he meant to say, will they act, who attend to these considerations; "for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul," or his life to all eternity? or what shall a man be able to give, (or what would he not give,) when he has thus lost his soul, to recover it again?

It seems a most easy and simple question to one who believes in an eternal life, and understands what is signified by the expression of losing the soul, and is assured of the possibility of such a dreadful event. He will perceive it to be so plain a case, that there was no necessity for explicitly stating the answer; any one can reply to that for himself, the moment he hears the question proposed. "What is a man profited?" Not at all; he is infinitely a loser. Who can make any doubt about it? who can think or act so absurdly, as to set about calculating and balancing the gain and loss, when the disproportion is so palpable and striking? But if this is the way in which you all reason, then surely some of you condemn yourselves; for I cannot but fear that there are many here present, who are not in practice, influenced by this reasoning; I must either entertain this fear, or I must suppose that I have now before me a congregation of persons, all of whom set a high value upon their souls,

esteem the world, and the things of this world, as most worthless and insignificant in comparison, and accordingly are bent on nothing so earnestly as the work of their Salvation. Can I reasonably indulge the hope that this latter supposition is correct? Can I allow myself, in the pleasing imagination, that you are all really anxious about the salvation of your souls, about your eternal welfare? that you have a due sense of the littleness of every thing that is of mere earthly interest, and of the supreme importance of all that relates to a future world? and that with this impression upon your minds, you would not on any account expose to hazard your hope of Heaven, for the sake of any temporal acquisition or gratification? Can I persuade myself, that all but one or two among you are thus wise? that there are not several of an opposite character? several, who live for this world alone, without any regard for their souls, and as long as they can please themselves in this present life, are thoughtless and indifferent as to what may come hereafter? However much I may deplore that it should be so, however great the satisfaction I should feel, in thinking that you were all heartily and diligently engaged in the grand business of your salvation, yet I know, that it would be but deceiving myself, were I to entertain so favourable

an opinion of the whole, and contributing to deceive you, were I to address you as if I entertained that opinion.

Yet you must doubtless acknowledge the truth of what has been already said, that it is impossible for any one who seriously believes the Christian doctrine concerning a future life, to hesitate for a moment in determining that the whole world would be no compensation for the loss of the soul; how is this admission consistent with the fact, that there are many among you who live as if you were of opposite sentiments. How is it to be explained that you consider the Gospel to represent the human soul as if of incalculable value, and yet you treat your own souls as if they were of no importance whatever? How can these things agree together? readiest and most natural answer is, you do not believe the representations of the Gospel; you either do not believe that there will be a resurrection from the grave, or else you do not believe that your condition in a future state will at all depend upon what you shall have been, or done

in this life.

The

But although this is the readiest answer, and seems the most likely way of accounting for the inconsistency I have spoken of, yet I shall not take it now as the true one; for there would

be precisely the same reason for my doing so upon all occasions, when alluding to the contradiction between the conduct and the supposed creed of professing Christians; and thus the only subject on which most persons would be addressed, would be the evidences of the truth of the Gospel, which would be a most unprofitable labour; for impossible, as it seems, that any one who is really persuaded of the certainty of the Christian faith, should fail to be a Christian, according to the true import of the name; and therefore simple and effectual as may seem the remedy for the practical disregard of Christianity, viz. that of convincing men of its truth, yet decided and deliberate unbelief, is not the cause of the evil, and therefore to be always discoursing on the evidences of the Gospel, is not the remedy for it. Certainly it cannot be said, that any man really and fully believes the Gospel, who acts in wilful opposition to it; that cannot be true faith, which is of no efficacy towards his sanctification or salvation; but yet, at the same time, many a man lives in an unchristian state, not because he has serious doubts about the truth of religion, not because he has actually persuaded himself, or even endeavoured to persuade himself into infidelity; on the contrary, he professes to believe the Gospel, and fancies that he believes it; it is

solely because he does nor reflect or consider; and this want of reflection and consideration, is occasioned in some, by mere levity and thoughtlessness; they are foolish triflers, who hardly ever admitted a serious thought into their minds, and are so taken up with folly, and vanity, and empty pursuits, and engagements, that they have no taste or inclination for matters of weighty and solemn interest. Others designedly resist and banish all reflection, as an enemy to the satisfaction and enjoyment, which they hope to find in a course of life, that will not bear a close examination; whichever be the cause, I think there is little doubt, but that the greater number of those who live in the practical neglect of the Christian doctrines, do so, not because they deliberately deny, or avowedly disbelieve them, but because they fail to reflect upon them, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." So it was with the Jews of old, so it is with most people in the present day, inconsideration is the common cause of irreligion.

It is to reflection therefore, my brethren, that I wish to excite you; true and living faith, the hope of God's blessing, will be the result of reflection; a pious and holy life, I am confident will be the issue of such a faith; Oh! that you