advancement; it is like a worm at the root of the plant, which will cause it to fade and die *.-The neglect of means is often punished with darkness of mind, death on our frames, and the want of comfortable evidence of our being put among the children +. Another cause of distress, is our trusting to and feeding on our comforts, in preferring the streams to the fountain, regarding the incomes of our inheritance more than our title. This was David's case: "Thou madest my mountain so strong, that it cannot be moved. Thou hidest thy face,. and I was troubled." At one time, he could realize the ruin of all his foes: at another, he feared his own overthrow. Our experience must be ever thus fluctuating while we trust on any thing but " oaths, promises, and blood." When we survey the magnitude and multitude of our privileges, see our little improvement, and observe the prosperous condition of others, their firm faith, strong hope, ardent love, growing zeal, enduring patience, amiable uniformity of carriage, we are ready to say, "I am as the barren fig-tree." How great is the mercy that spares me! Why does not the Lord say, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever?" The mind sometimes adverts to the singular acts of grace in the experience of Scripture saints. These are recorded in the cleventh of the Hebrews. It tries its own state by these as standards, and is discouraged. We should recollect, that to have the extent of their graces, we should be exactly in their trials. If we have the needful grace for the day, either to do or suffer, let us not complain. Look forward in hope; and, as good Mr. Newton says," Leave the packet of to-morrow unopened till to-morrow comes. Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof." Satan may be permitted to prevail. "The wild boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it §." If the Devil is permitted to succeed, he makes the bough very bare. In reality, as in David's case; and as to sensible evidence, in Job's. He seemed stripped of all, both in body and mind; but, in due season, he flourished again. The enemy is watchful for ❤very favourable opportunity, and diligent to improve it, to distress those whom he cannot destroy. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." 1. Get it well settled in your experience, that Christ and you are one. If this be not clear, there is not any thing that can go on comfortably: you will droop the wing in your flight towards Heaven, your hopes will sink, and your prospects will darken. If you have felt your need of him,-have given up yourself to him,-received him as the God-man in his person, work, atonement, authority, and offices, adhere to this in renewed exercises; proye it by believing; plead it in the lower Court of Conscience, and in the higher court of Heaven; ply it against Law, Justice, Sin, Satan, and Sense. Thus live on the Christ of your comforts, and not on the comforts of your Christ; "for man shall not live on bread alone; but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, doth man live +." 2. Let it be a fixed principle, that you have no inherent stock. "He putteth no trust in his saints." The beam is necessarily dependent on the Sun: the moon has no light but what is imparted; it only reflects what is communicated:- the stream will dry up, if the fountain ceases to send it still forward; if the heart ceases to beat, every member in the body will weaken and become inactive; the leaf will wither and fall as the sap retires, or as its circulation is impeded. Thus it is in spiritual life. "From me is thy fruit found." "All my fresh springs are in thee §." It is a high attainment to be content to be nothing, and the most difficult duty; but the highest privilege to be ever receiving until we are filled with all the fulness of God in the heights of glory. 3. The lamenting and doubting believer (for such there are) should remember, that the Sun of righteousness will soon cause the spring season to return; then will apply, "Lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds. is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig-tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines, with the tender grape, give a good sinell ." Should he delay, and not rise so soon as expectation might promise, like a morning without a clouds, fear not. The natural sun, though often under clouds, yet has never forsaken our earth; nor will the greater Sun his church. Thus Hosea xiv. 8. saith the Lord," If ye can break my covenant with the day, and my covenant with the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season, then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant *.” Be scaled in everlasting silence, O thou still replying tongue of unbelief! Hath he said it, and shall he not do it? He is faithfulness itself. I set my seal and amen to his truth. May his Spirit seal my faith with his " Amen! be it unto thee even as thou wilt." I will thy presence here! I would thy presence for ever! 4. He has promised to renew, and give fresh life, bark, bud, blossom, and fruit. "The dry tree shall flourish; thy dew shall be as the dew of herbs; I will be as the dew unto Israel." Inferior miracles subside; the most important and interesting continue, in regeneration, reclaiming conservation, and glorification. Every promise expresses his fixed purpose. That which he has spoken with his mouth, he will make good with his hand. Were we to turn promises into prayers, the Lord would turn them into praises. "He will revive us; and after three days, we shall live in his sight." The spring, the cheerful summer, and the ripened fruit will appear in perfection, to shew that the Lord is faithful. Sing now the prophet's song: "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vine; yet will I rejoice in the Lord: I will joy in the God of my salvation." Jer. xxxiv. 