tisement it had provoked, or at the breaking up of a backsliding it had brought on, that it should be cut off and cast away? But the casting away, has not followed the cutting off. The hand has held it, after the heart condemned it. It has got back to its old place again, either by some ligament which was left uncut, or under the promise that it would no longer betray us.

Why is it, that neither the experience of ages, even when its warnings become proverbs; nor our own experience, even when it is bitter, has power enough to correct what they thus condemn? Why are we so slow to do and become, all that we feel we ought to do and be? This is not explained by saying, that nothing but the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit can subdue our faults. That is very true but it was equally true years ago; and yet, in some things, we are as faulty as

ever. Thus, the Spirit does not touch them, when we let them alone: except, indeed, when He strikes at them by the sharp rods of providence, or frowns upon them by dark clouds of desertion; and neither of these modes of communicating sanctifying grace is "joyous, but grievous," however it may yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness afterwards.

It is very easy to talk fine things about sanctifying grace: but the sober truth is, that that grace is just Divine power giving effect to the gospel itself, or to providence along with the gospel, or to eternal things along with both. The Spirit works by them all in turn, and by them all together; but never without any of them. He may begin sanctification by affliction, whilst the gospel is not much known: or he may begin it by the gospel, whilst affliction is quite unknown: but He will not carry it on long in either way. He will lead out the

afflicted to the Cross of Christ more fully; or He will lay some cross upon the believing, when their faith itself becomes less purifying. This is the general rule of both the work and the witness of the Holy Spirit. Whilst His right hand is for ever glorifying Christ by the gospel, His left is often doing the same by the furnace. He thus sanctifies by the truth, and by providence.

There is, however, a way of carrying on sanctification, without much affliction.

There

is a "needs be" for some, in the case of all Christians; and, accordingly, all are chastised more or less. "For, what son is he" (or what daughter is she) "whom the Father chasteneth not?" Still, as the whole and sole object of chastisement is, the taking away of sin, or the promotion of holiness; that object may be secured in some degree by other means. Indeed, God prefers other means to the rod,

when they answer the purpose. Judgment is always His "strange work," even in sanctification. I mean, He does not "afflict willingly." Let any sin be really given up, or any neglected duty taken up, on the ground of any holy motive whatever, and He can dispense with the rod. Yea, He will be delighted to have, thus, no occasion to use it. Well; the con

templation of "ETERNAL THINGS can supersede the necessity of temporal affliction, and especially of spiritual calamity, in many cases.

Did you ever observe this fact in your Bible? If not, you have a new and a noble lesson to learn. I say 66 noble," because if the sight of the words ETERNAL THINGS, suggest to your mind only dismal, or dark, or even awful ideas, you have yet to study the subject. All eternal things are, indeed, solemn so are all the perfections of God; so are all the glories of the Lamb: so are all the sweet

influences of the Holy Spirit: but their solemnity does not detract from their sweetness. It heightens their beauty by hallowing it. And had you contemplated eternity, as you have the Divine character, "in the face of Jesus," the light of its glory, instead of intimidating you, would have charmed or soothed you. Eternal things present no dark side, to a woman who loves holiness, and desires to feel their sanctifying influence upon herself. She is as welcome to look upon them without fear, as to look unto Jesus with hope. Her hope may be as full of immortality, as it is full of Christ.

Do

you doubt this at all? Just observe, for a moment, how John proves it, when he directs our attention to the second coming of Christ. That glorious appearing of the great God, our Saviour, has nothing appalling, in John's account of it. He is referring to it for sanctify