And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord....Jer. xxxi. 34.

THE outward teaching of the word is to be prized. Diligent attendance on gospel-preaching is by no means to be neglected. Faithful ministers of Jesus are to be esteemed highly in love for their works' sake. Christian conversation is to be valued: none of these are here spoken against by our Lord. No; his appointing teachers, the Spirit's owning and blessing the word by them to the instruction and conversion of souls, plainly prove the contrary. But Jesus, the substance, being come, teaching by types and shadows should be no more. Men shall not teach one another by pretended revelations: but the ministration of the Spirit should take place of the ministration of the letter. Such should be the effusion of the Spirit after the ascension of Jesus; that he should enlighten with his power and teach with his energy all the children of God. Every believer in Jesus has this unction of the Holy Spirit, which teacheth him all things....1 John ii. 20. Hence the babe in Christ, as well as the father, is taught by the same divine Lord to know Jesus as the only and alone Saviour, the virtue of his precious blood, the perfection of his atonement, the glory of his righteousness, and the completeness of his salvation; taught to believe in his blessed name, and love his adorable person. O believer, is this absolute declaration," they shall all know me," thy mercy? Jehovah speaks with the voice of omnipotence. The Lord effects by the power of his sovereignty, THEY SHALL all know me: are ALL men thus taught of God? DO ALL men know the Lord? We cannot say so. We dare not think so. The contrary is too evident. This teaching, this knowledge, is not general and universal, but special and peculiar to God's people ONLY. Therefore his grace proved effectual to thy calling, thy teaching. How vain, how fruitless would all other teachers have proved! but the work is his, the comfort thine. Ever reflect on the pride of thy nature, the obstinacy of thy will, the blindness of thy understanding, the desperate wickedness and unbelief of thy heart, and bow to his sovereignty. Give the Spirit all the glory for what thou knowest of Jesus as thy hope and salvation. Now there is an essential difference between BELIEVING and KNOWING. All men believe there is a God. But to know God is peculiar to regenerate souls. And this is the comforting criterion, to know him as our own sin-forgiving God: for he adds, "I will forgive their iniquity; I will remember their sin no more."

We bless the prophet of the Lord
That comes with truth and grace:
Jesus, thy Spirit and thy word

Doth teach us in thy ways.

Hosanna to thy glorious name,

Who call'd us by thy grace;
Thy mercies lay a sov'reign claim
To our immortal praise.

No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God....Luke ix. 62.

THE eye, though a little member, yet perhaps of all others is the greatest inlet to temptation. The first motion to sin entered by seeing. Eve SAW the fruit was good and pleasant to the eye. Looking begat longing; so lust was conceived, and brought forth sin. Sin when it was finished brought forth death upon her and all her posterity. When satan dared to tempt Jesus, he began the attack by presenting to his view the kingdoms of the world and the glories thereof. Seeing this, what reason is there, with Job, to make a covenant with our eyes! with David, to pray daily, "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity!" No state more awful than

to set out in the best cause, and to turn back to the worst enemy. The last end of such is most dreadful. Most deplorable indeed, to turn away from following Jesus, and make shipwreck of faith and a good conscience.

