thing living, and moving, and exciting, all circumstances in the relation of the creature to the Creator, which might lead to happiness, and so animate performance; whilst he retains only the moral aphorisms and exhortations, which are chiefly intended as the descriptions of the feelings and character, which a belief of the revealed circumstances would produce, and which can never, by any process of inculca tion, reproduce themselves in minds constructed like

ours.

The cheerful and willing obedience which flows from an affectionate heart, is the only service acceptable to him whose name is love, and whose law is the law of liberty. And can this be without joy? What draws the affection of the heart? Something amiable, something which pleases and produces delight. So joy is at the very spring of love and alacrity, and without joy there is nothing graceful, or noble, or free in action.

Who can stay the Aye, and what are Will the joy of

Do we wish, then, to perform fully the duties belonging to our various relations? Then joy must be infused into the circumstances of those relations. But how is this to be done? Who can command the gifts of fortune or nature? approach of sickness or death? we to do for the other world? these temporary relations, supposing that we obtain it, carry us forward in healthy and cheerful action through another state of being? Let us be wise in this inquiry, and beware of wasting our time and our strength in vain attempts. Joy infused into the circumstances of any passing relation, perishes

when that relation perishes. But there is a permanent relation, and it also is the root from which all other relations grow. Oh how desirable to have joy infused here, that it might, like living sap, circulate through the whole tree of human relations, and bring forth much fruit on every branch! And praised be our God who hath shed forth joy abundantly on the circumstances of this relation, even joy unutterable and full of glory. He hath drawn aside the veil, and hath let in upon us the light of his own eternal blessedness. He hath done more. He hath said, "Come up hither." He hath changed our scene and our circumstances from earth to heaven-he hath given us a place in the upper sanctuary he hath surrounded us with the privileges of his children-he hath joined us to the general assembly and church of the first born, whose names fill the bright and happy rolls of heaven, yea he hath united us to himself.

But it may be said, "Are the circumstances of this high relation contained in a revelation made to sinners in general, or to certain individuals in particular, for surely there are but few who seem to be happy with God?" The revelation is to sinners in general, but the things contained in it, are the circumstances of those only who believe in it. You do not command the circumstances of a blind man when you surround him with visible objects. They are not his circumstances, for they do not come in contact with his thought or feeling. In like manner, the blessings of the gospel are not the circumstances of a man who does not believe the gospel-for they

do not come in contact with his thought or feeling. No man can rejoice in that which he does not believe, and it is by peace and joy in believing that the character is purified and sanctified, and made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.

God has, in his revealed word, surrounded us with circumstances of peace and glory, when we deserved to be surrounded with circumstances of terror and despair. Our hearts have departed from God, and chosen things which he abhors. We think little of him, and feel little about him, and regard not his honour, and desire none of his ways. And yet we are his creatures, and, as such, are bound to obey him at the peril of our happiness for ever. He hath pronounced a sentence of condemnation against every sin-every departure of the will, or of the affections from him. Who is there that has not incurred this sentence? And yet, O! who could bear its infliction? None need bear it but those who refuse the message of mercy. "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." The divine and human natures were united in the person of Christ he became our representativehe suffered the sentence which had been pronounced against us-Jehovah was well pleased for his righteousness sake; for thus the law was magnified and made honourable. The work of atonement was declared complete by the resurrection of the surety; and pardon, and acceptance, and eternal life, were proclaimed to be the free gift of God, through the Saviour's name, to the chief of sinners. Joy must

be the immediate result of believing that guilt, and danger, and condemnation, are done away-that eternity is secure and happy-and that the almighty master of our destiny, the Judge whom we have offended, is our gracious father, and our kind and compassionate friend. Hath God then revealed to us circumstances of joy in our eternal relation with himself, and shall we refuse to drink, yea, to drink abundantly of these waters of gladness, that our hearts may be refreshed and filled with a holy alacrity to run in the way of all his commandments? Some who profess to believe the gospel, do yet refuse to drink of these waters; because, alas! they have hewn out to themselves, in the passing relations of life, cisterns, which one day they will find to be broken cisterns, that can hold no water.

But some there are, of spiritual minds and humble hearts, who refuse to drink because they think themselves unworthy. "Let the advanced Christian rejoice," say they," but it would be presumptuous in such polluted sinners as we are to rejoice." Ought not a polluted sinner to rejoice that he is forgiven? and farther, it is this holy grateful joy which God has appointed as the means of cleansing and renewing your nature. " Incline your ear and come unto me," saith the Lord, "hear and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.” Happy are the people that know the joyful sound." If you were called on to rejoice in yourselves, you might wait till you were better, and long you would have to wait: but when you are called on to rejoice in

Christ, why should you wait? He and his salvation continue always the same, and the greater sinner you are, so much the greater and the more joyful is your deliverance. What made the shepherds rejoice? what made the Ethiopian eunuch and the Philippian jailor rejoice? Nothing in themselves surely; no, it was the exhilarating intelligence that sin was pardoned, that peace was restored between the Holy One who sitteth on the throne of heaven, and the rebellious outcasts of this earth. This is the joy which must lead the way, if we hope to make ad→ vances in the Christian course. There is another joy to be sure, but it never leads the way-it is not called the joy of the Lord-it consists in the consciousness, that the work of God's Spirit is going on in our souls, and that our hearts have, amidst many sins, been faithful to him who loved us. The way to obtain this latter joy is to abound in the former.

We know no author who has illustrated the origin and tendency of the joy of the Lord so simply, so beautifully, or so strikingly as JOHN, GAMBOLD, the author of the following productions. His mind was evidently of a very fine order. In his youth, he had mixed philosophical mysticism and theology together. He had formed an elevated, and pure, and holy idea of perfect goodness-he felt his obligation to attain to it-he attempted it longand at last sunk under the mortifying and heartchilling conviction, that he was only adding sin to sin, without advancing a single step towards his high object. Whilst he was in this melancholy condition, it pleased God that he should meet with