it is worse than nothing, it is hypocrisy and lies. But though the spring be within, the stream is without; though the one is invisible, the other is to be seen. There are three ways in which our confession of him is to be made.

Verbally. Thus the martyrs confessed him; for they would not have suffered, had they hid his righteousness within their heart. When Peter and John were forbidden by the council to speak any more in this name, they answered, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." We are to glorify God in our body as well as in our spirit. He has given us speech, not as many use it, but to honour the giver; and with David we should pray, "Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth thy praise." We could not be satisfied with the heart of a friend if his tongue was always engaged against us, or indeed if it was never employed for us. Yea, we should say, The thing is impossible; if we had his heart we should have his tongue: for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Here, however, be it observed, that we are not to rush into every company like an armed soldier, or to draw the sword of the Spirit upon every one we meet. We are not bound to exasperate or to rebuke when it will call forth more profaneness or obscenity. "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." "A word," says Solomon, "fitly spoken, how good is it! it is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." There is a zeal which is not according to knowledge and wisdom is profitable to direct. Yet we may err on the side of deficiency as well as excess: and while we shun imprudence, we may be restrained by a cowardly fear or shame, from seizing opportunities that present themselves of speaking usefully, without the violation of any duty or decorum in life. How many of these have we suffered to pass unimproved! "Lord," would Usher often say, "Lord, forgive my sins of omission."

Practically. Confession may be attached to conduct as well as to language: yea, actions, it is proverbially said, speak louder than words. A minister has two individuals belonging to his congregation. The one says little of him, and less to him; but he is constant in his attendance, and bends every thing to enable him to enJoy what he deems a privilege, as well as a duty. The other always extols him much, both before his face and behind his back; but he is seldom in his place, and suffers the most trifling excuses to keep him from what he so admires! Does not the practice of the former decide more than the commendations of the latter? We read of those who profess that they know God, but in works deny him; and of the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie. Many, like Ezekiel's hearers, with their mouth show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness: many, like Judas, even while they kiss, betray. We are required to hold forth the Word of life, not only by our tongues, but tempers; not only by our lips, but lives. When we exemplify the holiness and excellency of the Gospel by our deportment in every con-. dition, and especially when we fully discharge every relative duty; VOL. II.

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then it is that we adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, and commend his religion to others.

Passively. "They also serve that wait;" and they also confess that endure. When his followers are willing to sustain the loss of all things rather than forsake him, and instead of complaining, rejoice that they are counted worthy to suffer for his name, they evince the strength and force of their attachment to him, and he is glorified in them. Persons may be exercised with many afflictions who are not called to endure persecution. It is peculiarly as sufferers that many are the Lord's witnesses: and how do they glorify him in the fires, when in patience they possess their souls, and can even rejoice in tribulation also! What a testimony do they bear to the power of his grace, and the comforts of the Holy Ghost, when they show that he sustains them when every earthly support gives way; and refreshes and delights them when all creature-consolation is dried up or embittered! The passive graces are with more difficulty exercised than the active. The active fall in with several principles of our nature, especially our love of activity and notice but to sit alone and keep silence; to suffer on week after week, and month after month, unobserved, unless by partial friendship; mourning indeed but not murmuring; every word, every feeling softly confessing, "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me: let thy loving kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant:"—when I have turned away from such a scene as this, I have said within myself, I have often heard of religion, but I have now seen it and I have been ready to invite others to return with me, exclaiming,

"Behold the awful portrait and admire,
Nor stop to wonder; imitate and live."

NOVEMBER 18.-"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."-Matt. x. 32.

LET us see what this promise insures in a way of PRIVILEGE. It is confession: "him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven." The word signifies more than mere attestation: it means acknowledgment with approbation and applause. This would seem incredible, did we not know that the reward is not founded in our worthiness, but is designed to display the exceeding riches of his grace. The Lord thinks better of their works than they ever do; they often blush and weep over their performances, but he will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

Nothing is more pleasing than praise; and nothing is more stimulating. The desire of it is generally connected with some of the finest sensibilities of our nature. He who is dead to it betrays a mind destined to no distinction, and on which no great or good impression is likely to be made. But observe three things which enhance the privilege here spoken of.

The First is the applauder: "I will confess him." In all praise much depends upon the person from whom it is derived. A real

proficient therefore in any art studies to approve himself to such as are masters of it. To their judgment he appeals, and their approbation supports and gratifies him under the neglect or the censure of the rude and incompetent. The praise of some is worse than reproach. Our Lord forbad the devils to confess him. Paul was displeased with the spirit of divination in the damsel that cried, These are the servants of the most high God, which show unto men the way of salvation." Wise men lay little stress upon the caresses of the multitude, who are easily wrought upon, and are led by humour rather than conviction, and can seldom comprehend what they pronounce upon. And therefore a heathen philosopher, when shouted home to his door by the populace, turned round, and said, "What folly or harm have I done to deserve and obtain your commendations?" Some hearers are afraid to say a word of praise. to a minister, lest they should make him proud and vain. But the danger is imaginary; he has no opinion of their judgment. Praise is debased, and becomes more than worthless by insincerity; it is then flattery, and "he that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet." All the friendship of the world is only "lies in hypocrisy." Human applause can add little to our welfare and happiness. The influence of it is confined to time: what can it do for us when sickness spreads a gloom over our comforts, and mortality draws the curtain upon all that is valued on earth? Paul therefore says, "It is a light thing to be judged of man's judgment; he that judgeth me is the Lord." He knows all things; he reads the heart; he is truth itself; he is approved whom the Lord commendeth. "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord my strength and my redeemer!"

