with his heart till the last, a retching of the soul toward the ebbing world, not unfitly represented by the fearful symbol of the natural hand clutching for life.

We have remarked two classes of principles in man-something like a twofold nature-a love of the present; and aspirations, less influential on his conduct, after some higher but undefined state of existence; the one opposed to faith, the other its natural ally, or rather itself the first element of faith. The first more readily engages our affections or passions, by proposing tangible objects of pursuit,—wealth, for instance, that has an immediate value; our pursuit, in this case, dictated at first by necessity, and sanctioned in its farthest ardour by the example of thousands whom the world pronounces estimable men. The danger here is, in reference to spiritual interests, that an excuse for excessive worldly-mindedness appears to be found in the necessity of its first degrees. And so of all the other pleasures of the world, that engage other passions, and make up the class. Moreover, even though with

out stain our indulgence in these, though natural and innocent, there is yet much in their abundance to make us insensibly believe, that we have been born for ourselves on earth; gradually to wean from a higher consciousness both of dignity and of law natural and revealed; whilst we unbind our robes as if the day of ease were come, and not the toil yet before us for which our loins were girded. There is criminality in proceeding to the farthest even in allowed pleasures, because of the peculiar danger, not only of being brought near offence along an inclined road of temptation, but, at the same time, of that softening of heart which can less easily resist being led to criminal degrees.

Particularly in this way is a man overcome unto sensuality, a habit, beyond all others, low,—debasing him unto the brute,—in haste to put out his immortal lights. It is more dangerous than a determined pursuit of riches, because it engages, and becomes entrenched in the inclinations of physical nature: It is less so, that it has none or fewer pleas against con

viction, and no sanction in worldly favour; or rather it is more deadly in this respect too, because it will out-face conviction, and give it the lie rather than be gainsaid. There is nothing so melancholy in all our strange history, as the conquest of this vice, this "living leprosy," over the young heart early prepossessed with religious impressions. The conviction of his struggling soul never leaves him in prayer, but brings him soon to the point where he must supplicate the Spirit to purify his heart. O thou God, have mercy! Glad were he could he even forget it till the service were over, as if he were not entitled to ask or wish the purification but in the literal time of prayer. He dares not to give the wish expression ;a mockery! He dares not pass it by ;-this were mockery too. He must shuffle with the Eternal, heart-searching One, and try the circumlocution of some doubtful feeling which, were it defined, might mean an exception for a short season of indulgence, and afterwards the probability of his amendment. Long, however, he cannot thus fool his spirit. As his

habit grows in inveteracy, he begins insensibly to wish that our pure religion were not true: And in this wish his reason is pledged to make out the argument.

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The declaration of our Saviour is borne out by experience, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God." Habits of just thought, as well remarked by Paley, grow from good habits of action. It is only to undepraved hearts of natural and good issues, to men who acknowledge in their lives the restraint of Christian cepts, that their value, and that stamp of divine excellence which makes up the strong internal evidence in their favour, can have their weight; vice versa, these are nothing to the sensualist. The powers of his understanding are weakened by vice, and the tender apprehension of whatever is excellent. To the tacit rejection of religion implied in his daring to do what that religion forbids, is superadded this silent argument in his mind in favour of continued indulgence-the second act, in virtue of its numerical name, takes for granted that the

question was settled on a former occasion, that religion has no right to interfere; the same happens in a third instance, and in a fourth, with an increasing power of precedent; and so on, till at last the plea is lost sight of, having been found good in so many instances. In the upshot is a being callous to moral and religious arguments, or perhaps a literal infidel. And reason and imagination, these godlike powers, become ministers of a base propensity. Faith shuts her eyes and dies within him. He cannot wish for the Heaven of God and of the Holy Jesus, and of the Spirit, that Watchful Fire, that lives above stain,—and of the Angels, beautifully styled in their purity of obedience and feeling, the Ardours of Heaven,-and of the sanctified from among men, "dove-hearted saints and prophets eagle-eyed," walking pure from degraded sin,

"High in salvation and the climes of bliss."

But what are the portions that his idol-god will shortly allow him? Not happiness to compensate for one hour of that bitter remorse