPTER VII.

On the deceitfulness of the heart.

THE detection of deceit, if not a pleasant employment, is certainly a profitable one; and that man deserves well of society, who puts them upon their guard against a dangerous impostor. The object of this section of my book is to expose the greatest deceiver in the world; whose design is to cheat you, my dear children, not of your property, nor of your liberty, nor of your life; but of what is infinitely dearer than all these-the salvation of your immortal soul. His success has been frightful beyond description. Earth is full of his operations-hell of his spoils. Millions of lost souls bewail his success in the bottomless pit, as the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. Who is this impostor, and what is his name? Is it the false prophet of Mecca? No. The spirit of Paganism? No. The genius of Infidelity? No. It is the human heart. It is to this, that the prophet's description belongs, "Deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." You will perceive, that, to the wiles of this deceiver, you are exposed. Let me then request your very serious attention, whilst I lay open to you his deep devices, and endless machinations.

By the deceitfulness of the heart, we are to understand the liability of our judgement to