power to resist convictions and maintain their peace and security; for they have no such power, only when God lets them alone. And they know not how long he will let them alone. It seems to be high time for him to rise in his awful majesty, and make them see and feel that they are in his hand as the clay is in the hand of the potter, and that he can crush them as a potter's vessel.

6. Since sinners endeavor to free themselves from all their obligations to God, we may see why they are so extremely averse from prayer. There is no duty they are so unwilling to perform. They are unwilling to be exhorted to this duty, and much more unwilling to perform it. The reason is, they cannot pray without acknowledging their obligations to God, which they hate and wish to break. The child feels this, and neglects to pray. The youth feels this, and neglects to pray. Those that are pursuing vanities feel this, and neglect to pray. The sober moral sinner feels this, and neglects to pray. All sinners wish to forget or break their obligations to God; and cannot bear to strengthen them by going to him in secret and acknowledging them. Let any sinner who has cast off fear and restrained prayer go to God in prayer this evening, and he will feel that he has bound himself to pray to-morrow and from day to day, as long as he lives. But he hates his obligations to God, and will not begin to pray. Or if he does begin, he will neglect it as soon as his sense of his obligations to God is gone. This is true of every careless, stupid or merely awakened sinner. But the sinner under genuine convictions has different feelings in respect to prayer. He is afraid to pray, because he feels he cannot sincerely acknowledge the justice of these bands and cords which he wishes with all his heart to break, and intends to break, if possible, as long as he exists. Many a convinced sinner has thus become speechless, and found he could say nothing like prayer, which was consistent with his total enmity to God. Parents have no reason to wonder that they cannot persuade their children to pray; and ministers have no reason to wonder that they cannot persuade sinners to begin to pray; or after they have lost their awakenings and convictions, they cannot persuade them to begin to pray again. When any person prays, he acknowledges his obligations to God, and pledges himself to do his whole duty. This the sinner is not willing to do, and therefore neglects to pray. This the person who has lost his convictions is not willing to do, and therefore neglects to pray. And this the false or declining professor is not willing to do. It is the fear of men's acknowledging and confirming their obligations to God, that prevents their beginning to pray, and disposes them to neglect it after they have

once begun. Every prayerless person in this house knows whether this be true or not, and whether he is one who desires and endeavors to break all the bands and cords by which he is bound to God. Every sinner either neglects to pray, or prays amiss, to his own self condemnation and confusion. In what a wretched and guilty condition are all sinners!

7. If all sinners are under natural, moral and legal obligations to God, then they are all, without exception, bound to be religious, or to fulfil their obligations to their Maker, who has made thern rational, immortal and accountable creatures. These divine obligations lie with all their weight upon children, upon youth, upon all men, whether rich or poor, high or low, learned or unlearned. No age, no condition, no secular concerns, can dissolve their obligations. But how many sinners practically deny their obligation to be religious, and expect that they shall generally be allowed this privilege without any censure or disapprobation from any but a few bigoted religionists, or over-orthodox preachers! How many would be ashamed to be found reading the Bible seriously, or calling upon God devoutly, or attending public worship statedly! Do not such by their speaking, reasoning and acting, plainly show that they endeavor to break every religious obligation, and desire to live without God in the world? Has God then misrepresented their character and conduct in his word? If not, they are his perfect enemies, and deserve to be treated as his enemies for ever. This he will sooner or later make them see and feel.

Finally: If sinners are bound to God by bands and cords which they cannot break nor cast away, then it is their immediate and imperious duty to cease from contending with their Maker; and to become cordially reconciled to the bands and cords by which he has bound them to himself. David did this. He said to God sincerely, "O how love I thy law!" Paul felt and expressed the same spirit. "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." If you become reconciled to your obligations to God, they will prove a source of perpetual blessedness. But if you persist in hating and opposing them, they will prove a source of self condemnation and misery for ever. I now ask what you intend to do? And God may treat you according to your present resolution. But are you willing he should?

If you refuse to submit to God, and to the bands and cords by which you are bound to him, as surely as you live and as God lives, he will be bound by his own goodness to punish you forever and ever. "And what wilt thou say, when he shall punish thee?"

SERMON XXX.

TENDENCY OF THE GOSPEL TO ENLARGE THE HEART.

OUR heart is enlarged.. -2 CORINTHIANS, vi. 11.

