unto idols? And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died. But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak consciences, ye sin against Christ." Here the amount of the apostle's argument is this: If any person should eat certain things offered unto idols, in the presence of those whom he knew verily thought they ought not to be eaten, and thus entice them by his example to eat the same things, contrary to their conscience, he would be chargeable with leading them into sin, and with sinning against Christ himself. The same apostle made it a point of duty, to exercise himself, to have always "a conscience void of offence," that is, so to obey its dictates, that it would not condemn him. He says for himself and other christians, "Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but, by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world." Though conscience may be circumscribed in its operations, by ignorance and the blindness and obstinacy of the heart; yet it can never be made to dictate what it is wrong for a person, at the time of its dictates, to do; for we know, intuitively, as well as from the scriptures, that holiness, and honesty, and faithfulness," commend themselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God," whether conscience is defiled, or not. Though Paul, in his state of blindness and ignorance respecting Christ, verily thought he "ought to do many things contrary to his name;" yet we cannot suppose, that his conscience justified him in being "exceeding mad against them," and compelling them to blaspheme;" which would be contrary to the common experience and common sense of all men. However much he was to blame for the ignorance which led him to think he ought to do many things contrary to Christ; while he supposed him to be an imposter, he doubtless was bound to do those things which he verily thought he ought to do, though with a totally different spirit from that which he possessed. He said afterwards, he obtained mercy, because he opposed Christ ignorantly, in unbelief; which implies, that if he had known that it was Christ and the Holy Spirit, whom he opposed, as he then knew; his opposition would have amounted to the unpardonable sin. His ignorance, which led him to think he ought to do many things contrary to Christ, was the occasion of his obtaining mercy. From this case of Paul, as well as from a thousand similar cases, it appears true, that multitudes really think they are doing God an acceptable service, while they are sinning with a high hand against him.There may be, and doubtless are, a great many ways, that seem right unto men, that will end in death. But no person can know that he is doing right, in respect to the same thing, in which he is actually doing wrong; which would be absurd. Real and correct christians may certainly know, that what they have embraced, is true; but errorists do not and cannot know, that their errors are truth. Real christians may certainly know that some of their affections are holy; and sinners may think and believe, that some of theirs are; but they do not and cannot know they are. Real christians may know, that they sometimes have the testimony of conscience in favor of their motives and affections; and hypocrites and sinners may really think they sometimes have, but they do not, and cannot know they have; for conscience, as every person intuitively knows, never approves of selfish motives and affections. The real deception, which will doubtless ruin millions, is probably this: Sinners very strongly desire to think well of themselves, and their strong desires bias their judgment to such an extent, that they fondly hope, and imagine, and really think, they do possess some real moral excellence which every person's conscience approves. Hence they have the real approbation of conscience, in favor of that real moral excellence which they only imagine they possess, while in reality they do not. This view of a seared conscience, is not inconsistent with the habitual perception of moral obligation, which is essential to our constant moral agency and accountability: Nor is it inconsistent with the fact, that an increase of light in the mind, will restore sensibility to the heart. The light of divine truth often enters the minds of stupid sinners in this world, to such a degree, that peace is driven far from them. And the light of the great day, will drive their carnal peace, and security, and joy, far, and forever, from their minds. A LAYMAN. [TO BE CONCLUDED.] FROM THE ALBANY REGISTER. A Sermon preached in the Presbyterian Church, Troy, March 4, 1827, by the Rev. CHARLES G. FINNEY, from Amos iii. 3. "Can two walk together except they be agreed." (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 574.) If the conclusion to which I have come, is correct, that, by the fire, and spirit, and warmth, which glow, and blaze, and burn upon us through this discourse, nothing more is meant than mere animal feeling, of the martial kind, applied to the subject of religion, the principle will doubtless apply to the leading positions taken in the sermon, and satisfactorily account for them.-Let us make the experiment. Page 5. "Suppose you hear a dull man preach or pray; while he remains dull, and you are warm with feeling, you are not interested, you cannot be, for your affections are not fed and cherished, unless he comes up to your tone." This is exactly so, if your feeling is mere animal feeling; but far from it, if it is that holy affection which consists in the love of the truth. If the truth is clearly presented, though it should be done by a dull man, who does not appear to feel it himself, still that truth would feed and cherish your holy affections. And the degree in which your affections would be fed, would depend upon the truth presented, and not upon the feeling of the speaker.Satan might be the medium of announcing to the angels in heaven that another sinner has repented, and the tidings would fill them with holy joy, though Satan should appear to have no pleasure in the message himself. But in the sermon, it all depends upon the degree of feeling manifested by the preacher. If that is below your tone, "you are not interested, you cannot be."