walked in the garden of the Lord, and talked with him there have tasted of its Eschol grapes, and therefore longed to drink the new wine expressed from them: here all is felt to be vanity and vexation of spirit; but a hope that maketh not ashamed cheers and enlivens their way, smooths its ruggedness, and makes "that goodly land and Lebanon," be more and more clearly visible in the distance. They are, to a certain extent, willing and happy to remain in the wilderness, because in it they have their tabernacle of witness their cloudy and fiery pillar by day and night, their ever present friend; "bread is given them, their water is sure, and their defence is the munition of rocks;" but they are eagerly desirous for the hour when their joyful song shall be, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace;" they strain each sense to catch the first of those blessed sounds, "behold, behold I come quickly," because here "the good that they would, they do not, and the evil that they would not, that they do ;" because here they find a law in their members warring against the law of their minds, and too often "bringing them into captivity to the law of sin which is in their members:" but there, the warfare shall be accomplished in them as fully as it has been for them; there shall be no more sin, no more curse; no more wounding of the loving, sensitive heart of Jesus; no more grieving of his blessed, his "Good Spirit;" no struggling with self; no more witnessing of the dishonour done to God's holy law; no more separation, even for a moment, from the immediate presence of God and the Lamb; but every power of the glorified body and spirit harmoniously uniting to celebrate his praises who redeemed them unto God by his blood.

But with the latter class, how sadly different is the way in which they become convinced that the world is all a wilderness! The delights of the past are contrasted with the hopes of the present, till the sorrowful conviction is unwillingly forced on them, that "all is vanity and vexation of spirit:" that "man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain." Yet, though there may be in the mind a belief of this truth, it fails by itself to guide them to a better country, and very, very seldom materially interrupts them in the pursuit of pleasure. The depravity of man is seen, not only in the stubbornness of the will, in not conforming to the plainest dictates of the

understanding and conscience, but also in his taxing his inquirist to the utmost to impose upon himself. Hence it is that the unconverted man is ever flattering himself with the hope that the future will not be like the past; that the work of reformation will be easier at any other time than the present; his fancy conjures up whatever he most wishes for; till at last, like the mirage in the desert to the thirsty, weary traveller, all his false expectations recede as age steals on, and finally vanish, and if he do not die bewailing and cursing his infatuation and folly, the feeling of remorse is too plainly expressed in his countenance to be mistaken, when "in hell he lifts up his eyes, being in torments."

My friends, in passing through this wilderness, God knows your every wanthe has but one thing with which he can or will supply them; he knows your every trial-he has but one consolation to afford he knows your every temptation, your weakness, your infirmity; he has but one remedy, by which you can be made more than conquerors-Christ and his Gospel. He is the true manna-the bread that came down from heaven to give life unto the world, of which whosoever eateth shall never hunger the meat that endureth unto everlasting life. As well might you expect to find in a wilderness a sudden spontaneous production of the choicest fruits of the most cultivated garden, as to endeavour to extract from any thing the world can present to you the slightest portion of real, of pure, or tranquil permanent happiness, independent of Him who is the source of bliss, or of his Gos pel, by which alone he communicates it; and as well might you imagine that single handed you could have gone forth against Satan and all his legions, and have returned from the conflict scatheless and a conqueror, as to suppose that you could resist with success the most trifling temptation, unless the Spirit, taking of the things of Christ and showing them to you, thus should make Christ's strength perfect in your weakness.

Oh! then, my friends, cease to expect from the world that which it never can give you. Do not any longer be so eager in the pursuit of what can end only in bitter disappointment. All that is really valuable is to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ; seek it not, then, in other things to the exclusion of Him. The Father so delighted in his excellency and glorious perfections, that he constituted

Him the "all in all." Let Him, then, be, in your eyes what He is in the Father's. Is he not a sufficient portion ?-does he not fill all heaven with rapture? In the chorus which swells and echoes through its arches, from one end to the other, is there anything that indicates a wish unfulfilled, a desire unsatisfied? "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain; hallelujah! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, and we shall reign with him!" Are not these the words of triumphant joy? Oh! then, adore the love and goodness which has provided such a portion for you in a world which, without this, would be a wilderness indeed—and, as such, the fittest emblem of your natural hearts.

We have to remark further, that THE MANNA FELL DURING THE NIGHT; and looking upon the manna as a type of the Gospel, can anything more plainly prove | its freeness? The whole camp of the Israelites was buried in sleep-few were then thinking of that bountiful provision which anticipated all their wants: very probably the larger body of the people lay down to rest, not in the humble and confident dependance of faith, but in the indifference of spirit which says, "tomorrow shall be as to-day, and much more abundant." It also fell alike round all their habitations-provision was made equally for the unjust as for the just; for the unthankful and evil, as for the pious and thankful. And was it not during the night of ignorance, forgetfulness and sin, that " God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, shone into our hearts, to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ ?" Were not the words which first quickened us into spiritual existence, "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light?" When conscience was first alarmed, and enquiry excited, did we not see that in the Gospel all our wants had been anticipated, ere we were ourselves aware of them?that we had not to say in our hearts "who shall ascend into heaven, or who shall descend into the deep, but that the word was nigh us," because suggested to us by the Spirit of truth, and by him put into our hearts and mouths? Yes, then we loved him, but he had first loved us; then we ran after him, but he had first drawn us; then we were willing, but it was because it was the day of his power; we prayed, but it was in him to give ere it was in us to ask.

