enemy without, and the distressing fears "within, so very desirable; that you regret the "close of the campaign? Oh! how much "the reverse! And who knows but that the gracious Lord, reading in the index, the "whole volume of this infant's life, in mercy "shut the book, to stop at once the parent's "anxiety, and her offspring's sufferings. Thus "then, here is at once a whole chapter of "mercies; mercies to the old, mercies to the *6 young; and nothing but mercy to all, both "in time and eternity. And where is the cruel "parent, that would retard the flight of his "child under such circumstances; and hinder "it from taking wing, to meet the Lord in "the air? Surely, might the infant say, in just reproof to such mistaken fondness; if ye "loved me, ye would rejoice, because I go to 66 my Father! "And what if we reverse the circumstances, "(for grace is not hereditary) let that parent "determine, for none else can determine, what "it must be to see a graceless child rising up in "life, in spite of all our remonstrances, all our prayers at once regardless of his present peace, and future happiness.-Oh! how "awful!" 66 THE SUICIDE. As my friend uttered these words, a crowd of persons ran across the street in which we were walking, which excited our curiosity to inquire into the cause. The information was a sad one,A youth, it seemed, unable to brook the various disappointments, which a long. pampered habit of false education had induced, dared to defy Omnipotence, by putting a period to his earthly existence. The crowd was running to behold, the unhappy object.. As for me and my companion, we both stood motionless, struck with horror. At length my friend recovered himself and broke silence. "Dread "Lord!" (he cried) "what an awful world is "this, through which Thy people are passing! "How close we walk on the confines of ever lasting misery, while in the very moment we "are the monuments of Thy saving mercy!" -"Blessed GOD, (he exclaimed) write, I be"seech Thee, that solemn truth upon my heart; they that are kept, are kept by the power of GOD through faith unto salvation." "Oh! what a lesson is here, my brother, (he "cried) for the sorrowful mother whom we just now noticed! And what would this young man's parents give (for perhaps he 66 may have both to survive him) had her case "been their's !". My heart was too full to reply. I felt all that kind of sensation which the poet entered into, in the contemplation of a subject so hopeless and awful, when he said Then if it be an awful thing to die, scene. As if we challeng'd Him to do His worst, BLAIR'S GRAve. It was some time before I prevailed on myself to remove from the spot of this awful But at length I caught the arm of my companion, and we walked away together towards the end of the street, which terminated in the fields. We had a considerable space, gone without any conversation; the minds of both being, I imagined, fully absorbed in ruminating on a subject, that was beyond all others the most distressing! For my part, the circumstance had awakened in my breast a train of thoughts, which tended to dissipate all my newformed hopes. What (I said to myself) if an end so horrible should be at length the termination of my pilgrimage? What if all my fond desires of grace should ultimately prove a delusion? Are the people of GOD exposed to such overwhelming temptations of the enemy? May they really be awakened to the life of GoD in the soul, and yet finally fall away? I found these, and the like distrustful questions, involuntarily arising in my mind, and inducing much anxiety; when my friend, as if privy to what passed within me, broke silence. "How gracious (he exclaimed) is our GoD, in "the midst of such awful judgments, as are "walking by our side through the world, to ❝evidence of that scripture; A thousand shall "fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right "hand, but it shall not come nigh thee: only "with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the "reward of the wicked ?* Oh! it is a blessed, "soul-reviving thought, amidst all the melan choly proofs around us that we are passing "through the enemy's territories, that there is "a gracious nevertheless in the covenant which 66 screens us from his malice. Nevertheless (says the Apostle) the foundation of GoD "standeth sure, having this seal; the LORD "knoweth them that are His. Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert " to them from the face of the spoiler. This is "enough. Outcasts, and sometimes considered "as the offscouring of all things, they are. But "still they are GOD's outcasts. Tempted they may be, and certainly will; but conquered "they shall not. And could a looker-on but see objects spiritually, he would discover, as "the impious monarch of old did, One walk❝ing with His people in the hottest furnace, "that even the smell of fire may not pass upon "them." "You very much rejoice my heart (I replied) by what you say. My fears were all "alive in the view of this awful scene, lest an/ " event so truly hopeless might one day be my portion." * Psalm xci, 7 8,, † 2 Tim. ii. 19. § Dan. iii. 25, 27. Isaiah xvi. 4. "That (answered my companion hastily) " is impossible to a child of GOD. The pro"mise is absolute; No weapon formed against "thee shall prosper. And GoD is faithful, "who will not suffer you to be tempted above "that ye are able; but will with the temptation " also make away to escape, that ye may be "able to bear it. "But is it not said (I replied) that some, "who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and been made par"takers of the Holy Ghost, have fallen away ૪૬ "Yes (rejoined my companion); but none "of those so spoken of were ever children of "GOD, or born again of that incorruptible "seed which liveth aud abideth for ever. Only "observe the vast distinction of character, by "which those enlightened persons whom the Apostle speaks of are marked, from the scrip"ture-features of the truly regenerate; and the "contrast will immediately appear. They are "said to be once enlightened, that is, with head-knowledge; not renewed in heart-affec"tions. They are described as those who have "tasted of the heavenly gift; tasted but not approved: like persons whose stomachs nau"seate what the taste rejects, and digest it not. "They are said to have been made partakers of "the Holy Ghost; that is, in His common "operations upon the understanding; not in "His quickening and regenerating grace in the soul. In all these, and the like instances, || Isa. liv. 17. |