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sealing testimony of the Spirit of God is the earnest of our inheritance; for it is by divine sensation and feeling, comfort and consolation is produced in a secret way and manner in my heart, that the world is altogether a stranger to. Now the voice of many ministers, if they are right, Paul is wrong: they say, if you live above every thing, live down every thing, do away with sighing, crying, groaning, doubts and fears, suspicions and complaints, live them down, rise above them; no, says Paul, it is not so, we ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves." I am glad Paul acknowledges so much, as though he had said, a man having the first-fruits of the Spirit, while in a time-state, in consequence of the weight of unbelief, in consequence of Adam's fall, sin and transgression, does from time to time groan. The Lord delights to hear our groans; it proves to a demonstration, that we are not independents, that we are debtors, dependants, that we cannot rise, cannot live, cannot come into the joy of the Lord, which is our strength, without divine help from God our Father, through the Lord Jesus Christ; yes, says Paul, we groan within ourselves, what for? waiting for the adoption, that is, the redemption of our bodies. What is it? It reaches to body and soul, "waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our bodies." How far Dr. Hawker may be correct, I do not know: in speaking upon sanctification he says, that the body of man is just what it was; that God's work of grace in the soul has nothing whatever to do with the body, that remaineth a filthy, vile, polluted body; that it would do no better when old, than when first called by divine grace; now it is said, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, body, soul and spirit." Perhaps he runs it up in this point, that

it is the self same body that shall be raised in the resurrection, when this mortal shall put on immortality. In that very change, what sanctification, what a spiritual body in a little time is brought forth, when my vile body, according to nature, shall be fashioned like Christ's glorious body. so I may enjoy God, soul and body, to a vast eternity, without a veil between.

Paul says in one of his epistles, in speaking of the adoption of which we are the subjects, that it is founded on divine predestination. Paul never put the cause for the effect, or the effect for the cause. Being predestinated according to our Father's will, being predestinated to the adoption of children, adoption is an emanate act, being in God's own vast eternal mind, a relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ; ye are children of God by adoption, by election grace, which we had before we had a being. Men make no distinction here in speaking of the people of God. Some men in these days make no distinction between the children of God by gift, and the children of God by faith the scriptures do: "behold I, and the children thou hast given me." God in his choice, choosing some of Adam's race, in the Lord Jesus as Mediator, and it is this adoption that is the grand reason or cause why the Spirit of God is given in time, to have the Spirit of adoption, to give me to know my relationship to God and his Christ; so they were known to themselves, "waiting for the adoption," adoption," "predestinated to be children;" then if predestinated, we belong to the vast great family of God. What am I predestinated to have? Jehovah for my inheritance, and for me to be his; predestinated so for God to count and reckon me. as his inheritance: "the Lord's portion is his people, Jacob is the lot of his inheritance;" so we hear not David, but David's Lord saying, "The lines are fallen to me in plea sant places; I have a goodly heri

out "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified." But, oh, what a display of sovereign discriminating grace, that just at the time, yea, at the very moment, when, in our apprehension, we were sinking into deep waters, where there was no standing for our feet, we heard the blissful sound, sweeter than ten thousand harps to our guilty souls, "Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom." The redemption of our souls from the bitter pains of eternal death, demanded no less a price than the suffering life, ignominious death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in his own person hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And do mark, I entreat you, the deliverance of a sinner from merited condemnation, is so mysteriously glorious in design and accomplishment, that angels are ever learning from the church the manifold wisdom of God. But, alas, with this fact before my eyes, what coldness and carnality my daily experience is made up of; one would suppose that those who have seen the King in his beauty, and who have felt the resurrection power of the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, would, with the most intense ardour, be pressing towards the mark for the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus; but it is far otherwise, at least it is so with me; what with the lawful demand of time required to fulfil the various duties of life, the cruel suggestions and satanic influence of the prince of darkness, and the natural tendency of my own heart to cleave to the things which perish with the using I have but a very small portion of my time left to the contemplation and enjoyment of heavenly realities. Last evening I visited Mary Ann, and, according to appearances, she is now on the verge of a blissful im

mortality. Her illness has been long and painful, and during the whole time she has been so highly favoured with such direct and blessed manifestations of her interest in all that Christ is, and in all that he has done as the Head over all things to his church, that she has proved a real blessing to almost every branch of the family, as well as to others who have visited her. I could not but discover the impression of the finger of death visibly upon her countenance, but, at the same time, the joy of heaven, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding most blessedly enjoyed. She said, in reply to a question, she was strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Methinks at such a sight the stoutest rebel and most daring infidel would grow pale, and his limbs tremble beneath him. The already wasted frame of the afflicted one, the quivering lip, the faultering voice, and the inward struggling of the heaven-born spirit to breathe out of the abundance of the heart the heavenly glories let down into her soul, proclaims, with the still small voice of the Spirit of the living God, that "All things were her's, whether Paul or Cephas, life or death, things present or things to come, all were her's, for she was Christ's, and Christ was God's." Scenes like this prove to demonstration that the faith of God's elect is no fiction, but a divine reality. In the land of uprightness, perhaps, the soul dead in tresspasses and in sins, may, under the influence of a false peace, sustain his supposed strength and confidence, but the moment the valley of the shadow of death is in view, the affrighted sinner falls back, and would fain call upon the rocks and the mountains to conceal him from the wrath of the Lamb, and, if possible, from the terrors of a guilty conscience: not so with that poor sinner in whose heart Christ is formed the hope of glory, for in the midst

THE BENEFIT OF AFFLICTIONS.

MANY and various are the advantages that may be derived from afflictions, when under the particular direction and sanctifying operations of the eternal Spirit. Those who have been visited by them, may have cause to say with David, "It is good for me that I was afflicted; for before I was afflicted I went astray, but now do I learn thy law :" at such seasons we are secluded from the trifling vanities of time and sense, and from the allurements of the world, which frequently, in a state of prosperity, engage our attention we are then led to that very useful and important business of self-examination, and to enquire into the real state of our souls; to seek support from an omnipotent arm, under a full persuasion of his ability and power to save; then it is we can recollect the various interpositions of his kind providence, the innumerable instances of his favours, and the tokens of his unbounded love; these will cause us to say, "I cried unto thee, O Lord, and thou hearedst me." These, and such like reflections will undoubtedly beget in the soul a sense of gratitude and holy confidence, that will encourage it to draw nigh unto a throne of grace in every time of need; to plead importunately before God in prayer, being determined not to let him go without bestowing a blessing. How ravishing, how transporting, will the smiles of his love appear, when he breaks in upon the happy soul with the light of his reconciled countenance, disperses every cloud, and sweetly whispers, "I am thy God, be not dismayed; I am thy Saviour, underneath thee are the everlasting arms, and thy place of defence shall be the munition of rocks." Then will the soul be willing to make an entire surrender of itself to God; without the least reserve the language of the heart will then be,

"Bind me, O Lord, with cords to the horns of thine altar;" thus will it stand unshaken, amidst the vari ous vicissitudes and trials in life, experiencing the words of a celebrated • author, A soul in commerce with her God in heaven, feels not the tumults nor the shocks of life: it shall prove triumphant in the hour of death, and by the eye of faith shall see Jesus stand with open arms, ready to receive the departing spirit into the embraces of his everlasting love; to join the favoured throng, in making the arches of hea ven to echo with their hallelujahs.'

A. P.

SPIRITUAL CORRESPONDENCE.
My dear Friend,

I SHOULD have written to you long before this, had not indisposition of body, and a variety of other circumstances prevented me; indeed, I find it not a very easy matter to maintain a happy position in the divine life, and to urge my way onward through evil and through good report, looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, even Jesus, the Friend that loveth at all times, the Brother born for adversity. It is now upwards of thirty years since I tasted the Lord to be gracious, and during that time, oh, how many have been my sine and transgressions; indeed they exceed all human calculations; they have heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths that no finite line can measure them, and were it not for the blessed truth, "That the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sins," there would be nothing else before me but blackness and darkness for ever.

It is a mercy, an unspeakable mercy to have our eyes opened to behold wondrous things out of God's law, under the influence of which we are constrained to cry

out"Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified." But, oh, what a display of sovereign discriminating grace, that just at the time, yea, at the very moment, when, in our apprehension, we were sinking into deep waters, where there was no standing for our feet, we heard the blissful sound, sweeter than ten thousand harps to our guilty souls, "Deliver him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom." The redemption of our souls from the bitter pains of eternal death, demanded no less a price than the suffering life, ignominious death, and glorious resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who, in his own person hath abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And do mark, I entreat you, the deliverance of a sinner from merited condemnation, is so mysteriously glorious in design and accomplishment, that angels are ever learning from the church the manifold wisdom of God. But, alas, with this fact before my eyes, what coldness and carnality my daily experience is made up of; one would suppose that those who have seen the King in his beauty, and who have felt the resurrection power of the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world, would, with the most intense ardour, be pressing towards the mark for the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus; but it is far otherwise, at least it is so with me; what with the lawful demand of time required to fulfil the various duties of life, the cruel suggestions and satanic influence of the prince of darkness, and the natural tendency of my own heart to cleave to the things which perish with the using I have but a very small portion of my time left to the contemplation and enjoyment of heavenly realities.

.

Last evening I visited Mary Ann, and, according to appearances, she is now on the verge of a blissful im

mortality. Her illness has been long and painful, and during the whole time she has been so highly favoured with such direct and blessed manifestations of her interest in all that Christ is, and in all that he has done as the Head over all things to his church, that she has proved a real blessing to almost every branch of the family, as well as to others who have visited her. I could not but discover the impression of the finger of death visibly upon her countenance, but, at the same time, the joy of heaven, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding most blessedly enjoyed. She said, in reply to a question, she was strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Methinks at such a sight the stoutest rebel and most daring infidel would grow pale, and his limbs tremble beneath him. The already wasted frame of the afflicted one, the quivering lip, the faultering voice, and the inward struggling of the heaven-born spirit to breathe out of the abundance of the heart the heavenly glories let down into her soul, proclaims, with the still small voice of the Spirit of the living God, that "All things were her's, whether Paul or Cephas, life or death, things present or things to come, all were her's, for she was Christ's, and Christ was God's." Scenes like this prove to demonstration that the faith of God's elect is no fiction, but a divine reality. In the land of uprightness, perhaps, the soul dead in tresspasses and in sins, may, under the influence of a false peace, sustain his supposed strength and confidence, but the moment the valley of the shadow of death is in view, the affrighted sinner falls back, and would fain call upon the rocks and the mountains to conceal him from the wrath of the Lamb, and, if possible, from the terrors of a guilty conscience: not so with that poor sinner in whose heart Christ is formed the hope of glory, for in the midst

of all his fears and misgivings, and the cruel suggestions of the prince of darkness, his refuge is in God, who hath said, "The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool, but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembleth at my word." Oh, what a mercy is divine instruction. This is one of the blessings of the everlasting covenant which is ordered in all things and sure; hence it is written, "All thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children."

Many years have now passed away since the first ray of heavenly light rested its benign influence upon my dark understanding, under which I then beheld all things, both within and without, with new eyes, new feelings, and with new desires. Oh,

how did my soul rejoice, when the Holy Spirit applied, with divine power, the atoning blood of the Lord Jesus Christ to my sin-stained conscience, whereby my captivity, as a condemned criminal, was exchanged for the liberty of a child, redeemed, accepted and blest. My soul can never forget the wormwood and the gall of my natural state, nor the sweetness and glory that overwhelmed my spirit when Jesus was gracious enough to shew his heart was mine, and to whisper that I am his.

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the truth: says Paul," My temptation, which was in the flesh, ye despised not, nor rejected, but received me as an angel of God,” Gal. iv. 14, that is, they were so taken with him, that they could see no more faults in him, than if he was in a state of more than human, yea, of angelical purity. Thus you will be apt to think ministers above your prayers, that they do not need them.

Secondly, Take heed you do not undervalue ministers. St. Paul soon found this also, for in the very next verse he cries out, "Where is then the blessedness you spoke of? for I bear you record, that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.” But now they found other use for their eyes, they were quick-sighted to his faults; they judged him an enemy; their ears were open to hear any evil of him, and their tongues were loosed to speak against him. But why all this? Truly they had been set against him by false tales told of him, they had lost their first love to him, they undervalued him, and therefore they had lost the power of praying for him. Well, but consider, are ministers your brethren? Do they watch for your souls? Do they labour for your spiritual health and salvation? Do they this, being bur dened? Do you know something of this from the feeling and experience of your own wicked hearts? Judge then from all this, is not the exhortation seasonable? Is not the duty reasonable, that you should have such affection for, and such compassion for your ministers, as to comply with their earnest request, Brethren, pray for us.'

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A FRAGMENT.

W. M.

He is no true believer to whom sin is not the greatest burden, sor row, and trouble.

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