and it was all done as the Lord commanded. Exod. xxxix, 43. The public institutions of religion being of divine appointment, will, to every good man be a sufficient reason for a strict observance of them; indeed, if this consideration does not determine the mind to a conscientious obedience, nothing else will. The nature of those sacred institutions is wholly spiritual: being appointed of God they could be no other than holy. The tabernacle and temple, with every utensil therein, were set apart and consecrated to God; holiness unto the Lord was virtually inscribed on the whole. The Priests and the people were sanctified unto the Lord. The design of Social worship is that we may publicly avow our faith in, dépendance on, and obligations to God our creator, redeemer and benefactor; be fully instructed in the knowledge of his will; 'contemplate the divine glory in the manifestations of his mercy and truth; be transformed into the divine image, and thereby finally fitted for a state of perfect purity and blessedness in the world of spirits.

II. This devout exclamation arose from a spiritual perception of the intrinsic beauty and loveliness of divine ordinances, and genuine affection of heart to them. It is a pos sible thing to have pleasing and exalted views of religion and of the means of grace, while nevertheless the heart is alienated from God The most profligate characters may be constrained to acknowledge, if they honestly disclose their sentiments, that a virtuous life, all things considered, is far preferable to a vicious one, but this does not prove that those persons have a just perception of the intrinsic excellence and beauty of ho liness, or of the instituted means of religion. Their disposition and practice discover no affection of heart to diviné things. But the christian takes complacency and supreme delight in the ordinances and worship of God's house, because they are spiritual in their nature, have a tendency to render him more susceptible of holy impressions, and to assimulaté his mind to the spirits of the just made perfect. Affection of heart to any thing may be seen by the unabating ardour and persevering attention which is shewn to it; by our surmounting opposition and difficulties in attaining the object of desire, and by relinquishing all other pursuits and engagements which would impede its possession and enjoyment. In all these respects is the Christian's genuine love to the house of God exemplified. His heart-felt affection to divine ordinances enables him to rise superior to all the temptations of

Satan, and the allurements of the world, which are ever enticing him to neglect them.

Amidst all the endearing ties of social life and consanguinity, of which he has the true enjoyment; he still feels a superior attachment to the assemblies of the Saints, and with unknown delight exclaims, how amiable are thy tabernacles, Q Lord of hosts.

III. This may unquestionably be said on account of the innumerable benefits and pleasures which are enjoyed iu social and public worship. And how great and valuable are these in their nature and duration! The blessings which are received in the house of God are spiritual and eternal. How glorious and invaluable in their effects and consequences, personal and relative, present and future, in life and in death! How suitable and frequent, free and full are the sacred enjoyments of the believer in the house and ordinances of God. Here he is not only reclaimed from a course of vanity, sin and danger, and his feet directed into the path of life, purity and peace; but here he feels himself upheld, strengthened, encouraged, and animated in his way through the wilderness to the heavenly Canaan, 'Tis here he is illumined in darkness and distress, revived and invigorated when weak and weary, directed and relieved in doubt and difficulty. "Tis here, blest with the influence from above, that the believer grows in all the graces of the Spirit, and is built up in faith, holiness and comfort, In a word, 'tis here he is fitted for the duties and trials of life, for the solemnities of death and the grave, and has the prospects, promise and foretaste of heaven and glory.

If such are the reasons and such the advantages of a devout regard to public divine worship, how criminal is the course of those who treat the house of God and its sacred institutes with habitual neglect and contempt. Great indeed must be their guilt, who, turning their backs on all the divine ordinances, think their own thoughts and choose their own ways of vanity and vice, on the Lord's day. What is this but saying in the We will not be governed by

most pointed possible manner, the authority of heaven: "who is the Lord that we should obey him?" Such persons may for a while pursue the vain and carnal purposes of their unsubdued hearts in an open violation of the divine commands, but not, as they would wish others to understand, with unmingled pleasure; for they cannot entirely suppress the voice of conscience whose pungent reproofs embitter all their joys.