-The feeling in you is fed only by the feeling in him, and not by the truths he exhibits. And being so, it is animal feeling. For, nothing is plainer, than that the feeling in one which is fed by feeling in one another, is mere sympathy, and animal feeling. It cannot be any thing else. So also with the converse; in which I conclude he means to suppose one who is in the exercise of Christian feelings, though in a low degree. He applies some terms to him, which, as I should understand them. denote the opposite of Christian feelings; but as he probably means to make an exact contrast, I pass over these. Your affections are low-you hear the ardent man pray or preach-“if your affections will not rise, if they refuse to enkindle; although you believe every word he says, yet you are not pleased. He is above your temperature; you are annoyed with the manner, and fire, and spirit of the man. The higher he rises, if your affections grovel, the farther apart you are, and the more you are displeased. While your heart it wrong, [that is, of low temperature.] the nearer right he is, [that is, the higher his temperature,] the more he burns upon you; if your heart will not enkindle, the more you are disgusted." Exactly true, again, if it is mere animal feeling, of the kind which has been described. The state of my nervous system is such as to be pleasantly affected only with the soft tones of the harp; but he pours upon me "the din of trumpets, drums and cymbals," and I am pained and disgusted. But, very different is the case, if it is Christian feeling. Though my Christian feelings, which consist in the love of the truth, are in a low degree, yet if he makes a clear and vivid exhibition of that truth which I love, I am pleased. And with respect to the manner of the preacher, if it is the eloquence of holy love, and I am a Christian, I cannot fail of being delighted with it, though ever so much above the tone of my own feelings. Christians are not unfrequently in a state in which their holy affections are low; but never, I believe, in that state in which the exhibition of that truth which they love does not please them. And while that truth which they love is exhibited, they are not displeased, but delighted at the appearance of a high degree of love to it in the preacher. I have never known an instance of the contrary, in the circle of my Christian friends. And among the revival ministers of my acquaintance, I have never known one who was not pleased at the exhibition of a high degree of holy feeling in another, even though his own feelings should not come up to the same temperature. The remarks may hold good, as far as animal feelings are concerned; but will not apply to Christian experience. Again, page 6, he says, "We may learn why persons differing in theory upon doctrinal points in religion, and belonging to different denominations, will often, for a time, walk together in great harmony and affection. It is because they feel deeply, and feel alike. Their differences are in a great measure lost or forgotten, while they fall in with each other's state of feeling." It has often been noticed that those, between whose professed doctrinal views there is the greatest difference, do sometimes thus harmonize. Some have wondered at it; but others have understood it well. The true reason is here given, if by feeling is understood animal feeling. But if their fing consisted in the love of what they respectively consider as truth, there would be no such agreement; and the more of that kind of feeling each had, the further asunder they would be. But, let two persons, thus differing from each other in their doctrinal views, be filled with the kind of animal feeling which has been mentioned, that is, the martial kind, and let their religion consist chiefly in this, and their differences are easily forgotten, for neither will attach much importance to them. They can meet together, and readily join in the same manner of expressing their feelings. They can sigh, and groan, and vociferate, in perfect harmony; they can think a noisy and tumultuous meeting a great excellence, and an evidence of the peculiar presence of the Holy Spirit; they can cry out, and fall down, and have "the power," and speak, and pray, all at once, males and females, old and young, and find a perfect unison of feeling in it all. "It is because they feel deeply and feel alike." And this accounts for what some have wondered at, that some nominal Calvinists have thought it a high commendation of the new measures, to say, they were so much like those practised by the Methodists; and that some Methodists have said the new converts made under these measures were really Methodists, and it was not fair to hurry them into Calvinistic churches, before they had time to discover their proper home. Again, page 6. We see why lukewarm professors and impenitent sinners have the same difficulties with means, in revivals of re ligion. We often hear them complain of the manner of preaching and praying. Their objections are the same-the reason is, that their affections are nearly the same. It is the fire, and the spirit, that disturb their frosty hearts." By lukewarm professors understand those whose feeling is not up to the required temperature, those who have not imbibed this martial spirit. By the manner of preaching and praying, of which they complain, understand that manner which is expressive of this kind of animal feeling, at its high temperature. It is the spirit of war. It attacks impenitent sinners, and those professors who do not come up to the required temperature, with the same abrupt, harsh, reproachful and provoking language. Such professors, being cool, and not having their judgment biassed by passion, regard such treatment as improper, and inconsistent with the meek, and mild, and gentle, and benevolent temper of the gospel; and if they say any thing on the subject, they express this judgment. And those impenitent sinners who are displeased on this account, or on any other account, will be most likely to make the same objections. The fact that they make the same objections is very far from proving a likeness of moral character between them, as has been already shown. But the fact that they are alike " annoyed by the warmth and spirit" with which they are fiercely attacked, does prove, I am willing to admit, that they neither of them enter into this kind of feeling, and have not the same spirit enkindled within them.