his heart, creating a desire in his soul to shew forth the praises of him, who hath called him out of dark. ness into his marvellous light; indeed I have been convinced for a long time that spiritual prosperity, and soul comfort, stand inseparably connected with an earnest desire to carry out before a gainsaying generation, the holy principles of the everlasting gospel; hence the Saviour himself said unto his disciples, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." My brother, there are two sorts of professors in the present day, we shall do well to avoid, for evil communications corrupt good manners," and are sure to leave their deadly influence behind. One, is the self-sufficient pharisee, who in the pride of his heart, sets aside the Lord Jesus Christ, the author of eternal life, and head of all spiritual influence, and thus, in the wild imaginations of a heart, unrenewed by grace, supposes the works of the flesh, drest up in the form of godliness, will pass current for the coin of the kingdom, and secure to them the full enjoyment of an eternal weight of glory.

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The other professor whose sentiments I consider dangerous to the peace and usefulness of the believer, whose society should be avoided, and whose conduct is a complete opposite to the spirit, and influence of the everlasting gospel; I mean the sanctimonious Antinomian; who having a general knowledge of the great doctrines of the cross, sets aside every practical injunction, sinks into a state of carnal security, which if not prevented by almighty grace, will terminate in the endurance of the worm, which dieth not, and the fire that is not quenched.

These are lamentable cases, and not unfrequently met with; and it appears to me we are addressed in reference to such in the most solemn language, when it is said, "Come out from among them, and be sepa rate, and touch not the unclean,

and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty.”

But my brother, although we may not be taken captive by those foes of the Redeemer, yet we may still fall into such a trifling, worldly spirit, that the that the things of God, and of Christ, may become insipid to our taste, and manifest all the fearful symptoms of a backsliding heart; such as restraining prayer before God; rejecting his counsel, lightly esteeming the ordinances of his house, and at last become like the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, who fell among thieves, which stripped and wounded him, and left him half dead; when brought into this unhappy condition, how naturally we shun the society of the healthy christian; our desires for the enjoyment of spiritual blessings, how cold, how languid, and if we should attempt to open ur lips to a friend we meet with by the way, how formal and un· savoury is our speech, even when employed in attempting to set forth the uncreated glories of him, who gave himself a ransom to be testified in due time; I would observe, the word of God abounds with cautions, and exhortations to the children of God, lest they might fall in divers hurtful snares, become a prey to the wicked one, and "Ephraim, like a silly dove without an heart, feeding upon the wind, and going down to Egypt for help." My dear friend, I do consider it a great mercy, as it regards my salvation to know, that it is com. plete, and entire, wanting nothing; but I am free to confess, that through the carnality of my affection, I often go lean from day to day, by the loss of the enjoyment of communion with the Father, and with his Son Christ Jesus; hence the beloved Paul's language is to the point, "Grieve not the Holy Spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption." This subject is plainly set before us by the

great teacher of Israel himself, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the busbandmen; every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit: Abide in me, and I in you as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me." The figure here employed is a very interesting one; it conducts us into a vineyard, where the unsparing pruning knife, severs from the root, every dead, and fruitless branch, and be it observed, that to any one, ignorant of the nature of this needful process, they would certainly conclude, that nothing else would follow, but barrenness and destruction; just so in christian experience; our heavenly Father observing the wanderings of our minds, and knowing if left to the bias of our own wills, we should altogether forsake the fountain of living water, is pleased in mercy to hedge up our way with thorns and briers, to the intent we should seek unto him with purpose of heart; as it is written, "And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them, and she shall seek them, but shall not find them; then, shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then was it better with me than now." Cannot you my brother, fix your eye upon many move. ments of divine providence, under which you thought, the hand of God was against you, and in the end your enemies would have triumphantly to say, ah, ah, so we would have it, whereas, these very trying events, these stripping dispensations, were all pregnant with blessings in disguise, which in due time did yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness; here it is written, "Behold, I will allure her. and bring her into the wildernesss, and speak comfortably unto her; and I will give her, her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she

row.

shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt." I can recollect one season in my experience, when deep called unto deep, and in the unbelief of my heart was ready to imagine, I was about to be overwhelmed in affliction, and sorPrevious to this, the Lord had very unexpectedly opened a door in his providence, whereby my temporal good was greatly promoted, and that in such a way, that it appeared to me, it could not in after days be materially altered, even, by the ever varying circumstances of this ever changing world: but alas, this day of earthly prosperity, was not adapted to promote my spiritual estate, causing me to walk in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, there was a needs be I should pass through manifold temptations, that the trial of my faith, which is more precious than gold, might be found unto praise and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. As it then regarded my earthly profession and prospects, the lines indeed appeared to me, to have fallen in pleasant places, and that I had a goodly heritage, and that for years to come; but I have lived to prove, that I have here no continuing city, and the full amount of my hap piness in this vale of tears, to consist in my spiritual knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, to feel the power of his resurrection, to have fellowship with him in his sufferings, and to be conformed unto his death, I am sure a straight and flowery path, for such an one as myself, would only have furnished me with materials to have gratified the desires of the flesh, and the mind, and have filled my mind with pride and self-importance. Such was my character, and such the gracious discipline employed by my heavenly Father, to prevent me settling upon my lees, and satisfied with the things which perish with the using. It is true the method adopted,

