Sentimentally to admit the thing is good and right, but to feel the force of it when every thing wears an unamiable aspect, is the result of saving influence shed upon the mind by the Holy Ghost. It is wholly supernatural for any man to be a strict and practical predestinarian in the midst of the stormy scenes of this life.

There is one lesson which the good man will continue to learn so long as he will live in this world-namely, self-denial. I mean not only in point of justification before God, but also in his daily intercourse with men. This important branch of our duty is not to be attended to merely when it may suit our convenience, for that indeed would not be self-denial; but it is to be practised in subjection to divine authority. If something of this kind is not attended to upon evangelical principle, there will be no peace amongst the saints. It is often necessary for us to resign our private feelings concerning the events of life to public justice, and by doing so we do not lose any thing, for the greatest conquest that any man can make is to vanquish himself. Many people will admit the fitness of this duty, but they deny the possibility of the practice of it. This is truly a very pretty compliment paid to the righteous Governor of Zion;

it

supposes that he has commanded something to be done which it is impossible for us to do; which would lead us to this conclusionthat our vital connection with the Son of God has not those advantages connected with it of which we read in the scriptures! But to the subject. This duty is not only commanded by God, but every true believer is in possession of a subjective meetness, by consequence of vital union to the person of Christ to perform this duty. The crying sin of the present age is to represent duty as low, legal, and calculated to bring the mind into bondage. But the fact is, those persons who discharge their duties upon evangelical principle, they are released from bondage, and they possess, through faith, that liberty with which Christ has made his people free. The closing part of the epistles of Paul are very clear upon this subject; he descends minutely to mention certain duties, particularly specifying that the things which God has commanded us to do are inseparably connected with our alliance to the Son of God. ،، No filthy talking, nor vain jesting, but rather that which is profitable to the hearers." And if the exterior of the man is to be adorned in this manner, there is no doubt but that the dispositions which are natural to man are to be restrained: "Be ye also renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put off the old man with his deeds, which are corrupt." It is hardly possible for a good man to stir a step through life but this important duty of self-denial must be practised; for every thing connected with the dispensation of the gospel is designed to elevate the mind of man above its native level, and to assimilate the temper of it to that which Christ breathed in the days of his flesh.

We are told," that man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward;" and if the circumstances of men are naturally painful, we can never suppose that the saints will walk through the streets of life without opposition. It is a great and a good thing for us to have VOL. VII.No. 78.

X

consistent views of the difficulties connected with our dwelling in these frail tents of clay. Tribulatiou is no part of the religion of Jesus, although it is the lot of every godly man. It is like the noise

produced by the motion of a carriage; we cannot travel without it, yet it is no accommodation to us while we are journeying. Tribulation is by many people made an infallible sign of true religion; nay, it is so described by them that we are led to conclude from their statements, that a man who is immersed in misery is the brighest saint. To be sober in our decisions is ever becoming of us poor erring mortals. The gospel of Jesus is wholly supernatural, and whatever the subjects of a religion so holy may suffer, we are not to say that their suffering is their religion, yet we cannot be godly in this life without suffering. Since then there is a commonality in the sufferings of the saints, we are told not "to marvel as though some strange thing had happened to us;" for the like things are also accomplished in our brethren in this world. It would indeed be something strangely singular, if as we walk through the busy noisy streets of life, the men of this world should remove the difficulties out of our way that obstruct our progress in divine life, when at the same time the character we wear, the dispositions present in our bosoms, and the spiritual conduct we evince, conspire to condemn their principles and actions. "This people dwell alone, they are not reckoned among the nations." The practice particularly binding upon the people of God, is to conduct themselves becomingly, and to wear their christian character unsullied before men. 64 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty, neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me. Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned of his mother; my soul is even as a weaned child. Let Israel hope in the Lord from henceforth and for ever."

