and joined himself to a citizen of that country, a citizen of Jerusalem that now is, and is in bondage with all her children; a letter preacher in presumptuous confidence; one in bondage to sin; and under the curse of the law as well as himself; and here he found union, for the guests of such are not at mount Zion, but in the depths of hell, Prov. ix. 18. But as soon as God quickened him, or planted a principle of spiritual life in him, then came the famine. In vain he tried his husks; this new principle could not feed upon them, though he fain would have filled his belly with them; and then he left the citizen and tried others, but no man gave the bread of life to him. Then he sets off to God; and the next time we hear of him he is found among the servants of the Lord, one of whom is bringing out the fatted calf, others the robe, the ring, and the shoes: and it is among these that they are sure to be found at a long run, however they may be tossed about for a time; and here they will cleave, as Ruth did to Naomi, and as many others cleaved to Barnabas and Saul. And again, it is said part held with the Jews, and part with the Apostles; for to a poor sinner, quickened by the Spirit, a man of God is a precious jewel. Not only is the branch of the Lord (namely, Christ) beautiful and glorious, but the fruit of the earth is excellent and comely to those that have escaped of Israel, Isai. iv. 2. "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good

tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth," Isai, lii. 7.

They are sensible and miserable sinners that are so fond of the ambassadors of peace, and they are lost sinners in themselves that see such beauty in the feet of those that publish salvation. And sure I am that they are heartily sick of the reign of Satan, sin, and death, who are so charmed with this branch of the tidings, "Thy God reigneth." It is no mean proof of eternal life being in the soul, when the poor sinner cleaves close to the people of God; for they must be taught of God to love, who love one another; and, "We know," says John, "that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren," 1 John iii. 14. A sinner harassed by Satan and natural conscience may be fed by an Arminian; and a minister of the letter can feed any one under legal convictions, whom no food suits so well as the earthquake, the wind, and the fire, accompanied with plenty of noise and eloquence, with hell and damnation: this feeds the legal spirit that possesses him, which is a spirit of bondage to fear. And, if an artist at empty oratory can craftily handle the pathetic parts of scripture, so as to stir up his bowels, touch the passions, and move the affections of nature, so as to make his bowels sound like an harp; this passes for conversion, and the operations of the meek and dove-like spirit of Jesus, while the whole work is carried on by

Satan. The soul that is quickened by the Holy Spirit puzzles all these: they can neither explain his case, tell him where he is, what he ails, nor feed him. These appear to me to be the first glorious influences and operations of divine life by the Spirit in the souls of men; and this brings them forth from that carnally secure and insensible state they were before in, when they had no sense nor concern either of God, or their own danger: "You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins," Ephes. ii. 1.

The next discovery of this springing up of the divine life is the day-dawn and day-star rising in the heart, 2 Pet. i. 19. The first appearance of light; as I before observed, discovered nothing but sin, and God's anger in a broken law; but the day-dawn and day-star, that rises in the heart, is the forerunner of, and leads on to, the rising of the sun of righteousness. "He that believeth in me," says Christ, "shall not abide in darkness, but shall have the light of life." This is called the light of life, because it discovers not only the more sure word of prophesy, but it discovers in the word more and more of the suitableness and preciousness of the Son of God, the freeness and fulness of his salvation, and of his ability to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him. And this is an increasing light, that affords matter for meditation: it entertains his mind, counteracts despondency, loosens the injurious bar of infidelity, and renders less violent the attacks of

Satan. It discovers a firm ground for hope, and rescues, in some measure, the mind from its confusion, and the understanding from the dismal glooms of death's shadow. "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined," Isaiah ix. 2. Now, as the dawn of day is perceptible to us, and the morning opens more and more before it; all which are the distant rays of the sun itself, and forerunners of it, and sure signs of a brighter shining; so the day-dawn and day-star rising in the heart are distant rays of Christ's sweet face, forerunners of a brighter morning, and sure signs of his healing beams: and this the poor sinner is sensible of, for his heart often enlarges as if his Lord was coming, which adds new life to his spirit, fresh fervour to his petitions, spurs to his diligence, and gives his soul at times such evangelical impressions, that infidelity can hardly be heard; and his convictions work more pleasingly, upon a softer soil, and attended with more noble and endearing wounds, being mixed with meekness humility, and contrition. And this is the day-dawn, the light of life. "I will give him," saith Christ, "the morning star," Rev. ii. 28; which leads to endless day.

It is generally the case that, when a sensible sinner is under the convictions of the Holy Spirit, labouring in legal bondage, and under the weight of sin and the sting of guilt; filled with slavish

fear and cutting remorse; at such times there is a sad sense of God's divine anger reflected on the sinner's heart, which furnishes the law and conscience with fresh matter of reproach and accusation; such an one being filled with the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of his God, Isai. li. 20. Whatever such souls hear under the word is sure to agree with, and confirm, all that they feel within. The Spirit's work on the heart always tallies with the word of God preached to the ear; so that the poor soul who is wounded in his spirit is sure to have a dreadful sound in his ears, Job xv. 21. The awful, the threatening, reproving, rebuking, correcting, warning, alarming, convicting, condemning, and cursing parts of God's word, are sure to bring heavy tidings to his ears. And indeed it is under the word of God, faithfully preached, that men are brought to God's bar, to take their great trial for eternity; and, if the word binds them upon earth, in heaven they are bound; and, if the word of truth makes them free, they shall be free indeed, John viii. 32. They are loosed upon earth, and in heaven they are loosed, Matt. xvi. 19. The sinner that God takes in hand is up to all this; he knows he is under his great trial; and that he shall stand or fall at the great day, according as the scriptures of truth decide his fate by the word preached. If he be cast and condemned by the word, he is the same by the Judge himself; for he is sure that he shall not stand in the judgment if he