that we fail of seizing it at once, when we may, and thus lose it for ever. So is eternal life to every one, but especially to the rich. God in the offers of his grace, presents eternal life to every one of us through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and says, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able." But what does he say to the rich?— Well were the disciples astonished above measure, when he said, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." In the parable of the sower he gives the reason-"The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful." Hence does he represent the salvation of the rich as a bare possibility. "It is impossible with men; but with God all things are possible." Hence the need of charging the rich to use their wealth so that they may lay hold on eternal life. We are not to tell them to expect eternal life on any conditions different from other men. We promise them not eternal life, because they use wealth liberally, or even "if the give all their goods to feed the poor." On the contrary, they have a more difficult task than other men. For while they must be born again, or not enter into the kingdom of God; and repent, or perish; and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, or never see life: they are encompassed with the cares of this life, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things, which render it next to impossible that they should ever be saved. They must deny themselves in the midst of all the means of gratification. They must crucify the flesh with the affections and lusts, while their abundance, their friends and the cares of this world combine to pamper the flesh with its affections and lusts. They must look at the things, which are not seen, through the splendour which cluster thick around them, and dazzle their eyes. They must hear the still, small voice of God, calling to their conscience, amid the clamors of the gay, the thoughtless, and the pleasure-loving world. And, "while worldly fancy feeds on golden dreams," and flatters them that "to-morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant," and another time," a more convenient season."-Alas! Alas! how can the rich lay hold on eternal life? Is it possible for them with their eyes, ears, hands and heart full, and more still pressing for their acceptance. to lay hold on an object, so difficult to seize, and to hold, as eternal life? Will they be induced to part with all they have, if the Lord demand it? How can they bear to hear him say to them as to the lovely young man, referred to before, "Go and sell all that thou hast and give to the poor, and come take up the cross and follow me.""He went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions"-great possessions! He kept his great possessions for a season, but lost his soul for ever. Surely, if any in a christian land need our sympathy, they that are rich need it. Their souls are as precious as

the souls of others. Others are in danger and can be saved with great difficulty. What then will become of the rich? They can hardly be saved. The Lord Jesus pitied, while he warned them. The apostle, Paul, warned them, and urged Timothy to charge them to lay hold on eternal life. The apostle, James, cried out to them, saying, "Weep and howl!" O, my soul, "Envy not the rich," but as God bids, charge them not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us all things richly to enjoy ; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on

eternal life.

If you are unconverted, your wealth is "a wall to keep you out of heaven." It is a car, to roll you easily and speedily down to hell. Would you ever be converted, now receive the Lord Jesus gladly as did Zacheus. Then, like him, quietly give the half of your goods to be rich in good works, or some proportion equally acceptable to God. And, if you have gained any thing unjustly, be prompt in making restitution. Thus will the Lord you, as he did of him, "This day is salvation come to this house.

say of

If you profess to be Christians, and yet are not possessed of the spirit enjoined in the text, we leave you with the words of the Apostle James, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone."

POINTING THE ARROWS.

The celestial armory is well supplied with weapons. They are not carnal but spiritual. They are of etherial mould, and of divine workmanship. When well directed, they pierce the heart and wound the conscience. They are the arrows of the Almighty and when they are made to strike fast in the soul, their wounds are deep, their poison drinketh up the spirits of men, and constrains them in the agony of their aching hearts to hasten to the Great Physician for balm to heal their wounds. Unlike all other arrows and wounds, they have a blessed design and wonderful efficacy.

There is a class of men-soldiers of the cross-who are specially appointed to this celestial archery, whose solemn business it is to go in the name of heaven's King to his armory, where are stores of

inexhaustible abundance laid up ready for use, and to select and draw out the sharpest, choicest arrows, and to use them with divinest skill. Some of these archers are expert marksmen. They are so chiefly in their choice of the arrows. They show an admirable acquaintance with the armory, and select with great care and labor those weapons which are best suited to do execution. They desire above all things to acquit themselves as soldiers of the cross, and gain the approbation of the Great Captain of salvation.