-They are ake destitute, for the time, of this class of animal feeling. But if the feeling spoken of, were the love of the truth, it would produce very different effects upon the impenitent, and upon those Christians whose affections are low. The impenitent would probably be displeased with the truth exhibited, if they felt it at all; and they might complain that it should be urged with so much warmth. But Christians would not be displeased with that truth which they love; nor would they be displeased to see others love it . a very high degree; nor would they complain that it was urge with too much warmth, provided it were done with decorum, and in the spirit of meekness. Again, Page 7. "We see why ministers visiting revivals, often, at first, raise objections to the means used, and cavil, and sometimes take sides with the wicked ;*—the praying, preaching and conversation are above their present temperature." It appears not to be the truth which is exhibited, that disturbs them, but the temperature.— They often object to this, "at first," which implies, that they often afterwards fall in. Now, this is exactly descriptive of the effect of t kind of animal feeling. Animal feeling in one, has a tendency to produce the same kind of animal feeling in another, by mere symp thy; and it often does. So that those who were not affected by it at first," may come into it afterwards. At first they judged with coolness, and disapproved, because what they witnessed was not according to the law and the testimony. But afterwards, when they began to come under the influence of the same animal feeling, their psions overcame their judgment, and their scruples of conscience, an they were prepared to fall in. Many instances of this have no doubt occurred; and they are easily accounted for, if it is animal feeling. They objected, at first, because it was contrary to their settled judgment, deliberately formed from the study of the scriptures, and the experience of themselves and others, and their acquaintance with the history of revivals. But they fell in afterwards, because their animal feelings were moved by sympathy till they were carried away. *Mark this; "Ministers often CAVIL and sometimes take sides with the wicked." Those who make any objections are denounced without ceremony. And the less spiritual they were, the more readily they were brought in, because they had less holy affection, and less of the force of conscience to be overcome. Again, page 7. "We see why ministers and private Christians differ about prudential measures." And "we see the same person having very different notions of prudence, and consequently practicing very differently at different times." The idea seems to be, that the man whose feeling is at the high temperature, will judge differently as to what is prudent, from the man whose feeling is at the low temperature. And that the man who is at the low temperature, is not, and cannot be, qualified to judge what is right, in point of prudence, for the man to do, who is at the high temperature. It is doubtless true, that the man who suffers his animal feelings to control his judgment, will judge differently when most under the influence of his passions, from what he does when least under their influence. And while passion reigns, he will be very likely to think it right so to do; but when passion cools, and reason resumes her sway, and conscience and the Bible are again suffered to speak, he will be convinced he was wrong in thinking so. Again, page 8. "We may learn how to estimate the opinions of ministers and Christians, and our own opinions, when our affections are in a bad state." By bad state, understand the low temperature, when rassion has the least influence, and we have the meaning of the rule. The man who is under the influence of passion, approves of what his passions incline him to do; but the man who is least under the influence of passion, and judges by the known rules of the word of God, will condemn him for so doing. The meaning intended, doubtless is, that the former is right; but every sober Christian, who means to follow his Bible, must say, that the latter is right. The whole paragraph might be assented to, and the conclusion drawn be exactly the reverse of what the author evidently intended. So with the resolution of Edwards here quoted, "that he would always act as he saw to be most proper when he had the clearest views of the things of religion." All would assent to the resolution; but every considerate man would apply it directly to contradict the sentiments of the sermon. The clearest views, are not those which we have when our animal feelings are most excited, but when they are the least so, when the mind looks at divine things with the greatest calmness and deliberation. [TO BE CONCLUDED.] TRUTH PRECIOUS. From the Address of Rev. Mr. Yates, English Baptist Missionary at Calcutta, before the American Bible Society. "I hold in my hand three books which have been regarded as Bibles in the different parts of the world. The first is the Geeta, a shastra of the Hindoos, which is greatly admired by that numerous race of people. I have read and examined it with care, and can testify from such examination, that it is more calculated to promote the misery than the happiness of men. Here Vishnu is represented as teaching his disciple Arjun, to enter on the murderous deeds of war, and as enforcing his exhortations by arguments which destroy all human responsibility, and beget in the soul a morbid indifference to the nearest and dearest connexions in life. Here the god represents himself as the author of those bloody deeds which have spread desolation over the face of the earth, and at the same time teaches that these lamentable scenes ought not to be regarded as a matter of lamentation by a |