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or wept at the recollection of his sins, can know what true contrition is. He who hath not experienced in the sorrows of his heart those comforts which refreshed the Psalmist's soul, knows nothing of that peace which flows from a sense of the pardoning love of God in Christ Jesus-knows nothing of the consolations of the Spirit of grace. When suffering under temporal calamities, do we feel submissive to the divine will? Can any one here say, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy commandments ?" Have we such thankfulness, such gratitude, as filled David's heart, that he could say, "Seven times a day do I praise thee, O Lord! and at midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee?" Though it may be said, this is not required of any one: let us at least pray with such fervour and devotion. It would be well for those who scoff and indulge railing invective against this penitent contrite servant of God, were they first to look more into their own hearts, and pray like him, "Prove me, and examine my thoughts, and see what way of wickedness there is in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

Were all our failings and crimes as open, and as faithfully and minutely recorded, as those of many of the saints of old, how few

among us would be able to look up, or to stand in the congregation with their fellowsinners; much less to accuse any one, or rail against them! A further practical benefit which we may derive from our knowledge of the sins and failings of this king of Israel is, that we may be led to look upon our own with the same abhorrence, and endeavour to avoid similar offences, that we may be exempt from that overwhelming sorrow which made him go mourning all the day long. But should there be any one who is already in this state, and trembling under a sense of his guilt; lest such a one should be swallowed up with too much sorrow, he may derive comfort from the same source as David, and shall assuredly experience those consolations which are always vouchsafed to refresh the fainting soul when sinking under the burden of his sins. Then may he lift up his head, and say, "Truly, the Lord is my helper and my redeemer! In God is my health and my glory, the rock of my might, and in him is my trust." "He will remember David and all his trouble, and give no sleep to his eyes till he find out a temple for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God:" and thus, in calling to mind the sure mercies of David, he will be comforted. Is there, again, any

one here present who hath suffered the loss of all temporal good? if he is a Christian, he well knows that there are better things prepared for him; and he would willingly part with all that he possesses so that he may "win Christ and be found in him.” If deprived of every earthly friend or relative, he feels assured that there is one "who sticketh closer than a brother." Is he meek and patient? He is assured that "the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever." Are the sorrows of his heart at any time enlarged and multiplied? He shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace."

But here I must observe, that many Christians frequently lose the consolations of the holy Comforter by relapsing into sin, and not duly estimating their high privileges, or not living up to them; and, it may be, contracting habits of indolence and negligence, sitting down contentedly with their present attainments, and not pressing forward with activity and zeal to reach the prize. Believers likewise forfeit their spiritual comfort by presuming to omit some known duty: their peace is also often interrupted by not watching habitually against corruption within, and temptation from without. Many other causes might be enumerated which provoke the Holy Spirit

to withdraw his all-cheering consolations from the soul. Sometimes these are only withheld for a time from Christians to prove and try them, and that they may exercise their graces; that they may be taught by experience their continual need of living upon Christ by faith; and so to render him' the more precious to them. It is not enough that they merely believe their need every moment of fresh supplies of grace, but they must be made to see and to feel that need. They must be made sensible, that without a fresh supply of grace at the time, they are as unable to perform rightly a single duty as they were in their unregenerate state: and thus are they led to trust solely and firmly in Him for new communications of sanctifying grace to enable them to perform it. Again: When believers by their aggravated offences provoke the Lord so to hide his face from them as to leave them in doubt respecting the existence of grace in their hearts, still may the principle be there, though they cannot discern its cheering influence, and do not always enjoy the comfort of perceiving it as one hath aptly remarked, "The figures of a sun-dial continue to be plainly marked upon it, and yet we cannot see by it what hour of the day it is unless the

sun shine upon it. It is only when graces are in exercise, and when the glorious Sun of righteousness shineth upon them, that they can be seen. Such believers as resolve never to rejoice till they attain perfect assurance, must resolve never to rejoice whilst they are in this world: they should consider, that there are many degrees of real certainty below a perfect degree of it; and that they injure themselves much when they call their state of grace in ques tion as often as they do not perceive clearly the habits or consolations of grace." Lastly, I would warn the believer to beware of any unholy temper gaining an ascendancy over him, and to be diligent in the performance of his known duties. The spiritual declension of a Christian discovers itself for the most part more by the omission of some duties than by the commission of crimes for although the omission of a present duty is indeed a sin, yet it does not usually appear to a declining Christian, at first view, to be so horrible as the direct commission of a known transgression. I would also caution those who imagine themselves true Christians, and enthusias tically think they have experienced heavenly comfort, merely because they have felt on some occasions natural and sensible

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