spiritual persons here below, the living memhers of Christ's church; and he continues in fellowship with the Father, and with his Son, Jesus Christ. His mark is heaven. There all are holy, and as his heart is set upon it, he lives in daily preparation for it. Let us beware then of mistaking the meaning of God's word, or we shall bring our souls into bondage and distress. Let us beware of indulging in any sin, for he that indulges in sin, and lives in sin, is not born of God, nor can he have a good hope of glory.

Reader, are you born of God? How do you feel toward sin and sinful company? Are you like a fish out of water, when in company with the ungodly? Do you feel at home with saints, and especially happy with them, when, saintlike, their conversation is savoury and spiritual ?

The Holy Spirit always makes those holy in whom he dwells. The grace of God that bringeth salvation, teaches us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present world. Nor can we have any assurance of a title to heaven, but as sin is dethroned within us, and holiness becomes our element and delight. Blessed Spirit, teach me so to live, that I may prove to all around me that I am born of God, by avoiding sin; and may I prove that because the seed of God is in me, I cannot live sin.

AFFECTIONATE INQUIRIES.

I HAVE just been reading of a Russian Princess, who writing to a good Missionary, in a time of general sickness and mortality, expressed her solicitude thus, "Are you alalive, my dear friend, are you_all_safe, are your souls in peace?" Now, Reader, whoever you are, I want to put these questions to you, and I do so from a sincere desire to do you good, and make you happy. But unless you can answer these questions in the affirinative, you cannot be really happy, however you may manage to keep your conscience quiet and easy. There are many, it is to be feared, who live an easy life, and die a quiet death, who are not safe, who know nothing of true peace; and as this may be your case, I wish to try and prevent it. May the Lord teach me so to write, and then so bless what I write, that this great end may be answered.

Are you ALIVE? You may think this a strange question at first, and wonder at my proposing it; but all are not alive, who seem to be so, for life is more than mere existence. Many are in the state pointed out by the Apostle, when he says, She that liveth in pleasure, is dead while she liveth."

Lovers of pleasure, and all who live in sin, are dead while they live. The living body, is but the coffin of a dead soul. No man is really alive, except he has been quickened by the power of the Holy Ghost; and no man is quickened by the power of the Holy Ghost, who does not hate sin, love holiness, and study to please God. If you are alive you pray, for prayer is the breath of the living soul; and of every one that is born again, it may be said, "Behold, he pray eth.' If you are alive, you hunger and thirst after righteousness, for those who are born of the Spirit, want to be right with God, they therefore long for a righteousness, to justify them before God; and for holiness, to fit them to live in the presence of God. If you are alive, you feed on the bread of life, which is Christ Jesus. The Lord Jesus Christ, you feel to be as necessary for your soul, as food is for your body; and as you daily need food, you must be daily fed in order to live, so you feel that you daily need Christ, and must exercise faith in him. If you are alive, you will be found working for God, for all who are taught by the Holy Spirit, are desirous above all things else, to glorify and praise God; and they can only glorify and praise him, by doing and suffering his holy will, with zeal and patience. I will not be tedious, let me then without adducing any more proofs of life, ask you to judge, and decide your case by these.

Put these ques

tions to your conscience, slowly, seriously, and as if a matter of the greatest importance was to be decided by your reply. Do you pray? Is prayer become to you as natural as breathing? Do you pray alone? Do you pray in your family? Do you pray in the house of God? Do you feel that you may as well try to live without breathing, as without praying? Do you hunger and thirst after righteousness? Have you discovered that your nature is depraved, and needs to be purified by the gracious operations of the Holy Spirit? And, do you daily desire to be found in Christ, not having on your own righteousness, but his; and do you earnestly seek to enjoy the renewings of the Holy Ghost, that so you may not only have a title to heaven, but be prepared to dwell there in perfect holiness for ever? Do you feed on Christ? Is he often in your thoughts, and do thoughts of Christ revive, refresh, and strengthen your soul; as good food does the body of the hungry man? Are you living for God, desiring to please him, and endeavouring to serve him in your day and generation? If in answer to these questions, you can say, yes-then no doubt but you are alive. Or, if from timidity, you can only say, "Well, though I dare not positively say it is so, yet I can say, that it is my daily prayer and desire that it may be so,"-then in your case there is a comfortable reason to conclude that you are alive; but suffer the

word of exhortation, be not satisfied where you are, or with what you have attained, but give all diligence, to make your calling and election sure.

Are you SAFE? Have you carefully examined into your state, and can you on scriptural grounds conclude that you are safe? You cannot be safe, except you are in Christ. As there was no safety for Noah, when the flood came on the earth, but in the ark; so there will be no safety for the sinner, when the last fire consumes all things on earth, but in Christ. Noah was taught that he would need that ark, he was made willing to enter into that ark, and he actually entered the ark, and was shut in there; so we must feel that we need a Saviour, we must be made willing to come to Jesus, we must actually come to him, and we must venture our souls upon him, and become united to him, before we can be safe. We may hear of Christ, we may read of Christ, we may talk of Christ, we may attend to the ordinances of Christ, and yet not be in union with Christ; but unless we are united to Christ by a living faith; we are not, we cannot be safe. Are you then, my reader, in Christ? Do you remember when you were without Christ-when you first began to feel your need of Christ-when morning, noon, and night, you were thinking about Christwhen your principal fear was, lest you should not be received and saved by Christ-when