of God) are ye in Christ Jesus (that is, though of themselves they were illiterate, weak, base, and contemptible in the eyes of the worldly-wise, yet God of his free love was pleased to give them a true saving knowledge of Christ, and him crucified, (called being in Christ Jesus) who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteous ness, and sanctification, and redemption. That according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord."

From these words, it is plain to a demonstration, that God is no admirer of worldly accomplishments, either natural or acquired that he pays no regard to riches or grandeur -and that his grace is not at all confined to any sect, person, or party whatever; but that he gives it to whom he pleases, considering no qualification so much as that of a meek, humble, and teachable heart heart thoroughly convinced of sin, and made feelingly sensible that nothing but the blood of Christ can heal it.

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Such a knowledge of ourselves is the great inlet through which the knowledge of a crucified Jesus, and all the comforts of the Spirit, flow to the soul; agreeable to which, in the Visitation of the Sick, our church prays most fervently for the sick person, that God would make him "know and feel (in his heart) that there is none other name under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom, he may receive health and salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.'

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Our church seemeth as though she was afraid some of her children should rest in a civilised form of godliness, or that they should take up and content themselves with a mere head-knowledge of Christ, having no inward sense, or want, of him in their hearts; therefore it is she so fervently prays for the sick person, not only that he may know Christ, but also that he may feel in his heart his

great want of him, like a person struck to the heart by some sudden bad news, who feels the want of that ease, comfort, and satisfaction which he lost by the surprise. This, I believe, is what few will deny; for who, almost of this congregation, but at some time or other, have bad their spirit sunk and shaken by bad news, melancholy accidents, sudden deaths, or the like? Why, then, can't we believe the reality, I had almost said the necessity, of an inward sense or feeling of our great want of Christ? Such a thing, doubtless, there is; ay, and that deep inward sense of our wants is the way to Christ-it is the very beginning of all the happiness we expect in heaven. Without this knowledge of our want of Christ, all human learning, all other knowledge whatever, is no better than florid nonsense, and polite foolishness.

Not to have a true inward sense of our great want of Christ is that which seals up and hides the word of God from the heart-it keeps us ignorant of the threats and promises therein contained-it makes us to understand them no otherwise than, as it were, by hearsay, or, as when a man reads a piece of history, and is the fatal cause why so many rest satisfied in a mere form, or show of godliness. The life and spirit of religion are to them like the words of a book that is sealed; and, being thus in the dark, they regard neither threats nor promises,. They cannot apply the promises of the gospel, because they have never felt in their hearts the power of Christ to salvation. This sinks their spirits in distress, it fills the bed of sickness with gloomy thoughts, gives them a frightful view of eternity, and makes death so amazingly dreadful, they cannot hear the bare mention of it, but it goes like a sword through their soul.

And, as are the promises of the gospel to the unawakened, not to be applied, but, like the words of a book that is sealed; so are the threats

of the gospel. The law never yet came home and close to their consciences-they have never felt in their hearts its condemning power, nor with what force it comes against sin; they, therefore, know not the terror of the Lord, but hang out, as it were, a flag of defiance against all the threats of heaven. A form of godliness is the strength of their hopes they trust in the fair outside of a plausible show; and, having never seen their corruptions, and, of consequence, their great want of Christ, they don't much dispute, but the performance of duties will carry them safe to heaven.

Thus the unawakened, learned and unlearned, according to their different turns of mind, are all of them guess. ing at the way to heaven-like a man with a book in his hand that is sealed guessing at the contents what they should be. This is a sacred truth, a truth of God's speaking, though it may seem strange in our ears. For,

The vision of all, all that God has revealed to his prophets, or Christ by the Holy Ghost to his apostles concerning the great work of redemption, is become to the unconverted like the words of a book that is sealed, which if we deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee, and tell me the meaning of a new creature, born of the Spirit as well as of water, justified freely by grace, not of works, walking in the Spirit, renewed in the spirit of our mind, and putting on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Crying by the Spirit, Abba, Father. An unction from the holy one: or by what means the anointing we receive from him teacheth us of all things. Being one with Christ, and Christ with us. Opening the door of our hearts to Christ that he may come in, and sup, and dwell within us, or the like; I say, if we deliver the word of God to one that is learned, and not spiritually enlightened, saying, Read

this, I pray thee, and tell me the meaning, not glossed over, but the true meaning of these scripture passages, he saith, I cannot, for the book is sealed. He is ashamed to confess his spiritual ignorance, therefore, he don't say he cannot tell, but he saith it is sealed-the book is sealed. And the better to disguise his ignorance, he guesses at those sayings of the Holy Spirit, and gravely calls them: a regular conversation, a moral good behaviour, waiting upon ordinances, pious resolutions, sincere endeavours, or the like, as though man, of himself, was able to do these things.

