The passions and appetites of the human heart have ever opposed the dictates of conscience. The conscience was intended by God to regulate the moral conduct of the man ; and strenuously and firmly asserts its right to this important and most necessary controul. Still more strenuously the passions rebel against it, force the man to submit to their own dictates, and hurry him into a course of disobedience. In this progress of guilt, conscience holds out her dreadful mirror to his terrified eye, exhibits him to himself, odious, deformed, and fearfully exposed to the anger of God.

To this distracted, miserable being peace is announced in the text, by him who knew all the wants, sufferings, and dangers of our race. Upon a strict examination, the legacy will be found to be exactly suited to the state of those for whom it was intended.

1. It is a happy state of the mind, or intellect.

Every person, who has at all entertained serious and solemn thoughts concerning religious subjects, must have often perceived a multitude of doubts springing up in his mind at different times, concerning the Word of God; the evidence, by which its divine origin is evinced, and the nature of the doctrines and precepts which it contains. These doubts may at times grow out of ignorance; usually they spring from the heart, from its disrelish to the truth itself, and its opposition to its Author. Every doubt on this subject is attended with some degree of distress. The soul is unwilling that there should be any such truths, and that God should have such a character, as to be capable of being the Author of them. Especially is this observation applicable to those doctrines which exhibit ourselves as guilty, condemned, and ruined; and God as pure, holy, and sovereign. Against these doctrines mankind have contended in all ages; have doubted their truth, have denied their import, and have exploded the evidence by which they were sustained. In the place of these doctrines the mind substitutes others which are more palatable to itself. For their obvious and real meaning, which it is determined not to admit, it substitutes others; kindred perhaps, and plausible, but oblique, and incapable of being supported. In this manner it struggles to get loose from the truth of God, sometimes by believing that he has made no revelation of his will to mankind; sometimes by determining that he has made

no such revelation as is commonly received; and generally by adopting a creed essentially different from that which is contained in the Scriptures. Every part of this creed it makes more pleasing to itself, less terrifying, less humiliating, and yet, as it hopes, equally safe.

Still Revelation, in spite of all these labours and struggles, continues to be supported by no small evidence. The obvious meaning of the doctrines which it contains will, at times appear but too probably the true meaning. In spite of the mind itself, its arguments, and persuasions, God may, and it frequently fears will be found to be just such a Being, as he seems to be exhibited in the Scriptures. Its own character also it almost daily suspects (and conscience perpetually enhances the suspicion) is just such, as the Scriptures have declared; and its danger neither less real, nor less terrible. Thus the soul becomes a troubled sea, which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.'

Nor is either this opposition, or the distress which springs from it, less excited by the tenour of the scriptural precepts, than by that of the doctrines. In the view of such a mind the precepts appear to be unnecessarily numerous, nice, and rigid; enjoining many things which it thinks might better have been omitted, and prohibiting many things which it conceives would have been much better allowed. The life which they require it pronounces to be unnecessarily strict, difficult, and discouraging, and regards as being of a gloomy and melancholy nature. Hence it supposes, and at times believes, that God cannot have intended that his precepts should be understood in their obvious meaning; and that some other meaning attended with many softenings, and involving many limitations, is to be attributed to them; or that, at the worst, a partial, imperfect obedience to them will ultimately be accepted.

Under the influence of these wishes, and the views to which they give birth, accompanied by fears that the things thus opposed may all be the real pleasure of God, the views erroneous, and the wishes sinful, such a mind wearies itself to find out a more palatable moral system, is harrassed by suspense, and distressed by painful apprehensions.

But when the hostility of the heart towards its Maker and towards his truth is dissolved by the mild influence of the Spirit of grace, and the soul is indued with love to its Maker,

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the character of God, and the doctrines and precepts of his word are seen with new optics, and appear therefore in a new light. It is the nature of evangelical love to delight alike in the truth and its Author. Both are thenceforth seen with the eyes of good-will. Of course, God appears to the mind invested with his proper character and supreme glory; as the sum of all excellence; as infinitely great, and wise, and good. It is seen to be impossible for him to deceive, or to be deceived. Whatever he declares is therefore admitted without reserve. The divine origin of the Scriptures is readily believed, because the evidence which supports it is such as to satisfy any candid mind, and because the mind in question has now become possessed of real candour. The true and obvious meaning of the doctrines and precepts, wherever it is seen, is readily received, because it is relished, and because God is believed to have made his precepts' plain to him that understandeth,' or, in other words, is possessed of piety. The things to be believed, the mind now loves to believe. The things required, it now chooses to do. The nature of the doctrine, and the reason on which the precepts are founded, it will indeed at times be unable to unravel. But here its faith and obedience will be implicit; because it knows that God does not prescribe without the best reasons, and that his instructions, however mysterious, must be always true, and always desirable. What it understands it welcomes. What it does not understand it receives with a humble submission to him who has said, 'The secret things belong to God; but the things that are revealed belong to men.'

