the man whose prayer is heard, is one who beat on his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner:" it is over the penitent that the Angels rejoice; it is the returning penitent whom the father, in the parable, receives with welcome; we hear nothing of righteous men. Those whom we know to be blessed at last are, the beggar Lazarus full of sores, the dying thief, acknowledging his unworthiness: those whom our LORD most accepted and approved were those who were most of all of a broken and contrite spirit; for these He performed His miracles, and to these He gives His promises.

It is said, indeed, that our LORD companied with those who were opprobriously called "sinners;" with publicans rather than Pharisees but this was not because they were worse, but because they were very far better than the Pharisees, and, being conscious of their sins, were open to amendment.

:

From these considerations it would appear, that the great difference between mankind consists in men being aware of their danger or not; in being more or less fully sensible of their condition that all good works which God has prepared for us to walk in, bring us to know GOD, and to know ourselves, and, consequently, to a broken spirit. And that the effect of a careless, thoughtless, sinful life, and, indeed, of every sin, is to close the eyes, so that we cannot see; and the ears, that we cannot hear. And therefore it was that the holy David, when he fell into sin, was taken with great consternation and alarm respecting this one point, lest God should take from him His HOLY SPIRIT. And there is nothing more frequent in Scripture than to speak of wicked men as those who have no eyes to see; of the light within being darkened; of the things that belong unto their peace being for ever hidden from their eyes; of GOD hardening their hearts; of His sending upon them a strong delusion, so that they believe a lie; of His giving them up to a reprobate mind; of His taking from them His HOLY SPIRIT; of their quenching the SPIRIT: and in words more awful than all, though perhaps meaning the same thing, of the sin against the HOLY GHOST, for which there is no forgiveness, either in this life or in that which is to come. And thus the description which our LORD has given us of the careless sinner is this, that he says, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;

and knows not that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked."

Now I do not know any consideration more awful, more thoroughly worthy of our most serious regard than this: for it is evident that we have all great reason to fear, lest GoD should take from us His most HOLY SPIRIT, Who dwells with the contrite there is nothing whatever we have so great reason to fear as this; and the more so, as our own experience will tell us that there is nothing which in general is less feared than this. For, otherwise, how is it possible that men should live as they do? What is more common than that indifference and unconcern with which religious duties are neglected, and worldly objects are pursued? It might be supposed, from our conduct in such matters, that we could recover ourselves whenever we pleased; that we can turn to religion when more at leisure, at any time; that we can commence to-morrow the exercises of prayer and fasting, notwithstanding our having neglected them to-day and yesterday. And the mind is exceedingly busy to put half-deceits on itself; to catch at half-truths of religion, and rest itself upon them, rather than look the full truth in the face. For instance, we think that faith and repentance will at any time set all right; that a broken and contrite heart will ever be accepted; that the prayer of such will ever be heard. All which is very true: but who shall give us faith and repentance? who shall make that heart contrite to-morrow which is presumptuous to-day? It is most certain that nothing can do this but the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD; and it is equally certain that that HOLY SPIRIT will depart from those who reject HIM;-that it is HE Who darkens the eyes, and shuts up the ears, and hardens the heart. So the Word of God declares to us again and again; and so our own experience abundantly testifies; for, can it be said of Christians in general, that they are at all adequately aware of their danger? Are we not conscious that there are many to whom warning and advice is in vain? And are there not many of the best among us who have no thought whatever of aiming at those degrees of Christian grace and perfection, which many of the first Christians trembled to fall short of? Do not even the better sort among us contemplate their neglect of those higher attainments with unconcern? Does not then the whole case become rather a matter

of degree than any thing else? One can omit great duties without being uneasy or concerned; another can be easy and unconcerned at the omission of small ones: one omits daily public prayer with unconcern; another neglects the same on Sundays with the same indifference; another is, perhaps, careful daily to attend public prayers, but attends without reverence and devotion, and is not concerned. Now when we consider that, perhaps, all these outward differences may be merely owing to one having had more talents lent him, if it be the case that they are all unconcerned alike at falling short of GoD's best blessings, have we not reason to fear for ourselves? Does not the whole of our danger throughout consist, as it would appear from Scripture, in self-confidence? Does not the very fact of the blessing being given to the broken spirit and contrite, imply that all the danger is in not being so sufficiently? Does not, therefore, the very ease and indifference with which we are apt to hear, and see, and act, afford us a reasonable cause for apprehension? Is not our very unconcern enough to concern us? Are we not frightened at our want of fear? "For blessed is he," we are told, "who feareth always."