By these means the unlearned are still kept ignorant of, and made quite easy in their unconverted state. And if one ask them a question concerning things spiritual, they answer and say, they are not learned. So that the word of God is to these a strange language—an unknown tongue: while to the learned and not enlightened it is a sealed book.

But when the Lord brings the law home close to the heart, sin, like the long settled sediment when disturbed, will begin to rise; it will awaken the benumbed sleepy conscience, and fill the once drowsy mind with the most cutting and uneasy thoughts. It will shew the sinner to himself, what corruption is in his heart, what uncleanliness in his soul; it will give him an awakening sense of his great want of Christ, 'and will make him know and feel," as our church says, "that there is no other name, than the name of Jesus, whereby he can be saved, and that nothing but his precious blood can make him clean." The poor sinner will then long for a saving interest in that precious blood; and the stronger his convictions, the stronger will be his desires after it. The very mention of that blood will strike his soul with a pleasing grief, and fill him with a mixture of hope, fear and shame.

At some times his soul will cry out, Even so, come Lord Jesus. At

other times the cry will be changed into that mournful tone, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord, Ah, poor soul! he would gladly open the door of his heart to let in his dear Christ, but his fears arising from a remembrance of his past life prevent him; they fix him between hope and despair, not knowing what to do, whether to keep out Christ or to let him in; till at last, is applied to his soul those sweet words of his dear Master, Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you

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This encourages the poor sinner to open his heart, though with a weak trembling hand; and as Christ is entering in (may I use the expression) see the poor sinner how humbly he receives his God, with wet eyes and bended knees, not daring to look up, but begging mercy in those words of the humble leper, "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean." And, oh the gracious answer of Christ to this humble petition! "I will, be thou clean." May the Lord speak the same to every soul here. To this the Spirit sets his seal. For we are sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which" says the Apostle, is the earnest of our inheritance in the saints." And having thus received the seal of the Spirit in his sanctifying gifts and graces, or, as the Apostle calls it Eph. i. 18., "the eyes of the poor sinner's understanding being enlightened, he begins to know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," and what is the exceeding greatness of God's power towards him, the greatness, the freeness of that power, in changing and renewing the heart, and in cleansing, purging, and sanctifying the whole man throughout, soul and body.

Then begins the happy change from nature to grace, or, as the prophet says a little after my text,

the eyes of the blind (the spiritually blind) then begin to see out of obscurity and out of darkness," that is, the Spirit will give them light. As our church prays, the Spirit will lighten their darkness. And the seal of carnal security, being thus broken off by the Spirit, the book, or word of God, becomes a new book, and its contents, as much as are necessary to salvation, are all savingly known. The new birth is comfortably experienced, the new creature plainly seen in a holy life, and the power of godliness sensibly felt in the inner man. "All old things are past away (the old will, old affections and desires, the former conversation, old companions, amusements, or the like, are done away), "behold, all things are become new." The man is become a new man. and his nature so thoroughly changed into that of the pure and holy Jesus, that one may perceive for a truth, as our church says in her communion service, that he dwells in Christ, and Christ in him; that he is one with Christ, and Christ with him. To his great joy and comfort, the Spirit beareth witness with his spirit that he is a child of God; testifying to him at the same time, that that act of love is merely from free grace, and not from any, the least merit of his.

No, they who are spiritually enlightened see nothing in themselves, out of Christ, but death and judgment; which makes them know how to value their dear Christ in the comforts of his spirit. They plead his merits, and are found in his righteous

of his infinite mercy, admit every one here present, and all other our fellow creatures into the same state and height of glory; to join the bright host above in the new song of praise and thanksgiving, tuning our harps, and singing to the Lamb, saying, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us unto God, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation."

And to this same dear Lamb, till we sing the song in heaven, may we now ascribe, as is most justly due, all honour, praise, might, majesty, and dominion, Amen and Amen.

A DIALOGUE BETWEEN MR. O., AND MR. T., ON SPIRITUAL SUBJECTS.

BY THE LATE REV. JOHN RUSK.

Continued from page 35.

