tion of them would be less intolerable! But who can dwell with the devouring fire? Who can inhabit everlasting burnings?

Then I saw that Sincere was in great agony of mind; and although he threw himself upon his bed, he found no rest, but spent the night in meditating terror, and looking frequently for the pit to open beneath him; and swallow him up. And if he fell into a momentary slumber, he would presently start, and scream as if the fiends of the pit were already seizing him for their prey. In the morning he rose, and attempted to attend to some business; but his mind was so disturbed with the thongats of his present situation, that he found it impossible. In the afternoon, he resolved to go to his minister, Doctor Soothing, (for he belonged to his parish) an obtain bis instructions and directions about setting out on pilgrimage, as he was determined to set out without any more delay.-Accordingly he went to the house of Doctor Soothing, who received him with great kindness, and inquired in the tenderest manner what was the cause of his distress. Sincere. It is the fear, sir, of the wrath of the King, that makes me tremble. I see myself exposed to fall into the burning pit; while I remain in this city. And I fear it is too late for me to escape. Do, sir, tell me if there is any hope that I may yet escape from the wrath to come.

Doct. Soothing. There is every ground of hope that can be wished.

If the king has given you a desire to escape, it is an evidence that he intends to gratify that desire. It gives me sincere pleasure to see you thus anxious for your safety, because I consider it an indication that the king has designs of mercy towards you. It is

the king himself that has given you this view of your danger, and excited these desires to escape it; and where the king has begun a good work in any, he will carry it on.

Sin. But I have heard that it is necessary for me to repent of my sins, to enter in at the wicket gate, and go on pilgrimage; and I fear I have not that repentance which is unto life.

Doct. S. Do you not desire to repent? And are you not greatly distressed to think of the folly and wickedness of your past life?

Sin. 1 am, indeed, greatly distressed, to think that I have, by my own folly and wickedness, exposed myself to the wrath of the King; and I think I do sincerely desire to have that repentance which is necessary to my being delivered from the punishment to which I am exposed.

Dr. S. He that desires to repent does it already in some measure." And it must needs be very pleasing to the King to see you thus distressed, and grieving that you have offended him.

Sin. Your words are full of consolation, sir. And I think myself happy in having the privilege of your instructions. But I understand sir, that I must leave the city, and go on pilgrimage, if I would secure the favor of the King.

Dr. S. You must ultimately leave the city, and go on pilgrimage; but you cannot go yet. You must wait the King's time. No one can enter the gate which is at the head of the way, by an act of his own. The King must send a messenger to carry you through the gate. You must wait, therefore, the good pleasure of the King. All that you can do is, to reform your life, to use the means of obtaining the King's favor, and to remain in the city until he shal!

see fit to send his messenger to carry you through the gate. But if you faithfully persevere in the use of means, and in this way do what you can, antecedently to passing the gate, there is no fear but that the King will accomplish

all the rest.

Sin. What are the means which I must use to obtain the King's favor?

Dr. S. You must pray to him, go constantly to church, read good books, and lead a strictly moral life.

Sin. Is it certain, that if I use these means, I shall obtain his favor ?

Dr. S. Yes for he said, "Ask, and ye shall receive; seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."

Then I observed that Sincere appeared to be greatly relieved from his distress; and though his countenance still had the appear ance of deep thoughtfulness, it was evident that the conversation of Dr. Soothing had kindled a hope, resolved to pursue the course pointed out to him by his minister, and to be very diligent in it, that he might not fail of success.

Upon this, I turned my attention again towards the gate, and saw Evangelist engaged in conversation with a man, whose countenance indicated a sedate, but deeply anxious mind. So I drew near;

and listened to their discourse.Then said Evangelist to the man, whose name was Thoughtful.

Ev. What is the cause of your distress?

Th. I see that I am, indeed, a sinner, and that I am exposed to the wrath of the King.

Ev. You are, no doubt, a greater sinner than you are sensible of and are justly condemned; but this is a faithful saying, and wor

thy of all acceptation, that the Prince Immanuel came into the world to save sinners. Only comply with the prescribed conditions and you may be delivered.

Th. What are the conditions which I must perform?

Ev. You must cordially justify the King, and condemn yourself. You must remember your own evil ways, and your doings that have not been good, and loathe yourself in your own sight, for your iniquities and for your abominations. You must approve of the method which the king has provided of bestowing pardon upon his rebellious subjects, through the atoning blood of the Prince Immanuel. In short, you must enter the gate, and walk in the narrow way that leads to life.