Whether he be minister or disciple who hath put his hand to the gospel-plough, if his eyes are attracted to, and his heart allured after the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, these will render him unfit for the kingdom of God. For these are as contrary to the Spirit, frame, and genius of Jesus and his kingdom, as heaven is to hell. No man can serve two such opposite masters. If thou hast chosen Jesus for thy portion and thy all, wherefore dost thou look back to the world? What slight and contempt doth such a conduct pour upon blessed Jesus! It is a sad evidence the heart is not whole with him. Such conduct speaks loudly, as though there was somewhat desirable in Christ and his ways; but not enough to win the heart wholly, engage the affections entirely, and fill the mind with happiness completely. "If any man draw back, my soul, saith the Lord, shall have no pleasure in him." And verily such a soul can have no pleasure in God. Whither then will he fly? to what refuge betake himself in the hour of calamity, and in the day of distress? Oh! a forsaken Jesus, a slighted gospel, and neglected salvation, will wound the conscience with the keenest sting. See to it, O professor; watch over thy lustful eye. It is ever looking back to, and longing after more from this world than thou at present possesseth. O, beware of thy deceitful heart, lest that turneth from Jesus to the world. If so, thy hand will soon let go the gospel-plough: and yet you will find carnal pleas for your conduct. Many poor, dry, barren professors, have ever a reason (such as it is) at their tongues-end for their covetous, worldlyminded spirit: when it is easy to observe, like Lot's wife, they face about to Sodom, and are become a standing monument of God's displeasure." But," saith the apostle, of all the faithful members of Jesus, "beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.”......Heb. vi. 9.

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of me....John v. 39.

It was an excellent reply of a christian lady to a scoffing infidel, who vented profane banter upon the scriptures, and asked, What proof she could give of the truth of holy writ? Yourself, Sir, said she, is one;' for it is written, "There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts."....2 Pet. iii. 3. Even satan, when he tempted our Lord, though he dared to pervert, yet he never once attempted to deny holy scripture to be the truths of God. Shame to professors who are ignorant of God's word. For Jesus and eternal life are revealed therein. Even devils, who have no hope from the scriptures, seem well versed in them. But may not Jonadab's question to Amnon be put even to some of God's children, "Why art thou, being a king's son, lean from day to day?" ....2 Sam. xiii. 4. Leanness of soul comes on many through neglect. ing the nourishing truths of God's word. It is the rich feast of the Father's love. By it the soul is fed and nourished up to eternal life. Verily, when we lose our appetite for the scriptures, and they are not savoury food to us, it is because our souls are distempered.

"They testify of me," saith Jesus. Is not that word enough? What so sweetly, so powerfully engaging to the soul, as when somewhat of our dear Saviour is to be learned from every page? The more we are acquainted with his precious person, his amazing love, his wonderful humility, his astonishing sufferings, his finished work on earth, so much the more will he be endeared to our hearts. We shall prize the word that testifies of him, and the Spirit that glorifies him: we shall think of him, love him, live upon him, live to him, long to be with him from day to day. So we shall beguile all our troubles and trials below; our hearts will be simple and happy; our conversation and conduct will be more like the meek Lamb of God. Thus shall we grow as Pharaoh's "kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored, while we feed in God's meadow."....Gen. xli. 18. If we neglect the scriptures that testify of Jesus, no marvel if we enjoy not the comfort of the Spirit's witness of Jesus. Says Luther, Let the Lord take me out of life this hour, or when it pleaseth him, I leave this behind me, I will own Jesus Christ for my Lord and my God. This I have not only out of the scriptures, but by manifold experience also, for the name JESUS hath often helped and comforted me, when no creature could.' "Holy scriptures are able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus."....2 Tim. iii. 15.

Great God! mine eyes with pleasure
On the dear volume of thy book; [look,
There my Redeemer's face I see,
And read his name who dy'd for me.

Let the false raptures of the mind,
Be lost and vanish in the wind:
Here I can fix my hope secure ;
This is thy word and must endure.

Te are come to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling....Heb. xii. 24.

WHEN from zeal and affection for their beloved master, the disciples would have called for fire from heaven, "He rebuked them, saying, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of." In young dis ciples there is often much heat of zeal which is not according to knowledge; they know but little what evils they are called from, and what privileges they are come to. It behoves all to be diligent in reading, hearing, and studying, the truths of Jesus. So the Spirit makes wise heads and joyful hearts. To see, taste, and feel somewhat of Jesus from the law, the types and figures, the prophesies, promises, and the gospel, is the chief concern of simple souls; so their hearts are daily more and more established in faith; and they know more assuredly that they are really come to Jesus. When we read of Moses sprinkling the people, and crying out, "Behold the blood of the covenant,"....Exod. xxiv. 8....this comfortably reminds us of the pardon of sin by the precious blood of the dear Lamb; and how the sprinkling of this blood purifies the heart from sin, and the con science from guilt, by faith.

