4. Because it is as easy to purpose right, as to purpose wrong; and one would think, infinitely more so. How comes it then, that men cannot purpose right? The fact is, it would be infinitely impossible not to do it, if men did not resist all the infinite motives to purpose right.

5. Because it is indispensable to their good; it is only, in other words, commanding them to be happy.

REMARKS.

1. As Adam did, so have nil sinners made themselves wicked hearts, without the concurrence of a divine influence. Children, when they begin to act, make their hearts wicked, by setting out with a purpose of self-gratification. Seeking their own happiness, they soon violate the commands of God and become sinful.

2. The idea of a sinner's being passive in regeneration, is calculated to destroy souls. It involves the absurdity of his having a passive volition.

3. Every impenitent sinner is infinitely guilty, for not making himself a new heart; for not going the whole length of performing the work himself.

4. To say "I can't love God and repent," is to plead one sin for the commission of another.

5. This view illustrates the nature of the sinner's dependence on the Spirit of God. The only necessity for his aid or influence, lies in the sinner's pertinacious obstinacy; and when he converts the sinner, he only overcomes that obstinacy.

6. The Spirit uses means in producing conversion. He does not come and take right hold of the heart and perform an operation upon it; but he presents motives by means of the truth; he persuades, and the sinner yields to his persuasion. Many have supposed that he moves, by a direct and immediate act, either upon the motive to give it efficiency, or upon the mind to make it willing. But there is no mystery about it. Every christian knows how he was induced to change his governing purpose or his heart. He was convinced and persuaded, and freely gave his own heart to God without compulsion. And I know not which is the greater infidel, he that denies the agency of the Spirit in conversion; or he that believes God has provided means which are not adapted to the end for which they are employed.

7. There is a sense in which a singer does make a new heart. There is also a sense in which God does it; another, in which a preacher does it; and another, in which the truth or the word of God does it. The bible employs expressions regarding conversion, in these four different ways. It is ascribed to the subject, the sinner himself; he changes his own heart. It is ascribed to the instrument, or the preacher; he converts sinners and saves souls from death. It is ascribed to the means, or the word; men are begotten by the word of truth. It is ascribed to God, or the Spirit; they are born again by the Spirit. A person is walking near Niagara Falls, and sees a man approaching from the opposite direction towards the precipice, who seems to be lost in a reverie. He is advancing directly to the verge of the precipice, unconscious of danger, and heedless of his footsteps. He has just raised his foot to step off, when the other spies his danger and cries out, Stop! He is roused, turns at the critical moment and is saved. People gather round, and the rescued man in great agitation relates the occurrence. "That man," says he, "has saved my life." "But how ?" "O he called to me at the very moment I was stepping off, and that word, stop, snatched me from destruction. O if I had not turned that instant, I should have been dashed to pieces. O it was the mercy of God that kept me from a horrid death." This illustrates the use of those four kinds of expression in the bible, in reference to the conversion of a sinner, with one exception. In the case supposed, there was only the voice of the man who gave the alarm; but in conversion, there is both the voice of the preacher, and the voice of the Spirit; the preacher cries, "Stop," and the Spirit cries, "Stop," also.

8. If sinners will not yield to truth, they will inevitably be lost.

9. We see the consistency of using means for the conversion of sinners.

10. It is more probable that Binners will be converted under the voice of the living minister, than afterwards. Some have supposed it will hardly do to urge sinners to repent right on the spot, lest they should some how get a false hope. Better to exhibit the truth, and let them go home to reflect and pray, and there give their hearts to God more deliberately. But how does the lawyer do, when he resolves to change the hearts of the jury and gain his cause? Does he say, I will make a speech of half an hour or three quarters, state the law, and the facts, and the arguments, and dismiss them to their room for calm deliberation? No; he plies all his efforts to change their hearts while he is speaking; and so should ministers, when pleading with sinners.

11. When ministers do not understand this subject, they use means for the conversion of sinners to little or no purpose.

12. If you are expecting any other agency than that which accompanies the means, you will wait in vain.

13. As you are able to change your own hearts, the great point of responsibility lies right there. To change your own hearts will save you; nothing else can; and on that point is suspended your eternal destiny.

STRICTURES.

PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS.

The most prominent views in mental philosophy, presented in this discourse, are these: that a moral character is to be ascribed to voluntary exercises alone, and a nature cannot be either holy or unholy;—that the heart, when considered in relation to God, is nothing but the governing purpose of the man;—that the depravity or moral ruin of man has not abridged his power of choosing right, with the same ease that he chooses wrong;—and that conversion is effected only by moral suasion, or the influence of motives. All these propositions seem to depend partly on the definition of the word heart; and it may therefore be profitable to spend some short time in ascertaining what the heart is.

