till I was unhappy, I was at a loss whither to turn for comfort. Of
religion I scarcely knew the first principles.

"'In this state I met with a plausible, but ill-informed man. He had
zeal, and a sort of popular eloquence; but he wanted knowledge, and
argument, and soundness. I was, however, struck with his earnestness,
and with the importance of some truths which, though common to others,
were new to me. But his scheme was hollow and imperfect, and his leading
principle subversive of all morality.'

"Here Mr. Tyrrel paused. I intreated him to spare himself; but after a
few deep groans he proceeded.

"'Whether his opinions had made _himself_ immoral I never inquired. It
is certain they were calculated to make his hearers so. Instead of
lowering my spiritual disease, by prescribing repentence and humility,
he inflamed it by cordials. All was high, all was animating all was
safe! On no better ground than my avowed discontent, he landed me at one
in a security so much the more fatal, as it laid asleep all
apprehension. He mistook my uneasiness for a complete change. My talking
of sin was made a substitute for my renouncing it. Proud of a rich man
for a convert, he led me to mistake conviction for conversion. I was
buoyed up with an unfounded confidence. I adopted a religion which
promised pardon without repentance, happiness without obedience, and
heaven without holiness. I had found a short road to peace. I never
inquired if it were a safe one.'

"The poor man now fell back, unable to speak for some minutes. Then
rallying again, he resumed, in a still more broken voice:

"'Here I stopped short. My religion had made no change in my heart, it
therefore made none in my life. I read good books, but they were low and
fanatical in their language, and Antinomian in their principle. But my
religious ignorance was so deplorable, that their novelty caught strong
hold of me.'

"I now desired him," continued Dr. Barlow, "not to exhaust himself
further. I prayed with him. He was struck with awe at the holy energy in
the office for the sick, which was quite new to him. He owned he had not
suspected the church to be so evangelical. This is no uncommon error.
Hot-headed and superficial men, when they are once alarmed, are rather
caught by phrases than sentiments, by terms than principles. It is this
ignorance of the doctrines of the Bible and of the church, in which men
of the world unhappily live, that makes it so difficult for u