expressed, is precisely the same as that in the conclusion of the parable of the sower, where it is explained that the seed, which fell on the good ground, and brought forth abundant fruit, signifies the effect which the preaching of the Gospel has upon an honest and good heart.

Here then you have declared to you the most effectual and convincing way of arriving at a persuasion of the truth of the Gospel; and here also is at the same time implied the reason, why all its other strong proofs and evidences so often fail of making the impression, for which they appear so well adapted.

Let me state the case to you in two plain maxims; He who is of an honest and pious disposition will be persuaded; the vicious and depraved will not be persuaded. I will assert with some confidence, that these two maxims are almost universally true; I do not say that there never has been, or shall be, any exception in either case; but I am convinced that there are as few exceptions to these, as to any general rules, that were ever proposed.

I wish much to impress upon you the truth of these observations, because I know that the unbelief of men, who have had superior means of conviction, as far as relates to external evidences, has often been a stumbling block to

weak man. Why, you may ask, did so few of the Jews believe in Christ, when, if his miracles and the accomplishment of the prophecies, in his person, were so notorious, they ought every one of them to have been converted? And why

should these arguments be expected to have greater influence upon us, who cannot be so certain of the facts, as they must have been? Why did the Jews generally not believe? Because they were prejudiced against the truth; because they were a proud people, who could not put up with a humble Redeemer, instead of the triumphant worldly king, whom they had erroneously expected; and because they were a wicked people, who had no taste for the holiness and purity of the Saviour's doctrines. Did they deny the miracles that Christ performed? No; but rather than be persuaded, they attributed them to the agency of the Prince of the Devils; they pretended to believe, that Satan had endued a man with supernatural power to assist him in propagating a religion, which went to overthrow his own dominion in the hearts of many, and to promote that piety and virtue, which he hates to see. Could they deny, that the man born blind, had been restored to sight? No; but they punished him by excommunication, that so he might be induced to conceal the truth, which

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condemned their unbelief. Could they deny that Lazarus had been raised from the grave ? No; but they sought his life, that they might be rid of so convincing a witness against themselves. Could they deny our Saviour's own resurrection? No; but they bribed the soldiers who had been appointed to watch at the tomb to say, that while they slept, the disciples came and stole the body.

There is another striking instance of their unbelief recorded in Acts iv., on the occasion of the miracle performed by Peter and John, on a cripple. What was the conduct of the adversaries of the Gospel? ' they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them, is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it, but that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name, and they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus."

Strange as all this may appear, it is very natural; if men have any reason why they had rather not be persuaded, it is impossible to convince them; what our blessed Saviour has said, in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, is

founded on a thorough knowledge of the perverseness of the human heart he, who is not persuaded by the proofs of the truth of religion, which already exist, would not be persuaded, though one should go to him from the dead,and why not? why because, he has no desire to believe; if he had, there is amply sufficient evidence to satisfy him; there is evidence that has satisfied and converted the wisest men, who possessed honest and good hearts; but no miracle will avail with him who is determined to shut his eyes against it; he is like a man, who confines himself in a dark room, and says that the sun does not shine. He perceives his folly and his obstinacy, but if he is resolved to exclude the light, we must leave him in the darkness. which he has chosen.

When I said, that all this is perfectly natural, of course I did not mean, that it is agreeable to reason, but only that it accords with the corrupt state of human nature. Certainly to a man of any seriousness, and reflection, it seems most extraordinary, that there should ever be a disinclination to admit the truth of a religion, which offers pardon to sin, help to infirmity, comfort to affliction, knowledge to the ignorant, exaltation to the humble, eternal life to the Being of an hour. Certainly if we knew nothing of the enslav

ing tyranny, which sin and Satan exercise over our fallen unhappy race, we should expect, that weak and miserable and dissatisfied man would grasp with eagerness at the slightest hope of a better state of existence, would even be ready to be deluded by the vainest visions of a more perfect happiness, and of a more enduring dwelling place, than this brief and troublesome life can offer. Were we to behold a wretched being swept away by a torrent of waters, we should, doubtless, expect to see him, in his alarm and agony, catching at even the slenderest reed, that might afford him but a moment's hope of safety, rather than sporting with the waves and diving into the whirlpools, which threaten to overwhelm and swallow him up for ever. And so, when we behold man tormented by the cares of life, harassed by continual disappointments, discontented even with his highest pleasures, a sword hanging over his head at every feast, a grave opening before his feet in every path, while time flows unceasingly on, and hurries him away to an unknown destiny, surely it would be but reasonable to expect, that even the most unreal prospect of settled happiness, and of endless life, would have attractions enough to invite his study and pursuit; and yet alas! how contrary to the truth, would this expectation be in multitudes