altogether engage our hearts and affections,we shall be in imminent danger of losing our immortal souls. The duties of religion, and the weighty concerns of our better part, may be neglected even by a person who is decent and honest in his general conduct towards men, and who is sober and industrious in providing for his own family. True religion enjoins an attention to these things while it raises the mind above them. In an affair of such moment as the eternal salvation of the soul, negligence and inattention are altogether inexcusable. Since every man, however urgent and pressing his worldly affairs may be, ought to contrive, by a proper arrangement, to have sufficient leisure and opportunities for consulting and providing for his eternal interests. And is not this a subject worthy of engaging the thoughts and care of the wisest man? Now "life and immortality are so clearly brought to light,”— are illustrated and confirmed, "by the glorious Gospel of Christ,"-if any person be still careless and unconcerned about securing the salvation of his soul, the heathens will rise up in judgment against him and will condemn him. Some of these were diligent in using the few advantages which they enjoyed, and gladly availed themselves of the faint glimmerings of reason on this

1 2 Tim. i. 10.

subject, and lived as accountable to a divine judgment, and died with a longing hope of being for ever happy in a future state. What excuse then can those among ourselves allege for their carelessness in a concern of such importance, and for their feeling no anxiety whether they shall be happy or miserable throughout endless ages? Do they expect that eternal life will be granted to them as a matter of course, whether they carefully use the proper means of attaining it or not?

But we may observe further, that as they disregard the means of procuring eternal life, so by this negligence and unconcern they continue altogether unprepared for the enjoyment of it. By their worldly-mindedness and grovelling pursuit after perishing things, they may provoke the Almighty to "swear in his wrath that they shall never enter into his rest."m How sad will be the reflections of those in another world, who lose their souls by their careless behaviour on earth, by trifling levity and negligence, by setting their hearts on temporal things, and by disregarding the appointed means of obtaining eternal life, and of being duly qualified for the Kingdom of God!

m Heb. iii. 11.

2. We may remark, that the soul may be lost by those who indulge themselves in such things as tend to its destruction. The soul of man is already in a lost and ruined state by his fall from righteousness, and it must continue in that state, with respect to those who refuse to be saved, who will not be persuaded to apply to the heavenly Physician, though they are ready to perish. To what imminent danger then do those persons expose themselves, who still rush on in the way of sin, the way of destruction ;who, instead of seeking for remedies, drink poison, and instead of returning to the paths of life, hastily proceed in the broad way which leadeth down to "the chambers of death?"" It is unnecessary to produce scriptural authorities to prove, that they who live in gross and wilful sins are liable every moment to lose their souls. They provoke God to displeasure by their evil deeds, and if they die under the sentence of his righteous law, they cannot be saved. "Know ye not," saith the Apostle Paul, "that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortiouers, shall inherit the Kingdom of God." The sins and vices of such characters as these, defile and n Prov. vii. 27. 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10.\

debase the soul; and without pardon and reconciliation with God, through the atoning blood of Christ, such persons must sink under a load of guilt into the regions of darkness. And as they deserve this punishment on account of their numerous transgressions of the righteous law of the most High, so they could not, in their present state, as being impure and unholy, enjoy the company of the blessed inhabitants in heaven. They would have no relish for the place or the employment of the spirits of just men made perfect. They could not be happy even in the realms of glory, and it is written, "without holiness no man shall see the Lord."

And how frequently are wicked transgressors cut off in the midst of their days! They intend perhaps to change their conduct at some future period, but an unexpected event, or a disease, plunges them into eternity in their present state. And as there is no room for repentance in the grave, their soul must be lost, as it can never be admitted into the inheritance of the saints in light.

3. The soul may be lost by unbelief. There have been some persons so blinded in their understandings, or so perverted in their hearts,

P Heb. xii. 14.

as to deny the existence of God and of another life to come after the present state. These have indulged themselves in vain opinions, and generally in evil practices; and, as a just consequence, they have been given over of God "to a reprobate mind," to disbelieve the truth, to set aside the Holy Scriptures. Confining their attention to earthly objects, they have wished to live in pleasure, and then to die and be no more. These, in the pride and perverseness of their hearts, being unwilling to look forward to any future tribunal, have endeavoured to rob mankind of their chief glory and highest expectations. But we should remember that the denial of a future eternal state, does not set aside its reality. No man can prove that it is altogether impossible; every thing around us tells us that it is highly probable; for here we perceive a striking inequality in the dispensations of Providence, the wicked being frequently prosperous, while pious, upright characters are called to pass through great tribulations: but these inequalities will probably be rectified in a future state. And that which sound reason would lead us to expect, the word of God positively affirms. But to pay no regard to the revelation which an All-wise and gracious Being has made on this interesting Rom. i, 28, Acts xiv. 22.

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