ment, or our own exposure to it. Indeed, the truth of that hell, and of our own danger, is the very basis or occasion of all the glad tidings of the gospel. They are glad tidings of great joy, just because Tophet is an eternal reality, and sin an infinite evil.

Let men know, therefore, what they are about, whilst debating, or doubting, or evading this point they are both rejecting the gospel, and treating God as a liar. That gospel proceeds upon the very fact and principle, that the punishment of sin is "everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." How, then, can it be believed, whilst this is disbelieved? Believing it in order to be made better, or in order to make sure of heaven, is very proper and necessary; but this is not enough. It is the gospel of deliverance from the wrath to come; and must, therefore, be believed for the sake of that deliverance. But for this, it is not, and cannot be believed, if the danger is questioned.

Here, then, is the real cause of nominal faith, and of its prevalence. Very few believe that they deserve, or have incurred, the wrath of God. The generality think, whatever they may say, that they do not deserve eternal punishment. Accordingly, the belief they give

to the gospel, is given to it as a moral remedy; or as a true religion; or as an authenticated history. It is believed, just as if there were no hell; or as if sin did not lead to the place "prepared for the devil and his angels." In a word, the current credence it obtains in the nation, is not for the sake of what is the first purpose for which Christ died; which is, to "deliver from going down to the pit."

Here an important question arises :-how is this inveterate disbelief of danger to be vanquished? Now, I may safely assert, at once, that it never was vanquished in any mind, by abstract reasonings on the nature or the desert of sin. The cry, "Lord, save, I perish," was not won nor wrung from your own heart by the force of moral or legislative considerations. You are not a trophy nor a monument of the power of abstract truth. It is not, chiefly, because you see how sin affects the character and government of God, that you believe the certainty and the necessity of eternal punishment. Your former unbelief on this point was borne down, and is kept down, just by the solemn fact, that God has said that "the wicked shall be turned into hell, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." It is the weight of His declarations, and not

your own insight into the nature of things, or into the philosophy of moral government, that fixes your convictions of hell. Its revealed truth enables you to reason on its abstract justice; and all the character of the great atonement confirms your reasonings; but it was on the single and solemn ground of "Thus saith the Lord," that you began either to reason or believe. Your faith, in this matter, stands on the word of God, and not on the word of man, nor on your natural perceptions of the eternal fitness of things.

to come,

Now, what won you to flee from the wrath and thus to believe on Christ for everlasting life, is just what is wanted in the case of all nominal believers. They cannot be argued nor enticed into the belief of their danger. No exposure of the defects of their faith, will remedy these defects. The wisdom of man is foolishness here, whenever it tries to drive or draw without considerations "full of immortality." We must have faith in the force of God's own words, on the subject of heaven and hell. They want no helping out from man. What is wanted, is, the full impression of them; the spiritual apprehension of them; the solemn realization of their truth and interest. Then, both the formal and the heartless must

feel, that they are not believing the gospel, whilst they continue to disbelieve their own danger of perishing; and must see, that they are at open issue with God on a turning point in religion. Now, as even the most heedless would not give himself credit for any real faith in the gospel if he doubted and hated the doctrine of it concerning HEAVEN; his secret disbelief of his doctrine concerning HELL, may and ought to be publicly charged on him as proof of his unbelief.

No. V.

SPIRITUAL DECLENSION,

FROM NOT

REALIZING ETERNITY.

Ar first sight, it seems surprising, as well as deplorable, that we should ever sink into heartless formality in the worship of God, or into cold apathy under the Word of God; seeing his word is the only substitute we have for his presence, and his worship the chief emblem and prelude of heaven. And yet, there are times, and these, alas! too frequent, when we pray without fervency, and praise without gratitude, and hear without any lively interest. Truths which have made "our heart burn within us," can hardly fix our ear then; and songs and supplications which have been almost "unutterable," by their intensity, are scarcely worth uttering then, owing to their heartlessness, The words of prayer and praise are the same;