Nor let the formalist satisfy himself with the most punctilious observance of all the external rites and ceremonies of religious service. Let no one estimate. his religion by the multiplication of social and public divine duties. Bodily exercise profiteth nothing, but will greatly increase our guilt if the heart remain cold and destitute of the life and power of vital piety. There is hardly any evil which professors of religion in the present day need to dread and deprecate more than a dull, listless and unprofitable attendance on the means of grace. We may be found in a stated and regular regard to all the forms of godliness, while at the same time the heart may remain unmoved and dead to all divine enjoyment. But let the lively christian hail with joy and thankfulness the sacred seasons of public worship, which mercifully return to him in constant and quick succession. These he values and improves to his spiritual and best interests. In these ordinances of holy worship he retreats from earth and time, that he may for a while hold intercourse with heaven and eternity. He gladly withdraws from the vanities and trifles, the business and the cares of this world, that he may realize his interests and raise his hopes to a better. These are acceptable seasons for him to turn aside from the creature that he may have fellowship with his God and Father in Christ Jesus, by the influence of the Holy Spirit. Let those who conscientiously attend the means of religion, carefully mark the progress of truth and holiness in their hearts, so as to be going on from one degree of knowledge, purity, and bliss to another, till we all come in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, to the fulness of the measure of the stature of Christ.

G. B.

Original Letters from the Church at Bedford, at the time when the celebrated John Bunyan was one of its Elders. -LETTER I.

The following letter was sent to Mr. Anthony Harrington, one of the 12 persons by whom the church was first founded in the year 1650. In the latter part of the year 1669, he was driven from his family, to avoid being taken by a writ de excom. capiend: on which occasion this was written by the Elders in the name of the church. He however returned again to his family as his name is signed to some records in the church book in 1681.

Dearly beloved brother,

Grace, Mercy, and Peace be with you always by Jesus Christ our Lord, to the praise of God the Father, and your everlasting consolation and increase of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever, Amen.

Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by him hath called us unto his kingdom and glory; to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of his grace.

With length of days is understanding; your long progress in the ways of God and our Father, hath given you rich experience of that grace that is not only laid up for us in Christ, but to be brought unto us when he shall be revealed from heaven with all his saints. Wherefore, brother, make it manifest that you are one of those scribes we read of that is not only instructed into but unto the kingdom of God. Let it be seen. by all your ways that the secrets of God are with you, and that you have in store things new and old in your heart, as in God's treasure house. Gravity becometh the ancients in the house of God. Fathers should be examples unto children. We are comforted in the remembrance of thee, brother, while we consider that notwithstanding thy natural infirmity, yet thou prizest good conscience above thine own enjoyments. And since thou couldest not with quiet enjoy it at home; thou hast left thy concerns in this world (though in much hazard and danger) that thou mayest keep it abroad. But remember the good word of God; "No man shall desire thy land, when thou shalt go to appear before the Lord thy God, thrice in the year."* Wherefore let neither the remembrance of what thou hast left, nor thought of its being subject to casualty, either distract thee in thy communion with God, or prevail with thee to do aught against good conscience, or unworthy thy grey hairs; which are then the glory of old men, when found in the way of righteousness. +

John saith, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Having always a good conscience towards God, and towards men: this is armour of righteousness both on the right hand, and on the left.

You, brother Harrington, have lived to see the slippery 1 John iii,

• Exod. xxxiv, 24. + Prov. xvi, 31.

and unstable nature that is in earthly things; wherefore we beseech you to expect no more therefrom than the word of God hath promised; which is as much in little as in much thereof, if not more in many respects. He that gathered much, had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack. While Israel sat by the flesh-pots in Egypt, they had no manna, they drank not the water out of the rock, these things were reserved for their wilderness condition; to support them in. the waste howling wilderness. We speak this to encourage you, knowing you are subject to temptation with us. For we hope it is because God loveth you, that he hath driven you from your incumbrances, that you may have occasion before you die, therein to solace yourself with your God, and the Lord Jesus Christ; we mean that you may do it with more leisure and less distraction, than when the lowing of the oxen had continual sound in your ears. Man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesseth: wherefore being denyed a fulness here is no token of God's displeasure against our spiritual welfare, but rather, yea always the contrary. Let not these dispensations then discourage and distress your mind bless God for the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, whereof you have heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.

God is wise and doth all things for the best, for them that love him. You know not yet but you may know afterward, what sins and temptations God hath prevented, by driving you thus from your habitation; and how hereby he hath made way for the exercise of some graces, that could not so well discover themselves in their virtues, when you was here. How subject we are to dote upon and to be entangled with the snares that lay couched and hid in this present world, you have great experience with us. The which because God disliketh, it being uncomely for the men of another world, therefore often God plucketh down and pulleth up what we build and plant. It was customary with our Fathers to dwell in tents, and houses made with boughs, for they sought a city that hath foundations whose maker and builder is God. When we are desolate, then we trust in God, and make prayers and supplications to him night and day. God help you therefore, that you spend your vacant hours not as they that wept for Tammuz, + but as they who plainly confess to all they are strangers and pilgrims in the earth, Ezek, viii, 14.

*

* Tim. V, 5.