LINES

TO ONE WHO FEELS THE PLAGUE OF HIS OWN HEART.

Dear brother, though unknown to me,
My warmest thanks are due to thee;
Your kind epistle met my eye,
And now draws forth this faint reply.
I own the general truths you name,
Nor did I e'er deny the same.
Since first the light of truth divine,
Shone on this dark, dark heart of mine,
I've cherished, loved, contended too,
For them as still I hope to do.
God's fixed decrees are sure and firm,
And strong is his almighty arm,
No mortal can his power withstand.
The hearts of all are in his hand,
The beauteous heaven above our head,
This earth beneath on which we tread,
The sun, the moon, the stars so bright,
With thousand worlds unknown by sight,
He made them all, he fixed their bound,
And still he keeps them whirling round.
Nor less is erring man his care,

He made him and he fixed him here,
Marked out each step that he should tread,
And how he should be clothed and fed;
His birth, his exit, every place,

In all the intermediate space,
Was planned in wisdom long before,
The stamp of Adam's clay he bore.
So were decreed and marked out,
The means to bring all things about,
Not fortune chance or good luck ruies,
These are the trinity of fools.
Poor blinded mortals these adore,
But we must rise and higher soar,
Trace all to God, his name advance,
And not to fortune, luck or chance,
All this and more I can receive,
And with my inmost heart believe;
But when the Lord behind a cloud,
Is pleased his precious face to shroud,
I cannot see my interest there,
Until the Lord again appear,
And bid the mists and darkness flee,
I dare not say they are for me.
And this alas is oft my case,
He hides from me his smiling face;
Perplexed I wander without light,
And all to me is dark as night,
I would, but oh, I cannot pray,
Distressed I know not what to say.

Or if I stammer out my grief,
No answer comes to my relief!
I ask, can christian ever be,
So dark, so dead, so cold as me.
Oh, I confess it to my shame,
I am not worthy of the name;
Oh, couldst thou see my inward heart,
Black and defiled in every part
A thousand unclean birds of prey,
Lay hovering there from day to day,
None there would envy then to share,
The burden which I daily bare.
But why, ah why should I complain,
I know I must it all sustain,
'Tis what my heavenly Father please,
Who seeth not as mortal sees.

I know his church is free from harm,
Kept by his strong almighty arm,
And that he will for them appear,
And keep them while they journey here,
And bring them all when ite is o'er
To Leaven's eternal blissful shore,
To live and reign with him above,
As trophies of his dying love.
All this is plain enough to me,
Like Balaam 1 their bliss can see,
Like Balaam too I breathe the prayer,
That my poor soul their bliss may share.
But oh, such darkness fills my mind,
Such grovelling thoughts my spirit bind;
scarce dare think that one so vile,
Can ever share his heavenly smile,
We see the Lord is good to all,
The high, the low, the great, the small,
He feeds and clothes the worst of men,
And oftentimes appears for them,
And sometimes makes their lips confess,
So marked his hand, they own no less;
Thev own him God, since in a way,
So marvellous he did display
This mighty power, they bless his name
And cheerfully proclaim the Lamb.
But when removed their doubts and fears,
Then cease their promises and prayers,
And he who for their help appeared.
1s neither seen, nor loved, nor feared;
They seek the things they sought before,
And every thing but God adore,
They die of every blessing shorne,
Naked and bare as they were born.
And may not this be my case too,
Since who can tell, God's word is true.
We read of some who heard the Lord,
And with much joy receive his word
But when arrived the trying day,
For want of root they die away,
Sure then is good the address of Paul,
Take heed, ye strong ones, lest ye fall;
The work of grace if wrought within,
Will purge away the dross and tin.
Oh, may the Lord, if 'tis his will,
In my own soul his word fulfil,
Make all my doubts and fears to cease,
And fill my soul with joy and peace,

HE COSPEL PULPIT.

proof of this; the first thing, which I pray the Lord, the Spirit, to open up to our minds is, the night; this night may be truly called the night of ad

"By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth, I sought him but I found him not, I will rise now and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth.", Song iii. 1.