2. Then they were blessed with such an increase of faith that they were stong in faith giving glory unto God," the centurion had come here, hence when our Lord says,

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Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe," (I should have said nobleman,)" Jesus said, Go thy way, thy son liveth, and the man believed and his whole house." Again a centurion came to Jesus about his servant who lay at home sick of the palsy, and Jesus said, "I will come and heal him; he answered, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word, and my servant shall be healed. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel: and Jesus said, Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee, and his servant was healed in the selfsame hour." You see a great difference in these two men and little faith, but although they had great faith now, yet they were once of but

little faith, and this is an encourage. ment for little faith to go on praying, But

Lord, increase my faith." again, these young men were strong in joy also. Now this joy comes from the fulness of Christ and it is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Hence Christ says, "Ask that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full;" and the fruits of the Spitit are love, joy," &c. Thus these young men had this oil of joy, for they were strong, and "the joy of the Lord is our strength."

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3. These young men were at a point respecting their adoption so as to lay claim to God as their covenant God and Father, for they were strong, and this requires power: hence you read, that to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name." It is worth our while to notice, that little faith in this text is hinted at, "to as many as received him :" this little faith did with all his heart. But can he lay clain to his adoption? No, but he shall in God's own time, for it is given, (this power) to them (there little faith again,) that believe on his

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4. These young men were prevalent with God in prayer. What a hard thing it is at times to make this out, at least I have found it so, and yet we read, "Before they call I will answer, and while they are yet speaking I will hear." But all this arises from the weakness of our faith, and here power is required so as to wrestle with the Lord as Jacob did: hence it is said, That as a prince he had power with God and with man and prevailed." Now I believe that Jacob, at other times was of little faith, for you read that when he heard that his brother was coming, and four hundred men, he was greatly afraid; but a though once little faith, yet not always. Thus these young men were prevailers with God.

Once more, These young men, I

believe, were strong in hope of the glory that is to be revealed, for they felt the love of Christ constrain them. Little faith had but little hope, yet he had hope, though at times he concluded that his "hope was removed like a tree, and as for his hope, who should see it, and that his strength and his hope was perished from the Lord." But these young men having travelled on in the divine life had got so strong as to abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. They could rejoice" in the hope of the glory of God." They well knew that God had revealed his Son in them, which was God's mystery among the gentiles, and that was "Christ in them, the hope of glory." This encouraged them to press on through every difficulty being fully persuaded that they did not run at uncertainty, nor fight like those that beat the air, so "that they loved not their lives unto the death." Solomon says, "That love is strong as death, and that many waters (although they may and will try to quench this love, yet they) cannot, (nor can all the floods of temptation, nor of ungodly men) drown it," for it cannot be lost. Charity never faileth, and that is God's everlasting love to all the heirs of promise.

Again, It is said, that the word of God did abide in these young men. No pharisee ever came here: hence Christ told them, "I know that my word hath no place in you," which the Saviour in another place, fully explained when he told them, I know you, that the love of God is not in you." But again, a man may go further than this, for he may have a clear understanding in every truth of the everlasting gospel, so as to talk about it, and no one be able to find the least fault with what he says, and yet not have this word according to what John says, "abiding in him." It is very evident, that the Holy Spirit does furnish men with March, 1845]

gifts, both to preach and to write and very soundly too. But he is not after all this in their hearts, it is only head work: hence, Paul says, that a man may have all knowledge and understand all mysteries, and speak with the tongues of men and angels, and yet to be without charity, or not have this word, or this love of God abiding in them. There is something very particular here, and that is this; although little faith had this word, or this love which Peter tells us is," the incorruptible seed, which liveth and abideth for ever," yet in this one thing that I shall mention, these young men exceeded little faith, and that is, they had wisdom given them with this inheritance, so that God the Holy Spirit did furnish them with truth and power so as to stop the mouths of gainsayers; they were enabled to " contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints," and although all are not called alike to this work, yet such are very useful in the church of God; and by this abiding, I understand, that such are wonderfully kept up in this thing: and this promise is made good in their experience, "I will give you a mouth and wisdom, that your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay, nor resist," and this widely differs from head knowledge only, because here are gifts and grace, in such the Spirit is a springing well, but in the other it is only a standing pool, the one has no security for his standing in it, no not even until death, and if he does his end will be awful. But the other, having this treasure is secured till death and landed safe in glory to all eternity. But I will prove this assertion from God's word, because we are to go to the law, and to the testimony, and if men speak not according to God's word, it is because there is no light in them. Then take notice, a gft, is the one talent, it has to do with the memory, and the understanding, and is a pleasing thing to those who have it, and some

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