of trial, trouble, distress, affliction and persecution, Come boldly to the throne of grace, for it belongs to the God of all grace, and we shall be sure to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. iv. 16, for God is not a churl or a miser, he " giveth liberally and upbraideth not," James i. 5. "Ask and ye shall receive," Matt. vii. 7, and saith Paul, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus," Phil. iv. 19. and saith James," He giveth more grace," James iv. 6; not only grace to quicken, enlighten, believe, hope and love, but more grace needful grace, sufficient to strengthen us to resist temptation, to endure trials, and bear with patience and resignation to the will of God all disappointments, troubles, afflictions, and persecutions.

9. God is the God of humbling grace. Man by nature is so proud and self-conceited that nothing less than the sovereign grace of God, can make him humble; and be it observed, that God not only makes it humble by his grace; but he gives grace to keep us humble, hence it is written, "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble," James iv. 6; 1 Pet. v. 5. Grace to acknowledge and deplore their nothingness, insufficiency, unworthiness, and helplessness, and to esteem as the apostle did, the least of all saints, to be greater than they are, Eph. iii. 8; Phil. ii. 3.

10. God is the God of establishing grace; hence the apostle tells the Hebrews that "it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace," Heb. xiii. 9; that is, our faith steadily fixed on the right object, always looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Heb. xii. 2; not wavering in our principles; not carried about with divers and strange doctrines, but fixed and settled in our belief of the leading truths of the everlasting gospel; and as it is God's grace alone, which can thus establish us, we find the apostles praying that the Lord would establish believers; and saith Paul, "The Lord is faithful who shall establish you, and keep you from evil." 1. Thess. iii. 13; 2. Thess. ii. 17; 1 Pet. v.10;

2 Thess. iii. 3. ¦ 11. God is the God of comforting grace, hence saith the apostle to the Corinthians, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God," 2 Cor. i. 3, 4.; and again to the Thessalonians, "Now our Lord Jesus Christ, and God even our Father who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation, and good hope, through grace: comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work," 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17. Blessed then are those, who like the Psalmist can pray, "Let, I pray Thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according unto thy word unto thy servant," Ps. cxix. 76, for blessed are they that mourn, (saith our Lord) for they shall be comforted," Matt. v. 4; they shall be comforted with fresh tokens of his love; renewed manifestations

whom love divine has distinguished from everlasting as the family of God.

I beseech you, brethren, to endeavour to forget whether you are Episcopalians, Independents, or Baptists, and to remember that you are members one of another, as well as members of one common Head. Let us maintain, as tenaciously as possible, our distinction from the world, especially from the religious world; but let us, who are born of God, bear in mind that the spiritual Church of God is but one, and though at present all the children of God are not agreed in minor points, yet they are all alike interested in the Father's love, in the Saviour's blood, and in the Spirit's grace, and consequently should be one in heart. Surely, beloved, the difference is not so great between any of us, as it is between us and the world? We may differ from each other in the size of our buttons, but we differ from the world in the quality of our robes, for ours is the robe of righteousness, but theirs are filthy rags; we may differ from one another in modes of worship, while one is our master even Christ; but we differ from the world in essential service; for we serve the Lord Christ, but they serve their old master the Devil. Then let us preserve our high and holy distinction from the world, and endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

Papists, Infidels, and Nominal Protestants, are all agreed to oppose us; the war is between carnality and spirituality, and I see not how we are to be delivered from the most cruel and bloody persecution in this land, unless God grants us that union of interest in each other's welfare, which shall prevent our biting and devouring one another, and constrain us to make common cause against the common foe. If Ephraim ceases to envy Judah, and Judah ceases to vex Ephraim, then they may together fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines, and overcome the world. And why should it not be so? There is really nothing worth contending for but vital godliness, all else is shell, this only is kernel; and the shell will soon be broken, and sown in corruption; but that life of God in the soul, which originated in covenant love, is secured in covenant responsibility, and communicated by covenant ministration, is deathless and eternal. Let this, then, be the principle of union among the people of God, and it may thep be said of the Church of old, as that she is "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners."