From such a mind, it is easy to see, suspense and perplexity must vanish of course, together with all the agitation, fear, and pain with which they were attended. The weapons of its warfare have been laid down; its toils are ended, its alarms are over, its struggles are relinquished; and a delightful repose has succeeded to its multiplied, long-continued, and painful efforts; a repose doubly delightful; in its own nature, and as a charming contrast to the various troubles by which it has been so often and so deeply distressed.

2. It is a happy state of the affections.

It has been already sufficiently indicated that the affections are originally alienated from God, and opposed to his government and pleasure. The spirit of apostasy is, primarily, a

spirit of pride and self-dependence, which always exalts itself against its Maker. The angels who fell, fell by refusing to 'keep their first estate;' (T auтar apx) their own office, or principality: and by deserting (amoтas) their habitation (oxnTnpion, their station,) they refused to continue even in that exalted rank of existence, and to execute the duties of that high station, assigned to them by the goodness of God. The same spirit predominates in fallen men. They too are dissatisfied with their own station, and their own duties. All apostate beings say to God in their hearts, We will not have thee to reign over us.'

Equally hostile to the divine government is the lust of the flesh, (sensuality) and the lust of the eyes,' (avarice.) Concerning these three great controlling affections of the human mind it is alike true, that they are not of the Father, but of the world;' and that, wherever they reign, the love of the Father' cannot exist.

From the indulgence of this spirit continually spring up in the soul haughty claims upon its Maker for an increase of its enjoyments, and an exemption from its duties: claims which God never satisfies, unless in the way of judgment and indignation. The soul therefore is discontented with its allotments; questions his wisdom, goodness, and truth; murmurs against his providence; refuses to perform its own duty; and thus carries on a continual, ardent, painful conflict with its Maker.

A controversy with such a being as God cannot fail of being attended with perpetual anxiety and alarm. He who is the subject of it dreads the presence of God, is terrified by all the threatenings of his word, trembles at the approach of death, shrinks from the judgment, and looks towards a future retribution with horror.

Of these evils there is but one possible termination, and that is submission to God. Whenever this is accomplished in earnest, they dissolve like an enchantment in Arabian tales. The Creator, before dreaded and hated, is changed at once, to the view of the soul, into an affectionate parent, reverenced, loved, and delightfully obeyed. This awful enemy becomes instantaneously an everlasting and almighty friend; this hard master, a divine and boundless benefactor. His character is then contemplated with awe indeed, but with delight also. His commandments,' no longer grievous,' are preferred to

thousands of gold and of silver.' His presence, no longer terrible, is continually coveted; and communion with him in prayer and praise is daily sought and delightfully found.

In this manner the affections become serene, cheerful, and pleasant. The storm subsides into a calm; and the darkness of the soul is illumined with a perpetual sunshine.

3. It is a happy state of the conscience.

When the affections have thus bowed to their Creator; when the soul has sincerely said, 'Thy will be done;' conscience, unopposed and undisturbed, dictates whatever is to be done, and smiles its approbation whenever it is performed. In the various retrospects which the christian takes of his progress at the end of a day, a week, a month, or a year, he is enabled to look on and approve; and to feel a supporting hope that he is approved in some good measure by his God. His thoughts, affections, and designs cease to be objects of dread; and self-examination to be a duty which he cannot perform. To himself he is no longer a stranger. Prayer he no longer dreads. From his moral character he no longer shrinks. At his future destiny he ceases to shudder. A daily, welcome, cheerful visitor at the internal fireside, he finds there nothing but peace, harmony, and pleasure.

4. It is a happy state of the life.

In a world like this, it will not be imagined that external peace can be perfect. Although the man in question is possessed of a peaceful spirit only, yet in those around him he will not always find the saine disposition. In him there is no cause of hostility; but in them it will not of course be extinguished. While he is surrounded by beings of this description, therefore, he cannot expect undisturbed peace. Yet amid the discord and violence of this world, his moderation, his kindness will either allay, or quietly and firmly endure the storm. Men of candid dispositions beholding his conduct will approve and commend, and men of prejudice and passion will often be overcome, and desist from their persecution.

Yet even here he will find many persons of a character kindred to his own. Of the approbation, the love, and the kind offices of these men, he is assured. The esteem of wisdom and worth is invaluable, is accompanied by sincere love, is followed by a perpetual train of kind offices, and is there