Yet,

turned and looked upon us to bring us into repentance; and we for a while were moved. even then our wayward hearts could not keep up to their own resolves; letting go again the heat which Christ gave them, as if made of stone, and not of living flesh. What could have been done more to His vineyard, that He hath not done in it1? "O My people (He seems to say to us) what have I done unto thee, and wherein have I wearied thee? testify against Me. I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants;.... what doth the Lord require of thee, but justice, mercy, and humbleness of mind 2?" He hath showed us what is good. He has borne and carried us in His bosom, "lest at any time we should dash our foot against a stone"." He shed His Holy Spirit upon us that we might love Him. And "this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous." Why then have they been grievous to us? why have we erred from His ways, and hardened our hearts from His fear? Why do we this day stand ashamed, yea, even confounded, because we bear the reproach of our youth?

Let us then turn to the Lord, while yet we may. Difficult it will be, in proportion to the distance we have departed from Him. Since every one might have done more than he has done, every

1 Isaiah v. 4.

2 Micah vi. 3-8.

3 Psalm xci. 12.

one has suffered losses he never can make up. We have made His commands grievous to us: we must bear it; let us not attempt to explain them away because they are grievous. We never can wash out the stains of sin. God may forgive, but the sin has had its work, and its memento is set up in the soul. God sees it there. Earnest obedience and prayer will gradually remove it. Still, what miserable loss of time is it in our brief life, to be merely undoing (as has become necessary) the evils which we have done, instead of going on to perfection! If by God's grace we shall be able in a measure to sanctify ourselves in spite of our former sins, yet how much more should we have attained had we always been engaged in His service!

These are bitter and humbling thoughts, but they are good thoughts if they lead us to repentAnd this leads me to one more observation, with which I conclude.

ance.

If any one who hears me is at present moved by what I have said, and feels the remorse and shame of a bad conscience, and forms any sudden good resolution, let him take heed to follow it up at once by acting upon it. I earnestly beseech him so to do. For this reason;-because if he does not, he is beginning a habit of inattention and insensibility. God moves us in order to make the beginning of duty easy. If we do not attend, He ceases to move us. Any of you, my brethren,

who will not take advantage of this considerate providence, if you will not turn to God now with a warm heart, you will hereafter be obliged to do so, (if you do so at all,) with a cold heart;—which

is much harder. God keep you from this?

SERMON IX.

THE RELIGIOUS USE OF EXCITED FEELINGS.

LUKE viii. 38, 39.

"The man out of whom the devils were departed, besought Him that he might be with Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, Return to thine own house, and show how great things God hath done unto thee."

Ir was very natural in the man whom our Lord had set free from this dreadful visitation, to wish to continue with Him. Doubtless his mind was transported with joy, and gratitude; whatever consciousness he might possess of his real wretchedness while the devil tormented him, now at least, on recovering his reason, he would understand that he had been in a very miserable state, and he would feel all the lightness of spirits and activity of mind, which attend any release from suffering or constraint. Under these circum

stances he would imagine himself to be in a new world, so to say; he had found deliverance; and what was more, a Deliverer too, who stood before him. And whether from a wish to be ever in

His divine presence ministering to Him, or from a fear lest Satan would return, nay, with sevenfold power, did he lose sight of Christ, or from an undefined notion that all his duties and hopes were now changed, that his former pursuits were unworthy of him, and that he must follow up some grand plan of action with the new ardour he felt glowing within him ;-from one or other, or all of these feelings combined, he besought our Lord that he might be with Him. Christ imposed this attendance as a command on others; He bade, for instance, the young ruler follow Him; but He gives opposite commands, according to our tempers and likings; He thwarts us that He may try our faith. In the case before us He suffered not, what at other times He had bidden. "Return to thine own house," He said, or as it is in St. Mark's Gospel, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee 1." He directed the current of his newly-awakened feelings into another channel; as if He said, "Lovest thou Me? this do; return home to your old occupations and pursuits. You did them ill before, you lived to the world; do them well now, live to me. Do your duties, little as well as great, heartily for My sake; go among your friends; show them what God hath done for thee;

1 Mark v. 19.