Th. I am convinced that the King is right, and that his sentence of condemnation upon me is just; for 1 have done nothing but rebel against him all the days of my life. But I find that it is one thing to be convinced of this in my conscience, and another thing to approve of it in my heart. I find my heart wholly opposed to the King, and to his law and government; and chiefly because he condemns me. If I could only be assured that he intends to show favor to me, I think I could love him; but while he condemns me, I cannot.

Ev. That is you could love a sin-pardoning King, but not a sin-punishing King. And yet, the King will pardon some, and punish others. And he does perfectly right in both; and you ought to love him for doing right.

Th. I know I ought; but I do not; and this is my misery. For if I could only persuade myself that the King is unjust, it would be some support to me. I think I could bear up under the infliction

of an unjust sentence; but, to be condemned by a just sentence, and to have no excuse, nor palliation of my conduct; to have no room to complain of the King; to have my own conscience condemn me; that is what I cannot bear. Under this, I feel my spirits wholly sink. Oh! what shall I do?

Ev. Submit yourself to the King. He has determined to pardon some, for the glory of his grace; and he has determined to punish others according to their deserts, for the glory of his justice. You know not which he has determined respecting you.-But you know that his glory is of more importance than your personal interests. Give up yourself into his hands, to be disposed of as he shall see best. Why should you wish the King to sacrifice his glory to secure your personal interests? His glory is of more importance than the interest of any creature; and he does right in making it his supreme object: and in disposing of every creature in that way which will best pro

mote it.

Th. I know he does right in preferring his glory to my happiness. I know I deserve to perish forever. I know that I am altogether unreasonable and wicked in preferring my happiness to the glory of the King. Oh! what a vile creature I am! How glorious and excellent is the King, even in the execution of his threatenings! 1 deserve to be cast off, and if he does cast me off, he will be glorious in it, and I think I can praise him for it. How glorious is his mercy! how glorious is his justice! I will praise him for both. I will submit. I will put myself into his hands. "And if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him."

And, ob

So saying, I beheld him enter the Wicket Gate, with a composed countenance; and Goodwill said unto him, "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." serving in his hand a book which Evangelist had given him, he said, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me." "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruc. tion in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Then, having bid him to call at the house of the Interpreter, where he should be more fully instructed in the King's statutes. he dismissed him to go on his way, saying, "Take heed that no man deceive you."

So he went on his way, still keeping his book in his hand, and sometimes reading therein, and sometimes talking to himself, of the glorious character of the King and of the might of his terrible acts. And presently I heard him sing:

"The Lord is God; 'tis he alone
Doth life, and breath, and being give;
We are his works, and not our own;
The sheep that on his pastures live.
His truth and justice I'll proclaim;
His bounty flows an endless stream:
His mercy swift, his anger slow,
But dreadful to the stubborn foe.
His works with sovereign glory shine,
And speak his majesty divine;
Let every realm with joy proclaim
The sound and honor of his name."

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

"A Sermon" and "Restraints on depravity" are received.

VOL. II.

SERMON.

ROMANS, III. 31.-Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

Mankind are not apt to think systematically on any subject, and therefore find it very difficult to reconcile the various parts of any system of sentiments, whether civil or religious. The constitution of our national government is a system, and perhaps a very consistent system of civil policy; but many, who see and approve the various parts of it separately considered, cannot easily see the Consistency, which runs through the whole. The Bible contain system of religious sentiments, which we believe are altogether consistent ; but it has been found by the experience of ages very difficult for any person to see the consistency of the various doctrines and duties contained in this system, and quite impracticable to make some others see it. Though the law and the gospel are inseparably connected and perfectly

No. 8.

consistent with each other; yet it has been found next to impossible to make this consistency appear to people in general. The apostles found great difficulty in making the Jews see and believe, that the gospel which they preached was consistent with the law given at mount Sinai. And if you look into the best divines and expositors, for an hundred or two hundred years past, you will find that there is no point which they have so unsuccessfully laboured to clear up, as the consistency of justification by faith alone, and the threatenings of the divine law. But this is no reason why we should not endeavor to see and explain the consistency between the law and gospel, agreeably to the spirit of the text, which presents this difficulty to our present consideration "Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid : yea, we establish the law. In the preceding verses, the apostle is treating of that law,by which all, who were under it and had broken it, stood condemned to endless mis