the gay circle, and took delight in its pleasures. She joined the church, and then found herself aloof from all her old associates. They ask her not now, to their balls and parties, because they know she will not join them, and perhaps they keep entirely away for a time, for fear she should converse with them about their souls. But by and by they grow a little bold, and some of them venture to ask her just to take a ride with a few friends. She does not like to say, No. They are her old friends, only a few of them are going, and surely a ride is so innocent a recreation, that she accepts the invitation. But now she has begun to comply, the ice is broken, and they have her again as one of them. It goes on, and she begins to attend their social visits-" only a few friends," you know, till by and by the carpet is taken up for a dance, and the next thing, perhaps, she is gone to a sleigh ride, on Saturday night, and comes home after midnight, and then sleeps all the forenoon on the Sabbath to make up for it, perhaps communion Sabbath too. All for the want of

learning to say, No.

See that young man. For a time he was always in his place, in the Sabbath school and in the prayer meeting. But by and by his old friends begin to treat him with attention again, and they draw him along step by step. Every one seems a very small thing, and it would look like rudeness to deny so small a thing. He reasons that if he refuses to go with them in things that are innocent, he will lose his influence with them. And so he goes on, till prayer meeting, bible class, and even Bible and closet. are neglected. Ah, young man, stop there! Go only a little farther without learning to say, No, and you are gone. If f you do not wish to hang up the cause of Christ to scorn and contempt, learn to resist the beginnings of temptation. Otherwise it will come upon you, by and by, like the letting out of water.

15. They should be taught, what is and what is not Christian experience. It is necessary, both for their comfort and their usefulness, that they should understand this, so that they need not run themselves into needless distress for the want of that which is by no means essential to Christian experience, nor flatter themselves that they have more religion than they really exercise. But I cannot dwell on this topic to-night.

16. Teach them not to count any thing a sacrifice which they do for God. Some persons are always telling about the sacrifices they make in religion. I have no confidence in such piety. Why keep telling about their sacrifices, as if every thing they did for God was a sacrifice. If they loved God they would not talk so. If they considered their own interests and the interest

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of Christ, identical, they would not talk of making sacrifices for Christ; it would be like talking of making sacrifies for them

selves.

17. It is of great importance that young converts should be taught to be strictly honest. I mean more by this than perhaps you would think. It is a great thing to be strictly honest. It is being very different from the world at large, and very different even from the great body of professors of religion. The holiest man I ever knew, and one who had been many years a Christian and a minister, once made the remark to me, Brother, it is a great thing to be strietly honest, upright, straight, in every thing, so that God's pure eye can see that the mind is perfectly upright."

It is of the utmost importance that young converts should understand what it is to be strictly honest in every thing, so that they can maintain a conscience void of offence, both towards God and towards men. Alas, alas! how little conscience there is. How little of that real honesty, that pure, simple uprightness, which ought to mark the life of a child of God. How little do many regard even an express promise. I heard the other day of a number of individuals who subscribed to the AntiSlavery Society, and not half of them will pay their subscriptions. The plea is, that they signed when they were under excitement and they don't choose to pay. Just as if their being excited released them from the obligation to keep their promise. Why it is just as dishonest as it would be to refuse payment of a note of hand. They promised, signed their names, did they, and now won't pay? And they call that honesty!

I have heard that there are a number of men in the city who have signed hundreds of dollars for the Oneida Institute, promising to pay the money when called on; and when they were called on they refused to pay the money. And the reason was, they had all turned abolitionists in the Institute. Very well. Suppose they have. Does that alter your promise? Did you sign on the condition that if they got Abolitionism introduced there you should be clear? If you did, then you are clearBut if you gave your promise without any condition, it is just as dishonest to refuse as if you had given a note of hand.And yet some of you might be almost angry if any body should charge you with refusing to pay money when you promised it.

Look at this seriously. Who does God say will go to heaven? Read the 15th Psalm, and see. "He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not." What do you think of that? If a man has promised any thing, except it be to commit sin, let him

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keep his promise, if he means to be honest or to go to heaven. But here these people will make promises, and because they cannot be prosecuted, will break them as easily as if they were nothing. They would not let a note be protested at the bank. Why? Because they would lose credit, and would be sued. But the Oneida Institute, and the Anti-Slavery Society, and other societies, will not sue for the money, and therefore these people take some offence at something, and refuse to pay. this honest? Will such honesty as this get them admitted to heaven? What? Break your promises, and go up and carry a lie in your hand before God? If you refuse or neglect to fulfill your promise you are a liar, and if you persist in this, you shall have your part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. I would not for ten thousand worlds, die with money in my hands, that I had unrighteously withheld from any other object to which I had promised it. Such money will "eat like

a canker."