The acceptable sacrifice of Abel, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, brings to our minds the most excellent sacrifice of our dear Saviour. This speaks righteousness, peace, love, and salvation to our souls; this silences all guilty fears; this revives and comforts drooping, trembling hearts, knowing that Jesus is our dear and ever-loving Mediator before the throne. This gives bold ness and confidence of free access to God, and freedom of heart to draw nigh to, love him, and rejoice in him. Whatever our various cases, frames, and circumstances are, our only wisdom and comfort lies in simply commending all to Jesus, knowing that we are come to him, and live comfortably, by daily coming to him. Is sin our sorrow, grief, and burden? Jesus has a plea for it; he does not extenuate or excuse it. Nor should we; but confess it with all its aggravations: his blood speaks before the throne; the Spirit bears witness to it. When the voice of sin and terror is heard in thy cons science, Christ's blood speaks pardon from God, freedom from condemnation, peace of conscience, joy of heart, and a hope full of immortality. Happy to be come to Jesus, and joyful to believe in him as our Mediator. O, how full of the richest consolation is this word! "If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."....1 John i. 9.

Our Jesus call'd and bade us come

To him for ease and rest;
Our souls obey'd his heav'nly voice,
And we in him are blest.

Christ is our Mediator dear

Before the throne of God: [him, Our conscience finds sweet peace with Now sprinkled with his blood.

My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you....Gal. iv. 19.

MANY sincere disciples, who are convinced of sin, hope in themselves cut off, and have fled to Jesus for refuge, are often distressed because they have not been under such dreadful terrors of legal wrath which others talk of, and are mistaken for the pangs and travail of the new birth. But there is no authority from scripture to conclude we must have such great terrors of hell and damnation ere we come to and believe on Christ. Nay, the law may work great wrath in the conscience, and yet the soul never be converted to Jesus and the holiness of the gospel. The Spirit is a sovereign agent. Enlightened, convinced souls are differently wrought on; some feel more, others less terror; but each see the sinfulness of sin, their lost state by nature the spirituality of the law and the preciousness of Jesus before they will come to him. On such the dear Saviour "sees the travail of his soul, and is satisfied."....Isa. liii. 11. Zion, the church, in her living membêrs, travails in faith and prayer, and by her, as the mother, children are brought forth....Isa. lxvi. 8. Ministers, in their painful labours and endeavours, travail that souls may be born to Jesus.

Thus laborious and affectionate Paul travailed in birth again for the apostatizing Galatians. He had been in pain for them till they were brought forth at first as a holy seed in their conversion to Jesus; but now his soul was pained at their turning back again to the law. Children of God, though little in knowledge, and weak in faith, are as dear to Jesus as adult christians; so are they to his faithful ministers. But they are fearful of believing too much in, and trusting too much on, the finished work of Jesus. Their poor legal hearts are ever, now and then, looking to the law, and leaning to something of their own; but the Spirit will not leave such to abide in a feeble, infantine state. Ministers labour and travail for their growth in grace, by the knowledge of Jesus: the gracious Spirit, by the word, forms Christ more perfectly in them; he increases more perfect knowledge of his finished salvation, in the full atonement of his blood, the perfection of his righteousness, and the prevalency of his intercession for their justification and acceptance with God: and also in their sanctification, he more perfectly forms the image of Christ in them, as to the disposition of their hearts and conformity of their lives. "We are changed into his image by the Spirit of the Lord."....2 Cor. iii. 18.

Glory to God the Spirit give,
From whose almighty pow'r,

Our souls their heav'nly birth derive,
And bless the happy hour.

Dear Lord, thou Spirit, with us stay,

And let us not thee grieve;
O, guide us thro' our desart way,
And never, never leave.