Say ye not a confederacy with all those who would say a confederacy, neither be ye confederate; for all association of the Church of God with the world is unscriptural, degrading, and injurious. If David will join his little band of soldiers with the Philistines against Israel, he must not wonder if his Ziklag is burned. If Jehoshophat will join in affinity with Ahab, he may expect to be a mark for Assyrian archers; and if the Lord's people in these days will make a league with earnal professors, and be confederate with the worst enemies of Christ, such as Arians, Socinians, and Free-willers, their allegiance

to their king must be suspected, their soul prosperity must suffer, and their very name and character must thereby be degraded.

But let us, my brethren, who have sworn allegiance to king Jesus, and enlisted under the banner of truth, having felt the power of that truth in our souls, avoid all such contaminating, God-dishonouring affinity, as high treason against our Sovereign, and as the number of "good soldiers of Jesus Christ" is but small, let us stand together in the conflict, and not suffer our ranks to be broken, because the facings of our regimentals may a little vary. Our banner is truth, inscribed covenant love, atoning blood, and invincible grace; and if this banner be unfurled, it will be sure to distinguish us from all the motley group of carnal professors, and provoke their hostility against us. This makes it the more important, that men of truth, though of different regiments, should be one in heart, and helpers one of another, preferring the honour of Jesus, to their own little petty distinctions.

The true spirit of Christian fellowship is, I fear, but little known among us; it is derived only from the covenant Head, and if we had more of the spirit of Christ, we should certainly be more separated from the world, and more united with each other, for he that loves God, must love his brother also, 1 John, iv. 21. We have, my brethren, a personal interest in each other's welfare; so much so, that one member of the mystical body of Christ cannot suffer without the whole body being affected thereby; every soldier that falls in the field of battle weakens the army; one sickly child in a family calls for the sympathy of the whole household; the smallest member of the body in pain affects the whole system; even so, every real believer in Jesus is connected with the w ole body the Church, and with Christ the Head, and the spiritual health and prosperity of each is an essential part of the welfare of the whole; nor can one of the little ones who believe in Jesus be injured without injuring the body and offending the Head.

If, then, I may be permitted to offer a word of advice to the whole household of faith, I would say with the affectionate John, and I trust moved by the same spirit, beloved, let us love one another. The authority of Jesus enjoins this, and we are pledged to bow to his authority. "These things I command you, (said Jesus) that ye love one another." We are not of the world, even as he is not of the world, therefore the world hateth us, and we ought not to marvel at this; but we, who are chosen out of the world, and loved with the sovereign love of God, ought also to love one another, and that with pure hearts fervently.

To my brethren in the ministry of every name I would just say, Peace be to you, I mean those whom God has put into the ministry, having qualified them by the teachings of his Holy Spirit to publish the glad tidings of salvation, full, free, and finished, as it was settled in the council of peace, as it was accomplished by the doing and dying of the Mediator, who stood surety and substitute for his Church, and as it is applied by the Holy Ghost to the hearts of all the elect. To all

of pardon; repeated visits of his spiritual presence; increased love to him; faith in him; zeal for his cause and glory, and a brighter prospect of future glory and blessedness with him in uninterrupted glory and felicity beyond the grave.

12. God is the God of restraining grace. Did David commit whoredom and murder; Solomon, idolatry; and Peter deny his master with oaths and curses? So would every Christian do the same, if not restrained by the grace of God. No saint; however upright and spotless he may be in his walk, conduct and conversation in the eyes of the world, can boast of being any better than any other, who like Noah, David, Solomon, or Peter, may have fallen into great sins; for all God's regenerated family would be as bad, if not worse than they had ever been before, if they were not preserved and kept by the restraining grace of God. How necessary then is the petition in the Lord's prayer, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil," Matt. vi. 13. And we shall do well alway to bear in mind the apostles advice, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of -meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted," Gal. vi. I.