The Second is, In whose presence he will acknowledge us: "I will confess him before my Father which is in heaven." Could you choose before whom you would be owned and praised, it would doubtless be one you most highly esteemed, in whose regard you placed your happiness, and who was most able to advance and secure all your interests. And whose blessing maketh rich, and addeth no sorrow with it? In whose favour is life? Who can do for you exceeding abundantly above all you can ask or think? Suppose a general, after the termination of a war, returning home, and entering the presence of the king, the fountain of honour; and introducing one by one those who had distinguished themselves under him: he calls them by name, he reiates their exploits, he testifies their obedience, their skill, their prowess, their perseverance; and asks for their remuneration and preferment-What could be more gratifying and glorious? Yet what would this be, compared with the conduct of the Lord Jesus, the leader and commander of his people, when, his warfare being accomplished, he shall present those who have fought the good fight of faith before the throne of the Majesty of heaven and earth, and claim for them Father, I the promises of the new and everlasting covenant: will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am to behold my glory ?"

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The Third is the period of commendation. We all know how much depends upon the seasonableness of an action. There is a

critical hour when a word spoken in our favour may gain for us a friendship we otherwise should not have known, or an office we should not otherwise have filled; yea, it may decide the whole of (our future life. The Lord Jesus does not leave his people without witness now. In various ways he confesses them even here. But in these words he refers to his confessing them before his Father "at the last day," when he has summoned together the whole universe, and is distributing endless disgrace or honour, happiness or misery. They will have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

Let this reconcile them to their present comparative obscurity. The world knoweth them not. It is not proper, it would not be safe for them to have all their distinctions here. Their day is coming. It is called the manifestation of the sons of God. "Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

NOVEMBER 19.-"I am a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed."— 1 Peter v. 1.

THIS is one of the three characters by which Peter describes himself to enforce his "exhortation." In the two former, wherein he calls himself" an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ," there is something personal to him: but in the third designation there is nothing peculiar-any further than all real religion is a peculiar thing in our world, where the multitude are evil, and thousands among those who wear the form of godliness are strangers to the power of it. But all who are born of the Spirit stand upon the same ground with Peter with regard to eternity. They are heirs together with him of the grace of life, and each of them is autherized to say, "I am a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed." Hence three things are observable.

First, The destination of Christians is “glory." The radical idea of glory is brightness, splendour. The secondary notion is excellency displayed-and this is what the Scripture intends when it so frequently expresses heaven by the term glory. We think more of the happiness of the state than of the glory. But it will display all kinds of excellency-natural-corporeal intellectual-moral-social excellency and the excellency of pleasure, called "the joy of their Lord," "joy unspeakable and full of glory."

Secondly, This glory is for future development-It “shall be revealed." It has in a degree been revealed from the beginning. The Jews partially knew it; and as to a clearer discovery of the nature of it, and the way of obtaining it, life and immortality were brought to light through the Gospel. But as yet it has not been revealed externally to all; or internally to many; or completely to any: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." Believers indeed have the advantage of something in addition to testimony; and they know more of heaven from what they experience than from what they read or hear. They have

certain views and feelings which raise their sentiments more than any thing else-"O if these were rendered permanent and perfect!" But who can imagine what the perfection of them includes ? Flesh and blood can no more comprehend than they can inherit the kingdom of God. The full disclosure would be too much for our physical powers to bear, and would subdue all the interests we feel in a thousand things which claim a share in our present attention. The degree of information is wisely adapted to our present state, and while it prepares us for our end does not disqualify us for the way. But we shall not always walk by faith. The object will not always be veiled. "It doth not yet appear what we shall be; but this we know, that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is"-It "shall be revealed."

And, thirdly, it admits of present participation-"I am," says the Christian, "a partaker of this glory." This seems strange, and we are ready to exclaim, Is then his warfare accomplished? Has he finished his course with joy? Has he passed the valley of the shadow of of death? Does he not daily groan, being burdened with afflictions and infirmities? Yet, according to the Scripture, by grace he is saved; he is come to the new Jerusalem; he hath everlasting life; he is a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. He is so by union with Christ, his head and representative, who procured it, and has prepared it for him, and has taken possession of it in his name, and holds it on his behalf-"He hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." And he is so by the certitude and appropriation of faith: for faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. The believer can realize as sure and as present whatever God has engaged to give. He is so by actual possession in the foretastes, the earnests, the beginnings. Under whatever representations heaven be held forth the Christian has it in quality, and in degree. He is a partaker of it as the bud partakes of the flower, and the dawn of the day, and the child of the man. The believer's anticipations are not confined to any particular season or condition, but he is often peculiarly a partaker of this glory in four cases In the seclusion and liberty of the closet-In the ordinances of the sanctuary-In the supports and comforts of affliction— And in the elevated experience of a dying hour.

Is this your attainment? Can you say, I am a partaker of the glory which shall be revealed ?" How ought you to feel and to demean yourself? Walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. Let your conversation become your condition -Let it be dignified, cheerful, and especially grateful. You were children of wrath, but are now heirs of glory, yea and even partakers of it-What should you render for blessings so great, and obtained by means so infinitely expensive?

And if you are not partakers should you not lay it to heart? Should you not seek after an interest in it? Whatever else you possess you must soon leave; and no abundance of it can afford you satisfaction even in the enjoyment. But here the object will relieve every want, it will fill up every desire. And success is sure