is unwilling to bring this necessity home to himself, or to say with the Psalmist," I made haste, and I delayed not." If, however, men would but look into their own hearts, and examine their daily conduct, if they would consider how constantly their thoughts run upon objects which are in no respect divine or elevating; even admitting them, too, to be guilty of few actions to which they would be willing to apply the name of sin, yet how much they are guided by accidental impulse, by the occupations and company into which they happen to be thrown-how little, by higher principle, or by any view to that great account which they must one day render-and how feebly they strive to attain a character above that of the children of the present world: All men would, in such a view, discover that Repentance is applicable strictly to themselves, and that without it there is no possible means of acquiring that holiness and purity which can alone lead to ultimate happiness and perfection. But, neither in this view, assuredly, is there any thing melancholy or dispiriting. What is it that it requires us to acknowledge? What, but this, that we are all, and each of us,

human creatures; that we are, every one of us, liable, in some form or other, to the disorders that belong to that wandering and sinful race; that it does not become us to suppose that any exception has been made in our particular favour, that we have gone on through life without deviation or failure; or, that we are at all qualified to attain the Righteousness which is of God, without entering steadily into that great school of discipline in which our errors will be corrected, and our steps made more assured. There is, indeed, infinite truth and wisdom, in that view of the Gospel, however it may be often misapprehended, which looks upon all men in one great aspect, as Beings who all and individually require to be recalled from what is debasing and wrong, and to be instructed and guided in what is right. This is a character which applies to the best and the wisest of the human race, no less than to the most guilty and unthinking; and, in truth, they who have really attained the highest goodness, and the highest wisdom, are the most fully sensible of the imperfection of all their attainments, and of the weakness and wretchedness

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which must ever encumber the clay of mortality. It is the men of the world who think of none of these things. It is they who, occupied solely with present existence, are insensible of the little progress they have made in the great career of Christian virtue!-But why should they remain thus insensible? Is it a melancholy or distasteful truth, or one of which they should be averse to be persuaded, that they are not the creatures of a day, but that they are called to an eternal inheritance; and that, while they "use the world," they ought to be careful not to "abuse" it, but to have their souls elevated to nobler views, and their lives guided by purer principles? Or feeling how far inferior, they, and every thing that is called man, must be to the level of that righteousness to which human nature is yet impelled to aspire ;-why should they reject that sober self-examination-that salutary sorrow-those high resolutions of amendment to which they are now called in the mercy of the Gospel, and which constitute the grand and effective duty of Repentance ?

III. In the third place, Repentance acquires a character of gloom and melancholy from our

not practising the duty in the manner which the Psalmist here points out to us from his own example. "I made haste (he says) and delayed not to keep thy commandments." Many arguments might be produced to shew the reasonableness of this alacrity in our return to duty, the shortness of life, which admits of no delay-the chains of habit, which always become the stronger, the longer we permit their continuance: these are some of the considerations, and there are many others—which have often been truly and irresistibly urged upon this subject. But it may be sufficient to mention at present, that such readiness and alacrity is by far the best method of removing every thing that appears gloomy in the duty of Repentance. When in the contemplation of that duty, as involving a thorough change of life, and as requiring us to do some great thing, we cannot refrain from looking with an eye of apprehension and terror upon it; how speedily would that feeling of mysterious alarm be dissipated, if we could only be persuaded, like the Psalmist, to set about the work, to give up meditating, and to proceed to acting! There is no need, either, of any profound consideration where or how we

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are to begin. A man's worst offences, or most unworthy omissions, are commonly very near the surface of his conscience, and occur to him upon the slightest examination. Is there any point of our Religious duty in which we are clearly deficient? Do we neglect the public or the private worship of God? These are defects which we can at once remedy. We can resolve to be more habitually present in the house of God, and to be more frequent in our attendance at His altar-to give more of our private thoughts and studies to Divine meditations, and to be earnest and constant in prayer. In like manner, are there any of our evident duties in society of which we are negligent? Are we inattentive to the happiness of those with whom we are connected in any of the numerous relations of life? Do we live too much to ourselves and our own gratifications? Do we give way to any disorder of temper or imagination, which however slight offences they may sometimes appear to be, may yet frequently disqua lify us, in a great measure, from being either useful or amiable members of society? All these are single points to which we can apply the force of our resolution, which, if we do with sincerity,