Some years ago there lived a very skilful archer. His name was Payson. He was mighty in handling spiritual weapons. He was greatly familiar with the celestial armory. You would think he had spent all his days in examining the etherial temper and divine workmanship of the weapons in that inexhaustible storehouse. He could select and draw out the arrows with wonderful skill, When he drew his bow, the arrows flew thick around, and there are many still alive who remember his skill, and how they were sorely wounded, and have been joyfully healed. But even he, with all his skill, often confessed his impotence. There seemed to be something wanting. He felt it, and mourned over it, with deep feeling, and with a heart gushing with sorrow. He seems at length to have dis. covered the true cause and left it on record. We read it the other day, and such is its almost immeasurable importance, that we copy it for the serious and prayerful consideration of the many whom it concerns. He said, "It will be found, I doubt not, in the coming world, that ministers had much less share in the success which attended their labors than is now supposed. It will be found, that if they drew the bow, the prayers of christians pointed and guided the arrow." If, then, the gospel fails of success in any church, if there are no revivals, no conversions, no inquiring sinners, no presence and power of the Spirit, no quickening influence, no effects from the weapons of truth which fly from the archer's quiver from Sabbath to Sabbath, let the Christians in that church lay it to heart, that it is because their prayers do not " point and guide the arrows." Here, perhaps, may be found the sad and guilty cause for the long and gloomy dearth of revivals which now afflicts the churches of our land.

BY THE REV. G. A. LINTNER, D.D.

PASTOR OF THE EVAN. LUTHERAN CHURCH AT SCHOHARIE, N.Y.

AN APPEAL TO THE CHURCHES ON THE LOW STATE OF `

RELIGION.

"Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." MATT. XXIV. 12.

OUR blessed Savior here speaks of the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. He tells his disciples that it will be a time when the world will rise up against them-when all kinds of iniquity will prevail among men, and when the persecutions, temptations, and trials in the Church, would induce many professed Christians to turn away from God, fall into the general current of iniquity, and either entirely apostatize from religion, or become cold and dead in their profession. He gives us a lamentable description of the state of the Church, under the influence of the general corruption of the times; and this description of the Savior is not only applicable to the time of which he speaks in connection with the words of the text, but to many of the subsequent periods in the history of the Church, when she had fallen into the same state. The Church, notwithstanding her high and holy character, and the zeal and activity which she should always manifest in the service of her Master, is liable to fall into a low and languishing state. She is here in a world of sin and wickedness, exposed to temptations, and easily led astray. She is drawn away from God, and brought into conformity with the world. She loses her holy character-her spiritual life, and becomes cold and dead. And when the Church is brought to this low and languishing condition, it becomes the duty of Christians to inquire into it, and see what are the causes which have produced this state of things, so that they may apply the necessary remedies, and save themselves and the Church from the ruin with which they are threatened. Let us then consider this subject-let us consider it seriously and solemnly-let us examine into our lives-let us search our hearts -for it must be acknowledged, that there is cause for deep and thorough heart-searching, in view of the low state of religion

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among us. Iniquity is abounding-sin is increasing-it is becoming bolder and waxing stronger every day; and while all this is going on, Christians are becoming weaker, the love of many is waxing cold, the energies of the Church are so feeble, and the influence of Christians so little exerted, that they scarcely produce any effect.

What then are the causes of this low state of religion amongst us-this spiritual deadness in the Church, this inefficiency and want of zeal, this backsliding, and falling away of Christians? I have heard some say, we cannot always have a revival-there must be a time of coldness. God has withdrawn the influences of his Holy Spirit, and we cannot expect that religion should flourish among us now, as it did when we had these influences. In this way, some people account for the low state of religion-they charge it upon God; they say it is because he has withheld the influences of his Holy Spirit. But is this not charging God foolishly? Is it not charging Him with an unwillingness to give his Holy Spirit? And is this true? Is he not willing to give his Holy Spirit, and more willing to give than we are to ask it? God is always ready and willing to pour out his Holy Spirit, and the low state of religion is not owing to any indisposition on his part to grant that influence which is necessary to support and preserve spiritual religion in the heart. It is owing to the indisposition of Christians to receive that spiritual and divine influence which God is ready to impart to them. They do not ask for it. They do not pray for it as they ought. They do not feel the necessity and importance of such an influence. They are not in a situation to receive it, and consequently they cannot enjoy it. Religion languishes and dies in their hearts. God is always ready to work, but he works by means. It is his will and design, that his people should work with him-that they should pray, and labor, and render sacrifices, that his work may go on. And when the professed people of God are unwilling to work in this way, when they grow weary and faint, and turn away from the Lord unto their idols, when they restrain prayer, when they leave the work which the Lord has given them to do in his vineyard, and follow after the world and its vanities, and forbidden pleasures, the work of the Lord will cease. The windows of heaven will be shut up, and the Holy Spirit will no longer descend, to refresh, and enliven, and animate the hearts of Christians. They will lose their interest in religion, and they will pine away and ⚫ die in their sins. In this way God withholds his Holy Spirit, and suffers religion to decline in the hearts of his professing people. He suffers them to go on in their sins, and pursue their own evil ways. In this way an entire church is sometimes given up to the spirit of delusion." Whole congregations and communities are ready to perish under this awful judgment of God, for their sins; and yet they do not seem to be sensible of their danger. O that