It is more than probable that it oftentimes is so with many, and that their sorrow is nothing more than the produce of self-love, the slavish dread of punishment. And is it in reason to be supposed that men, actuated by no better principles than these, can possibly possess that love of God which prefers Him, his will and law, before all things? No: the sorrow that proceeds from the sensation of fear alone, is little better than the sorrow which proceeds from shame. The honour and glory of God are to them objects of indifference. They are disgusted with sin merely on account of the consequences that will result personally to themselves. Their will is not changed: it is just as depraved as it was before: their propensities are as bad as ever: their inclinations are as corrupt;. their affections as heartily wedded to the world and its pleasures; and so far are they from entertaining a sincere love of God, that.

they would gladly continue on in their vicious courses, if they knew that the loss of his love, or the withdrawing of his friendship, would be the only consequence that would ensue from their iniquitous proceedings.

I acknowledge that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and that it is salutary to penetrate frequently with the eyes of faith the dreadful abyss of fire and darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; to descend in spirit into hell; and, by the view of future torments, to place a restraint on the lawless passions of the breast. I acknowledge that this fearis a gift of the Holy Ghost: and far be it from me to deprive sinners of a means of salvation, and of a motive for compunction which Christ himself held out, which the Church recommends, which the saints had continually before their eyes, and which we ourselves daily employ with the view of disturbing the

slumbers in which sinners pass their days. For, my God! if, notwithstanding thy threats of avenging flames, if, notwithstanding the view of hell and its eternal torments which thy justice has prepared for sinners, if, I say, iniquity still prevails on the earth, and all flesh hath corrupted its ways, would there be any faith remaining among men, were we imprudently to endeavour to turn away their eyes from this dismal spectacle; or were we to declare that the motive the most common and the most universal, ought to be disregarded. The noble and generous souls, whom love alone attaches to the service of their Maker, are few in number. Love is the wisdom of the perfect. The weak stand in need of indulgence; and God willingly consents that self-interest should be one great incitement to their fidelity.

The fear of the torments, therefore, which God has reserved for the wicked,

is one ingredient of contrition, but it is not the only, nor the principal one. Love alone drew our hearts from God, and love alone can restore them to him. Love caused the depravation, of our will, and love must restore it to its primitive state of subjection. Love, therefore, is the principal ingredient of contrition; we must begin to love God in preference to all creatures; and then the virtue of the sacrament, united with this love, although perhaps it may not have attained its perfection,. will effect our reconciliation with God, and complete our justification. I exclude not, I say, from contrition the fear of punishment: Lexclude only the criminal dispositions of those men, who, if there were no torments, no hell in store, would live like atheists without a sense either of morality or religion, without the use of any of our sacred institutions: who are callous to every sentiment of love; who are

roused only by the threats of future judgments; and who in their own minds are grieved that God is just, and that he has attached eternal torments to the most shameful-excesses. You may say, perhaps, that few men are influenced by these unchristian dis-positions. Ah! would to God. that

your assertion was founded on truth. But experience too plainly demonstrates that the number is very few. who are not actuated by them. Fear is almost the whole of our religion. We divorceourselves from our passions only for a moment we separate ourselves from them as from objects which are dear to us, but dangerous. Like the wife of Lot, we do not hate Sodom, we are afraid only of the flames.-The spirit of true piety is less diffused in the world than you imagine. Our virtues. are for the most part counterfeit vir tues. We entertain, indeed, a hatred for mortal sin: but for what reason?

!