Broad road that leadeth to destruction. ff this he the case, may the vail in mercy be taken from our eyes! May our feet be turned into the way of life! May we seek for grace to do the will of God in sincerity and truth ♪ And may we find the blessedness of doing it, both here and for ever, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord, and our Redeemer !.

SERMON XVII.

THE TENDENCY TO WEARINESS IN WELL-DOING ILLUSTRATED AND OPPOSED.

2. THESSALONIANS, III. 13.

But ye, Brethren, be not weary in well-doing.

HUMAN

Ever

UMAN nature is in all ages the same. since the fall of Adam, men have been subject to the same passions, liable to the same errors, and tempted to the same sins. Hence it is that the Scriptures are so generally and universally useful. They were at first addressed to man, as a weak, fallible, and corrupt· creature and such. they still find him to be. The language therefore, which they speak to him at one time, will be equally suited to him at another. Even those precepts and warnings, which were originally

given to persons under particular circumstances, are now of general application, because the like circumstances are continually recurring. In this view, the admonition in the text may still be profitably considered by us. "But ye, brethren, be not weary in welldoing." St. Paul seems to have given this Exhortation to the Thessalonians, in reference to the following circumstances. Among the members of their Church there were some who acted very inconsistently with their Christian profession. They "walked disorderly, working not at all, but were busy bodies." While the Apostle reproved such persons, and exhorted them

with quietness to work and to eat their own bread," he directed the Church in general, to withdraw itself from them, so long as they continued thus disorderly, and to have no company with them, that they might be ashamed. But what might be the effect of this state of things, on the Thessalonian Christians in general? Because any one of these offenders might not speedily reform his conduct, they might be tempted to give over their endeavours to reclaim him; or, because their kindness and benevolence had been, in this instance, abused, they might be inclined to desist from kind and benevolent exertions in future. Disappointed and discouraged, they might become remiss and inactive in the discharge of a great and an obvious duty. It was then with the view of preventing this evil, of counteracting this injurious tendency, that we may suppose the Apostle to have introduced the precept in the text, " But ye, Brethren, be not weary in well-doing." And under these circumstances we may see the propriety, and im

portance of the precept. But like circumstances are always to be found in the Christian Church. There is always a danger, lest the disciples of Christ should be weary in well-doing. We, at this time, are as likely, from some cause or other, to be discouraged in our benevolent exertions, and consequenly to be tempted to desist from them, as the Thessalonians were. So that the precept applies with as much propriety and importance to us, as it did to them.-In making this application of the passage, I shall endeavour,

I. To state some of principal Causes of that Tendency to Weariness in Well-doing, against which the caution in the Text admonishes us to guard.

II. To offer some Considerations which may help to oppose this Tendency.

I. Among the Causes of the Tendency in question, one of the most obvious and prevalent is a natural fickleness of mind, a love of change and novelty, which of itself strongly tempts us to become weary in well-doing. This disposition very frequently works in us, even when our own interests are concerned. How much more likely, then, will it be to work in us, when the interests of others only, are at stake? To resist this propensity, and to go on in a steady, uniform course of kind and benevolent exertion, requires a strength of principle, and a degree of perseverance, which it is difficult to acquire and maintain. This will especially be the case, whenever some one particular object continues for a long time to demand our attention. On the first hearing of some distressing tale, at the sight of some fresh calamity, our feelings are strongly agitated. Our pity and compassion are

called into lively exercise. We deeply feel for the sufferer, and hasten with alacrity and earnestness, to "administer consolation and relief. But by degrees, this ardour naturally cools. First emotions insensibly subside. Familiarity with suffering blunts the edge of the feelings towards it. The mind being accustomed to wituess the same scene, ceases to take the same lively interest in it. Thus, in proportion as the calamity continues, the exertions to relieve it become less active and less constant. Some new object occurs to excite and engage the feelings; and the former one, if not wholly neglected, is yet attended to with an increasing remissness, which betrays evident marks of that Weariness in well-doing, against which we are admonished in the text. This is the natural course of things, and will most likely take place, unless some strong opposition be made to it; and some vigorous efforts applied to counteract its tendency.

The necessity indeed of such efforts will be still stronger, where. perseverance in well-doing must be accompanied, as in many cases it certainly will be, with a degree, greater or less, of self-denial, and with the sacrifice of personal ease and indulgence. Let us suppose for instance, that from a sense of duty, or from the impulse of compassion, we have undertaken to devote a large portion of our time to attend on a sick friend, or to give up a certain part of our income, which perhaps cannot be conveniently spared, to the support or comfort of a distressed relation. It must be obvious, with whatever forwardness we originally undertook this labour of love, that such sacrifices of our time and

property will prove strong temptations in the way of our perseverance in them, and in no slight degree will operate to make us weary in well-doing. In such circumstances there will certainly be a considerable danger, lest our benevolent exertions should be relaxed, and a desire should secretly arise in the mind of withdrawing ourselves from an engagement which brings along with it so heavy a burden.

In the second place, a want of success in our efforts to do good, is another temptation to grow weary in welldoing. Having been disappointed in the result of our kind endeavours, we are apt to become tired of continuing them. Because one effort has not yet proved successful, we are tempted to think, that no other will succeed and thus discouraged and dispirited at what we consider the failure of our kind intentions, we feel less interest in the business, and in a kind of despondency are ready to give over the attempt as vain and visionary. Let us suppose for example that we have been long and anxiously labouring to reclaim a sinner from the error of his ways. This is especially an act of well-doing. But hitherto our labour has been seem> ingly thrown away. He has resisted every mode which has been used to effect his reformation. Advice, rebuke, entreaty, promises, threatenings, have all been employed to no purpose. He still goes on in his own way, and will listen neither to admonitions nor persuasions. Now, in this case, how strong is the temptation to grow weary of the attempt, and to desist from our charitable design! How likely are we to give up, in our minds, the hope of suceeding, and to become