The heart, in the physical constitution, is the organ from which the blood is propelled throughout the system, and is therefore the source or fountain of animal life. So in the mental or spiritual constitution, the heart is the source of all the affections, emotions or desires. Whether these operations of the mind belong to the will, or to a distinct faculty termed the heart, is not agreed; and perhaps the distinction is not very important, if we do not lose sight of the operations themselves or of their character. It cannot be doubted that there is such a class of ex-ercises; that they pertain to the mind, or to the man; that they are not purely of the animal nature, though many of them are modified by the connection of spirit with matter; that they are constantly springing up within us, and constitute a large portion of the exercises put forth by the ever busy soul. We are conscious that these affections and desires are antecedent to the determinations of the will, and that they operate powerfully as motives to fix our choice or decide our volitions, in view of the objects which are presented to the mind, and which excite feelings or affections. The advocates of the "Taste Scheme" ascribe the feelings or affections to a distinct faculty, which they denominate the taste or the heart. The friends of the " Exercise Scheme" arrange both feelings and volitions in one class, under the general name of exercises, and ascribe both to the same faculty, the will. Both sects agree, however, that feelings or affections exist, and that they are in ⚫ some sense distinct from volitions. They agree also in the free use of

the scriptural term heart, as the source or fountain of feeling. The preacher's sentiment seems to be at war with them both. He applies the term heart, when considered as accountable to God, not only to exercises, but to volitions exclusively; yea, he confines it to a single volition; to that volition by which a man determines on his " governing purpose. That volition is his heart, and he has no other till he changes his mind and resolves on another governing purpose; then he has another heart, constituted simply by his new volition.

We

This definition is at variance with the preacher's own statements in the introduction to his sermon, where he said, "The heart in many instances (in the scriptures) is spoken of as the fountain of our exercises," where "it must mean the ruling choice or governing purpose of the mind. This I take to be the meaning of the term in all those passages where it is spoken of as comprehending the whole of divine requirement and human duty." Conceding to him that the term heart is sometimes synonimous with the term soul or spirit, or the whole mind, or understanding, or conscience, or the constitutional propensities, we come directly to those numerous instances where it means, according to his own statement, what comprehends the whole of divine requirement and human duty." He would include in this class, those " many instances" where it is spoken of as the fountain of our moral exercises." should include in the same class those expressions, where the term is put for "the social or relative affections," so far as those affections have a moral character; for certainly the law which requires us to love God, requires us to love our brother also. We should also include those instances, where the word " expresses all the affections or exercises of our minds;" for surely among them "all," there must be many which are comprehended in the "divine requirement" or prohibition, and which pertain to "human duty" or transgression. But we will consent to take only the single explanation of the preacher, on which he grounds his running definition of the word heart, that is to say, "when it is spoken of as the fountain of our moral exercises." He says, "In such cases it must mean the ruling choice or governing purpose of the mind." We say, that such a choice or purpose constitutes but an exceedingly small portion of any man's moral exercises" from day to day;—and here we are at issue with the preacher. We hold, that the ruling affection of a man, not his "ruling choice or governing purpose," gives a character to his other "moral exercises," either sinful or holy; and that the "governing purpose" or resolution will be conformed to his ruling affection. But, to say that his ruling choice, or purpose, or even affection, is the heart itself, in our apprehension, is putting a very small part for the immense whole. We believe, that where such a ruling exercise comes into being once, especially in the instance of a secure sinner, there are at least a million of subordinate exercises, which equally belong to the heart—which are comprehended in "divine requirement and human duty"—which are registered in the book of remembrance—of which man must give account in the judgment—and which, together with his ruling passion and governing purpose, go to make up his whole moral character in the sight of God. These innumerable exercises surely should be embraced in the definition of a term, which, to use the preacher's own phraseology, designates "the fountain of our moral exercises." We should define the term thus: The heart is the fountain or source of all the moral affections or feelings. And all the volitions of a man correspond with his feelings and affections.

