But where are they

What is to be their

tions which interest most men.

going to pass their immortality?

state forever? Whether are they maturing for heaven or hell?—are uninteresting inquiries.

We need not travel to the pole to ascertain how it points the little needle of the compass tells us. Nor need we look at the sun to find its place in the heavens -the dial plate can tell us. So is the heart to him that studies it, the index of the direction and destiny of the soul.

DEATH-BED REPENTANCE.

As for that sorrow and regret which is felt by the rich and dying, let it not be mistaken for repentance. It proves nothing. It is a miserable hope that is built upon it. No man has any assurance that since the foundation of the world, more than one man, repenting thus late, repented savingly; for the dying man has no opportunity to "bring forth fruits meet for repentance," and only "by their fruits shall ye know them."

Perhaps nothing would more strikingly illustrate the deceitfulness of sin, than the perversion thereby produced, in regard to future repentance. It tells how many excellent opportunities there will be for repentance in the progress of life, seasons of afflictions, periods of leisure, occasions of sickness, and what a

golden time the last, the sickness that shall be unto death, will afford, what a glorious opportunity then, in the midst of medicines, and in the company of nurses, and physicians, and pastors, when there is necessity to constrain, and agony to urge on, and no world to attract, no friend to oppose, no formidable cross to take up, but death is in near view and every thing favorable! The poor sinner is made to think a return of the Pentecost would hardly equal such a time in advantages for repentance! He forgets that the soul is not merely bound with filaments-that there are chains to be broken. He forgets that in making peace with God, the divine consent and concurrence are as necessary as his. He forgets too, that true repentance is not a mere sorrow, and that there is a sorrow for sin, for which hell is a penitentiary.

There is among the realities of this world, what answers to that which in the parable of the virgins is set forth in figure. A person, he may be one of those who have borne the lamp of the Christian profession, and gone forth to meet the bridegroom, makes in one of his last hours, perhaps his very last, the painful discovery that he has no grace in his heart. What shall he do? His mind is now awake. But the approach of death has already been announced; and the cry, "he cometh, he cometh," has been reiterated in his ears, and he hears the fatal foot-fall at hand. What shall he do? He has no time to lose. He applies to those around him; but all the help they can afford is friendly counsel "go buy ;" and he hastily goes; and with tears and sighs he asks for the holy oil; and he offers the world,

upon which he has now no claim; and he proposes to give his all, which is now nothing; and he enlists as many as he can in his behalf; but death, inexorable, uncourteous, intrusive death supervenes, and draws his impervious curtain around the scene; and he is gone! Friendship, thinking that importunity, that prayer, and that warmth and earnestness, the effect of love's enkindlement in the heart, calls these exercises, religion; and supposes that the flown spirit has found easy and abundant entrance through an ample, and wide, and open door. But it is to be feared he found the door shut. He slept too long. He began too late. He was in earnest-he lost not a moment; but it was too late when he began. Ah, that noise and bustle, that the fearful soul makes on the eve of its departure, about its salvation, I place little dependance upon. It is thus that animal feelings when highly excited, exhibit themselves. All this may occur, and yet the Holy Spirit be afar off.

CONVERSION.

The subject of a sudden and instantaneous conversion has given rise to much debate. The whole difficulty that has been gathered around this subject, may be removed by making one obvious distinction. Conversion is sudden, is instantaneous; but religion, piety,

or sanctification, is progressive. In other words, religion is progressive, but the first step in that progression is instantaneous.

I have long since ceased to marvel at the doctrine of regeneration.

FAITH.

That any individual may have the benefit of the provisions of the Gospel, a personal act or exercise on his part is indispensable. "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst." Not if it be provided, not if it be set before him, shall he be secured against future thirst; but if he drink of it. So, "the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, to every one that believeth." And, "to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." And "whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life;" but "except ye eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of man, ye have no life in you." "These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through his name." "By him, all who believe are justified from all things." "In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love."

It then appears that a personal act is necessary; not many acts, either ceremonial, or moral, or both, as some vainly suppose, but one act. Our salvation does not depend on our doing many things. That is the imagination of self-righteousness. "Herod did many things," but he did not do rightly one thing. And this is necessary on the same principle, and for the same reason that drinking is necessary in order that water

may allay one's thirst. The requisition is no more arbitrary in the one case, than it is in the other. The necessity in either case is equally absolute. The act of believing can no more be dispensed with in the one case, than the act of drinking in the other. A thirsty man is not beneficially effected by water, however abundant it may be, however accessible it may be, except he drink of it; neither is a lost man benefitted. by the great salvation of the Gospel, except by faith he receive it. Of what advantage is a fountain of water to him who does not drink of it? Of what advantage an atonement for sin to him, who does not appropriate it to himself? Drinking is as necessary to allay thirst, though not in the same sense, as water is. So faith is as necessary to the salvation of any individual, as the work and passion of Christ were. A man's thirst is allayed by drinking, as really, though not in the same sense, as by water. So a sinner is saved as really, yet in a different sense, by believing, as by the righteousness of Christ. Hence, we are said to be justified by faith, as one is said to be refreshed by drinking, the act of receiving being put for the thing received. So it is said, "thy faith hath saved thee,"-" thy faith hath