mourn because so few come to her solemn feasts. I ad. mit that these are not the fairest tests. Custom, fashion, and the ever varying opinions of men, may have much influence in drawing them to these, or in turning their feet from them. But I will take men in the world, in the places of their business, where they act out their real selves, and show to all what spirit they are of, and there, among all the mass of motives and principles and objects that fill up their hearts, how many marks do you find of a spiritual religious faith? Should a Spirit from some other planet alight upon this earth, and come among us with a knowledge of the brief term of man's life, and of his infinite interests connected with the world to come, when it saw what we are all struggling for, with so much of our hearts, day after day, and year after year, could it believe, that a consciousness of our spiritual relations had ever once entered as a reality into most of our hearts? Ah! if it had come home to us as a reality would it not have produced effects which we do not now observe? Would it not have banished that spirit of selfishness which still bears so wide and mighty sway? Would it not have healed that diseased thirst for gain, whole land, and whose cravings have and conscience from so many hearts? and jealousies of life, the force of passion, the violence of ambition, and that absorbing concern in what relates to our present interest and pleasures - what do these things prove but that the power of the Prince of this world rules, and excludes the dominion of a religious faith in our hearts. As a reality by how few is religion yet felt. It is not a reality like the laws of nature, or the truths of science. If it was, we should just as soon think of

which taints our driven out reason And the rivalries

throwing our bodies from a precipice, as casting our souls from the supports of justice, truth, integrity, uprightness; we should just as soon think of slaking our thirst with burning ashes, as imagining we could ever bring one feeling of satisfaction to our hearts, by the wages of sin.

How is it then that we have no more faith? This question still remains unanswered. As yet we have only spoken of the general indifference to the claims of religion that prevails, and suggested some considerations which make it difficult to reply to the inquiry of the text. To that inquiry what answer shall now be given?

I remarked in the beginning, that when we first look at this question, it seems as if there must be some hidden, deep reason for man's want of faith, which has never yet been fully stated or explained. So it does seem when we look to men and women around us. We have seen that they have every motive that we can conceive of for a hearty faith, and yet that faith they do not possess. There is another way, however, of looking at this subject: and instead of asking why men and women around us have so little faith, let us each ask our own hearts, why have I so little faith? To settle the question of the text, we want to enter that secret chamber where motives are weighed, and the will decides. We can do this only by turning in, to our own consciousness, and opening the doors of our own hearts. And we may be assured that what we find true of ourselves, will hold true of men and women around us, for their case is just like our own. And, my friends, when, in the spirit of a strict self searching which perhaps you do not feel now while I am speaking, but which you do feel in some most serious moments of your lives, when in that spirit you enter the innermost cham

bers of your hearts, and ask yourself, why am I so indifferent to religion, you will find, that, after all, there are no mysterious reasons for your little faith which your conscience renders unto you, but plain and obvious ones, which fully account for your neglect, and for the neg lect of all around you. And after much serious reflection, and after placing myself in the situation of different persons in a community enjoying christian privileges like this, if I do not altogether read amiss my own heart, these plain and obvious reasons can be only these three. And first, the reason that some have no more faith may be a want of serious consideration. There may be such persons among us, who from some unhappy circumstances of their education or life have never given the subject of religion an hour's deliberate consideration. The existence of religion in the land, of preaching, of worship, of the ideas of accountability and retribution, all present themselves to these persons, only as certain phenomena, the reason and meaning of which they take no more pains to understand, than they do the phenomena of the shifting of the clouds, the changes of the wind, the rising of the tides, or the falling of the dew. This is a cause of insensibility to religion often alluded to in the scriptures, and its words of lamentation are, my people will not consider.

If this reason will not account for your want of faith, my hearers, there may be one other which meets your particular case. You may have had hours and hours when you have given the subject of religion a most sérious consideration, and then and this is the second

reason to which I have alluded

you have postponed a

devoted obedience to it, till some future time.

I ap

prehend that this is the case with most of those for whose present indifference to religion we are attempting to account. Its unspeakable importance, its infinite interests, in some rare moments of their lives, have been felt in their inmost hearts. They cannot think of dying without it, and they know and feel that there is an hour coming when they would give away the whole world, for their souls. But then it is not of such consequence just at this moment. Tomorrow will be as this day.

They may go for a year, and buy and sell and get gain. And thus they live for this world alone, without a religious faith, trusting to what they hope and mean to do at some future time. This cause also of neglect is frequently alluded to in the scriptures, and was exemplified in the memorable instance of him who though trembling with fear, could say, "go thy way for this time, when I have a more convenient season I will call for thee."

And now, my friends, if neither of these cases meets your case, I can think of but one other cause for your want of faith which can possibly exist. And this cause I almost hesitate to name. You may not allow it to be the cause that has operated with you. But ask yourself, if the reason of your present insensibility has not been before explained, is it not true that this must be its cause? It is briefly this, that though you have had your hours of serious consideration of religion, yet your final choice and purpose is, not to devote yourself, heart and life, to its claims. You like your present tastes, your present habits, your present life at least the changes you wish for, and mean to bring about, do not run in the direction of that thorough and entire change which religion demands of you. And as you find that one year passes NO. 173.

VOL. XV.

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away pretty much like another, you will live as you now do, till they have all run by, and then abide the result.

I do not say that any one has written all this out as a rule of his life, I do not say that he has even dared to say it in so many words to himself, but this I do say, that this, as I have now expressed it, is the practical fact. It is what his life says it is what his death will testify;

and the scriptures likewise make mention of this cause why men have so little faith, for they speak of those who are so much at ease in their situations, that they say we will not have the Lord to reign over us.

If I have not now erred in supposing that we must and do all see how strong are the claims of religion upon our deepest concern, you cannot, I think, fail to observe, that there is not one of these causes of the insensibility which most men feel, which does not involve the imputation of guilt. I mean just what these words express, that a man's indifference to religion. does of itself involve him in guilt. It is the guilt of a heedless inconsideration. He hears that his Maker has laid his laws upon him, and he will not stop in his career to learn what these laws are, and to know under what fearful responsibilities he holds the gift of life, and the trust of man's privileges and hopes. If it be not this, it is the guilt of deliberately putting away the duty of today, which never can be discharged when today is gone, to some future and uncertain time; and this, too, when he knows that the present moment is in God's sight just as important, and must render for itself just as solemn account, as if it were the last moment of his life. Or, finally, if it be not either of these, it is the deeper guilt of choosing and preferring his own manner of life, to the laws and commandments of God. And,