I once knew a poor man who mentioned to me how much happiness he had found in religion, in the early part of his christian course. Peace with God made his life pleasant. The night and the day were alike cheerful; and fear and grief fled far from him. But words to this effect entered his mind, "What need is there of so much ado about religion ?" For a time he resisted, but at length yielded to the tempter. He went backwards, and Satan triumphed. And now farewell to peace; his comforts were gone. Distress haunted him; he could not lie down at night without fear of waking in eternal torments before the morning came. He found it a bitter, as well as a guilty thing, to forsake his Redeemer. And though he was afterwards restored to God, he did not find that degree of happiness, which he had experienced before his fall. "Hold fast, then, what thou hast, that no man take thy crown."