tions of grace and truth. Hope, therefore, will be feeble and unsteady, and his whole religious character will partake of the morbid irregularity of the physical powers, and want that healthful vigor and steady consistency, which give to Christian example its greatest force. If that healthiness and vigor of piety are not exhibited by the temperate Christian, it will in almost every case be his own fault-an unnecessary and self-inflicted calamity.

Another effect of thorough temperance is to banish, or at least counteract in a great measure, a tendency to gloom and dejection of spirits."The great majority of those complaints which are considered as purely mental," says a distinguished physician, "such as irascibility, melancholy, timidity and irresolution, might be greatly remedied, if not entirely removed, by a proper system of temperance, and with very little medicine." Now it is this melancholy, timidity, and irresolution, that render the piety of multitudes of professing Christians gloomy, unlovely, and repulsive. And in nine cases out of ten, their despondency would be changed into holy joy, and their sluggishness into untiring activity, were they to come up to the true standard of temperance in their dietetic habits. The most devoted piety, (if, indeed, it can exist along with excess in food,) can never expect this joy, nor practice this activity, until it be conjoined with thorough temperance. But it is incredible what a mountain it takes off from the soul to withhold from the stomach a few ounces of improper or unnecessary food. He who has made the trial, will feel how necessary and important is the caution of Christ; Take heed lest at any time your hearts be overcharged (borne down) with surfeiting. The heart does, indeed, feel the pressure of excess in food more sensibly than the body and it was not merely owing to his exalted piety,, but in part because he kept under his body and brought it into subjec tion, that the heart of Paul was always so buoyant under the heaviest trials, and his hands so busy and strong in accomplishing his gigantic work. And it was the most thorough experience that led him to lay down the general principle, that every man, that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things.

Says one, nearly an hundred years old, who had been eminent for temperance, "Whereas many embrace a holy and contemplative life, teaching and preaching the great truths of religion-which is highly commendable-O that they would likewise betake themselves wholly to a regular and temperate life! They would then be considered as saints indeed upon earth, as those primitive Christians were, who observed so constant a temperance and lived so long-And they would besides enjoy constant health and spirits, and be always happy within

themselves; whereas they are now too often infirm and melancholy."

5. Temperance greatly increases a man's means of usefulness.

It gives him firmer health and greater bodily vigor: and thus enables him, uninjured, to sustain a greater amount of physical and intellectual labor. The want of this corporeal energy meets us at almost every step, as an apology for scanty and inefficient efforts in the cause of benevolence and religion. Every man, therefore, whose heart burns to do good, and to push his conquests as far as possible into the usurped empire of sin and Satan, will feel it to be an invaluable blessing to be free from the invalid's debility and irresolution. And in a large majority of cases, men have only to practice the temperance which I advocate, in order to secure that vigor of body which can cheerfully and safely cope with efforts the most intense and protracted.

Nor is vigor and clearness of mind less essential to great and successful exertions in the cause of benevolence. And this too, is the fruit of temperance. The man given to dietetic excesses in a peculiar sense sees through a glass darkly; and the movements of his mind are sluggish and inefficient. But temperance takes off the incubus and imparts an almost unearthly elasticity to the intellect. And here is the grand secret of the astonishing amount of labor performed by some men of feeble constitution in past days. They have left behind them an influence that has already been felt in the four quarters of the globe, and which will descend to unborn generations.

Temperance tends likewise to impart a deeper tone of piety to the soul, and thus to rouse it to more efficient action in the cause of religion and humanity. And a low standard of piety is the grand reason why most Christians scarcely touch the cross with one of their fingers. Lift a man out of the slough of excess, and out of the murky atmosphere of animal indulgence, and the beams of the Sun of righteousness will shine bright and warm into his soul, through the cloudless medium of temperance. And under the genial influence the plants of holiness and trees of righteousness will expand, and bloom, and bring forth much fruit.

ness.

Finally, temperance enlarges a man's pecuniary means of usefulWho was ever thoroughly and habitually temperate and not industrious? And rarely does increased industry, in our country at least, fail of a pecuniary reward. Nor are Christians in general at all aware, how the curtailing of their unnatural bodily wants, would fill their coffers; nor how many unnecessary expenditures in furniture, dress, and equipage, would cheerfully be given up, were they to

become truly and universally temperate. They now feel that their stinted charities to the treasury of benevolence are as great as their means will allow. But I doubt not that the day is at hand, when, through the redeeming influence of temperance, they will cast in ten times the amount, and feel it less than they now do their insignificant donations. Let temperance but prevail in the church of Christ, and it would be easy to fill the treasuries of all our benevolent societies, so that there should henceforth be no lack of money. O how delightful a change, to see every Christian, by means of greater bodily vigor and more elasticity and clearness of mind, and a more ardent love to the Savior, and a resolute rejection of all superfluities, multiplying his efforts and means of doing good in a ten-fold ratio. Blessed fruits of temperance! Would that the bright vision might enkindle every disciple's heart, and arouse him to labor for so glorious a consummation!

