so because we think the means used to promote these conversions are adapted to produce animal feeling and selfish affection, and not adapted to produce genuine conviction of sin, or true conversion to God.

L. S. What would you have done to produce genuine conversions?

Th. I would have truth and duty exhibited, and pressed upon the consciences of men. If true love to God consists in a cordial approbation of his character, it is necessary that that character should be exhibited and kept before the mind. If conviction of sin is to be produced for the neglect of loving God supremely, the divine character must be exhibited, in its true light, so that the sinner may feel that he is bound to approve of it. Nothing is more certain, than that the proper objects of holy affection must be before the mind, in order to the existence of those affections. We cannot love an object which is not thought of. We cannot love God without thinking of God. We cannot repent of sin without thinking of sin. And so of the other Christian graces. The proper objects of those affections in which the various Christian graces consist, must be before the mind, in order to the existence of those affections. If a partial and inaccurate view of the divine character is before the mind, it is impossible there should be a clear and vigorous exercise of love to God. If an entirely false character is before the mind, it is plain that the approbation of that would not be love to God, but love to some other being. Now, in some instances, I think the character exhibited for the character of God is so entirely erroneous, that true love to God cannot be exercised towards it. In many of the discourses I have heard among new-measure men, such a representation has been given of the divine character as is entirely agreeable to the natural heart. In this case you have only need to do something to excite feeling enough to gain the sinner's attention, and make him wish to secure his salvation. Then present such a view of the divine character as the natural heart already loves, and ask if he loves it; and your work is done. He thinks he is a convert, while he has not even been the subject of conviction. To produce a true conversion, you must proceed in a different way. The mind of the natural man is enmity against God. The sinner needs to see this. He needs also to be convinced that he is without excuse in this enmity. The true character of God needs to be exhibited, and held before the mind till it is clearly seen.

The sinner who attends to this, commonly finds no difficulty in being sensible of his enmity to it. A holy sovereign, having mercy on whom he will have mercy, and hardening whom

he will, doing all for his own glory, and working all things after the counsel of his own will, is seldom clearly exhibited without making the sinner sensible that he is displeased with it. Some believe it true, and think they must be reconciled to it, in order to be saved; and so choose to hear it, rather than abandon all prospect of ever being saved. Some have such enmity excited, that they will not continue to hear it. And some persuade themselves to believe it is not true, and take effectual measures to prevent being annoyed with it any more. But some, when it so pleases a sovereign God, have their minds arrested, and held in the attitude of attention to it, painful as it is. They are made to look at it, till they see its bearing upon their case. Their enmity against the divine sovereignty, their heart-rising against the hand that holds, and governs, and disposes of them, becomes sensible. They are convinced that God is right, and that they are wrong. They are convinced that they ought to love him for those very traits in his character for which they hate him. They are convinced that they have no excuse for being unwilling that God should reign. They see no help for them, but in the bare possibility that it may be his sovereign determination to glorify his mercy in their salvation. And while they contemplate this bare possibility, they feel themselves driven almost to despair, by the consciousness that there is no hope in themselves. The more their own interest appears in danger, the more earnestly they cling to it, and with a firmer grasp. They know they must let go their hold, and leave it at the divine disposal. But this seems like death to them. In this situation, while they were looking for death rather than life, and contemplating the justice of that penalty of the law, which seemed inevitable, an unusual sensation flashed across their minds-how just and glorious is that penalty!-how right that I should suffer it !-how worthy of praise is God for inflicting it!-how glorious is his sovereignty!how suitable it is that he should reign, and dispose of every creature as he sees fit!-how wonderful is the mercy that saves any of our guilty race!-and how proper it is that God should have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and harden whom he will!-that he should take the same lump, and mould a part into vessels of mercy, and a part into vessels of wrath! Since all deserve to perish, what daring impiety is it for any to complain that others should be saved, while they are treated according to their deserts.

Such feelings as these I expect to see produced, when these truths are kept before the mind, and it pleases a sovereign God to operate upon the hearts of sinners by his Holy Spirit. And I should have far greater hope that such conversions would

wear well, and that a greater proportion of them would prove genuine, than where these truths are not exhibited.

L. S. You say nothing of prayer. Do you mean to make that of no account?

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Th. By no means. But I would have no undue importance attached to it as a medium of religious impression. I think it has been altogether exalted out of its place, by new-measure men. It is said of the apostles, that they so spake, that great multitude, both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks, believed." So spake, not so prayed. Paul says, "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Not by the efficacy of praying. And he grounds his appeal to the elders of Ephesus, that he is pure from the blood of all men, not on the fact that he had prayed as he ought for them, but that he had not shunned to declare unto them all the counsel of God. Yet, I believe that as Paul may plant and Apollos water in vain, unless God give the increase, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to give the word success. Paul often asks the prayers of Christians, for himself and his fellow-laborers, that they may be made faithful. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance, and supplication for all saints; and for me that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the Gospel.' Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified." But while prayer is an important part of the divinely appointed instrumentality for the conversion of men, I think it necessary to observe that it is unscriptural to represent it as the chief instrument of religious impression, as new-measure men have done.

