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Surely we are most brutish, and have not the understanding of a man. We have neither learned wisdom, nor have we the knowledge of the holy."*

It is of the infinite love and forbearance of a glorious threefold Jehovah, that we are not cut off in the very moment, that with vain and sinful curiosity, we attempt to investigate the "secret things" of divine Omnipotence, with our corrupt, perverted, and finite u nderstandings; while we stupidly neglect the many revealed truths, "which belong unto us, and to our children for ever."+ Gracious Saviour! renew us in the spirit of our minds by the Holy Ghost, that we may never again yield to intellectual pride, by engaging in bold and unprofitable speculations upon the deep things of our God; but may we ever remember, that it is thy peculiar province to open the mysteries of the heavenly kingdom; and sit in child-like simplicity at thy blessed feet, under thy easy yoke, learning meekness and lowliness of heart from thy divine example; and feeling the power and sweetness of thy precious words, which flowed from thy lips like drops of sweet-smelling myrrh, and pure frankinWork in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure, that we may acquire an experimental knowledge of the doctrines of the everlasting gospel and may thy love so constrain us, that we shall desire more to have our hearts subdued, made

cense.

* Prov. xxx. 2, 3.

+ Deut. xxix. 29.

susceptible of holy impressions, humble, and contrite, than to "speak with the tongues of men and angels, and to understand all mysteries."* Create in us a true hunger and thirst after righteousness, that we may learn to know thee as our Maker, covenant-head, elder brother, law-fulfiller, prophet, and Redeemer; our conqueror over the world, the flesh, and the devil, death and the grave; our HighPriest and King; our hope and consolation in this vale of tears; and our fruition of joy and bliss through all the endless ages of eternity. Deliver us from every unholy propensity, and from that haughty, vain-glorious, insatiable Leviathan, self, which dwells and reigns in every human bosom. Preserve us from that spurious faith, which is the offspring of arrogance and self-will; and bestow upon us the genuine faith of God's elect, which works by love, and passively acquiesces in the dispensations of the Father; who, after the counsel of his own supreme will, causes all things to work together for the good of his beloved children. Pour upon us a spirit of prayer and supplication, of meekness, love, power, and of a sound mind; that communion with thee, our divine Saviour, may be the element in which our souls live, and thy holy word our continual sustenance and delight: "sweeter than honey and the honey-comb," and refreshing as "spiced wine of the juice of the

* 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2.

pomegranate."* ."* May we so realize our union with thee, the source of all spiritual blessings, that being knit to our glorious head, "and by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered," we may be filled with the marrow and fatness of gospel riches, "and our bones flourish like a herb ;"+ while we shed the sweet and heavenly fragrance of thy precious name all around, by a holy life and

conversation.

They who have had a glimpse of the beauties of holiness in thee, our glorious Immanuel, and who have contrasted thy inherent perfections and spotless purity with their own sinfulness and universal pollution, bewail the late attempt of the enemy of souls, to undermine the foundation upon which they stand for eternity. Lord! we would raise the exceeding loud and bitter cry of thine elect: "Avenge us of our adversary!" Destroy, with the breath of thy mouth, that blasphemous doctrine, which would impute peccability to the immaculate substitute of redeemed sinners! In thine ancient church, a tree which was but an emblem of our life-giving, soul-sustaining vine, when cast into the waters of Marah made them sweet: oh! suffer not our inveterate foe to fling gall and wormwood into the pure "river of life," with a design to render its streams bitter! Give thy misguided children wisdom and discernment * Songs, viii. 2. + Col. ii. 19. Isaiah, lxvi. 14.

to detect the counterfeits and subtleties with which

Satan is leading them into false paths, and endeavouring, if possible, to defraud them of their inheritance. In all ages of the world, he has left no means untried which his craftiness could suggest, to counteract the glorious work of redemption, and to intercept our views of thy beauty and dignity; but his late attempt to sully thy undefiled flesh and blood, is the most ingeniously contrived web that he has ever spun for the entanglement of souls. "May the net which he has spread catch himself; into that very destruction may he fall!"*"Arise, oh! thou God of Jeshurun; all-conquering warrior, who ridest upon the heavens in our help, and in thine excellency on the sky!"+ "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh with thy glory and majesty ;"‡ contend with the usurper and terrible one, and deliver the souls which the Father hath given thee for an everlasting portion out of his hands! Root out this false doctrine, which has been "privily brought in,"§ and which is stealing through the land, while its advocates are deceived into a belief that they are establishing pure churches, and doing thee service. Many are so intoxicated with the strong delusions of the father of lies, that they cannot listen to the words of truth and soberness; but, if thou whisper to their consciences in thy sweet,

* Ps. xxxv. S.

+ Deut. xxxiii. 26.

2 Peter, ii. 1.

Ps. xlv. 3.

still, small voice, they must hear thee! Radiate their souls with the light of thy salvation, oh! thou bright and glorious "Morning Star," that the mists of error may be dispelled, the frauds of Satan made manifest, and every imaginary virtue disappear, in which he has been building up his captives. Beholding themselves in the clear transparent mirror of thy intrinsic purity and holiness, may they discover the mystery of iniquity which dwells in the secret recesses of their own bosoms,-the inherent pollution which is incorporated in every particle of their sinful nature, and renounce every false view, which could lead them to suppose that the armour of flesh and blood in which thou didst fight our battles, was as fallen and corrupt as the vile body of sin and death, from which it was one object of thy glorious incarnation to deliver us. In thy immaculate person, all divine and human perfections are blended together in sweet harmony, like the colours of "the bow in the cloud, in the day of rain ;"* while our mouldering houses of clay are diseased with a fretting leprosy. We may scrape them round about, and pour out the dust and take other stones and mortar, and plaster them up; but the plague of sin breaks out again and again :—there is no remedy but dissolution; they must be broken down, and the stones, timber, and mortar carried forth out of the city into an unclean place. While we are + Lev. xiv. 40-45.

* Ezek. i. 28.