dicially hardened and profligate wretches, recoil with horror from a charge so serious and awful, and consider it unjust, it is necessary to undeceive them by proving its truth.

Sin in the heart is enmity against God; in the life a departure from his ways. Whoever, therefore, are under the power of sin, loving it and displaying it, in fact, reject Christ and his salvation. They choose darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. They will not come unto Christ that they may live; they desire not an interest in his blood. They will live according to their depraved propensities; they desire more and more self-indulgence, looking to this world and its enjoyments for their all and in all. Sin, having deprived them of real happiness, urges them to seek for it in ways that are forbidden, and which end in ruin. They have forsaken the fountain of living waters, and hewn out to themselves broken cisterns which can hold no water. Conscious of the loss of their chief good, they seek to regain it with an eagerness and perseverance which no disappointments can paralize or destroy. Their pursuits vary according to their ruling passion or appetite, which is their besetting sin. The ambitious sinner regards honour as his chief good; the covetous, riches; the sensual, pleasure. To one of these three classes all unregenerate men belong. The objects of their supreme regard, respectively, are so many idols loved, revered, and obeyed, in place of God and his Christ. Hence the latter are treated with contempt and neglect; for we cannot serve two masters; either we will hate the one and love the other, or we will cleave to the one and forsake the other. Ye cannot, says Christ, serve God and mammon. All sinners thus, being under the influence of a worldly, selfish spirit, by their conduct, if not by their words, beseech Christ to depart from them; and not only

from them, but from the circle of their acquaintances; from the land of their indwelling.

Sinners, disliking Christ, dislike his people, and all his institutions. They may profess a religion, nominally christian, as these Jewish Gergasenes claimed kindred to the God of Israel; but it is a religion in which scarcely one single feature of christianity, properly so called, is to be found. It is a religion which permits them quietly to transgress express laws, as well as violate the spirit of the Gospel. It is a religion which permits them, in an undisturbed manner, to live according to the course of this world, which lieth in sin. As we are naturally pleased with our likeness in others, so these carnal professors love carnal professors. They seek to stigmatize the humble followers of Jesus with the opprobrium of folly or hypocrisy; they discountenance vital godliness and gospel holiness in every possible way. Thus also they attend no more to the means of grace than what they cannot avoid, from a regard to reputation or the clamours of natural conscience. The fervent piety of others, as well as their own, is evidently an object of their attention and love, subordinate to their ease, honour, affluence, or enjoyments. Did it depend on their exertions, not one attempt would be made to arrest the progress of sin or promote the cause of Christ. They say indeed by their profession with the mouth, Lord Jesus save us! but by the tenor of their lives, which they defend, they say, Depart from us.

Much more evidently is this the language of their conduct who never have made a profession of religion, and who even boast of this as a proof of their honesty. A dreadful honesty this, which, while Christ offers them salvation, influences them to reject him, and to pride themselves for the unblushing avowal of such rejection. Such persons truly glory in their shame, and mind earthly things as their all.

To attend to the concerns of this life is, no doubt, the duty of every man. To possess property, or to be clothed with honours, is perfectly compatible with the duty we owe to God. But every thing, however dear or valauble, must be inferior in our esteem and affection to the Lord Jesus, or we say in our hearts to him, Depart from us. Here so many fail; even of those who are externally moral, and of whom we would oftimes hope that they had found mercy.

The ordinances of worship are set aside for the business of life; the duties of the sabbath sacrilegiously invaded by the duties of the week; worldly prosperity preferred to the life of God in the soul. They who act thus, are not stupid or insensible persons. On all subjects of a worldly nature, they display warm feelings and susceptible hearts. But on the vast interests of eternity, they are cold, indifferent, inactive. The blessed Redeemer, in the preached Gospel, comes to their door, as it were; he knocks for admittance; he waits to be gracious. No admittance is granted him; he must stand without. Many are dissatisfied with his nearness to them; they hate his knocking, and will not come even within hearing of his gospel. They wish not to have their peace destoyed, or their courses in sin ended. They love their sins, and their sinful ways, more than the salvation of God. Could they always live in this world, free from hell, though indulging sin, they would not, if the offer was made, enter in heaven, where sin must be denied. It is immaterial what their besetting sin is; however low and filthy the object of their affection; however dangerous to themselves, or injurious to others, the acquisition of this object: they are mad on their sins; besotted with them, and cleaving to them. Rather than part with them, they will part with Christ and heaven.

They therefore practically beseech the only Lord God who bought them, to depart from them.

This sinful conduct is especially displayed by unregenerate men when God is pleased to punish them for their sins. The Romans ascribed the calamities of the empire in its decline, to the progress of Christianity. Sinners, instead of humbling themselves before God when he afflicts them, justify themselves. They cherish murmurings and repinings under the rod, and still cling to their sins. Neither judgments nor mercies without the grace of God, can change the heart, or subdue proud rebels. Under them, the heart oft-times grows harder, and the rebellion becomes more obstinate. How rarely are sicknesses, or deaths of relatives, or loss of property, improved to the glory of God! How few, when groaning under sorrow of mind and body, through the displeasure of God, flee to Jesus! How many, after all their vows of amendment, return to their old courses with renewed avidity! And what is all this but rejecting Christ, refusing obedience to him, and soliciting his departure? They may be alarmed, they may be excited to some exertions for knowing him; but the sacrifices to be made of their sins, disturb them most, and their love of them finally extinguishes every vestige of penitence, like the morning cloud or early dew. Unhappy creatures these! who thus wilfully refuse to be saved; who wilfully choose everlasting destruction. Christ takes sinners ofttimes at their words, and departs from them as he did from Gadara. Then they become worse and worse; they are given up to themselves; to their heart's desires and lusts. If Christ continues a stranger to them, they go down to the pit for ever, there to dwell with those whose tempers they display, and according to whose suggestions they live.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

FOREIGN.

Extract of a Letter from the Rev. John Gordon,

OUT

dated,

Calcutta, Oct. 2d, 1809.

OUR voyage was as comfortable as our circumstances

would admit of. We were favoured with frequent opportunities of speaking to the men, preaching every Sabbath on deck; and performing family worship once every day in the cabin; distributed several Bibles and Tracts, which we had the pleasure to see read; some of our men were taught to read; one, upwards of 40 years old. How happy should I be to say that we could see any good or lasting effect produced thereby! However, they are now without excuse.

Copy af a Letter from the Rev. W. Carey, to the Rev. Dr. Miller, of New-York, dated

Calcutta, Nov. 30, 1809.

I RECEIVED yours, sent by favour of brethren Gordon and Lee, and beg you will accept my thanks for it, and the volume which accompanied it. It gives me great pleasure to receive, at any time, a letter from you.

The letter which you enclosed, giving an account of the remarkable work of divine grace in a neighbouring town, has created much interest here; and has, I believe, occasioned many thanksgivings to God for his mercy.

Though we cannot boast of any rapid success attend