THIS part of God's word, called the Song of Solomon, contains some, yea not a few, of sacred fruits for the spiritual church, which the Holy Ghost freely imparts in his own blessed time, to each member of the body elect, after calling grace hath reached their hearts, and not only so, but this book presents to the church of God, not only the pleasant, but also the painful feelings of souls, born from above, also the great love, and tender care of the Lord Jesus toward his children, is set forth in these delight ful songs. Surely the words which I have taken for a text, gives ample May, 1846.].

surely felt by all the saints of the Most High, if you look at Psalm lxxvii. you will find it thus written, "I cried (said the man of God) unto God with my voice, even unto God in the day of my trouble, my sore ran in the night," mark that, my brethren, in the night, if you look at the foregoing chapter, you will perceive that the spouse had been highly favoured with holding communion with her loving Lord, but now the reverse is felt in her soul; this night is called a night of darkness, as it is written, thou makest it darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth, Ps. civ. 20. This forest is a striking representation of the awful depravity of the human heart, and the beasts, the rising up of corruption within, the temptations of Satan, &c. You that have travelled this intricate path, can well understand the language of the Psalmist, when he thus said, "I am weary with my groaning, all the night make I my bed to swim and water my couch with my tears," &c. Psalm vi. 6. again, it is called, a black and

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against them, as it is written, "for ye are carnal, (said he) for whereas there is among you divisions, are ye not carnal," &c. 1 Cor. iii. 3, 4.

Having given you my thoughts upon the ued where the spouse lay, I hasten, thirdly to make a few remarks relative to the time she arose from this state of lethargy. "I will rise now, said the spouse," &c. The Holy Ghost assures us, that there is a set time to favour Zion, and until this set time arrive there is no spiritual moving in the soul after sweet fellowship with God

"But when the Spirit breathes, His blessing from above This doth the mind release,

'Tis forward then we move, We seek the Lord and watch and pray, His precepts too we then obey."

And this was true with reference to David, before that Nathan went to him with a message from God, surely you will admit that his soul was in a slumbering condition; but when the prophet, as mouth for the Lord, charged the sin in the case of Uriah upon him, then and not till then, the utterance of his heart and lips was before the Lord, "I have sin ned;" his soul arose then, or in other words, there was a moving in his heart in confession and prayer to the Almighty; and thus it was with brother Jonah; after a dark night of soul affliction," I will (said he) look again towards thine holy temple;" and the prophet Isaiah spoke in language that is in unison with what we are contending for, when he said thus: "With my soul I have desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me I will seek thee early." &c. See the case of Peter also, when he denied his Lord, what a stupor his mind was in, until the Lord looked upon him, then he arose, went out and wept bitterly; we read also that when he was bound in prison, the Lord, in a most marvellous manner, delivered him from this perilous con

dition, to his great astonishment we find that his enraptured soul was so absorbed at the overwhelming glory that surrounded his happy spirit, that he wist not that it was true, which was done by the angel, but when he was come to himself, his language was in unison with what we are contending for, he said: "Now, I know, (mark that, beloved in the Lord) now, I know that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me," &c. Many more portions of holy Scripture might be brought forward to illustrate this part of the subject, but I proceed to my fourth particular, namely, to give you my thoughts upon the streets, where the spouse sought after her beloved, and shew that she did not seek in vain; this the connection of our text clearly shews, if you, that are blessedly taught of God, read the chapter before us, you will perceive that there are four verses annexed to the words which I have taken as a text. The first street which I shall speak of is union street. This street had its origin in the great Jehovah, it was cast up from everlasting by the Eternal Three; unerring wisdom drew the plan, and infinite love fixed upon the number that should have the indulgence to enter by precious faith into this street, the divine conductor of spiritual Israel, namely, God the Holy Ghost stands engaged to prepare the heart to receive the truth, and not only so, but to remove all obstructions out of the way of the poor helpless sinner, that is, he by his commanding voice scatters the dark clouds from the mind, so much so that this street appears so glorious, yea, so exceedingly magnificent that the soul can enter into the feelings and language of brother John Kent, when he thus spoke, or wrote:

"In union with the Lamb,

From condemnation free
The saints from everlasting were,
And shall for ever be,