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objection by a case apparently applicable. We have cautiously anticipated, and often resumed the solution. We speak of those only, who have attained an advanced age, and have lost the facility of acquiring new dispositions. Have you ever seen persons of sixty or seventy years of age renounce their avarice, their pride, a favourite passion, or a family prejudice?

2. A man placed in a desponding situation, and under an extraordinary stroke of Providence, will instantly reform a habit, I grant; but that does not destroy our principles. We have not included in our reflections those extraordinary visitations which Providence may employ to subdue the sinner. When we said that the reformation of a vicious habit would require a number of acts which have some proportion to those which formed it, we supposed an equality of impressions in those actions, and that each action would be equal to that we wished to destroy.

3. A man may suddenly reform a habit on the re. ception of new ideas, and on hearing some truths of which he was ignorant before, I also acknowledge; but this proves nothing to the point. We speak of a man born in the bosom of the church, educated in the principles of Christianity, and who has reflected a thousand and a thousand times on the truths of religion; and on whom we have pressed a thousand and a thousand times the motives of repentance and regeneration; but, being now hardened, he can hear nothing new on those subjects.

4. A man may, I allow, on the decay of his faculties, suddenly reform a bad habit; but what has this

to do with the renovation which God requires? In this case, the effect of sin vanishes away, but the principle remains. A particular act of the bad habit is ceded to weakness and necessity, but the source still subsists, and wholly predominates in the man.

5. In fine, a man whose life has been a continued warfare between vice and virtue; but with whom vice for the most part has had the ascendancy over virtue, may obtain in his last sickness, the grace of real conversion. There is, however, something doubtful in the case; conversion on a death-bed being difficult or impossible; because between one unconverted man and another there is often a vast difference; the one, if I may so speak, is within a step of the grave, but the other has a vast course to run. The former has subdued his habits, has already made a progress, not indeed so far as to attain, but so far as to approach a state of regeneration: this man may, perhaps, be changed in a moment: but how can he, who has already wasted life in ignorance and vice, effectuate so great a change in a few days, or a few hours? We have therefore proved that the first objection is destitute of force.

You will, however, propose a second you will say, that this principle proves too much, that if we cannot be saved without a fund and habit of holiness, and if this habit cannot be acquired without perseverence in duty, we exclude from salvation those deeply contrite sinners who having wasted life in vice, have now not sufficient time to form a counterpoise to the force of their criminal habits.

This difficulty naturally occurs; but the solution we shall give does not so properly accord with this discourse; it shall be better answered in the exercises which shall follow, when we shall draw our arguments from the Scriptures. We shall then affirm that when a sinnner groans under the burden of his corruption, and sincerely desires conversion, God affords his aid, and gives him supernatural power to vanquish his sinful propensities. But we will prove, at the same time, that those aids are so very far from countenancing the delay of conversion, that no consideration can be more intimidating to him who presumes on such a conduct. For, my brethren, our divinity and morality give each other the hand, the one is established upon the other. There is a wise medium between beresy, and I know not what absurd and extravagant orthodoxy; and as it is a bad maxim to establish the precepts, and renounce the doctrines of Jesus Christ, so it is equally pernicious to make a breach in his precepts, to confirm his doctrines.

The aids of the Holy Spirit, and a consciousness of our own weakness, are the most powerful motives which can prompt us to labour for conversion without delay. If conversion, after a life of vice, depended on yourselves, if your heart were in your own power, if you had sufficient command to sanctify yourselves at pleasure, then you would have some reason for flattery in this delay. But your conversion cannot be effectuated without an extraneous cause, without the aids of the Spirit of God; aids he will probably withhold, after you shall have despis

ed his grace, and insulted it with obstinacy and malice. On this head therefore, you can form no reasonable hope.

You will draw a third objection from what we have already allowed, that a severe affliction may suddenly transform the heart. To this principle, we shall grant that the prospect of approaching death may make an impression to deceive the sinner: that the veil of corruption raised at the close of life, may induce a man to yield at once to the dictates of conscience, as one walking hastily towards a precipice would start back on removing the fatal bandage which concealed his danger.

On this ground, I would await you, brethren. Is it then on a death-bed, that you formed your hopes ? We will pledge ourselves to prove, that so far from this being the most happy season, it is exactly the reverse. The reflections we shall make on this subject, are much more calculated to strike the mind than those already advanced, because they require some penetration, but you cannot avoid perceiving the force of those which follow.

We will not absolutely deny the possibility of the fact on which the objection is founded. We will allow that a man, who with composure of mind sees the decay of his earthly house, and regards death with attentive eyes, may enter into the requisite dispositions. Death, being considered as near, enables him to know the world, to discover its vanity, emptiness, and total insufficiency. A man who has but a few moments to live, and who sees that his honour, his riches, his titles, his grandeur, and the whole uni

verse united for his aid, can afford him no consolation: a man so situated knows the vanity of the world better than the greatest philosophers, and the severest anchorets: hence he may detach his heart. We ever hope that the Deity will accept of such a conversion, be satisfied with the sinner, who does not devote himself to virtue, till the occasions of vice are removed, receiving him at the extremities of life: it is certain however, that such a supposition, is so far from favouring the delay of conversion, as to demonstrate its absurdity. How can we presume on what may happen in the hour of death? Of how many difficulties is this illusory scheme susceptible? Shall I die in a bed calm and composed? Shall I have presence and recollection of mind? Shall I avail myself of these circumstances to eradicate vice from the heart, and to establish there the kingdom of righteousness?

For, first, who is there can assure himself he shall die in this situation? To how many disastrous accidents, to how many tragic events are you exposed! Does not every creature, every substance which surrounds us, menace both our health and our life? If your hopes of conversion are founded on a supposition of this kind, you ought to fear the whole universe. Are you in the house? you should fear its giving way, and dissipating by the fall all your expectation. Are you in the open field? you should fear lest, the earth opening, its caverns should swallow you up, and thus elude your hope. Are you on the waters? you should fear to see in every wave a messenger of death, a minister of justice, and an

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