entire change of heart and nature, will ever deliver you from this state of enmity. Our nature is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. They that are "in the flesh, cannot please God." Rom. viii. 7, 8. From this state, let the fearful menace in the text, persuade you to arise! Need we remind you again of the dreadfulness of hell, of the certainty that it shall overtake the impenitent sinner? Enough has been said; and can any of you be still so hardened, and such enemies to your souls, as still to cleave to sin? Will you still venture to continue any more in the hazard of falling into the hands of God? Alas! "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Isaiah xxxiii. 14. "Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it!" Ezekiel xxii. 14.

Observe that men have dealt with sinners; ministers have dealt with them; at last God will take them in hand, and deal with them! Though not so daring as to defy God, yet, brethren, in all probability you put off repentance. Will you securely walk a little longer along the brinks of the burning furnace of the Almighty's fury?"As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between thee and death!" 1 Samuel xx. 3. When you lie down you know not but you may be in it before the morning, and when you rise, you know not but God may say, "Thou fool! this night thy soul shall be required of thee!" When once the word is given to cut you down, the business is over. You are

cut off from your lying refuges and beloved sins, from the world, from your friends, from the light, from happiness, from hope for ever. Be wise, then, my friends, and reasonable; give neither sleep to your eyes, nor

more.

slumber to your eye-lids, till you have resolved on your knees before God, to forget him no more. Go home and pray. Do not dare to fly, as it were, in the face of your Maker, by seeking your pleasure on his holy day; but if you are alarmed at this subject, as well you may be, go and pray to God that you may forget him no It is high time to awake out of sleep. It is high time to have done with hesitation; time does not wait for you; nor will God wait till you are pleased to turn. He hath bent his bow and made it ready; halt no more between two opinions: hasten, tarry not in all the plain, but flee from the wrath to come. Pray for grace, without which you can do nothing. Pray for the knowledge of Christ, and of your own danger and helplessness, without which you cannot know what it is to find refuge in him. It is not our design to terrify, without pointing out the means of safety. Let us then observe, that if it should have pleased God to awaken any of you to a sense of your danger, you should beware of betaking yourselves to a refuge of lies.

But, through the mercy of God, many among us have found repentance unto life, have fled for refuge to the hope set before them, have seen their danger and fled to Christ. Think with yourselves what it is now to have escaped destruction; what it will be to hear at the last day our acquittal, when it shall be said to others, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire." Let the sense of the mercy of God gild all the paths of life. On the other hand, since it is they who forget God that are to bear the weight of his wrath, let us beware, brethren, how we forget him, through concern about this world, or through unbelief, or through sloth. Let us be punctual in all our engagements with him. With earnest attention and holy awe ought we to hear his voice, cherish

the sense of his presence, and perform the duties of his worship. No covenant relation or Gospel grace can render him less holy, less jealous, or less majestic. "Wherefore let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire."

IV.

A LETTER FROM THE LATE REV. ROBERT HALL, M.A. OF LEICESTER, TO THE EDITOR, WHEN A STUDENT

AT CAMBRIDGE.

So highly are the writings of the late Robert Hall esteemed by all classes of readers, that the Editor has occasionally been led to regret having so long withheld from them the following valuable remarks. He ought perhaps to have furnished the Publisher of his works with a copy at the time when his correspondence was in a state of preparation for the press. He makes, however, the best reparation in his power by introducing it into the present work, to which it is in all respects most appropriate.

DEAR SIR,

Leicester, Feb. 17, 1814.

I am happy to hear, as in the instance before me, that God is inclining by his Spirit so many young Students to devote themselves to the ministry from the purest and most evangelical motives. With such views and dispositions you may be assured of your receiving a competent measure of that sacred unction that teacheth all things. But as you have condescended to ask my advice respecting the best mode of preparing yourself for the sacred work of the ministry, I can only lament my incompetence for the task you have assigned me. In

the mean time I have no doubt you will take in good part the few suggestions which I shall present you, without suspecting me of a disposition to dictate or dogmatize.

With respect to your first inquiry, I have no doubt that the extemporaneous mode of preaching is the best; by which I am far from intending the neglect of previous study, but the practice of delivering sermons with little or no immediate use of notes. That it possesses a superior power of keeping up attention, and exciting an impression, can scarcely be doubted; and all that can be said on the other side is, that it is unfavourable to accuracy. But why should sermons be more elaborately exact in point of composition, than the speeches in Parliament, or at the Bar-or the force and pathos naturally attendant on the extemporary mode of speaking be excluded only from the inculcation of divine truth; that truth which we are enjoined by the highest example and authority not to attempt to combine with excellency of speech, or of wisdom?

The matter appears to me to be this. The general decay of piety amongst the regular clergy in the reign of the two Charles's, almost extinguished pulpit eloquence. And when true religion began to be held in dis-esteem, nothing remained to be cultivated but a scrupulous and timid correctness; when the Preacher, instead of attempting dominari in concionibus,' was chiefly solicitous to avoid ridicule, satisfied with the negative praise of not giving offence. This is surely a very confined limit for the ambition of a Christian Minister: but whoever would greatly surpass it, and accomplish to any considerable extent the true objects of preaching, must, after deeply meditating his subject, and making a tolerably copious analysis, trust the clothing of his ideas