and prayed in faith, that the Lord would give him what he sought. May we all be desirous to be brought to a like state with him, and then we may, without any impropriety, borrow his words; we may apply them to our own state, in addressing our Maker, if we believe that he loveth truth in the inward part, and that there is need that we should feel its operation there, to "purge our consciences from dead works, to serve the living God."

And, oh, how striking a figure do the next words convey, of a poor sinner feeling the burden and conviction of his sins, desiring to be washed in the laver of regeneration: "Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Cause me to hear the joyful sound of " "Go in peace, thy faith hath saved thec." "Cause me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joys of thy salvavation, and uphold me by thy free Spirit: then will I teach transgressors thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto thee.'

Behold, all ye who call yourselves ministers of the Gospel, the inspired man pleading with his God, and how his inspired mind solicited the selfevident work of religion, first to be brought home

to his own soul, and graciously continued to him; and be assured, that every one of you has need of all for which the Psalmist asked, before you can teach transgressors God's ways, and convert sinners to him. And the sinners so converted will be taught the same lesson, to know what is needful to be done in them; and when it is done in them, it will shew its power through them, to the converting of others: and this I conceive the Lord will work in and through his people, and fulfil all his gracious purposes, of causing "a the earth to be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.'

Now let me call your attention to the preceding declaration, which is to be fulfilled on this great and glorious gospel day, when new heavens and a new earth are to be created, and the old speculative creaturely ideas of things, to be no more remembered. The very life of religion, witnessed through the operation of its power, causes the soul to rejoice under a feeling sense thereof. Oh, my fellow Christians, would that our souls were more awake to behold and desire to become inhabitants of this new Jerusalem, and to know it to be a rejoicing, and her people a joy, that we may no more have cause to weep nor cry, but find that free access to the throne of grace, which may attract the gracious promise, ❝b Before they call, I will answer them, and whilst they are

Let us all look about us,

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&

speaking, I will hear." and see if we can find such a glorious gathered church as is portrayed by that prophetic declarration; and I believe we must all be obliged to own that this glorious church, which was once gathered in the apostles' days," and built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone," is now in the wilderness. I long that the Lord may there speak to her heart, and bring her up thence again, "clear as the sun, fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with banners."

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Oh, that we were more sensible of our state and condition, and of the way to make it better; but this is only to be found by walking in the light, whereby we may have fellowship with the Father and the Son, and one with another, and know the blood of Christ, to cleanse us from all sin. Then would our light shine out of obscurity, and our salvation as a lamp that burneth; "the Gentiles would soon come to our light, and kings to the brightness of its arising.

And in order to its arising, let us all take heed to our ways, and look well to the spring of all our actions, and consider the awfulness of taking upon us to condemn one another, because we do not see eye to eye on some parts of Scripture. We are all poor, short-sighted mortals, dependent on

Eph. ii. 20. f 1 John i. 7.

Sol. Song vi. 10.
Isaiah Ixii. 1.

e

1 John i. 3.

h Isaiah Ix. 3.

the same Almighty Being, and we must all give an account of ourselves to him.

Now I read, that all the proud, and all that do wickedly, are to be as stubble, and in the day of the Lord, which burneth as an oven, it will kindle in them, and leave them neither root nor branch; but" to them that fear his name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise, with healing in his wings, and they shall go forth, and grow up, as calves of the stall."

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Now let me beseech you to turn your attention to the first moving cause of all good, and that will turn you away, or cause you to abstain, from all appearance of evil. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;" therefore, if we would be wise to that which is good, and simple concerning evil, we must ask this wisdom of God, who will give us liberally, and not upbraid us for asking. When this glorious gift is received, we shall know it to leaven us into its own nature, by opening to our view the great love of God towards us, "in that, whilst we were yet sinners, he sent his dear Son to redeem us, by dying for us on the cross, that we may live through him; and as our minds are led to behold, with the eye of faith, the great love of God towards us, we shall be drawn by him, whom we reverenced and feared, to the Son of his love, and receive of the water of life, which gives power to love him who first loved us, and thereby

be made wise unto salvation; which is much more availing than being wise in disputing; for much of that wisdom may be from beneath, and be "earthly, sensual, and devilish:" but the wisdom which is from above, that is begun in the fear of God, and perfected in the love of him, is "pure, peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, without partiality, without hypocrisy ;" even as it was, in the high and holy Head of the church, so in every true member, it is full of mercy, and good fruits.

Let us examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith. The apostle in his day, judged it needful that Christians should know themselves, that Christ was in them, and that without this heavenly guest they were reprobates. I believe it would be well to keep these great points in view; it would humble the poor creature at the footstool of grace, and make his words few and savoury, being seasoned therewith.

But alas, poor Christendom! where shall we look for thy beautiful garments? Thou seemest to have put off thy coat: I long to find thee inquiring how thou shalt put it on, that we may see thee clothed with the garment of salvation. Oh, that all who call themselves Christians were sensible of their high and holy profession, and of the necessity they are under of being holy: 'for holy is he that calleth, and "so be ye holy in all manner

• James iii. 15. Ib. iii. 17. 2 Cor. xiii. 5. 1 Pet. i. 15.