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refusing to attempt its performance, or doing it in the most careless and superficial manner? How much greater cause has God to be angry with you, while you dare to live thus in the direct violation of his precept, and to slight the means which he has provided, and the help which he has proffered? it not a daring insult to the God of heaven, to cast his commandment behind your back, or to trample it under your feet; and practically to tell him to his face, that in this you will not submit to his authority? Is it not a daring insult to his wisdom and goodness, to refuse to employ the means with which he has furnished you for ascertaining your spiritual state and prospects for eternity, or to use them only with trifling indifference? Is it not a daring insult to his condescending grace, to lend a deaf ear to his promised assistance; and, instead of earnestly supplicating it from him, and looking up for its attainment, to scorn to make it the subject of prayer?

All this guilt you are chargeable with, while you willingly continue ignorant of your spiritual state, and neglect this duty by which you might know your real character. With you, therefore, God is justly displeased, and your present course he has explicitly condemned. In consequence of your ignorance of your state, like the Laodiceans you may imagine that you are "rich, and increased with goods, and stand in need of nothing." But like them too, you know not that you are "wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked;" and that, continuing thus, God will spue you out of his

mouth,-reject you utterly as an abomination. That servant who knew his lord's will, but did it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. To you, and to all such, God thus speaks, "If I had not come and spoken uuto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin." They know not, neither will they understand: they walk on in darkness." "It is a people of no understanding; therefore, he that made them will not have mercy on them."*

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5. All other knowledge is of little value, compared with the knowledge of your spiritual state. It is far from my design to depreciate what is usually denominated, useful knowledge. All literary and scientific acquirements are valuable, and have been frequently rendered instrumental in promoting the happiness of our race. Instead, therefore, of wishing that less time and attention were devoted to such studies, it would be greatly conducive to the interests of society, were mankind more generally to embark in pursuits so rational and dignified.—But while all this is admitted, is there not something preposterous and irrational in creatures, destined for an eternal world, to spend all their time and energies in seeking what must perish with the present life, while they overlook that which is most obviously connected with their true happiness, both in this world, and in that which is beyond the grave? Does not reason, as well as divine revelation say, that the latter ought to have the decided preference,-to be

* John xv. 22.; Psal. lxxxii. 5.; Isa. xxvii. 11.

first in our esteem, and to have the first of our time and care; and that the former should be wholly subordinated to its attainment?

Instead of this, however, the very reverse is usually the case. How many who have spent ten or twelve years in the acquirement of languages, and in exploring the paths of philosophy, are totally ignorant whether they are born again, or still in a state of nature; and yet have not occupied as many hours or minutes in earnestly endeavouring to determine this question, all-important though it be! Of what benefit can merely human science be to such persons when they are on the brink of eternity, and when they shall stand before the tribunal of Christ? In such circumstances, would not those who have been long and widely famed for their erudition, but who have remained ignorant of their own state for eternity, be ardently desirous to exchange conditions with the most illiterate peasant who has known himself, and consequently been excited to secure an interest in his God and Saviour ?—Persuaded of this, let that knowledge which is most valuable in itself, -that which belongs to your present and eternal peace, be your first study.

6. If you be not a child of God, it is of vast importance that you should speedily know this.-That many who are admitted to the outward privileges of the Christian church, are not truly the disciples of Christ, cannot be controverted. Such persons, however, when their conduct is free from gross violations of duty, and their observance of the forms of godli

ness is somewhat regular, very commonly "are at ease in Zion." They are quite satisfied with their religious state and attainments, and unwilling to have their peace, false though it be, disturbed by any minute and thorough inquiry. Flattered by others, and pleased with themselves, they are in danger of continuing to dream of peace and safety, till they awake in hell.

Now, if this be your condition, my dear reader, it is impossible to arouse you from your dangerous security, till you be convinced that it is so. And how can you be convinced of this till you have carefully examined your state, compared it with the word of God, and seen, on the evidence of divine authority, that you are destitute of genuine piety? Such a trial of yourself is essentially necessary to apprize you of your exposure to divine wrath, and to excite you to seek that safety which can be found only in Christ. While in your own estimation you are whole, you cannot perceive your need of this divine Physician, nor duly appreciate his inestimable worth. But were you diligently to search and try your ways, your false peace would be broken,—your fatal delusion would be dispelled, and you would be forced to abandon your present grounds of confidence. And surely this cannot be done too speedily.

Were you affected with a dangerous malady, insensible as you might be of it in the meanwhile, would it not be of importance that you should discover it as soon as possible, and not through ignorance allow it to proceed in its career, without any

attempt to eradicate it till it had become incurable ? Were a deadly plague raging around you, and every day multitudes falling victims to its ravages, would you not frequently examine yourself to find whether you had any of its symptoms? And yet can you treat with indifference and neglect the most dangerous of all maladies, the most fatal of all plagues? When you are assured by God himself that the leprosy of sin has infected every son of Adam, and consequently you as certainly as any other, and that unless it be speedily cured, it will subject you to eternal death; dare you notwithstanding remain unconcerned about your danger? Though the gospel points you to a Physician who is both able and willing, without price to cure this disease, will you not take the pains to inquire whether you have really applied to him, and experienced the healing virtue of his blood, or only dreamt that this is your case? If you are deceiving yourself, imagining that you have already been freed from the killing power of this malady, while yet it rankles at your heart, think, O seriously think, if it would not be of mighty importance that you should be aroused to a sense of your awful peril before it be too late? By careful self-examination this may be effected. Your error and danger will thus be discovered, and yet you may be saved. But by persisting in your present course, your perdition must be inevitable. As you, therefore, value your own soul, and desire to escape the damnation of hell, and to obtain glory, honour, and immortality, eternal life, speedily address yourself to this work.