THE apostle preached the gospel with great success in Corinth, where he formed a large number of converts into a Christian church, to whom he preached a year and six months. His long residence with them laid a foundation for his very strong attachment to them. But soon after he left them, they were led into errors, animosities, and contentions, by false and corrupt teachers. When he heard of their unhappy situation, he wrote his first epistle to them to correct their errors, and reunite them in their former peace and harmony. Though this letter produced some good effects, yet new difficulties arose, which gave occasion to his writing to them again. This second epistle breathes a very tender and affectionate spirit. In the two preceding chapters, and in the beginning of this, he speaks largely of his own views, and feelings, and sufferings, in promoting the cause of Christ, and the interests of his friends. And when he had wrought his own mind up to a high pitch of tenderness, he breaks forth in this pathetic language: "O ye Corinthians, our mouth is opened unto you, our heart is enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels. Now for a recompense of the same, I speak as unto my children, Be ye also enlarged." The gospel had enlarged the heart of the apostle, and he supposed it had a tendency to enlarge the hearts of the Corinthians who had embraced it. His views and feelings were once confined to himself, and to those persons and objects which were the most nearly connected with his private, personal interests. But after he had heard and understood and loved the gospel, his heart

expanded, and he felt interested in every thing comprised in the great and benevolent scheme of man's redemption. And from this we may conclude,

That the gospel has a tendency to enlarge the hearts of all who embrace it. I shall,

I. Consider what we are to understand by the heart's being enlarged; and,

II. Show that the gospel directly tends to enlarge the hearts of those who embrace it.

I. Let us consider what we are to understand by the heart's being enlarged.

The heart is something different from all the natural powers or faculties of the mind, and consists in free voluntary exercises, emotions, or affections; and its magnitude is always in proportion to the ultimate and supreme objects upon which it terminates. Every moral agent has some ultimate and supreme object in view, which is comparatively small or great; and this object, be it what it may, measures the magnitude of the heart. Self is the ultimate and supreme object of affection in every unsanctified heart. Every person in the state of nature desires and seeks his own separate, personal interest or happiness, above all other objects; but every one whose heart is renewed and sanctified, has a superior regard to the interest or happiness of any other person or being whose interest or happiness appears of more importance than his own. But whether the heart be selfish or benevolent, it is either large or small, in exact proportion to the largeness or smallness of the objects upon which it terminates. The heart of every one extends just as far as his apparent interest extends, and increases in magnitude just as the knowledge of his interest increases, whether his interest be selfish or benevolent. The heart of a child increases as his knowledge increases. The heart of a youth increases as his knowledge increases. The heart of a man increases as his knowledge increases. There is nothing perceived by the understanding, but what affects the heart more or less. Men's hearts increase and enlarge as their capacities, their relations, their connections and spheres of action increase and multiply. Though there is undoubtedly a real difference in the natural capacities of mankind, yet they all admit of perpetual cultivation and enlargement. It is recorded of Christ that he increased in wisdom and stature, as well as in favor with God and man. In childhood, the capacity is comparatively small; and the heart bears a near proportion to the capacity. This the apostle testifies of himself. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child." And he might have added that he felt as a child. His heart was no

larger than his capacity. It is equally true of every person, through the whole course of his life, that his heart is bounded by his capacity. But as every person, from childhood to manhood, derives advantage from education, observation and experience, so his capacity, and consequently his heart must gradually enlarge. And after men come upon the stage of life, their relations, connections, and spheres of action increase and multiply, and of course their minds and hearts expand. More numerous and more important objects gain their attention and interest their feelings. When David was a shepherd, his mind and his heart were as small as his flock. When he became a general, his mind and his heart were as large as his army. And when he ascended the throne of Israel, his mind and his heart were enlarged in proportion to the number of his subjects, the extent of his kingdom, and the important interests of the nation. And it is expressly said of Solomon, that the largeness of his heart was equal to the capacity and strength of his mind. "And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore." These were uncommon instances of the progress of the human mind and human heart; yet they are, just and beautiful illustrations of the gradual growth of the understanding and heart of every person in the world.

The understanding of all men enlarges from stage to stage in life, and their hearts enlarge with the growth of their intellectual powers. It is true, indeed, the heart does not always keep pace with the progress of the capacity and knowledge. The reason is, some men do not interest themselves so much in what they know as others do, and consequently their hearts do not enlarge with equal rapidity. Every man regards and pursues some supreme object; and if his supreme object be low, mean, or unimportant, it will contract his mind and feelings in respect to all other objects, which are only subservient to that which is supreme. The man who makes property his supreme object, sees nothing in the universe superior to property, and esteems nothing important but what tends to promote property. The man who makes amusements his supreme object, sees nothing superior to amusements, and values every thing according to its tendency to promote and secure the frivolous objects of his wishes. Let such men have as much information as they will, their hearts must be small, in comparison with what they would have been if they had placed their supreme attention and affection upon greater and nobler objects, whether of a temporal, or spiritual nature. In a word, it may be laid down as a maxim, that every man's heart is in proportion to what he esteems his highest interest. This every