Son hath everlasting life; and whosoever will may come and take the water of life freely. Tell him that a bloody Manassah and a persecuting Saul, and even some of the murderers of the Son of God, have obtained mercy; and if he will have it that his guilt is more aggravated than theirs, urge upon him the fact that there is a boundlessness in the compassions of God, and an infinite value in the blood of Christ, which no measure of guilt and pollution can possibly transcend. Dwell moreover on the wonderful consideration that, as God is glorified in the forgiveness of every penitent sinner, so he is most glorified in the forgiveness of the greatest sinners; for then each of his moral perfections, and especially his grace, shines forth with the brightest lustre; and hence it is the privilege of the penitent to urge the greatness of his guilt before God, as an argument for his being forgiven. Endeavor to make him realize that if his guilt, instead of having risen to the height of a mountain, had been limited to a single transgression, he could never have atoned for it by any exertions or sufferings of his own; but that the sacrifice which Christ has offered, forbids him to despair, notwithstanding his guilt appears so appalling. His eye has been already fixed long enough exclusively upon his guilt: it is time that it should be turned away to the cross of Christ. Hold him, if you can, to the blessed gospel. Let him see the richness, the preciousness, the freeness of its provision; that it exactly meets the exigencies of those who feel that they are great sinners, and can do nothing but sink away into the arms of mercy. Admonish him, moreover, that despair is in itself a sin of fearful magnitude; that though it may excite the compassion of man, it awakens the abhorrence of God; that one of its primary elements is cold distrust of the offers and promises of the gospel; and that the indulgence of it is only putting the soul at a more awful distance from

Christ, and clouding still more deeply the prospect of its salvation.

Suppose the sinner to become impressed with the idea that he has had no conviction of sin, and that all that he supposed to be conviction was delusion; when at the same time he furnishes the most conclusive evidence that he is really a subject of powerful divine operation-in a case of this kind, I would endeavor to convince him, what is beyond all peradventure true-that the adversary is at work, trying to drive away his convictions, by making him believe that he has none. I would show him how reasonable it were to expect that it should be so ;-that the great enemy of all good should be upon the alert, in the use of his wiles, when he sees that he is in danger of losing one of his subjects. And I would refer to the experience of many others, who have passed through similar trials, and who have at length become fully satisfied that they were suffering under a delusion, which was the effect of satanic influence. And when the point is once gained, that the sinner really believes that this impression in respect to his having no convictions is from below, he is prepared to resign it, and the delusion vanishes.

It may be useful sometimes, in order to correct his views on this subject, to set him to account for his own unhappiness on the ground that he has no conviction. The fact that he has no peace, that he is even wretched, he will be willing enough to acknowledge. He is not as he was in other days, when his spirits were gay and buoyant, and no thoughts concerning the salvation of his soul ever rose in his mind. There is some cause in operation now, which did not operate then; else there would have been no change in his feelings-no change in his conduct. Suppose he could exclude the subject of religion from his thoughts;suppose he could regard it with the same indifference he

formerly did ;-suppose he could revert to the former impression that there was little or no danger in his case;— and would not all the unhappiness which he now feels instantly fly away? If he reflects, will he not acknowledge that this would be the case? Let him say then what else it is than the conviction that he is a sinner, that disturbs the peace of his mind? If he had no conviction of the truth of religion, and of the interest which he has in it, and of his exposure to the woes of perdition in consequence of having offended God, why is it that he is thrown into a state of wretchedness from which he would give the world, if it were at his command, to be delivered?

But if the awakened sinner persevere in the mistaken notion that he has no conviction, I know of no other course than to hold up to his view those great truths which are fitted to produce it. If he will have it that he has hithert had no just sense of sin, we can only proclaim to him the evil of sin, and point him to the fountain that is opened for sin and uncleanness. It is desirable, however, in such cases, to dwell chiefly on the glorious provision of the gospel; for though the soul is unwilling to admit that it feels its need, yet it actually does realize it; and if Christ be continually held up, it may let go its favorite delusion long enough to embrace him; and when Christ is really received, the delusion is gone for ever.

There is yet one more attitude in which we may contemplate the awakened sinner-I mean as gradually falling under the power of a settled melancholy. As this is an evil greatly to be deprecated, so the very first tendencies to it, ought if possible, to be promptly counteracted; for unless it be early checked, it may soon become habitual, and may lead to the most disastrous and even fatal results. Wherever this state of mind exists in connection with the subject of religion, it will usually be found to have been

occasioned by an erroneous view of some particular truth. It is a matter of much importance therefore to ascertain what is the error to which the individual is yielding himself; and this may ordinarily be done by close and diligent inquiry. It is, however, often more easy to ascertain the error than to remove it; for the very fact that it operates so powerful as to destroy, in some measure, the balance among the faculties, proves that it has gained a strong hold of the mind, and is not probably to be dislodged by any feeble effort. In attempting to remove it, it is often wisest to avoid coming, at once, to the point; lest the mind should take the alarm, and put itself into the attitude of defence. Let the effort be directed first to impress upon the disordered intellect some of the great truths which it may not be disposed to question, but which are utterly inconsistent with the notion which has plunged it into gloom; and let it be left, in some measure, to its own reflections and conclusions; and when the particular error is approached, let it be in an easy and delicate, and not in a harsh and revolting manner; and there is good reason to hope that it may be delivered from its bondage to the error, and thus the clouds of melancholy may go off, and light, and peace, and comfort, may succeed.

It sometimes happens that the calamity of which I am speaking is connected with great physical derangement; and that it would never have existed, but for some predisposing cause in the bodily system. In this case, the mind and body have a mutual action and re-action upon each other; the mind becoming more gloomy on account of the disease of the body; and the body more diseased on ac count of the gloom of the mind. Sometimes important benefit may be derived from medical aid, and still more frequently perhaps from gentle relaxation and exercise. It has not unfrequently happened that change of scenery,

change of surrounding objects, change of daily associates, has helped to restore the health of the body, while it has contributed in the same degree to bring back the balance of the mind.

There is one caution which ought always to be diligently observed, but which there is reason to fear is too often overlooked, in the treatment of a person in these painful circumstances-I refer to the fact that no measures should be taken which are fitted to carry his mind ultimately away from religion. It is not uncommon for those whose friends have fallen into this state, to manifest a strong disposition to separate them from all religious influences; to divorce them from the company of Christians; and to urge them into the society of the gay and thoughtless. But never was there a greater mistake. The contrast which, in that case, exists, between the world without and the world within; between the cheerless and wretched state of the soul and the joyous bounding of hearts amidst the vanities of life, instead of relieving melancholy, is fitted to change it into agony. But if the point be ultimately gained by such a course, let me ask, what is it that is gained? It is not merely relief from gloom; but it is freedom from all concern for the soul. It is a deliberate rushing back upon the vanities and gayeties of life. It is turning away the thoughts from God, and from Christ, and from salvation, in a manner which renders it extremely probable that they will never in this world be seriously directed to these objects again; at least not in circumstances in which reflection will be likely to be availing. If, instead of this violent course, there should be adopted one which should be fitted to break up gloomy associations, on the one hand, without driving away serious thought on the other; which should surround the individual with cheerful and yet with religious influences; there might be just reason to hope that, in escaping