in a serious heart it will not be sown in vain; in a heart not yet become serious, it may.

Religious seriousness is not churlishness, is not severity, is not gloominess, is not melancholy but it is nevertheless a disposition of mind, and, like every disposition, it will shew itself one way or other. It will in the first place, neither invite, nor entertain, nor encourage any thing, which has a tendency to turn religion into ridicule. It is not in the nature of things, that a serious mind should find delight or amusement in so doing; it is not in the nature of things, that it should not feel an inward pain and reluctance, whenever it is done. Therefore, if we are capable of being pleased with hearing religion treated, or talked of with levity, made, in any manner whatever, an object of sport and jesting: if we are capable of making it so ourselves, or joining with others, as in a diversion, in so doing: nay, if we do not feel ourselves at the heart grieved and offended, whenever it is our lot to be present at such sort of conversation and dis

course,

course, then is the inference, as to ourselves, infallible, that we are not yet serious in our religion and then it will be for us to remem ber, that seriousness is one of those marks, by which we may fairly judge of the state of our mind and disposition, as to religion: and that the state of our mind and disposition is the very thing to be consulted, to be known, to be examined and searched into, for the purpose of ascertaining whether we are in a right and safe way, or not. Words and actions are to be judged of with a reference to that disposition, which they indicate. There may be language, there may be expressions, there may be behaviour, of no very great consequence in itself, and considered in itself, but of very great consequence indeed, when considered, as indicating a disposition and state of mind. If it shew, with respect to religion, that to be wanting within, which ought to be there, namely, a deep and fixed sense of our personal and individual concern in religion, of its importance above all other important things, then it shews, that there is yet a deficiency in our hearts,

hearts, which, without delay, must be supplied by closer meditation upon the subject than we have hitherto used, and, above all, by earnest and unceasing prayer for such a portion and measure of spiritual influence shed upon our hearts, as may cure and remedy that heedlessness and coldness, and deadness and unconcern, which are fatal, and under which, we have so much reason to know, that we as yet unhappily labour.

SERMON XVIII.

THE EFFICACY OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST.

(PART I)

HEBREWS ix. 26.

"Now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

THE salvation of mankind, and most par

ticularly in so far as the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ are concerned in it, and whereby he comes to be called our Saviour and our Redeemer, ever has been, and ever must be, a most interesting subject to all serious minds.

Now there is one thing, in which there is no division or difference of opinion at all, which is, that the death of Jesus Christ is spoken of, in reference to human salvation, in terms and in a manner, in which the death of no person whatever is spoken of besides. Others have died martyrs, as well as our Lord. Others have suffered in a righteous cause, as well as he; but that is said of him, and of his death and sufferings, which is not said of any one else; an efficacy and a concern are ascribed to them, in the business of human salvation, which are not ascribed to any other.

What may be called the first gospel declaration upon this subject, is the exclamation of John the Baptist, when he saw Jesus coming unto him. "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." I think it plain that, when John called our Lord the Lamb of God, he spoke with a relation to his being sacrificed, and to the effect of that sacrifice upon the pardon of human sin: and this, you will observe, was said of