Spirit do the main work, yet suffering so unbolts the door of the heart, that the word hath easier entrance.

When the grace of an afflicted saint is in exercise, his heart is like a garden of roses or a well of rose water, which, the more they are moved and agitated, the sweeter is the fragrance they exhale.

When God sends an adverse dispensation to the believer, it is with this message, “Go draw that sinner from the love of the world; go take away that comfort-he is going to make an idol of it."

The reasonableness of present afflictions will appear, if we consider that they are the way to the rest that they keep us from mistaking our rest, and from losing our way to it-that they quicken our pace towards it-that they chiefly incommode our flesh-and that under them God's people have often the sweetest foretastes of their

rest.

AFFLICTIONS OF GOD'S CHOSEN SERVANTS.

THOSE who are of most precious account with God, and highly favoured by him, are usually exercised with sharp afflictions. The singularity and greatness of a calamity exasperates the sorrow, when it is apprehended as a sign of an extraordinary guilt in the afflicted, and of severe displeasure in God that sends it; but to prevent trouble that ariseth from that apprehension, the Scripture records the heavy afflictions that happened to God's chosen servants and favourites. Moses, whom God honoured with the most con

descending and familiar discoveries of himself, was tried by long afflictions. David, a man after God's own heart, was a long time hurled to and fro by tempestuous persecutions from his unjust and implacable enemies. Isaiah, who was dignified with such heavenly revelations, that his description of the sufferings of Christ seems rather the history of an evangelist, than the vision of a prophet, was sawn asunder.

EXERCISE OF THE CHRISTIAN GRACES.

LET your hope enter within the veil, in the full and delightful anticipation of your speedy admission. And is this the only grace that should enter it? No. Let love enter within the veil and say, "whom have I in heaven but thee; and let faith enter it and say, "I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living:" let patience enter, and behold the good resting from their sorrows: let gratitude enter, and take up its song and its harp; and let humility enter, and see how all its honours are devoted to Jesus: let charity enter, and mark how, midst all the varieties in character, origin, and glory among its inhabitants, there is but one heart: let desire enter and say, O when shall I come and appear before God! and let joy enter and drink of its rivers of pleasure. Soon shall the period of your actual admission arrive. The forerunner has entered for you; and as you would wish that your entrance should not be with fear and trembling, with doubt and hesitation, "give all diligence to make your calling and election sure, and then there shall be administered to you an abundant

entrance into the everlasting kingdom of your Lord and Saviour." There you shall find a temple without a veil, a church without spot, day without night, worship without a pause, youth without decay, happiness without measure, and glory without end. Manifest a respect, high, constant, and universal, to the commandments of God. "Blessed are they who do his commandments, that they may have a right to the tree of life, and enter in through the gates into the city."

DANGERS IN PROFESSION.

Of all dangers in profession, let professors take heed of this, namely, of a customary, traditional, or doctrinal, owning such truths as ought to have their accomplishment in themselves, while they have no experience of the reality and efficacy of them. This is plainly to have a form of godliness, and to deny the power of it. And of this sort of men do we often see many turning atheists, scoffers, and open apostates. Hence it is that the knowledge and profession of the truth with many is so fruitless, inefficacious, and useless. It is not known, it is not understood, nor believed, in its relation unto Christ, on which account alone it conveys either life or power unto the soul. Men profess they know the truth, but they know it not in its proper order, harmony, and use: it leads them not unto Christ, it brings not Christ unto them, and so is lifeless and useless. Hence, often none are more estranged from the life of God than such who have much notional knowledge of the doctrines of the scripture: for they are all of them

useless, and subject to be abused, if they are not improved to form Christ in the soul, and transform the whole person into his likeness and image. This they will not effect, where their relation unto him is not understood; where they are not received and learned as a revelation of him, with the mystery of the wisdom and will of God in him. For whereas he is our life, and in our living unto God we do not so much live as he liveth in us, and the life we lead in the flesh is by the faith of him; so that we have neither principle nor power of spiritual life, but in, by, and from him; whatever knowledge we have of the truth; if it do not effect an union between him and our souls, it will be lifeless in us, and unprofitable to us. It is learning the truth as it is in Jesus, which alone reneweth the image of God in us. Where it is otherwise, where men have notions of evangelical truths, but know not Christ in them, whatever they profess, when they come really to examine themselves, they will find them of no use unto them, but that all things between God and their souls are stated on natural light and common presumptions.

Study the holy scriptures, especially the New Testament; therein are contained the words of eternal life-it has God for its author-salvation for its end; and truth without mixture for its matter.

To read of events without observing the hand of God in them, is to read as atheists; to read, and not to observe how all events conduce to carry on the work of redemption, is to read as deists.

AN ARGUMENT WITH THE DEVIL.

I HAVE nothing to do with the devil, neither hath he given me any disturbance all the time of my sickness. But, be it so, let him come, let him attack me, and try his strength upon a poor, miserable sinner; I will not therefore despond in my mind; for I know that I have not sinned against him, but against my God; wherefore, following the example of the Israelites in the wilderness, I will show to him not the brazen serpent indeed, but the Son of God hanging upon the cross; and I will say, it is against this person I have sinned, and not against thee; to him I wholly commit myself, for I believe he hath paid a sufficient price to God the Father for my sins. Wherefore be gone, O devil, and turn thy darts against the seed of the woman: if you overcome him, you overcome me also.

OF CHRIST.

CHRIST made himself like to us, that he might make us like to himself.

Christ must needs have died: how else could sin be expiated, the law satisfied, the devil conquered, and man be saved?

They that deny themselves for Christ, shall enjoy themselves in Christ.

Men had rather hear of Christ crucified for them, than be crucified for Christ.

If Christ denied innocent nature out of love to us, shall not we deny corrupt nature out of love to him?

Christ by his death appeared to be the son of