gion has been thus sickly, loses its tone and vigour; and when trouble comes on, it sinks into utter despondency. Even an excessive hurry and occupation from engagements in matters connected with religion, may have a similar effect, if they induce remissness in seeking God, and exclude secret and fervent communion with him. . But the malady is not yet at its height. The unhappy Christian, now in a declining course, has, perhaps, many checks of conscience, many warnings and manifestations of divine mercy. Perhaps some event in the course of providence rouses him. Some awakening sermon startles him in his lethargy. Some open disgrace occurring in the church to a fellow Christian not more culpable than himself, infuses terror into his soul. He repents. He seeks to return to God. He seems to walk with the Saviour for a time in deep contrition and watchfulness. After a while, however, his old sins, like a wound imperfectly healed, break open afresh. He relapses into some known iniquity. These declensions and revivings recur again and again, like the periodical intermission and return of a fever. But by each relapse his state of mind becomes worse; till at length, in some season of outward calamity perhaps, his soul is overcome by dejection. He knows too much of true religion to be happy without it; yet acts too inconsistently to enjoy its pleasures. Conscience and inclination are at variance. He maintains fair appearances before his friends, and is as active perhaps as others in public concerns; but a worm secretly gnaws, as it were, his vitals, and a fixed melancholy pervades his mind. In addition to these causes of dejection, LONG-CONTINUED AFFLICTION must likewise be mentioned. It is common to talk about afflictions, and it is easy to bear patiently the trials of others. We very readily recommend submission and resignation to a suffering friend. But to fall under the stroke of the Almighty ourselves, makes a different impression on the mind. If, however, the calamity be not overwhelming, or if it continue only for a short time, our faith may sustain it; especially if we apply the instruction of Holy Scripture, and submit with prayer and penitence to the will of God. But if the trial touch us precisely in our vulnerable part, or if it be continued long, and stroke succeeds stroke; if prayer appears not to be answered; if our case be conceived to be peculiar; if friends do not sympathize with us so tenderly as we expected; if God's mer¬ cies, which we thought were designed to comfort us, seem only granted to be withdrawn, and leave us tenfold more desolate than before; if the blessings of Providence appear to light 2 apon others around us without visiting us; if the health and spirits, gradually worn and wasted with trouble, begin to fail, and the natural stoutness and fortitude of the mind to subside-then despondency is very likely to come on. Perhaps the wife or the husband is taken away, and one child and a second may be removed. Perhaps our circumstances become embarrassed. Perhaps long-continued persecution, so far as the happy constitution of our Protestant country will allow, oppresses us. Perhaps an individual in our family or connexion who is most disposed and most qualified to irritate our temper, remains to harass us. Whatever the affliction may be, if the heart be long vexed within us, and wave upon wave beat over us, it may expected that religious dejection will gradually follow, and the soul be led to brood in dark gloom over its trouble. be To these causes must be added the TEMPTATIONS OF SATAN. This fell adversary lets nothing escape him. If he cannot destroy the soul, he will distress it and render it uncomfortable. His fiery darts are aimed at our weakest part. His suggestions to the imagination are like poisoned arrows. He sifts us as wheat. When the powers of darkness combine with external afflictions and a debilitated state of health and spirits, religious melancholy is often the consequence. Let it be remembered, however, that even Satan can have no power over us, except as he is aided by our own culpable remissness, or the treachery of our hearts. a I mention, lastly, DESERTION, OR THE HIDING OF GOD'S COUNTENANCE. When he hides his face, who then can behold him? This was the affecting cause of Job's extreme depression. O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive him: on the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. David likewise frequently complains bitterly of the divine dereliction. He was an exile from God's house and reproached by God's enemies; till at last, trembling in his mind lest he should be cast away from the divine presence, he asks, How long wilt thou hide thy face from me? The church also in the Prophet was dejected, when God in a little wrath hid his face from her for a moment. We must remember also that our Lord, in the hour of his sufferings, complained of no other part of the cup of sorrow; but that when his heavenly Father withdrew the light of his favour, he exclaimed in unspeakable anguish, My God, my God, why hast thou for saken me? Under circumstances then of spiritual desertion the Christian sinks often into a depression of heart which weighs heavily upon him, fills him with the most gloomy forebodings, and interrupts all sensible communion between him and his God. But enough has been said on the causes of this distemper. It varies so greatly in the detail of almost every case, that only a general description of some of the more common occasions of it has been attempted. I proceed therefore to consider, There are three very different methods adopted in the cure of religious melancholy: the one by the worldly person; the second by the inconsiderate but well-ineaning Christian friend; the third by the faithful minister of the word of God. The WORLDLY PERSON may have a sincere compassion for the dejected Christian, but, not understanding the case, cannot direct him to the proper cure. He considers religious depression as a vapour, a morbid state of the imagination. He is disposed to laugh at the terrors which are felt, and to propose diversion, plea sure, company, dissipation, and a round of business and engagements, as the appropriate remedy. When these injudicious methods are employed, the effect may be easily conjectured. They may remove lowness of spirits for a time, but it is by generating a still more dangerous |