20-26. Isaiah liv. 7. throughout. ON ASKING A BLESSING AT MEALS. "Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God."-Paul. THE HE partial acknowledgment of the divine goodness in the provision of our table, is a truth too obvious to be questioned, and has been deplored by many. In no instance, perhaps, more than in this, where duty is concerned, does the practice of Christians differ; some families imploring a blessing at all their meals; others omitting the morning and afternoon; and many the afternoon only. Why one meal should be considered more worthy than another, is what has not yet been explained. Is it because we are under greater obligations to God for the provisions received received at those times? or, because our morning and afternoon meals are of our own procurement? Such a thought is instantly rejected; the universal belief of Christians is, that every good and every perfect gift cometh down from the Father of Light, and certainly demands our gratitude and acknowledgments. The evil complained of, perhaps, originates in one of these two causes,-inconsideration or shame. 1. Inconsideration. Those who neglect soliciting a blessing at any particular time, cannot surely live under the impression that every ineal of which they participate is the actual bestowment of God, and an expression of his fatherly care and munificence. However their judgments be informed" that all things are of God," their conduct is greatly defective and inharmonious." If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them," is the constant language of our divine Lawgiver. 2. Shame may be assigned as another cause of the neglect. Many Christians, through a sinful compliance with worldly customs, or to avoid singularity, although、 they habitually perform the duty, omit it when they receive strangers at their table, sometimes alleging (for want of a better plea) they are commanded “not to cast pearls before swine." But is this consistent with their character as a peculiar people? Are not those worldly imitations, in effect, an attempt to fill up that great gulph, which God has placed to prevent a criminal intimacy between his people and the world? Where is our peculiarity, if our practice be the same? We are commanded to do all to the "glory of God;" but are we not thus affording a proof that we are influenced by "the fear of man, which worketh a snare?" Is it coming out from the world and being separate? Is it not concealing our living as the servants of the Lord Almighty? If a sanction be required, behold the example of our Lord and Master, when feeding the multitudes, see him at Emmaus *; read the motto of this paper; attend to the conduct of the Apostle Paul†; and observe, particularly, the preciseness of the Evangelist John," they did ent bread after that the Lora nad given thanks." Such an acknowledgment reminds us of our dependence upon God; that it is "he who prepares our table and makes our cup run over;" it becomes frequently a clue to serious + Acts xxvii. 35• Luke xxiv. 30. John vi. 23. coner conversation, and is some proof of our desire to honour and acknowledge him in all our ways. On the other hand, an omission is a tacit declaration of our indevotion and ingratitude; frequently places Ministers and Christians in unpleasant circumstances. In our social visits, we have often waited, in painful suspense, to be requested to ask a blessing. More need not be added: a word to the wise is sufficient: we live in a day characterized, not so much by doctrinal as practical errors. Believers in Jesus, remember ye are a devoted and peculiar people. Ye Ministers of Christ, set for the defence and honour of the gospel, promote among your flock active piety, reprove, rebuke, exhort. IGDALIA LETTER TO A SISTER, ON THE EVIDENCES OF RELIGION. My dear Mary, N the conclusion of your affectionate letter, you express IN a wish that I would write freely and fully to you upon the subject of those impressions which it has pleased Almighty God to make upon my mind, concerning the importance of religion. I wish I had been more explicit when I wrote to my father; but indeed (I am ashamed to say) I durst not trust myself. However, since the receipt of your letter, and after much supplication at the throne of grace, I trust I have obtained such an insight into the excellency and importance of the religion of Jesus, that no consideration whatever will tempt me to depart from that way; wherein I now declare, as in the sight of God, it is my wish to walk. But you are anxious to know the means that were instrumental in leading me to a sense of my sinful state. For a considerable time I was in the habit of intimacy with a young man who had imbibed, to a violent degree, the principles of Deism. Our intercourse was carried on with all that ease and familiarity which are common among young friends.. He conceived the truth of his opinions to be firmly established, and ridiculed the idea of the Bible being the word of God. He advanced with much fluency of utterance, and apparent conscious sincerity (what he called, and what I then, in a certain degree, thought) arguments in support of his sentiments, |