-000

THE BELIEVER'S SAFETY.

NUMERIST.

"We went through fire and through water: but thou brought est us out into wealthy place." Psal, lxvi. 12.

"That ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Eph. iii. 19. THE heart of a spiritual man cannot rest in earthly satisfactions; nor in the wanderings of his eye, say of any sublunary spot, that would be all my hope and all my desire. The voice of heaven is, "Arise ye, and depart: for this is not your rest: because it is polluted." The way to the heavenly Jerusalem lies through the present evil world, which produces little else than briars and thorns, which have a tendency only to entangle and wound the feet of those that pass through it. The many afflictions with which the people of God are exercised in the present life, are as a constant clog to the wheels of their souls, which makes them drag on very heavily; and (were they not sometimes favoured with a view of their rest which remains for them, they would be almost ready to despair of getting safe out of this vale of tears. No sooner do we enlist ourselves under the banner of Immanuel, but Satan and the world immediately join in league against us, as though they were resolved to rob the Redeemer of his spoil, and pluck those who are the purchase of his blood out of his hands. There is a rooted enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. Satan has an inveteracy against every one that bears the image of Jesus, like a roaring lion he continually walketh about seeking whom he may devour," 1 Peter v. 8. And, like an old serpent, he conceals his wiles, that he may get the greater adtage against us. We are, in this life, never

free from his temptations; he is always either contriving a temptation against us, or presenting it to us. And that we do not oftener fall into the snares which he lays to entrap up, is owing to the care and vigilance of our great leader, and the grace which he is pleased to communicate to us out of his fulness. Such, then, is our condition below, that we are always in danger, from without and within. Troubles may attack us without, or, if free from these, pride may swell within; and the last is worse than the first. We shall see that love was the label written on every bitter potion; that needs be written on every temptation; friendship on every pricking thorn; usefulness on every grieving briar, and faithfulness and mercy on every twig of our Father's rod, "Is not (says a spiritual writer) eternal felicity secured; a noble panacea, and sufficient antidote against the heaviest misfortunes of a deceitful world? What avail a faithless flatterer, a falsifying friend, a violated promise, a mob of backbiters, disappointment of a place, a worldly loss, a broken purpose, a thwarted enterprise, expectation vain, and hope, though a long expectant, in the issue, bringing nothing but wind? What avail all these in comparison of the everlasting interests of my immortal soul? But, if these afflictions make me miserable, shall I make myself more miserable still, by handling the coals that burn me, and reading over the register of my troubles, which will be forgot in eternity, as the waters that flow away. Moreover, these many turnings and stupendous meanders of my life, are all squared by the straight line of the decree of God, with whom nothing is crooked. The seeming gaps of my lot are but the fulfilment of heaven's design, only the accomplishment of the counsel of God." Heaven will be but the sweeter, the more welcome and valued, after the labours of this mortal life and its conquests close in eternal triumph. Then to look back with feelings of unutterable joy, and excite the highest praise. Come out of great tribulation, the saints clad in robes of the purest white, as washed in the atoning cleansing blood of Christ, will stand before the throne of God, and in the presence of the Lamb, full of the joys of redemption, and rich with the spoils of conquest. Reward, though but in promise, sweetens labour, and the hope of triumph emboldens to conflict; but how much more the assurance of both! The Christian has no less encouragement in all the enterprises assigned him; for, whether in works of faith, in labours of love, or in the toils of conflict, this is the invigorating address:-" Be not weary in welldoing, for in due season ye shall reap, if ye faint not." It is often with many professors, as though this world, and not another, was the end of man, and gave consummation to his being and hopes. But the pleasurable scenes of this life soon fade from the eye for Lively apprehensions of faith, ardent longings of hope, and the attachments of love, would make us rather like Paul than these, and in the reaching forward of spiritual affection to say, "I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better." The

ever.