The holy men of whom we have been speaking thought it necessary to love GOD with all their heart, and with all their soul, and with all their strength; and ever feeling how far they fell short of this great object and desire of their lives, they were ever more and more of a contrite spirit; and thereby obtained all the blessings, present and future, which the Gospel has to bestow.

We, alas! not sincerely intending any thing of this high standard of perfection which Christianity requires, are rather pleased at being what we are, not affected with a sense of our manifold failings, and therefore not touched with a sense of all God has done, and will do for the penitent; we are selfconfident; being not conscious of our past miscarriages, or present lukewarmness and indifference. Nay, it is to be feared many of us have our consciences defiled with past sins, which we have so little mourned over, that we have almost forgotten them. And when we have forgotten our sins, when they are blotted out of our own memory, then wę think that they are blotted out of GOD's Book. And, indeed, if this

VOL. VII.

X

were the case, then the less we mourned over past sins the better; for so we shall doubtless the sooner forget them. But if it be indeed the case, that those sins are most of all remembered by our ALMIGHTY JUDGE, which are most forgotten by ourselves; if the wounds on our consciences are the more fatal and irremediable because they are less felt; then surely there is nothing so much to be dreaded as this self-confidence, which arises from forgetfulness of past sins.

This is not said with the purpose of alarming any one unduly, for no good is ever done by an over-statement of the truth, but in order to bring ourselves really to consider the matter; for it cannot be doubted but that we are all of us, in these days, apt to be very little apprehensive of the greatness of our danger.

I mean, that we are in general apt to feel more safe and secure with respect to our final welfare, even though we go on as we now do, without any very earnest amendment of life, than the general tenor of God's Word will justify us in being. And, also, that we are by no means duly impressed with the consequences of our failure, with the result of things for good or evil, considering that interminable expanse which is spread out before us. Surely this must be allowed by all who will calmly consider the sayings of our LORD, and compare them with the standard of Christian duty, which is generally received, and according to which we measure ourselves.

Now there is one thing which I think is a very great assistance to any one who would desire to obtain this contrite spirit,—that the Church appoints not only the season of Lent, but also the Friday in every week through the year, as a day of Fasting, to lament our sins, and to consider CHRIST Crucified. And, therefore, to say nothing of Church Authority, and the great blessings ever attached to a temper of loyal obedience to such authority, and the most holy associations with which such seasons and days are connected; were we to consider it merely as a matter of Christian expediency, nothing can be more beneficial, than that we should have a time set apart for the purpose of obtaining from GoD a contrite heart,-to lament and bewail our sins ;-to come to a sense of the magnitude of our danger. For we know what an assistance appointed

days and seasons are; that which can be done at any time is generally left undone.

And of course daily to pray for a contrite heart is no better than hypocrisy, if we are not at the same time taking all means in our power to obtain it.

With regard to those assistances for this end which Holy Scripture and our Church prescribe to us, such as fasting and abstinence, if any one doubts the obligation to practise them, all that we would say is, to entreat him to deal honestly with GOD and his own conscience in this matter.

With regard to those questionings on the expediency, advisableness, or use of these duties, which have arisen in late years, under the specious plea of their being modes of seeking for expiation beyond the one and great Atonement, such are doubtless those snares of the great enemy, which he considers best suited to the temper of this age; and which would never have been successful did he not cloke them under the appearance and semblance of doing honour to HIM who has declared, "Woe unto you that are full! " 'Woe unto you that laugh now !

66

Such questions are specious snares to wavering and weak minds; but, like all such wiles of the great enemy, are immediately scattered whenever we become really serious and earnest in religion. For it is probable that there never was a good and holy man who did not practise these duties; and although they are bound to be so strictly secret, yet I know of no instance of a holy person, either in the Church Catholic from the beginning, or in our own Church, but of whom there appears evidence that he practised these duties.

For notwithstanding any such easy speculative theories, to entangle or quiet the conscience, whenever any one by affliction or remorse for some great crime, or by any other means, by the mercy of GOD, is brought to a serious sense of his condition, to a more lively impression respecting the great truths of the Gospel, eternal judgment after death, Heaven and hell, CHRIST Crucified, and, above all, of the mercies of Gon through CHRIST, he will at once practise these duties, unavoidably, as it were, and necessarily, as the natural expression of a devout mind. conscious of sin.

There are indeed some sins, some evil habits, or, as Scripture