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L. S. Perhaps you have reference to what you consider errors in relation to the prayer of faith, and female praying, and the like.

Th. I had a particular aspect of the matter in my mind. It was the influence which the prayers which are offered for sinners in their presence and hearing may have upon their minds. If they are so expressed as to excite the expectation in the minds of sinners, that now they shall be converted, because they are prayed for in such a manner, I can scarce think of any one thing which seems likely to do more to deceive them with a false hope. When sinners are awakened, they fly to their own doings with redoubled diligence, and trust to them with greater confidence, expecting to save themselves by their own efforts. The tendency of the divine influence which is operating upon their minds, is to drive them from these refuges of lies, and bring them to self despair. All our labors

with them, and all our prayers for them in their hearing, should tend to the same end. They must be slain by the law, before they can be made alive by grace. I would have sinners

prayed for, therefore, in such a manner as to lead them to feel that they are in the hands of a sovereign God, and that there we wish them to be; and that to his disposal we wish to submit them, as well as ourselves, and all other interests, for time and eternity.

Ard. The praying most common among new-measure people, is very different from that.

Th. Yes; different in many respects. Besides its being adapted to lead sinners into a false hope, it is adapted to do much mischief in various ways. I would have every-body encouraged to pray in the presence of others, in order that they may become qualified for the acceptable and profitable performance of this duty. But I think for a young convert, it would be better to have him do it in the presence of a very few, who could take a suitable opportunity to point out his defects to him, and have them corrected. I would by no means have those very young, and very ignorant, take part in the public prayer-meetings. Every thing there ought to be done judiciously, and with an eye to the good of those present. Men of education and improved taste are sometimes—and it is desirable they should be often-present at such meetings. And nothing ought to occur, which will give to religion a repulsive aspect, nothing to offend the finest taste or shock the nicest sensibility. Let those who are not prepared for the acceptable and profitable performance of this duty, whether through inexperience, want of education, want of good sense, or any other defect, be taught to keep back, and exercise their gifts in smaller circles, till they can perform the duty in a manner that will not bring the worship of God into contempt, as has been too often done.

CHAPTER LIII.

Love-self. I have heard some new-measure men represent true religion as disinterested, and speak of selfish religion as wrong, who did not carry their sentiments to such a length as you do, and with whom I could, on the whole, get along pretty

well.

Thoughtful. How did they explain their sentiments, so as to be more agreeable to you?

L. S. They consider happiness as the great good which every being must aim at, as an ultimate object; and misery as the great evil to be avoided. Holiness they consider a good, because it is the means of happiness; and sin as an evil, because it leads to misery. Their idea of the goodness of God is, that he places his happiness in promoting, as far as in his power, the happiness of his creatures. When he is said to do all things for his own glory, they understand it to mean, that he does all with a view to promote the highest happiness of -his creatures. The glory of God consists in his goodness. His natural perfections, his infinite knowledge, his almighty power, his universal presence, would be objects of terror, if not under the direction of infinite goodness. Now, if his goodness consists in seeking the greatest happiness of his creatures, and it is his glory to make them all as happy as possible, there seems to be an inseparable connection, if not an identity, between the two. To seek the highest happiness of creatures, and to seek the glory of God, seems to be about the same thing.

Th. Let it be taken for granted that happiness is the greatest good; that God finds his happiness only in communicating happiness to others; that the only object he could have in making creatures, was, to exercise his goodness in communicating happiness to them; and it is easy to come to the conclusion, that, since the glory of God consists in his goodness, the highest glory of God is promoted by securing the highest happiness of his creatures, and by nothing else. This view of the glory of God must be entirely agreeable to the natural temper of mankind. That temper is to seek their own happiness; and it leads them to love all those who appear to them to be desirous of securing it, and ready to do all they can to accomplish that end. And they are highly pleased to have a being of infinite knowledge and almighty power, engaged with all his heart, in endeavoring to secure that which they most of all desire. And if they can thus identify the glory of God with their own happiness, they are quite willing to adopt the language of Scripture, and profess to do all to the glory of God, understanding it, as they do, to mean that which is inseparable from their own highest happiness. Thus, I think, men may deceive themselves, and think they are seeking the glory of God as their supreme object, when they are perfectly selfish after all.

Ard. It would need no change of heart for the sinner to love God, if that were a correct view of the subject.