If, then, there is a common and a difficult lot attending every good man, through all the journey of life, there is likewise the same ground for encouragement offered to every child of God. The compassionate Redeemer of Zion feels for his members, and ever sympathises with them in all their sufferings. "He remembereth our frame, he knoweth we are but dust.” If we were called to suffer loss, and to endure wrongs without a friend to care for us, we might then be exceedingly distressed; but so long as we are within the pale of divine government, and we are protected by the Lord, we can have no just cause to complain or fear. The great Redeemer is still maintaining of our right in the heavenly world, and his sovereignty is to us a shield of defence from the attacks of all our enemies, seen and unseen. The love of God has chained all our foes, and this is a permanent ground of encouragement to all the followers of Jesus. To be sheltered from the rude attacks of adversaries, or to be supported to endure a sore conflict with them, is alike proof of the unchanging friendship of him who ever lives to save those for whom he died. We can never reach that point of space, nor can we be placed in those circumstances where the mercy of Christ cannot be felt, and his strength be made perfect in our weakness. This con

sideration animated the ancient saints to endure a great fight of affliction, nor would they accept deliverance from the hands of their oppressors. To be truly conscious that Jesus Christ is Lord of all, will not only reconcile the mind to the events of life, but it will lead us to himself, and these visitations refresh our spirits.

Through the whole journey of life we are never divided from our best friend. Jesus is a brother born for adversity; he will never turn away from us to do us good. The friend of sinners has connected his own glory with the purity and the happiness of his people; they are to dwell with him in his own kingdom, and even now he opens the treasures of his rich grace, and he encourages them to take and live for ever. The most astonishing proof of the friendship of Christ is, that he should in purest love give his flesh for the life of the world, and send his Spirit to sanctify them to partake of this rich bounty, and to praise his holy name. When fatigued with the troubles of the way, we feed on the flesh and blood of the Son of God by faith, our strength is renewed, our sanctity is promoted, our hope of heaven is confirmed, and the great Redeemer is honoured. No other friend but Christ has done so much for his relations, nor could any other do for them what he has done, for no one else has his own life at his disposal, and if he had, he has no private right in it; but he always was, and he still is, the property of God alone. But our adorable Redeemer was not subject personally to the law, but he was made under it according to that covenant he had made with his Father; and, therefore, when he gave his life a ransom for many, it was available in the court of equity for all the solemn purposes which God had appointed to effect by it. By believing on him, we now receive all the benefit of his dying day. Faith feeds upon the perfect sacrifice of Christ, and it is thereby nourished to believe" the record that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Șon." With such a friend to supply our wants, and to support us, we may walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil, for he is with us. Friendship so divine and free demands the warmest admiration, and the most exalted praise from all those who are thus distinguished by the Almighty Redeemer.

The Lord of glory is gone to heaven to provide a house for his friends, and he has left to us a pledge of his perpetual friendship, by promising "that where he is, there shall his disciples be."

In

Let

not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you; I go to prepare a place for you; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there ye may be also." In this beautiful and faithful delineation of the friendship of Christ to his people, we are told, that home is provided for the whole family of God. What love is this! It is that uniting cause that binds the whole household of faith together in and through him, to one another, according to the will of God. This is that which has raised the saints to greater dignity and honour than the mightiest monarch beneath the skies ever knew.

REVIEW.

Meditations on some of the Names and Covenant Characters of Christ, in-Eighteen Poems, by Mrs. Hewitt, 18mo. p.p. 216. Palmer.

NUMEROUS as are the publications of the present times, the sincere christian will hail with pleasure every attempt to illustrate and set forth the glories of his matchless Saviour, who is in his estimation, "the chiefest among ten thousand, and the altogether lovely." And there is no theme in reference to him on which the believer can dwell with greater pleasure, than when reflecting on those endearing covenant characters in which he condescends to manifest himself to his chosen family.

This little volume contains eighteen poems on Christ as the "Rock of Ages-the Apple-tree-High Priest-Advocate-Beloved-Plant of

Physician," &c. &c.

