that world for which they had acquired all their meetness, was often more inclined to assail their memory with obloquy, than to honour it with applause.

By what argument, then, shall it be made to appear, that such characters as these are proper models for the imitation of Christian youth? Shall we hear of a counterbalance to all this (as it has been termed) under the specious names of public spirit, benevolence, generosity, and other popular virtues ? These virtues every good man ought to possess; but they form a very inconsiderable part of his character as a Christian. These names of virtue were known in ancient Greece and Rome; and are now known in modern France. They were constantly on the lips of Voltaire, and constituted his religion. All these virtues are perfectly compatible with enmity to God, with contempt of his revelation, and with the wor

ship of an idol; and they are the chief instruments by which" the God of this world" blinds the minds, and seduces the judgments of men in polished life. Let young persons then beware of proposing for their imitation those characters of the age, who wish to be exhibited only in the school of philosophy; and who are merely "stu"dious of arts that polish life, unmindful "of their Maker."* Let them rather aspire

to a resemblance of men whose conduct is connected with the principles they profess, and which adorns the religion of their country; men who shew an example of true magnanimity, by preferring the approbation of God and a pure conscience, to the admiration of senates, and the honours of the world.

V. We come now to the most important part of these observations, which is to declare the cause of that indifference to

* Milton.

religion, and almost total extinction of divine worship, which prevail amongst many families at this day. It proceeds from the same cause which brought destruction on the city of Jerusalem, viz. "men will not believe the words of Christ." They will not believe his spiritual doctrine, or his divine predictions. We shall first shew, that they do not yield assent to his doctrine; and that, not believing it themselves, nor experiencing its consolations, they are not solicitous to give the knowledge of it to others. It has been already seen, that many reject the doctrine of the atonement. We shall now exemplify the same spirit of unbelief, in regard to the doctrine of divine grace, or the influences of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord and Saviour informed his disciples that the Holy Spirit, or "Comforter," which was to descend on men after his

ascension, and to constitute the glory of the

new dispensation, would

ABIDE FOR

EVER.* He was called the Comforter, because he was to comfort the world after the departure of Christ, until his second advent. Our Lord further declared, that our heavenly "Father would give this Holy

Spirit to them who ask him;"† that he should " reprove the world (not merely the generation that then were, but men in " in every age) of sin, and of righteousness, "and of judgment ;" and that he should "guide men into all truth."|| And again he said, figuratively, "as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even

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so the son quickeneth whom he will.§ For, verily I say unto you, the hour is

coming, and Now Is, when the dead "shall hear the voice of the son of God, " and they that hear, shall live."¶ "Verily

$

" I I say unto you, he that HEARETH my

"word, is passed from death to life."* And, when the Jews marvelled, how this could be, he said, "marvel not at this, for "the hour is coming, in the which all that are "in the graves shall hear his voice, and come "forth." As if he had said, marvel not that I said unto you, that the soul " passeth "from death to life in this world by hearing

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my word;" for behold, I declare unto

you a greater work than this, even the resurrection of the dead body from the grave. If we, then, my brethern, believe in this great work, we may believe in the less if a man, possessing a sound judgment, and a free exercise of his reason, believes in such an event as the resurrection of the dead body, by the spiritual power of Christ, he well believe that there is some type

may

of it in this life, in the moral resurrection

of the soul, by the same spiritual power.