well as good report; this love leads | cerely commend it to others :them to obey. No duties will be knowing it contains the way of omitted, no expreffions of regard life, and treasures, which are wantneglected. Continually in all ed by all his fellow-men, he says, their actions will they have refpe& Oh, come and fee how good the Lord unto its righteous commandments. is. He earneftly defires and enThe ftudy of it is fweet and enter- deavors that his children, his taining; and they fear not boldly friends and neighbors, fhould beto announce their determination, come acquainted with it. If, for by the affiftance of divine grace, a time, he forgets it or cannot atto keep his flatutes always, even to tend to it, how grievous is the the end. fcene? it seems to him as though the greatest beauty was withdrawn, and there were charms in nothing befide. He cannot bear to part with it.

Like a true friend, the Chriftian fees an unspeakable pleasure in the word. 'Tis agreeable to his foul. Are young minds delighted with hiftory, with difcoveries in the arts, with pieces of elegant compofition and refined poetry? How much more is the Chriftian delighted with the word? New and affecting fcenes daily rife to his attentive mind. The beauty of confistence and harmony is feen in the whole. The hiftory of divine love the glorious plan of redemption and of the effectual grace of God to the rebellious, are more delightful to him than language can exprefs.

The cause of this high eftima. tion-this strong attachment and delight is of a peculiar nature; the very great purity of the word. David faw and felt this to be the cafe; and there are thousands who can accord with him.-'Tis not because it threatens them who injure us, or those with whom we are at variance. Nor is it because it promifes good to us. Indeed it is valuable on this account; but the purity of the way in which it promifes or threatens is the principal inducement.-And if we examine the word we shall find,

It exhibits a most pure and Spotlefs character of the great Jehovah. While it difcovers him to be the

Experienced Chriftians tell us that in all the fcenes of joy thro' which they have paffed for fifty or fixty years, none have been found equal to thofe which arife from the word. Thefe joys leave no fling behind, and are the fore-all-fufficient, the almighty and tafte of greater and everlafting pleasures at the right hand of God.

uncreated fovereign of all, it dif covers that his purity, his freedom from fin and all unrighteousness is commenfurate with his infinity. It fhews this of him in all his crea ting, governing and redeeming works, each of which is an extenfive field and each is filled with his purity.

It likewife difcovers a pure law which admits of no fin or impiety whatever-that requires truth in the inward parts and love unfeigned. The commandment is pure-it re

!

demns and difapproves of that worft of evils as the word of God. The denunciations against it are enough to make the flouteft hearts tremble.

Further, it exhibits many precious human characters. The

quires love. All the Chriftian is required to do is an expreffion, of love; nothing is required arbitrarily, but all as the path of love. This love refpects God, our fellow creatures and ourselves ; and it refpects them in proportion to their importance in the fcale of being, characters of Jefus as man-of What requirement can be purer Abraham, Mofes, Noah, Daniel than to love the Lord our God and Job-of Ifaiah, Paul and all with all our heart and our neigh the apoftles, are delightful because bor as ourselves? Difinterefted of the degrees of purity which affection, and denying ourselves for the greater good of others is appear in them. Upon reading the fpirit of it. No partial, felf-fied mind of a Chriftian is ftruck their respective hiftories, the puri

ifh or contracted affections are allowed.

Further, it makes known a pure Heaven for the upright, and in this way engages the heart and yields ineffable fatisfaction. Christians

may know that when they depart out of this world, they are going to a place where fin can never enter; and where they may be forever delighted in the pureft employ

ments which immortals can be engaged in where nothing enters that defileth or maketh a lie.

Befides, it holds up a fyftem of pure do&rines. The doctrines collected by human reafon from the light of nature, have all been mixed with great impurity, both in their nature and effect. But thefe tend to one point, to humble the creature and exalt God. The purity of the plan of redemption

with that exemplary benevolence, weanednefs from the world, and every thing truly laudable and pure that appears in them. As he is delighted to hear of fuch characters, an account where he cannot

be impofed upon engages his love and confidence. The purity of the character recommended and rich and entertaining beyond any to be fought, alfo renders the word

other book.

It contains the purest maxims of morality. It extends its information to all conditions, fituations and relations of life. It directs to fuch ways of thinking and acting, as can never allow the evils of pride, jealoufy, prejudice, or the feeds of difcord, confufion or war. Were its maxims followed, how pure would fociety be? Mankind would live together as a "band of brothers," and the nations learn war no more.-This time alfo it

of the divine fovereignty-and of falvation by free grace, in a way abounding to the praife of the glory of God, and the ev-foretels. The promises of the Milerlafting fecurity of fallible crea- lennium, and a flate of purity for a tures, is a powerful inducement to thousand years, are published in the ardent love. word. Amid the conflicts of the prefent ftate there is much fin and unhappinefs. There will be a time of peace. Righteousness shall

This word condemns all fin -it tolerates no iniquity even in thought-it never admits fins of infirmity-They are all unequivo-be built up, and all the upright shall cally condemned. No language fo forcibly and univerfally conVOL. IV. No. 11.

glory. Then holinefs to the Lord fhall be written upon every heart Ggg

This word alfo exhibits a way to purify the heart of man. A fountain is fet open for Judah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, for fin and for uncleannefs. By it men may be purified from their guilt, their blindness, unbelief, dominion of fin, and finally from the existence of it in the foul. Means and ways to cleanse the heart and to purify it unto perfection are made known. In a word, it contains the only true religion. It difcovers the only way in which God can appear glorious in his holinefs, while finners are faved. It discovers the true nature of moral obligation; fhews us what we are and what we ought to be, and enjoins a religion fuitable for fuch crea

tures as men are.

When all these things are bro't into view by the divine word, it muft appear that its purity is very great, and there is fufficient reafon for all the love and attachment which the fervants of God feel towards it.

In the foregoing obfervations A

we have a mark of the true Chriftian. The question then may arife, Do we thus efteem the word of God? Is it a moft precious and delightful volume? Do we read it, defire it, and cleave to it as fomething better than life? And does this attachment arise from its very great purity? The pure in heart underftand it; to them it is an in. comparable book. Let confcience remind the reader whether these are his feelings.

How deplorable is the cafe of thofe countries which are not favored with this precious word! Christians, extend your views and fee the wretched confequences, both of a temporal and moral kind, which follow the want of

ALANSON.

Sandlified Afflictions. POSTATE man is born

unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. This is the language of infpiration, and it is the language of experience. While God is daily conferring favors upon us, he is at the fame time bearing conftant teftimony againft our fins, by giving to us the cup of forrow. Difappointed hopes, loffes, pains and natural death, must be endured by man. While roses are scattered by the fide of his path through life, these roses are found to grow on thorns. The prefent ftate is every way fuited to be a state of difappointment and trial to man.

It ought to be our conftant endeavor to derive benefit from our afflictions. If they be fanctified to us, as they are to all God's

people, we shall be enabled to fay | vine government, would be attendwith the Pfalmift, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy ftatutes. This pious man found his troubles operating for his fpiritual and everlafting good. He was excited by them to learn God's ftatutes, or to study and obey his revealed will. Divine truth became fweeter than honey to his tafte. His love to God's character, law, government and grace, was increased, and he was engaged to run the way of his commandments with the greater delight.