Renown-Jehovah-Jireh-Brother-Redeemer-Friend-KingIn each of these poems our authoress has evinced so much devotedness to her Lord, and has displayed with so much beauty and effect those interesting truths which arise from the relationship he bears to his redeemed family, that we felt much gratified in the perusal; and we have no doubt that many of our readers will be greatly pleased to see the grand doctrines of our most holy faith exhibited in a poetic form, which in many parts shew the writer to possess much talent. From the poem on Christ as compared to the Apple-tree, we subjoin the following.

"Art thou distressed, and ready too to die

For lack of breath-the vital breath of prayer?
Say, hast thou through thy desert way been seized
By some distressing whirlwind, and survived?
Yet still debilitated by the sad effects

Of sandy whirlwinds in an eastern plain,

Thou canst not breathe but with asthmatic sigh-
And labouring hard to save thy parting breath,

Can only groan out just a wish for life?

Oh! if thou hast, to this dear tree repair,

Eat of its fruit, its soul-reviving fruit,

And thou shalt quickly breathe from asthma free.
These apples only can restore thy breath,

And quickly healing all the sad effects

Of sin's o'erwhelming agonies, secure

The soul's new vigour and thy heart's delight.

If bitten too by serpents in thy way,

As mostly proves the Zion's pilgrim's fare,
And toss'd with anguish from a burning wound,
Thy spirit loathes thy necessary food,

And plunged in woe's dark gulf, in sorrow cries,
Oh! haste to him, who clad in gospel grace,
The mighty tree, whose leaves and fruit can heal
All thy diseases, and effect a cure
For every serpent's most envenomed bite.
He stands divinely clad with every grace,

To furnish mourners with reviving life,

And sheds rich odours of the sweetest smell
Throughout the mighty forests of his love."

We extract the following from the fifteenth poem, on Christ the Christian's Physician, where our authoress thus remarks.

"Take courage, then, ye desperately vile,
For he delighteth in the matchless grace,
Of curing those, whom no physician's skill,
Besides his own, could furnish with relief.
These worst of rebels own his mighty pow'r,
And tell to others what a healing friend
In Gilead dwells; how provident his love-
How gentle, kind, and sovereign his grace-
None having him can ever die, for lo!
No deadly poison can injurious be;

Nor serpeut's bite, or scorpion's sting inflame,
Beyond the healing power of Gilead's balm;
Or spreading leprosy defy his skill.
He plainly told, by every day's display
Of healing mercy, while he dwelt below,
How much his heart delighted to relieve!
Oh! see the sufferer, drawn by dire disease
Almost to death, who could in no wise
Raise her feeble frame, and miserably poor,
Come crying after him, when, lo! a touch
Of him restores her whole. The blind
From birth, the wond'ring Jews behold,
Receive their sight, and own the mighty pow'r
Of this Physician to produce a cure-
The lame foregoes his crutch, and leaps
His Maker's worthy praise; while even
Those whom death had seized, and
Promised firm to hold in his arrest,
Rise up, and glorify, with acts of life,
The all-creative power of Jesu's voice.
These wond'ring trophies of his favour,
Stand as monuments to testify his grace,
And help the faith of others to rely
On his Almighty arm for needful life;
While others shew, in lively forms, how great
He is the devils hear his voice, and
Know the sound:-these, beg his clemency,
And ask of him not leave to stay, when
His command expels-but that the swine
May reap the dire effects of their expulsion.
These, though they hate his name, express
His mighty worth, and cry,
66 we know

Thee who thou art-the Holy One of God!"

These extracts are given as a fair specimen of the whole; we would with pleasure have given others, but our limits forbid; we would rather refer our readers to the work itself.

A Word of Exhortation to the Heirs of Salvation.

By John Cox. Second Edition, with additions, 12mo. p.p. 36. Palmer. THIS excellent little address, is both seasonable and suitable; for surely there never was a period when the church of Christ was in a