not love, and would not obey. The bare notices he retained in his understanding, were only the occasions of the grossest self-delusion. We are in fact what our hearts are. If the affections be occupied with pride and revenge, our acquaintance with religion, be it what it may, having lost all its practical influence, will only be employed to strengthen or excuse our determination to evil. The same doctrine which might have been a savour of life unto life, will now become a savour of death unto death'; and, instead of being our guide in the way to heaven, will only quicken our descent in the road of destruction, and increase our final condemnation. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them".

I proceed again to remark, that The principal reliance, of a religious nature, on which the mind of Bellingham appeared to repose, too much resembles that of a numerous class of professed Christians. I refer to his trust to a general confession of sin without any real compunction, and a general trust in the mercy of God without any faith in the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ. This is the main error of thousands. I cannot be supposed to compare the sins of the persons to whom I now allude, with those of this vile culprit; but I mean distinctly to affirm,

12 Cor. ii. 16.

2 John, xiii. 17..

that to stop short in perfunctory and unmeaning generalities in religion, to the total disregard of a radical and effectual change of heart by the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit, of an humble application to Jesus Christ for pardon and justification, and of an entire dedication of the whole heart and life to the service of God, is not peculiar to this dreadful criminal. It is the covert but ordinary refuge of numbers among those who are not deeply impressed with the necessity of practical religion, or who are not acting on the impression. They thus persuade themselves that they have repentance and faith, when in truth they have no real pretensions to either; and harden their hearts against the invitations and commands of God in his Gospel.

Let us then, in the last place, all learn The importance of real and vital Christianity. Till we are born of God, partakers of the Holy Ghost, united to Jesus Christ by faith, interested in his merits, justified by his grace, and governed by his laws; in other words, till we are really and practically religious; whatever may be the varieties of our character, whatever our claim to respect on the ground of our general conduct in society, whatever our regard to the forms of religion, whatever our knowledge, our profession, our talents, or our confidence, we are still destitute of the only spring of true

peace, the favour and love of God; we have no adequate resource in sorrow, we have no real support against temptation, we have no abiding stay in trouble, we have no holy tranquillity here, we have no scriptural hope of joy beyond the grave; we are yet under the dominion and condemnation of our sins, and, living and dying in this state, we can never escape the wrath to come. True Christianity is the only remedy of man's condition as a sinner. Without this, all inferior and partial alleviations, however useful they may affect to be, are not capable of supplying the grand want of man, a recovery from the ruin of the fall. Let him then, who trembles at sin, as exhibited in its most dreadful operations in the case before us, flee from it also in its more ordinary but still most tremendous effects on men in general. Let him turn to God in Christ Jesus. Let him begin the great work of repentance without delay. Let him implore the grace of the Holy Spirit to assist and strengthen his resolutions. Let him bow to the sceptre of the Redeemer. Let him view by faith the transforming glories of the Cross. Thus shall he find to his own salvation the excellency and suitableness of the Gospel. While others may dispute about truth, he will feel its healing efficacy. He will know that the cause of all the misery in the world is

sin, and that the only effectual cure of it is the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ.

And, if these pages should catch the eye of any one, who, though he may not as yet have proceeded so far, is still treading in some one or more of the steps of this desperate criminal, O! let him listen to the friendly voice of mercy, ere pride and selfishness have ripened into their full effects! Has he been spurning the yoke of parental authority? Has he followed the selfwill of his own heart? Has he drowned the voice of conscience, quenched the influences of the Holy Spirit, and violated all the restraints of a religious education? Has he persisted in his course, notwithstanding remarkable deliverances on the one hand, and repeated chastisement on the other? Has he been plunging into hazardous and immoderate speculations, and been throwing that blame on others which he alone deserves himself; perhaps accusing, with hardened effrontery, the public ministers of the empire with the consequences of his own follies? Has he been brooding, in sullen and impenitent dejection, over his calamities, and forgetting the duties of patience, forgiveness of injuries, and submission to God? O! let him pause in his mad career. Let him review the progress he has already made in the road to misery, and tremble at the precipice which opens under his feet. Let him behold, in the case of Belling

ham, of what the human heart is at length capable. Let him implore of God the gift of his Spirit, ere he be delivered over to final obduracy! Let him pray that that conscience, which he has done so much to harden, may not be finally seared! Let him open, with holy submission, the word of God which he has so long neglected. And thus, in genuine abhorrence of his past sins, let him lay his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. Deplorable as his situation may be, still let him not despair of that abundant mercy of God in Christ Jesus, which is able to pardon and renew the chief of sinners; but, obediently employing every means of religious improvement, let him look up to God for that direction and grace which may enable him to return to the paths of rectitude, dispose him to repair, in every possible manner, the injuries he may have done to his family and to the community, and lead him to that true contrition for sin, that humble faith in the satisfaction of Jesus Christ, and that renovation of heart and life by the operation of the Holy Ghost, which can alone heal his wounded spirit, instil peace and tranquillity into his heart, make him holy and happy on earth, and prepare him for the presence and enjoyment of God in heaven!