the hearer, no less than to the speaker; and interesting, beyond all that can be conceived, to every natural sentiment of man, when done justice to, in the same way, that Horace here demands for the drama. A witty poet has well said,..

The specious sermons of a worldly man,
Are little more, than flashes in the pan :
The mere haranguing upon what men call
Morality, is powder without ball:

But he, who preaches with a christian grace,
Fires at our vices, and the shot takes place.

But you also ask, 'What do I conceive to be the mean, between cold morality, and wild enthusiasm ?' To this, I answer, that the mean between all extremes, is christianity, as given in the new testament. An attention to the exhibition of Christ's religion, as taught, by himself; as exemplified, in the acts of the apostles; and as expanded and ramified, in the epistles, particularly of saint Paul, .. is the best, and only preservative, against coldness, against fanaticism, and against superstition. But, let me tell you, that this simple, direct view of christianity, has very seldom been taken. Most men, in all ages, have sat down to the gospel, with a set of prejudices, which, like so many inquisitors, have laid the christian religion on a bed like that of Procrustes; and, as it suited them, either mutilated it by violence, or extended it by force.

I agree, however, with Mrs. Chapone, in her ingenious essay on the subject, that coldness is a far more dangerous extreme, than over much heat. The one, may consist with real goodness: nay, may be the consequence of real goodness, commixing

with a perturbed imagination, or an ill-formed judgement. But coldness, can be resolved, only, into an absolute want of feeling. Enthusiasm is excess, but coldness is want of vitality. The enthusiast, in a moral view, is insane; which implies the possibility of recovery, and perhaps, a partial or occasional recurrence of reason. The cold person is like the idiot, where reason never shows itself, and where convalescence is desperate.

But, let it ever be remembered, that he who has really found the mean between the two extremes, will, and must, be reckoned enthusiastic, by those who are in the extreme of coldness. You can easily conceive, that, when any one stands on a middle point, between two others, who are, with respect to him strictly equidistant, he must, from the inevitable laws of perspective, appear to both, not to be in the middle, but comparatively near the opposite party. He therefore,

Auream quisquis mediocritatem
Diligit,..

must make up his mind, to be censured on both sides: by the enthusiast, as cold; by those who are really cold, as an enthusiast.

This, however, is a digression. I return, to the new-testament view of christianity.

Now this, I repeat, (for the reasons above given,) is most surely, to be sought, in the new testament itself. And the representation given of christianity there, differs, in my mind, from that given, in most pulpits, in very many, and very important instances.

I. Christianity is represented, in most pulpits, rather as a scheme of external conduct, than as an inward principle of moral happiness, and moral rectitude.

In modern sermons, you get a great many admonitions and directions, as to right conduct: but, what David asked for, so earnestly, is seldom touched upon, 'Create in me a CLEAN HEART, O God! and renew a RIGHT SPIRIT within me.' Now, the new testament dwells on this, as its main object : 'make the tree good,' says Christ, and its fruit will, also, be good':.. Except ye be converted, and become as little children, you can, in no wise, enter into the kingdom of heaven.'

6

These expressions evidently imply, that, in order to be christians, persons must undergo a moral change; that christianity is designed to make them something, which they are not, by nature; and, that, the alteration produced, in the mind, the affections, and the conduct, by a right, and full, acquiescence in the gospel, is so radical, so striking, and so efficacious, as to warrant the strongest imagery, in order to do it justice, that language can furnish.

'Except a man,' says our Lord, 'be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'..' If any man,' says saint Paul, 'be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.'..' If ye, then, be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above: for ye are dead, and life is hid, with Christ in God.'.. your Being justified by faith, we have peace with God, by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which is given

unto us.' And, to quote but one passage more, from saint Paul,..' They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh, with the affections and desires.'

Now, what, I ask, do these expressions imply? After every fair allowance for figure, and metaphor, do they not convey a far deeper, and more mysterious view of christianity, than is, commonly, adverted to? Some divines, I know, endeavour to explain these, and similar passages, as if they referred, rather to a relative and extrinsic, than to a real and internal change; as if they meant, merely proselytism from heathenism, to christianity, and initiation into outward church privileges. But this miserable mode of interpretation, is flatly inconsistent with the whole tenor of the new testament. It is not HEATHENISM, but MORAL EVIL, which is here pointed out, as the grand source of human misery and the aptitude of the GOSPEL, to overcome and extirpate this MORAL EVIL, is what is dwelt upon, as its great, and leading excellence. These, therefore, and all similar passages, must be understood in a moral sense: and, when so understood, how deep is their import! To suppose that there is not a strict appositeness, in these figurative expressions, would be to accuse the apostles, and Christ himself, of bombastic amplification: but, if they have been thus applied, because no other ones were adequate, to do justice to the subject, I say again, what a view do they give of christianity!

It may be said, that enthusiasts have abused these expressions. True: but what then? What gift of God, has not been abused? And the richest gifts, most grossly? Meanwhile, the scriptures remain

by perverse misrepresentation, on the one side, or on the other, we have no right to go to any other standard.

With these passages of scripture, then, and many similar ones,.. nay, with the whole tenor of the new testament, in my view, I hesitate not to say, that christian preaching consists, first, in representing man to be, by nature, (I mean in his present fallen state,) a weak, ignorant, sinful, and, of course, miserable being; as such, to be liable to God's displeasure; and to be absolutely incapable of enjoying any real happiness, either here or hereafter. The passages of scripture which prove this, are innumerable: I shall give but a few. • You hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. The carnal mind is enmity against God. The carnal man knoweth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he know them; because they are spiritually discerned. They that are in the flesh, cannot please God. Having the understanding darkened; being alienated from the life of God.'

Nor, are we to suppose, that these texts speak, only, of the grossly wicked. Saint Paul repeatedly explains such statements, to belong to all mankind, until they are brought to repentance, and are inwardly, as well as outwardly, changed by divine grace. And, in fact, our own experience confirms the truth of this. For, if we look around us, whom do we see, either truly good, or truly happy? Some there are, unquestionably; though, too generally, in a very low, and imperfect degree. But, how rarely do we discover, what saint Paul calls, the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT,... love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,