Again the manna fell during the

night, to teach us that for a single instant God never forgets his people. Now how often does Zion say, "the Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me;" but with what an answer has the Lord himself furnished us, to silence these complaints of unbelief! "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?-yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee." "A vineyard of red wine; I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment; lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." Could it, my friends, be possible that he "who remembered us in our low estate, because his mercy endureth for ever," would forget us when brought into relationship with himself? No; not only are the very hairs of our heads all numbered—not only has he given his angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways, but he hath himself "hidden us in the hollow of his hand;" even our very tears are put into his bottle, that he may bring them forth at the last day, and enjoy the supreme happiness to which he has looked forward from eternity, of wiping them from all the faces of his redeemed. Can it be, that he would take thought for our bodies, and yet neglect the interest of those precious souls which he is preparing to live for ever with himself? Assuredly not. Therefore, when thoughts like these enter the mind, let us say with the Psalmist, "it is mine own infirmity; but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most Highest."

Another sweet reflection arises from the circumstance of the manna falling by night. The Lord would have our waking thoughts to be happy thoughts, and every happy thought to be connected with his mercies. Would it not be natural to suppose that the first glance the Israelite cast from his tent door over the wilderness, would call forth the words, "It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed, because his compassions fail not; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness?" Would it not have been the basest ingratitude, had he allowed his first expression to have been, "Here I am, a stranger and pilgrim in a desert, without home or country, not knowing what is to become of me; another day has dawned, and its tedious hours must be whiled away; when will there be either a change in or an end to my wearisome monotonous existence !" Oh! think well of this, yon who know by ex

perience something of the pangs of waking—you who dread to sleep because you must awake and ere you begin to register your sorrows anew, take a more accurate inventory of your mercies. They are neither few nor small. Meditate on them, and their number and magnitude will increase.

But whilst this subject gives rise to many consolatory reflections, it speaks to some, I fear to many of you, a solemn warning. With such an abundant supply all around him, the Israelite who died of want must have been a suicide. To you I would say the same thing-this day the manna of Christ's Gospel has fallen in the midst of you-has it fed, has it saved your souls alive? has it been received as the gift of God, the power, the wisdom of God? or does your soul loathe this "light bread?" are you turning away from it with the cool indifference of those who are determined for the present, to care for none of these things? O dear friends, remember the Lord's words, "take heed how ye hear," for yon may never hear these words agaiu. To each of you then I would say, "if thou, even thou hadst known, at the least in this thy day, the things that belong to thy peace, ere yet they are hid from thine eyes!" O "beware lest that come upon you which is written in the prophets; behold ye despisers, and wonder and perish! for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you!" It is not a vain thing about which we speak to you-it is even your life-the responsibilities are tremendous upon you who have heard the words of eternal life, your condemnation will be great, in proportion to the number of your opportunities; under similar circumstancs you would find no human being who would make allowances for your infirmities, who would suffer you to put in any plea of self-justification, or who would listen to any entreaty that the just pnnishment of such unworthy conduct might be remitted, or in the slightest degree mitigated.-O then, "is it a small thing that ye will weary men? but will ye weary my God also ?" Again, my friends, beware of such a line of conduct, and remember that you are treating with, and hereafter will be judged by, a God who cannot be too far trusted, but who may be (perhaps easier than you think) too far tempted! Before leaving this subject, let me again press upon you the question, "have I received or not, the Gospel of my salvation?" if you cannot

answer this question on scriptural grounds, let me enquire of you, is it your intention at some future time to give yourselves wholly unto God? to enquire more particularly into the plan of salvation? to await the moment when you will be more fully convinced of the vanity of the world? Oh, my dear friends, the words may sound strangely in your ears, whilst I utter them; yet are they truefearfully true; that the intention of reformation, if not immediately carried into execution, is as sinful, yea, perhaps more sinful, than a determination to go on frowardly in the way of your hearts! Let me ask you, what warrant have you for supposing the world will ever have a less hold on you than it now has? have you not seen enough of the vanity of its pleasures, of the delusory, yea, the tormenting nature of its joys, to convince you that there is nothing true but heaven? or are your hearts still so selfdeceived as to imagine, that the fetters of sin will become loosened by an indulgence in the very practices by which those chains were cast around you?

