Have you never spread the faults of a brother? Can you meekly receive a Christian rebuke?

92. What are some of the consolations for the truly pious in old age?

O GOD, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O GOD, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.- Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shall quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth. And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you. Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season. Ps. 71. 17, 18, 20. Is. 46. 4. Job 5. 26. || Eccl. 12. 3-7. Ps. 73. 26.

Will not the Scriptures treasured in memory in youth be useful in old age? Would they not then be comforting to the truly pious?

93. What are the privileges of the righteous in the trying hour of death?

The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death.- Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.- Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.- O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to GoD, which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Prov. 14. 32. Ps. 37. 37. and 23. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 55-57. || Ps. 116. 15. and 73. 26. 2 Cor. 4. 16. Acts 7. 55, 56, 59, 60.

How desirable to die the death of the righteous! Will you not seek to live like them?

94. Are the spirits of the just active, perfected in holiness and happiness, in the interim between their death and the resurrection of their bodies?

Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of GOD, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the

Lord. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be ab sent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.- Whom the heaven must receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Eccl. 12. 7. 2 Cor. 5. 1, 6, 8. Acts 3. 21. || Luke 23. 43. Phil. 1. 23. Heb. 12. 23. 1 Cor.

13. 12.

What conceptions can you form of the soul's knowledge, separate from the body? How will you think and feel them?

95. To what society are the righteous admitted in ETERNITY? But ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (p.) To the general assembly and church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to GOD the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. Heb. 12. 22–24. || Rev. 21. 2, 21-27. and 22. 14, 15. and 5. 8-11.

How glorious that society! How soon you will be there if a Christian! How irremediable your loss if you are not gathered

there!

96. What is the portion of the righteous beyond the grave?

And I heard a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them. Therefore are they before the throne of GOD, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.- They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and GoD shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Rev. 14. 13. and 7. 15—17. || Ps. 73. 24. 1 Pet. 1. 4.

Is not this portion worth all the toils and sacrifices which religion demands? Are you often thinking of this portion? '97. What is the song of the redeemed?

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.- And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by

(p) See Appendix, Note P.

thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. Rev. 4. 11. and 5. 9, 10, 13. || and 1. 4-6. Ps. 115. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 31. Do you sing praises to God? Have you learned the SONG of heaven?

98. Will the cause of Christ finally prevail throughout the earth?

Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.- And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.For from the rising of the sun, even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the Lord of hosts. Ps. 2. 8. and 72. 8-11. Is. 2. 2. Mal. 1. 11. Is. 49. 6. and 42. 4. and 60. 1—12. and 62. 2. Mat. 24. 14. Rev. 20. 2-4.

Which will you do? aid its triumphs, or be crushed by them? There is no alternative between these.

99. What is the character and doom of Antichrist?

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of GoD: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given 'nto his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak

marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the god of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain: yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him,-But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 1 John 4.3. and 2. 22. Dan. 7. 25. and 11. 36-39, 45. and 7. 26, 27. Rev. 13. 3-8. and 19-21.

What evidence have you that you do not belong to the kingdom of antichrist?

100. What is St. Paul's description of the Christian Armour? Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breast-plate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of GOD: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints, Eph. 6. 13-18. || and 6. 10-12. Rom. 13. 12-14.

Are you fighting the fight of faith? Are you clad in the Christian's whole armour?

101. What doth the Lord, our God, require of us individually?

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with hy GOD?- For the grace of GoD that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us, that, denying ungodliness, and worldly lusts, we should live

soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great GOD, and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.- See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Mic. 6. 8. Tit. 2. 11-14. Eph. 5. 15, 16. || LET US DEVOUTLY SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

DAILY AND LEARN OUR DUTY.

Have you rendered to man the things that are man's? and unto God the things that are GOD's?

102. Is not the Moral Law binding upon all mankind?

Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your GOD. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you.- Render to Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and to GOD the things that are Gon's.- And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes-and it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our GoD, as he hath commanded us.- Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before GOD. Lev. 20. 7, 8. Mark 12. 17. Deut. 6. 24, 25. Rom. 3. 19. || Jam. 2. 8-10. Rom. 7. 7—12. and 13. 7. Deut. 10. 12, 13.

What MORE or what LESS could the rightful Governor of the universe require of any moral agent, than to render to GoD his due, and to creatures their dues? Have you felt your obligations to obey God's law? Have you been abased in the dust for violating them?

103. Does not a conviction of the purity, extent, and spirtualily of the Divine law, tend to endear Christ (who "is the end of the law for righteousness) to every one who believeth?"

For I delight in the law of GOD, after the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of GOD, but with the flesh the law of sin.There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, GOD sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned