had declared he never would leave his Lord. But the whole stock of our strength is weaker than infant weakness; and if the Lord for a very small moment forsakes the greatest believers, they will soon manifest that they are less than the least. All the temptations of Satan are intended to seduce and draw the mind away from God, to a remissness in religious duties, into an unwatchful and trifling conduct, into a dalliance with that which is sinful, into a coldness of affection towards Jesus and his church, into an unconcern about his invaluable truth, to an inclination after the world, to a temporizing and an accommodating the doctrines of grace, to a carelessness about the work of God in the soul, and the prosperity of Zion, and the kingly government of Christ in the world, in the church, and the heart.

3. A word or two upon the wise direction given-" Pray that you enter not into temptation." We are always in danger, and require the high hand of God to uphold; and he that thinks himself sufficiently strong to keep out temptation, has not learned the humbling lesson of his own perfect weakness, nor the first rudiments of real religion. The prodigal recollected there was an abundance of bread in his father's house; this raised a hope in his breast, and prompted him to take a journey home, and he meets with success. And it is the fulness of grace in Christ, that all our strength to resist temptation must be derived from; and this tempted souls are to pray for, not that they may not be tempted, but that they may not enter into temptation, that they may not be entangled in his traps, that his baits may not take them. It is the disciples which are addressed, the followers of Jesus, whom Satan incessantly annoys by allurements, promises, flatteries, and pleasures of all kinds. But many of the redeemed of the Lord have most painfully learnt, that listening, parleying, or complying with his enticements, have been followed with bitter remorse, the loss of the light of God's countenance, a heavy load upon the heart, a wounded spirit, an accusing conscience, and a dread of death. Bitter weeping followed the entering of temptation into Peter, and broken bones the sweet singer of Israel. But I shall exceed the limits allowed in your publication. May the Lord preserve his people in every hour of trial, make his ministers humble, watchful, and prayerful; feeling their own weakness, and God's greater strength. "Pray that ye enter not into temptation."

Hampstead.

JAMES.

FRAGMENT.

FAITH and conversion are the manifestative evidences of that love which God had to his people from everlasting, and when they were dead in trespasses and sins. Faith is that messenger which brings to the soul the knowledge of its reconciliation with God, and union with Christ; and conversion proves the truth of faith; a great number believed and turned unto the Lord," Acts xi. 21.

ORIGINAL ESSAYS.

LXIV.

THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER DELINEATED UPON EVANGELICAL PRINCIPLES.

FIFTH ESSAY.

THE Condition of all the creatures of God is alike by nature; and the case of all the saints is exactly similar in the world of spirituality. When I say exactly the same, I mean in a moral and spiritual sense, not in a natural or civil one, because it has pleased God to choose from amongst men the great and the noble of the earth, and those distinctions which are created by him are not lost when such persons are made partakers of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. But whatever distinctions of this nature may be observed amongst the followers of the Lamb, there is a sense in which they are exactly alike. Every true believer approaches the throne of God in the same manner and upon the same principle. He is a child of God, approaching the mercy-seat, to ask of him that favour which maketh rich without any sorrow. None of these people who appear here are natively rich, great, or good, but all of them are needy, empty, poor, and mean; so that we may safely conclude that every heir of the kingdom of heaven is standing upon the same level, and their praying to God to be merciful to them, is positive proof that they can neither deserve nor demand it.

The great Redeemer is the wisdom and the power of God; he is also said to be the wisdom of his people. The darkness of the human mind is chased away wherever Jesus is made known by the Spirit, by whose testimony the heirs of grace learn their interest in the love of God, and receive the Spirit, peculiar to the relationship to which they are adopted. Apart from the testimony of the Spirit no one can know that he is a child of God; but when he enters the mind in the merit and influence of the accomplished redemption of Christ, he pours light upon the understanding, our eyes are opened, and the day dawn that arises to set no more, unveils the reality and eternity of truth. However fast the man may be bound in his native chains, and entrenched within his own sinful fortifications, the implantation of a principle of spiritual life and activity which he receives from the hand of the merciful Redeemer, a discovery of his true state and condition-these are the means by which his fetters are broken off, and his supposed fortress is reduced and rased to the foundation. The heavenly light which fills the mind presents the Saviour before his eyes, and the holy sensibility of his heart prompts to cleave to his person with sacred delight. Being made wise unto salvation, he will take the lowest form in the school of Christ, considering that he is the chief of sinners. He welcomes the message

of mercy in the gospel, and when he reads or hears the word preached, he is by the Spirit drawn out of self to live by faith upon the inexhaustible fulness of Christ. Through all the scenes of life he steers his course by the rule of righteousness. In every difficulty that affects him he unbosoms himself to God, and he finds the name of the Lord to be a strong rock, to which he may continually resort. He reads his election of God to eternal life in Christ Jesus, by his separation from this present evil world. The church of the most high God has his warmest affection, and although he discerns that he shall soon leave that part of it which is beneath the skies, he is not ignorant of that important truth, namely, that the holy and interesting relationship formed by divine grace, will continue in existence so long as the throne of God will endure. Who that is acquainted with the nature of divine truth is not smitten to wonder at and admire the wisdom and the power of God, which has drawn together in and through Jesus Christ a countless host of guilty sinners, so that their interest is one, and their circumstances are alike. The iniquities of these people are removed, and their crimes are atoned for by the blood of Christ; their persons are sanctified in and for him, and all their wants are supplied. There is not any thing which can be compared to the love of God in Christ Jesus, because there is nothing which is equal to it.

This world is not the home of the christian, nor is he desirous always to dwell in it. There is a hope laid up for him in heaven, and he is now in pursuit of it. He does not consider himself already perfect, but reaching after the promised prize, he hopes to gain the summit of purity and perfection at the time appointed. Again we are reminded that every christian is alike circumstanced. One may ride in his carriage, while the other is necessitated to pursue his lawful calling upon foot; but both of them are seeking something better than what is to be found upon earth. There is a stability in the life of a christian by which he evinces that he is truly in earnest, and that his best treasure being placed above the skies, his heart is now already with it. A good man is not one of those false lights which make a glaring shew for a short season, and it is then extinguished for ever-no. But the grace which enkindled the flame of devotion in his heart, will keep it burning until the purpose for which it was first lighted shall be accomplished. There is a certain childishness about some of the professors of christianity, that a discerning and decided christian will turn away from with disgust. I venerate the man whose upright life developes his stable and unalterable attachment to the person, sceptre, and government of the Lord Jesus Christ. The convulsions of life will frequently affect the christian in this world, and he will be attacked repeatedly by Satan, who is an unwearied adversary; but he will obtain strength for the conflict from Christ the Redeemer, and he will come out of all his distresses in an honourable way, to shew what wonders grace can achieve. A good man will never use sinful means to extricate himself from difficulty, for he well knows that if he could obtain relief in that

way he would thereby expose himself to greater and sorer trials. He will commit his way to the Lord, and patiently wait until he shall bring it to pass. A christian who is subject to wavering in his practice will expose himself to great trouble, and he will often be a cause of grief to his brethren; but he who follows Christ in the regeneration, although the quantity of his present comfort may not be great, and he may unjustly suffer from his friends, yet he cannot resign his practices, for he is sure that if he were to do so he would sin against God. When David and his companions pursued the Amalekites to recover their wives and their property, some of his men were disposed to withhold the spoils obtained in battle from those who were faint and who tarried by the stuff; but David said, "Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the Lord hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand; for who will hearken unto you in this matter; but as is his part that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff, they shall part alike."

To bow before the throne of grace is the common privilege of the whole family of God; nor do they attend to this duty in a carnal, mercenary, worldly spirit; united to Jesus in heart and affection, they gladly embrace the opportunity to ask of God the mercy which he has promised to reveal, and to look for a supply of all their needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And when he cannot pray for himself as he desires to do, he will frequently take up the case of his suffering brethren, and present it by faith to God. In this he will imitate the conduct of the Lord of life. Such services are well pleasing to God, and they are acceptable to men. Besides this, it may be, that while we are praying for our brethren in distress, God may favour us with nearness of access to himself, and fill our souls with heavenly pleasure; and if he should not afford us immediate sensible intercourse with himself, we are doing our duty; and as for the comfort that will result from it, that is entirely at his disposal. The whole family of heaven have an imperative claim upon him for his prayers to God on their behalf. The prayers of the just man, presented to God in the name and merit of Jesus, are never forgotten by him. No man has sustained any loss by praying to God, but thousands have been extensively blessed in this holy employment. When a good man takes up the case of the whole church in prayer, he is acting in concert with the direction of Christ, when he told his disciples to pray, Thy kingdom come;" and there are seasons when he is closeted with his Maker, while he is pleading of the promises of grace for the visible extension of the kingdom of Christ, that the ties of grace which unite the mind to God are so forcibly felt, that he is like the enraptured of old, "He finds it good to be there." We further observe, that every breath of prayer which we draw, is directly opposed to the being and reign of sin; and he who is the most frequently employed in this spiritual exercise, will find that God makes use of it to deliver the heart from the prevalence of evil. We shall not go too far when we say, that those persons who

66

are seldom found with God in their closets, are the least inclined to this important duty in public; and when they do engage in it with their brethren, their coldness and distance from God will be easily discerned by the confusion and perplexity which ever attend them. That man who lives near to God, will grow increasingly like to the Redeemer in the whole tenor of his conduct. The young christian is often encouraged and strengthened by the prayers of those who have stood some years in the divine life. The comprehensive knowledge of the truth which such persons possess, is of service to themselves, as well as being beneficial to the minds of the babes in grace. The life of a christian is very important; and who that considers the importance of wearing the name, and bearing the likeness of the Lord Jesus, but must be greatly concerned that there should not be any just cause in him that the enemies of christianity can censure or condemn.

Those persons who know something of themselves, will not be disposed to commend their own wisdom, or confide in themselves. Relying upon the arm of God, they are supported to walk through this world with a degree of comfort and safety; they are not disposed to the vanities of time, although they feel the allurements of them. The book of the heart is read by them with care, and their attention is often called home by what they see in it. A christian is not an idle spectator of what passess before his eyes, but he is a careful observer of all the events of life: every revolution of the vast machinery of nature, grace, and providence, fulfils the purpose of Jehovah's will. The mysterious and that which is more easy employs his mind and gains his attention; he thereby learns his frailty and weakness, and confides in the goodness and mercy of God. This knowledge will be employed in watching over the weak in the household of faith, and in tenderly caring for them, as a nurse watcheth over and careth for her children. The weakness of the saints will not be exposed by him, for he knows that "the Lord can uphold them." It is very pleasing to trace in the people of God their relation to each other; the similarity of their wants and of their circumstances will induce them to shew to each other those kindnesses and those attentions that are peculiar to their spiritual state of being. In the course of a good man's pilgrimage from earth to heaven, he will meet with many travellers to that blessed world who are not equally strong in the faith which is in Christ Jesus; but he will cheerfully lend an helping hand to his brother, and he will encourage him to wait upon and to confide in the Lord. There are some pilgrims who learn the will of God concerning of them in Christ Jesus very slowly; but they have strength enough given to them to wait at the foot of the throne of grace, and by their lingering there they shew that the Lord has sanctified their hearts to feel their wickedness and to lament the being of it, together with a feeble desire to be found accepted in the Beloved. It is the most difficult part of a christian's conduct practically to submit to the decision of God, and to be heartily contented with the portion that he has assigned to him.