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If you are not able to pay the money, that is a good excuse. But then say so. But if you refuse to pay what you have promised, because you have altered your mind, rely upon it, you are guilty. You cannot pray till you pay that money.-What will you pray? "O Lord, I promised to give that money, but I altered my mind, and broke my promise, but still, O Lord, I pray thee to bless me, and forgive my sin, although I keep my money, and make me happy in thy love." Will such prayers be heard? Never.

But, brethren, I find it impossible to touch upon all the points I intended to speak upon, and so I will break off here, and finish this subject another time.

LECTURE XX.

INSTRUCTION OF YOUNG CONVERTS.

TEXT.-"Feed my lambs."-John xxi. 15.

I REMARKED on this text in my last lecture, and was obliged, for want of time, to omit many of the points which I wished to present in regard to the

INSTRUCTION OF YOUNG CONVERTS.

To-night I propose to continue the subject by noticing,

I. Several other points upon which young converts ought to be instructed.

II. To show the manner in which young converts should be treated by the church.

III. Mention some of the evils which naturally result from defective instructions given in that stage of Christian experience. I. I shall pursue the subject, taking it up where I left off, by mentioning some further instructions which it is important should be given to young converts.

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1. It is of great importance that young converts should early be made to understand what religion consists in. Perhaps you will be surprised at my mentioning this. "What! Are they converts, and do they not know what religion consists in ?" answer, They would know, if they had had no instruction but such as is drawn from the Bible. But multitudes of people have imbibed such notions about religion, that not only young converts, but a great part of the church do not know what religion consists in, so as to have a clear and distinct idea of it.

There

are many ministers who do not. I do not mean to say that they have no religion, for it may be charitably believed they have; but what I mean is, that they do not discriminate as to what it consists in, and cannot give a correct statement of what does and what does not constitute real religion. It is important that young converts should be taught,

Negatively, what religion does not consist in

(1.) Not in doctrinal knowledge. Knowledge is essential to religion, but it is not religion. The devil has doctrinal knowledge, but he has no religion. A man may have doctrinal know

ledge to any extent, without a particle of religion. Yet some people have very strange ideas on this subject, as though having doctrinal knowledge indicated an increase of piety. I once heard a remark of this kind. In a certain instance, where some young converts had made rapid progress in doctrinal knowledge, a person who saw it said, "How these young converts grow in grace." Here he confounded improvement in knowledge with improvement in piety. The truth was, that he had no means of judging of their growth in grace, and it was no evidence of it because they were making progress in doctrinal knowledge.

(2.) They should be taught that religion is not a substance. It is not any root, or sprout, or seed, or any thing else in the mind, as a part of the mind itself. Persons often speak of religion as if it was something that may be covered up in the mind, just as a spark of fire may be covered up in the ashes, which does not show itself, and which produces no effects, but yet lives and is ready to act as soon as it is uncovered. And in like manner they think they may have religion, as something remaining in them, although they do not manifest it by obeying God. But they should be taught that this is not the nature of religion. It is no part of the mind itself, or of the body, nor is it a root, or seed, or spark, that can exist and yet be hid and produce no effects.

(3.) Teach them that religion does not consist in raptures, or extacies, or high flights of feeling. There may be a great deal of these where there is religion. But it ought to be understood that they are all involuntary emotions, and may exist in full power where there is no religion. They may be the mere workings of the imagination, without any truly religious affection at all. Persons may have them to such a degree as actually to swoon away with ecstacy, even on the subject of religion, without having any religion. I have known one person almost carried away with rapture, by a mere view of the natural attributes of God, his power and wisdom, as displayed in the starry heavens, and yet the person had no religion. Religion is obedience to God, the voluntary submission of the soul to the will of God.

(4.) Neither does religion consist in going to meeting or reading the Bible, or praying, or any other of what are commonly called religious duties. The very phrase, "religious duties," ought to be stricken out of the vocabulary of young converts. They should be made to know that these acts are not religion. Many become very strict in performing certain things, which they call religious duties, and suppose that is being religious;