But I appeal to more than your reason -I appeal to your affections, and on this ground I ask you, were I to put into plain language your avowal of intention to reform and turn to God at some future and more convenient opportunity, how would it sound in your ears? Let me thus express the feeling out of which this (what the world would call good) resolution arises-The intention of God in the gift of his Son was most gracious and benevolent, far more than I had reason to expect; the penalty of sin is, I must allow, as just as it is fearful; the Being who alone can deliver me from its consequences, is one whose invitation it would be as insane to make light of, as it would be impossible to hear the thundering denouncements of his law without trembling; by rejecting the former, I may expose myself to the latter, and "who can dwell with everlasting burnings?" yet the pleasure of sin is at present so great, the restraints of holiness so irksome, happiness, as proposed in the way of Gospel obedience, so uncertain, so mixed, and requiring such present sacrifices, that I have made up my mind not to serve God till the world will no longer have the power of pleasing me, and then only to serve him, because by refusing to do so, without securing any present profit, I should inevitably expose myself to endless perdition- Few, indeed I would without hesitation say, none of you would

thus boldly express your present feelings, perhaps you are at this moment inclined with scorn, with what you would call honorable principle, but which in love and grief, though I say, it, I can acknowledge by no other name than pride, self-righteousness, and lamentable, awful selfdeception, at once to repudiate such a charge: give me then this moment, the proof this moment submit yourselves to the righteousness of Christ-this moment determine no longer to serve the world, your ungodly acquaintances and associates from henceforth no longer say, I will do so and so; but do it and do it now, -let conscience speak-when she speaks let her be heard when heard, let her be followed-and when followed, let her be followed in all her requisitions.-Does not conscience this moment say to each of you, Thou art the man?' who amongst you can answer conscience by pointing to Christ as the representative of sinners, and say to him "thou art the man?" who of you can take up the words of Pilate, and in a different sense, yet with a fuller meaning can answer the Devil and conscience by saying boldly to them when they would accuse you, "behold the man ?". "he loved me and gave himself for me""what shall separate me from his love ?" O! if you cannot thus answer conscience, that I may stir you up, let me remind you that you will hereafter be judged by one who will make no allowance for sins, infirmities, or numerous temptations, in cases such as yours, where there was provided for you a ransom all-sufficient: stifle not the warnings of couscience by supposing you will be judged by a fallible rule-for as the Saviour said, his ministers are authorised to say also, if they spaek according to his word, "the words now spoken to you, the same shall judge you in the last day." Would not the death of an Israelite from famine have been justly chargeable upon himself? and is not the loss of a soul who has heard the Gospel, equally chargeable upon himself, seeing that in both cases an ample provision was provided, whilst the husks were preferred to the plenty of a father's house?

V. THE MANNA WAS NOT PRODUCED BY

CULTIVATION; THE PEOPLE WERE SIMPLY

COMMANDED TO GATHER IT. Many of the dicffiulties with which simple truth has been embarrassed, arise from not properly understanding the precise meaning of the metaphorical language in which the truth is taught. When the salvation of the Gospel is spoken of in Scripture, the figures

of "a tower," "a rock," "a well of springing water," "food," "raiment," "riches," are frequently employed to show the necessity of it for man's safety, its fulness, freeness, its adaptation to his wants, and its general excellency. Now, Scripture declares plainly, that the means whereby a sinner becomes a partaker of its blessings, is by believing its testimony; and this conviction of things not seen (Heb. xi. 1), of things which are the substance of his hopes, is put in direct opposition to all acts of obedience, frames, feelings, and emotions, whether supposed to be holy and pious, or the reverse, by which he could in any way be entitled to, or counted worthy of, the blessings of the Gospel, the possession, or rather supposed possession of which feelings gives him no greater claim to, than the absence of them excludes him from the invitation of mercy which is addressed to all as sinners-and in this sense, to all as sinners alike. It is, therefore, only natural to suppose, that this simple exercise of faith in a truth revealed, would be expressed by terms borrowed from, and suggested by, those figures under which some peculiar characteristic of the Gospel is set forth. Hence the frequent occurrence of expressions, such as "running to," "coming to" the Saviour, eating his flesh, drinking his blood. That these and similar expressions imply no more than simply "believing" on him, may at once be seen, by observing how frequently they are interchanged in the same sentence. Thus," If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; he that believeth on me," &c. "He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him; but there are some of you which believe not." If then the expressions be synonimous, and faith excludes all works before and after justification as the grounds of justification, the misapprehension will be evident, which supposes that, by words such as those above quoted, is intended some great effort or extraordinary exercise of the mind. Nor let it be said, that this is a mistake of words, from which no evil can arise. Many are kept from the peace of the Gospel by supposing that they are not qualified, or duly prepared for the reception of so great a blessing as the pardon of their sins, because they have not experienced either that degree of selfabasement which they think necessary, or felt that degree of love to the Saviour which they consider, however unconsciously, to be not only a proof, but also