Let us employ the definition given by the preacher, instead of the term heart, in a few quotations from the scriptures. This is a fair and conclusive method of testing its correctness. If the quotations make good sense, let us adopt the definition: if not, let us look for one better. "O ye simple, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be ye of an understanding governing purpose. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken governing purpose; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. This people's governing purpose is waxed gross,.... lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their governing purpose, and should be converted, and I should heal them. The whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to governing purpose. The governing purpose of her husband doth safely trust in her. He is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the governing purpose, in the spirit, and not in the letter. Out of the governing purpose proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. [These come from the subordinate wicked affections of the unrenewed man; but not one in a thousand adopts them in his "governing purpose" through his whole life.) He upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of governing purpose, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. [Was the governing purpose of the apostles a wicked one? Were they unconverted men?] Now when they heard this, they were pricked (or wounded) in their governing purpose, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Ye are the epistle of Christ, . . . written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the governing purpose. Daniel purposed in his governing purpose that he would not defile himself. Every man, according as he purposeth in his governing purpose, so let him give. Barnabas exhorted them all that with purpose of governing purpose they would cleave unto the Lord. The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy governing purpose. Why hath satan filled thy governing purpose to lie to the Holy Ghost? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy governing purpose? But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his governing purpose was lifted up; ... nevertheless Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his governing purpose;... and God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his governing purpose, [a very small portion of his inner man.] Thou hast put gladness in my governing purpose. The troubles of my governing purpose are enlarged. My governing purpose shall not fear, though war shall rise up against me. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my governing purpose is overwhelmed." It is abundantly manifest that by this definition the sense of the sacred writers would be strangely altered, and the very heart of the bible taken away. Substitute fountain [or source) of the moral affections," instead of "governing purpose, and the sense remains good, although the original word "heart" makes better phraseology.

The heart, therefore, is something far more extensive than a ruling purpose, and comprehends all the moral affections or feelings of the soul. Love to kindred, love to the world, love to christians, love to God, are predicated of the heart, rather than of the will when considered separate from the heart. We love an object, not so much because we resolve to love it, as because it is congenial with our heart or affections. We hate those things which are disagreeable, even when we resolve to overcome our aversion. This propensity of our minds to

exercise some kind of feelings in view of objects, is universal among men, is developed in early infancy, and is in constant operation. Whether it be part of our nature or not, we shall not dispute; but it is inseparable from it, and with it enters and leaves the world.

Are the exercises of the heart, when they do not partake of the decisive character of volitions, of a moral kind? Are we answerable for them in view of law? Certainly; for the law of God requires holy affections and feelings, not less than virtuous volitions and right actions. Nay, it begins with the affections, both towards God and man, and lays its highest claims upon the heart. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul; which the angels doubtless do, on the simple discovery of his glory, without the formality of resolving or willing to do it. The same is true of christians. That love is not for a moment inoperative or dead. It produces holy volitions in quick succession, and flows out in acts of new obedience. 66 Sin," "it is often said, "is the transgression of the law; and there is no sin except in a voluntary act." But is there not sin in the exercise of unholy affections, and the emotions of that carnal mind which is enmity against God? Paul condemned and loathed himself for that law in his members, which warred against the law of his mind, so that he could not do the good which he desired. Therefore, whether our very nature is corrupt or not, it is manifest that innumerable feelings are unholy, which never take on themselves the character of deliberate volitions.

The propensity to indulge evil affections is very early discovered in children, and the bible says they go astray as soon as they are born. For ourselves, we hold that the children of degenerate parents are degenerate also; and prepared to act wrong as soon as they are capable of action. To say that the nature of God is not holy, and that Adam · was not created in the holy moral image of God, seems to us an arrogant assumption of knowledge. Hast thou seen God at any time, and soared beyond the display of his attributes and the revelation of his counsels, into the ineffable secrets of his eternal nature? When he laid the foundations of the earth and formed man upon it, and made him a living soul, wast thou there? Dost thou know that Adam had no moral direction given to his primeval powers, which insured his love and obedience to his Creator, when he saw his glory and began "to will and to do?" We must still believe that "God made man upright," though he soon revolted. It is easy to adopt metaphysical principles and distinctions that will justify the most absurd and monstrous conclusions; and we ought not to forget, that in this way infidels and errorists have undermined the government of God, and explained virtue and vice out of the universe. Under the head of Theology, we shall consider whether this new scheme accounts better than the old for the fall of Adam, for the universal and early depravity of his descendants, for the exercise of the freedom of choice in sinners, and for the interposition of the divine Spirit in their conversion. We think it is made sufficiently apparent, that the new definition of the term heart is essentially defective; that the law takes cognizance of those feelings which are of a moral nature, independently of overt and determinate acts of the will; and that the talk about moral nature is about things beyond human ken. The other philosophical distinctions will be more appropriately considered in other connections.