are presented to the mind without any good effect, the less will their influence finally be. This should furnish to you a powerful inducement to "seek the Lord while he may be found;" for those solemn denunciations of the divine displeasure, which now perhaps, affect the minds of the most careless among you, will soon, by frequent repetition, lose their influence with those who were once deeply terrified with them. And all the variety of inducements which we present to lead you to repentance, which now appear so strong as almost to persuade you to be a Christian, will in time cease to produce any effect upon your heart.

I now proceed to derive an argument in favor of an immediate attention to religion, from the nature of conversion itself. Conversion is the passage from what we term a state of nature, to one of grace. The characteristics of the one state are, a subjection to sin and exposure to the judgment of God. The characteristics of the other are, a prevalence of holy dispositions and the possession of the divine favor.

The change which is thus produced is the result of a divine influence upon the human heart-and this influence is usually associated with the use of certain appointed means of grace. Since then, there are means of grace, we should attend upon them immediately. The Scriptures say-" To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts."

And if we obey not the solemn command of God; if we do indeed harden our hearts against the warnings and invitations of the gospel; if we in fine grieve the Holy Spirit-can we hope that his heavenly influence will hereafter be afforded to us?

But, in the last place, from the uncertainty of life, I would argue against postponing our attention to religious duty. "When Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered-Go thy way at this time, at a convenient season I will call for thee." In all probability, this convenient season never arrived. And from the example of this man, others should derive instruction. And when they are disposed to quiet their present convictions, and reply to our admonitions, that they will consider their duty at a convenient season-do they reflect on the precarious tenure of their lives? Do they remember that the appalling sound may very shortly meet their ears, "thy soul is required at thy hands." Indeed, my thoughtless hearers, you know not the day nor the hour when an eternal world shall open upon your view-when all your earthly joys shall forsake you, and you be subjected to a weight of wo, to which an innumerable succession of ages shall afford no mitigation nor bring any prospect of relief. You profess to believe the Scriptures, and in them it is declared that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all those who forget God." You confess that

you are under this curse, and that your lives are vanishing away, and that you know not the day nor the hour, when with regard to you, time shall be no longer.

How then can you rest in this situation? How can you smile and delight yourself with the pleasures of this life, when you are on the brink of a yawning gulf, ready to drop in and be eternally lost? How may we account for such conduct? It is to be feared, that together with an intention of future repentance, many deceive themselves fatally with wrong conceptions of the mercy of God. But, has it not been declared, that "except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." That the wicked "shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." And shall not the word of God be credited? Will it be said that this is inconsistent with the divine goodness. Has not God exhibited his goodness in the gift of his Son? Has he not long borne with you? Has he not invited you to come to him, that you may have life, and warned you of the consequences of continuing in sin? And after having despised all this goodness, is it strange that you should meet with awful recompense? Perhaps but a little while may pass, ere death shall arrest the most careless of all who are now present. And while the body rests in the narrow house-where is the soul that never dies? It is unchangeably fixed-if not in

God's presence, it must be in those dark mansions where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched.

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you, we pray you in Christ's stead-Be ye reconciled to God. Let not another moment of your lives pass without resolving to forsake your sins-without earnest supplication at a throne of grace, for pardon and acceptance, and for the Spirit of grace to sanctify your hearts. Until this takes place, there is no promise of peace for you. May God incline you to flee from the impending vengeance, and grant you redemption through Christ's blood-that your consolation may be pure, abundant, and never failing.

353

SERMON XXXI.

THE IMPORT AND USE OF INFANT BAPTISM.

MARK X. 13, 14, 16.

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them; and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.

THERE are few incidents in the evangelical history more affecting than the one mentioned in the text. The Saviour of men is presented to our view as full of kindness and condescension to the humblest and most helpless of his creatures. His compassion toward the suffering, had induced him, on many occasions, to heal their diseases. In consequence of this beneficent exercise of his power,