tions, embraced under the first duty of homage to God and benevolence to man, will detect the secret of his scepticism and of all his difficulties. Does he practice daily communion with God in his closet?

Does he faithfully maintain worship in his family? Does he train up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord? Does he seek to reclaim men to duty and happiness? As he has opportunity, does he endeavor to "do good to all men" both in respect to their temporal and eternal interests; "especially unto them who are of the household of faith ?" Does he pray, "Thy kingdom come," and so contribute of his property and of his efforts to extend the kingdom of God over the world, as to evince that his prayer is sincere? In short, is he really endeavoring to live to the service of God and the best interests of men, according to the very first lesson of all true piety?

a lesson which every man can know as well as he knows his moral existence. If not, then the proper thing for him to do, is, not to find difficulties and create objections respecting subjects of which' he is ignorant, but to repent and do his "first work."

Probably all irreligious men take refuge more or less in some lie. Press them closely, and it will usually appear. It is a refuge into which they flee, to escape conviction of guilt and danger from neglecting known duty. We wonder how they can be so stupid; why the appeals of the gospel do not

reach and move them. The reason is, that they are shielded by some error which they do not avow, and of which they are perhaps but feebly conscious themselves. And thus while this error is produced by living in sin, the sinful propensity is strengthened by the error.

Of several men whom I one evening invited to my house for the purpose of calling their attention to religion, all but one acknowledged their duty and determined to do it. They are now gentlemen of known and professed piety. The individual who doubted and objected, remained at my request after the others retired. On particular inquiry, it appeared that he was taking refuge in a metaphysical difficulty. He said, "I cannot avoid believing in fatality. I can do nothing myself; all my purposes and actions are ordered and controlled by a higher power." I argued the case with him for nearly an hour; he at last confessed that he could not resist the argument, but that he had other difficulties which there was not then time to explain, and so he took his hat and bade me good evening. That man is now in the State prison, for iniquities in which he was at that time covertly engaged. So the secret of all his difficulties is fully explained.

It is not true of many who thus entrench themselves behind difficulties, that they are doing things which will send them to the State prison; but it is true of all, that they are withholding known duty,

RELIGION A REALITY.

141

doing what they know is wrong in the sight of God, and doing what will eventually prove their ruin, if they do not turn. "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell have we made an agreement, we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hid ourselves, judgment will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet, and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-* place."

On the contrary, men of loose sentiments and even avowed scepticism, on submitting themselves to God and entering upon the performance of known duty, have had their minds entirely revolutionized and set right in religious truth, with almost incredible ease and rapidity. I have known sceptics of all descriptions, immediately upon repentance and submission to God, embrace every doctrine of Christianity as fast as their minds could receive the propositions that contained them. So speedily and certainly is the promise realized, that "if any man will do the will of God, he shall know of the doctrine."

Hold then at this point. From whatever source the Bible came, it teaches moral truth. The religion which it inculcates is a reality. It is a subject of experimental demonstration, and thousands of men of all ages have proved it true. Away then with all attempts to evade it. You must meet

the facts in the physical universe as they are, and not less truly must you meet the facts in the moral universe as they are, or you must suffer the penalty. If the religion of the Bible is true, you are an accountable being; you are to exist forever; your present conduct is to affect your future condition; you are fallen from holiness; you must become renewed; you must obtain forgiveness through the Christian redemption; you must become truly pious, or you cannot escape moral and irretrievable ruin. Come then in earnest to this subject; of all subjects in the world, transcendently the most important. Truly is it said, "If religion be anything it is everything." It is everything. All the

treasures of the world are too poor to redeem the soul. Everything but a portion in the kingdom of God will soon fail. How fleeting is time! how soon you must die, and go to the judgment! To know how you may "stand in the judgment," and be welcomed to everlasting life can aught compare with this for importance? And oh, what gratitude for the divine promise so fully and faithfully redeemed in all ages of time, that if you will do the will of God, you shall know. Come then and submit yourself to him; come and DO HIS

WILL.

THE SACRED SCRIPTURES.

Ir a young man abroad at school receives a letter claiming to be from his father, containing instructions in regard to his conduct, there are two ways by which he may assure himself of the authenticity and claims of the epistle. In the first place, the letter may contain its own evidence. If it is written in his father's

hand; has his father's signature; mentions particulars to him of which he is conscious, respecting his constitution, health, disposition, habits; alludes to various domestic circumstances; if in the letter the father speaks of the order and government of his family; develops some of his intentions respecting his children; expresses great affection for his absent son, and informs him that he shall before long send for him, and shall then reward him according to his conduct and progress he may be satisfied at once that the letter is from his father. No matter how it came; suppose it was picked up on the door-step. The character of the letter itself and the facts which it contains, are evidence to his mind that it is from his father. This is called INTERNAL evidence. If by following the instructions the son finds the happy effects in his health