Two inferences, and I have done.

First: The world can never be converted till Christians adopt the general principles of this system of temperance in all things.

The primitive Christians adopted and acted upon these principles; and, therefore, they found the means, the strength, and the courage, to carry the conquests of the Redeemer's cause into nearly every habitable land. Christians at the present day are engaged in the same glorious enterprise: but although their numbers and means are multiplied a hundred fold beyond those of Apostolic times, the work of the world's conversion moves on comparatively slow. We do not come up to the effort with the physical and moral preparation of primitive times. The standard of self-denial and labor and pecuniary sacrifice is yet among most of us exceedingly low. We know but little of the meaning of the phrase, Holiness to the Lord, which God commands us to write upon our possessions and ourselves. Ninetenths of what God claims as his, we inscribe, Devoted to the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eye, and the pride of life: devoted to the luxuries of the table-to dress-to entertainments-to equipage. In order to keep up even the present tardy movements of benevolence, it is necessary to keep in action a complicated and powerful array of agencies, and to press the cause upon Christians, (to their shame and humiliation be it spoken,) as though it were in a desperate state. And it must be so, until the principles of universal temperance and correspondent retrenchments are adopted by the church. Men cannot do much more than they now do, until they make this reformation. But in order to accomplish the world's conversion, they must increase

their donations and prayers and self-denial a hundred fold. And it is matter of joy that temperance brings in her train the means for making such an increase. Oh what a day of triumph to this degraded and benighted world will that be, when Christians shall have learnt thus to send forth streams of salvation from the pure fountains of temperance! For,

Secondly: The prevalence of universal temperance will usher in the millenium.

And whatever else may be understood by the millenium, it certainly means the world's conversion. Now when the soldiers of the cross shall become also the soldiers of temperance, men enough can easily be obtained for this mighty work; men too, not merely prepared by hardihood of constitution for the enterprise, but with clear heads and pure devoted hearts. Nor will money be wanting, when men shall pour their superfluities into the treasury of the Lord." And when Christians enter into this work with the capability of physical endurance and the entire self-consecration of Apostolic times, that blessed divine influence which alone gives life and success to means, will go along with them from one conquest to another, until speedily great voices shall be heard in heaven, saying, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever. Happy, thrice happy period, when temperance and religion shall have poured their life-giving streams over every land! The principles of God's government do not permit either of these to complete the work alone. But issuing from the sanctuary in the same channels, they sweep away the strong holds of sin and Satan, and, at the same time, cause the wilderness to bud and blossom as the The wail of human suffering is drowned and hushed in the general anthem of holy joy and praise. Man will still find, indeed, enough of sin and sorrow to show him that he does not inhabit a perfectly holy and happy world. But he will find, nevertheless, that where temperance and religion prevail, they neutralize the bitterness of that curse, which rests upon our fallen world; and bring back the essence of Eden's joys. Oh, Christian, gaze upon this heavenly vision, until you feel its inspiration, and are led to exhibit in your example, a transcript of MILLENIAL TEMPERANCE, MILLENIAL PIETY, and MILLENIAL HAPPINESS.

rose.

The subject to be concluded.]

NATIONAL PREACHER.

No. 7. VOL. 9.] NEW-YORK, DEC. 1834. [WHOLE No. 103.

SERMON CLXXVIII.

BY REV. GEORGE C. BECKWITH,
PORTLAND, MAINE.

ZEAL IN RELIGION.

GAL. iv. 18.-It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.

The truth of this maxim is readily admitted in every thing but religion. All commend zeal in the affairs of this world, and seem to expect strong excitement wherever great interests are at stake. Who censures a resolute pursuit of wealth or learning, of honor or power ? Would you reproach the philanthropist for his zeal in behalf of the suffering, or the patriot for his ardor in defending the liberties of his country? Where life or health, property or reputation is in jeopardy, wakeful solicitude is not only allowed, but demanded. At the death-bed of a friend, amid the perils of an ocean-storm; on the eve of a battle that must decide not merely the fate of an army, but the destinies of a nation or a continent for ages, could any man refrain from deep emotion?

But the maxim of our text is far more applicable to religion. If the interests of time so powerfully excite us, how ought the realities of eternity to rouse, and thrill, and agitate our inmost souls! Surely a concern touching our dearest hopes both for this and the coming world, should awaken the strongest emotions.

Let us then reflect on some of the reasons for such excitement in matters of religion.

I. Man was MADE to feel deeply. His very nature requires excitement. He is neither a snail, nor an oyster, but a being whose element is activity, and whose nutriment is emotion. His mind rusts by standing still, and cannot remain long in a state of entire repose. He must and will have excitement of some kind; and if he finds it not in the service of God, he will seek it in the vices or the vanities of this world. Can we hesitate which to choose? Is not the excite. VOL. 9-No. 7.