drove me almost to despair; but now, I can see it was all in love to my soul, and to make unto himself an everlasting name. O how precious, and timely were the visitations of my Lord, by which I was preserved from fainting in the day of adversity, and not suffered then to dishonor his dear name by unbelief, and rebellion; my soul cannot refrain from blessing his dear name upon every recollection of the tenderness, and compassion, to one, so utterly unworthy and sinful, when the cup of earthly good was dashed in pieces before my face, and want, and necessity close upon my heels; my heart indeed feared and trembled, lest that which I most dreaded should come upon me; still the heavenly refiner was watching over me with the deepest solicitude, and enabled me to glorify him, even in the fires; never, no never can I forget the happy season when by precious faith I viewed the Lord Jesus, mighty to deliver, and strong to save; indeed my troubled spirit was borne above the influence of the storm and tempest; and in the confidence of the ability, and loving-kindness of my gracious Shepherd, was enabled with sacred joy to address him and say, "Thou hast been my help. lɛave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation." You will recollect my brother, it is written, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten;" so that if our trials are viewed through the medium of the light of the Spirit; they will appear as so many evider.ces of divine favour, and not as carnal sense, and vile unbelief would suggest, expressions of wrath and anger. It is a great mercy to have our way. wardness subdued, and corrected, and brought to the conviction, that "without him, we can do nothing;" we may rest assured, that as wisdom dwells with prudence, so, all the dark paths, all the crooked and mysterious events, with which our poor minds are exercised, will ultimately yield the sweetest, and the very best of bles

sings; thus we know a little of the meaning of the scripture," Tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad upon our hearts, by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us." My brother, i fear I shall waste your patience with the sameness of the subject; but bear with me, I do consider it to be of great importance, to have correct views of the government of our God, to whose sceptre every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess to the glory of God the Father; and never my soul forget the fact, whilst he takes vengeance upon our inventions, he saves and blesses the sinner; listen to his gracious voice, "O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity; I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away; his branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon; for Ephraim shall say: What have I to do any more with idols."

Say, my Shepherd, all divine,
Where I may my soul recline;
Where for refuge shall I fly.
While the burning sun is high.

he stipulated with his Father on behalf of his church. It (said he) is finished, and gave up the ghost. Thus, 7th. In finishing the business he died, and in dying, he led captivity captive, and received gifts for his beloved bride.

Yet it pleased the Father to bruise him; He hath put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, He shall prolong his days; and the pleasure of his days shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Hell accused him, for the chief priests and elders, and all the council sought false witnesses against him, but found none; yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At last came two false witnesses, and said, this fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days. The world ill used him, for saith Jesus, if the world hate you, ye know it hated me before it hated you. His own people refused him, for he came unto his own, but his own received him not. But to as many as received him, to them gave he power to be. come the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Death used all its power to retain him in the confines of the grave, but said he, "O death, I will be thy plague; O grave, I will be thy destruction; repentance shall be hid from my eyes, and I will ransom my people from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. For now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.

he had all the particular accounts to settle. 1st. With his Father: for said he, I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father who hath sent me. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will that sent me, that of all that he hath given me I should love nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 2nd. With the law: When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the spirit of adoption. For as many as are under the law are under the curse; for it is written. "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them, but Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 3rd. With justice: "Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts; smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered, and I will turn upon my little ones. 4th. With the Jews. 5th. With the Romans. See Matt. xxvii. throughout. 6th. With the devil: "He that committeth sin is of the devil, for the devil sinneth from the beginning." For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil." 7th. With death :

Adam, failed in business, was shockingly in debt; stock on hand all lost and forfeited; posterity all sold; prison quite full.

nity;

All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and amongst the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou." See Matt. xxv. 34-46.

He parted with all he could part with. He could part with no more For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye, through his poverty, might be rich.

He could not part with his Godhead, yet he had enough to clear the debt-book. For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." He had enough to consume life. And when they were come to a certain place called Calvary there they crucified him. He had enough to redeem his bride, the lamb's wife. The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and give his life a ransom for many. Whereunto (says the apostle Paul) I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle (I speak the truth and lie not) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity. He had enough to wash away the filth of sin of all the family, and sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Therefore, it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. See John xiii. 10. He had enough to furnish the whole of the household of faith with new clothing to take away for ever the filthy rags of selfrighteousness, and clothe them with the robe of righteousness, which he himself wrought out and brought in,

and to give them skill and understanding which the world knows nothing of. He had enough to reconcile all the family to God. Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away, behold all things are become new. And all things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given us the ministry of reconciliation. To wit. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. And he had enough to demand for them, glory everlasting: for, said he, when addressing his beloved Father on behalf of his church,

Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me, for thou loyed me before the foundation of the world. O, righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them,

Therefore, my beloved brethren, grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you with all malice; and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might; be stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. To whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

S. L.