"O! that men were wise; that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!" Unbelief manifests itself in characters of another class.

Many nominal professors of Christianity are of a sweet, amiable disposition; temperate in their enjoyments, and benevolent to their poor neighbours. They are ready to promote objects of general usefulness, and pride themselves upon their integrity of principle and strict propriety of action.

But how does their faith operate? Does it wean their affections from the world? Does it make Jesus daily more precious to their souls? Does it break them off from all self-righteous dependence? Does it produce real contrition for sin; and continual application to the Fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness?

Alas! they know little, and they feel less, of all this. They have never seen their absolute guilt and wretchedness as the offspring of fallen Adam; and therefore they feel not their need of a crucified Jesus, to save them from the curse and dominion of sin.

They profess indeed to believe in the Gospel; but they come to it as "they who are whole." Their language is that of the young ruler, "What lack I yet?" Hence they deem all experimental religion, all warm affections to the Saviour, all renunciation of worldly pleasures which are incompatible with the pure spirit of the gospel, as carrying matters too far; as be ing righteous over much. They wish to possess both worlds; to taste the joys of earth-and the bliss of heaven. But eternal truth hath said, "ye cannot serve God and mammon." Such profession of faith must therefore lead to the chambers of death; for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." And Christ hath declared of all his

true disciples: "ye are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

It is also a melancholy truth, that unbelief is not wholly eradicated from the hearts of believers. If it were, there would have been no need for this caution: "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God." And again; speaking of the Israelites in the wilderness, St Paul says, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." And then he adds this solemn warning: "Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it."

Those who are in the habit of observing the secret movement of their own spirit, will soon perceiv how this subtle evil lies at the bottom of all their languor in devotion; their inertness of duty; their dulness in spiritual perception, and their declensions from the ways of God.

This acquaintance with our own heart will lead us to the continued exercise of watchfulness and prayer, through the gracious influence of the Holy Ghost.

A consciousness of inbred sin will cause us to distrust ourselves, to look continually unto Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. This salutary fear, implanted in the heart through the covenant love of God, alone can keep us from falling. We shall walk over the slippery paths of this sinful world with safety, when we tread with cautious step, "leaning upon our beloved."

This knowledge of our corruption, when taught by the Spirit of truth, in connexion with the remedy provided to remove it, even the atoning blood of Jesus, causes the soul who receives it, to sink deep in self-abasement; to rise high in heavenly affec

D

tions; to renounce the vanities of the world; and to grow in a daily meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light.

How extensive, then, is the evil of unbelief. It blights the whole moral creation of God, producing sterility in every heart unrenewed by sovereign grace; whilst it sheds its baneful influence even over the trees of righteousness which stand in the garden of the Lord.

Just in proportion as its influence is felt in the people of God, it operates like the chilling blast in the vineyard. The blossom is injured-the fruit is checked-yea, too often withered.

To this root of bitterness may be traced all the wickedness of the world; all the evils which have abounded, and do abound in the visible church of Christ; all the declensions and falls which have unhappily stained the lives of many, who, by their deep repentance, have proved themselves to be amongst the redeemed of the Lord.

O!

Blessed Saviour! thou who camest down from the throne of glory to die for poor perishing sinners, save me from the deadly sin of unbelief. give me faith in thy precious blood. Enable me to rely upon thee with the simplicity of a little child.

On thee may I repose my soul, for thou didst bear my sins in thine own body on the tree. Lord, save me from self-righteousness; from the love of the world; from pride of heart; from fleshly indulgence. Keep Keep me near to thyself. Wash me daily in thy cleansing blood from every contracted defilement. Clothe me with the robe of righteousness, with the garment of salvation. Cause me to rejoice in thee; to live in the light of thy countenance; to taste that thou art gracious; and to glorify thee by a growing conformity to thy mind and will.

In the hour of death and danger,
When the angry storms impend;
Woe to thee thou wilful stranger

To the great Almighty Friend.

In the days of ease and pleasure,
When thy sun unclouded shone,
Every folly was thy treasure,

And usurp'd thy heart alone.

Jesus Christ was disregarded,

Love and mercy smiled in vain ; Vengeance threaten'd-wrath retardedNothing did thy lust restrain.

But behold! he now arises,

Clad with frowns and arm'd with woe,

He thy guilty soul surprises;

Where, ah! whither wilt thou go!

Earth, with all its gilded treasures,
Cannot yield a moment's ease;
Folly, with her wanton pleasures,
Now has lost her power to please.

Swelling streams of guilt surround thee,
Like an overwhelming flood;
Ah! poor sinner, haste and turn thee
To a Saviour's cleansing blood!

See his agonizing features;

See his pains endur'd for thee;
See him bleed for rebel creatures,
Groaning on the accursed tree.

Still perhaps he may be gracious;
Still his mercy may forgive;
Like the heaven so vast and spacious,
Is the love which bids thee live.

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VI. ON THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF THE HEART.

THE Corruption of the human race after the fall, was radical and universal. "God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually," Gen. vi. 5.

It would seem surprising, that any one should read this passage in the Bible, and yet deny the doctrine of human depravity, did we not know the natural blindness of the understanding by reason of

sin.

A painful truth is however plainly stated; that the heart of man is evil. And that this solemn truth may be placed in the strongest light, it is further added; that not only the thoughts, but the imaginations of the thoughts of his heart are evil.

By this declaration we learn how the fall has corrupted all the secret workings of the human mind; since the very outline or rude sketch of the thoughts is polluted.

If the fountain be thus poisoned, can we wonder at those deadly streams which issue from it?

All who know themselves, through the teaching of the divine Spirit, can testify to the truth of this Scripture from their own experience: "The heart knows its own bitterness."

O! that sovereign grace may cast down every proud and sinful imagination which is contrary to the holy law of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Some, contending for a portion of natural goodness, may perhaps say-True, the imagination is often defiled; but must we acknowledge no remainders of virtue ?—What saith the Scripture? "every imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is evil." Allowing that this is true, yet may there not be