madly choosing time instead of eternity, earth instead of heaven, when, by a wise obedience to the gospel, you might ensure all ! satisfied with the life which now is, when you might also have that which is to come !— content with what you know will perish, when there lies within your reach what shall endure forever!

Listen, I beseech you to the admonitions of this solemn night. Lay not your heads upon your pillows, give no slumber to your eyelids, till you have devoted one hour to thought. I charge you, as in the presence of God, who sees and will judge you, in the name of Jesus Christ, who beseeches you to come to him and live, by all your hopes of happiness and life, I charge you let not this year die, and leave you impenitent. Do not dare to utter defiance on its decaying hours. But in the stillness of its awful midnight, prostrate yourselves penitently before your Maker, and let the morrow's sun rise upon you thoughtful and serious men, beginning a new life with the new year. And when this season shall again find you, as God grant it may ! in the house of prayer, may it be as humble, rejoicing, improving Christians.

Brethren and friends, may it find us all such! Alas! vain wish! For we cannot believe that it will find us all among the living. The destroyer is abroad; wherever we go, he is lurking in our path, and we know not when he may strike us to the dust. We leave this house, and perchance shall never return within its sacred walls. We mingle in the concourse of the world, and come up again to this holy altar when the year has revolved; but there are some amongst us, for whom our eyes shall then look in vain. I saw the

young, the healthful, the happy, worshipping here at our last celebration of the season,-but they are not here now. They then heard the cry of the Prophet, Prepare to meet thy God,-and they went away, and have been called to meet him in judgment. From the warning of that night, they were summoned to his presence. And from the warning of this, it is equally certain that some of us shall be summoned. Oh, that none may be taken unprepared! Oh, that God would be pleased to spare the inconsiderate a little longer, that they may prepare themselves before they are summoned to depart !-But for those who are ready, let them go. If God call them in their ripeness, why should we wish to detain them? We may see them and enjoy them no more on earth; but they will not be lost to us In that world where years revolve not, and sin is unknown, and death never comes, there will be their home. There, if we will be faithful we shall meet them again.

SERMON II.

BY REV. JAMES WALKER, CHARLESTOWN, MASS.

RELIGION DISARMING AND DESTROYING TEMPTATION.

LUKE X. 19. BEHOLD, I GIVE

UNTO YOU POWER TO TREAD ON SERPENTS AND SCORPIONS, AND OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY; AND NOTHING SHALL BY ANY MEANS HURT YOU.

These words were uttered by our Lord at one of the few seasons of joy and triumph granted him on earth. The seventy, whom he had sent two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come,' that he might prepare the minds of men for his reception, were just returned, full of surprise and exultation at the mighty works, they had been able to perform. Even the devils,' said they, are subject unto us through thy name.' Elated by the success of his first missionaries, his manner becomes changed, and he speaks with the greatest confidence and satisfaction of the prospects of the gospel. And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven'—meaning by Satan whatever opposed or hindered the establishment of his kingdom, and comparing his fall to the swiftness of a flash of lightning. Then turning to his disciples, by whose assistance all difficulties and obstacles

were to be overcome, he assures them, that they might consider themselves as perfectly safe, notwithstanding the power, cunning and malignity of their adversaries. Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.'

We may not expect, at this day, that christianity will protect us against those things which hurt the body; but we may expect, that it will protect us against those things, which hurt the soul. This, therefore, is the application, which I propose to make of my text in the present discourse. In the common business and intercourse of life we are obliged to witness scenes, mix with company, and expose ourselves to many other influences of a bad moral tendency; and persons who have not the safeguard of religion, are very likely to be corrupted by them. But persons with whom religion has become a habit, and who have thoroughly imbibed its spirit, may witness such scenes, and mix with such company, and expose themselves, if necessary, to all such influences, without sustaining any injury ; just as the early christians could handle serpents and scorpions, and drink deadly poison, without being hurt.

The ground of this immunity in the christian is, that the effect, which any influences from without will have on the character, depends in a great measure on the previous state of the character. The thoughts, desires, or imaginations, which any external object will excite or suggest, depend in a great measure on the previous state of the mind itself. The very same company, therefore, the very same scenes, books, or conversation, which excite or suggest bad thoughts, desires and im

aginations in one man, will have no such effect, and perhaps the opposite effect, in another. On this principle it is, that most of our temptations would cease to be temptations, if we were in our minds and dispositions what the gospel would make us. Any thing will be a temptation to us, that has the effect to suggest a bad purpose or thought, or to excite a bad feeling or desire, or to stimulate and inflame such a feeling or desire by keeping the object of it before the eyes, or the imagination. But if our minds were thoroughly imbued and fortified with the principles and spirit of the gospel, what is there that could injure or endanger us in either of the ways here mentioned?

In the first place, would any object be likely to suggest a bad purpose or thought? Let a traveller come upon a bag of gold in a remote and secluded spot, and how different will be the thoughts and purposes suggested by so simple an incident, according as his previous training and habits have been good or bad? If he is really a good man he will immediately consider how he may restore what he has found to its rightful owner. This will be strictly speaking his only purpose and thought. But if he is a bad man, he will be tempted, as he is away from all observation, to convert what he has found to his own use. Thus you will perceive, that the very same event, and one too of the simplest kind, will suggest nothing but good thoughts and purposes to a good mind, and nothing but bad thoughts and purposes to a bad mind. Besides, the great law of association applies here. The thoughts, which an object will suggest, depend not so much on any thing in the object itself, as on the thoughts with which it has