Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me....Psalm lv. 5.

SUCH was the mournful complaint of David; yea of Jesus too, the root and offspring of David. "Lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon Abraham the father of the faithful."....Gen. xv. 12. So the Lord suffers his dearest children to be distressed; yet it is their privilege, and they are again and again exhorted to "rejoice in the Lord alway.” ....Phil. iv. 4. Under such frames, let not disciples entertain hard thoughts of the God of love; but ever remember they are heightened by our adversary. Least of all should humble followers of the Lamb judge themselves not to be true converts, because they have not experienced such dreadful terrors of hell and damnation in their conscience, as some talk of.

It is an unscriptural notion; the word of God lays down no such rule, that the soul must be under such deep convictions of horror, must be as it were shook over the very mouth of hell, as a mark of true conversion to Jesus. Innumerable are the instances of persons crying out under dreadful terrors of wrath and damnation, as though hell itself was let loose upon them for a season; but yet after all, being still unclean and filthy, "like the dog to his vomit, and the sow to her wallowing in the mire," they have turned back to their old courses.

Thanks to the loving Spirit, he doth convince of sin, not as a tormentor, merely to terrify with wrath and hell, but as a COMFORTER, to testify of Jesus and salvation. He opens the eyes of our understanding, to see our lost state and wretched condition, and he gives us to see the hope of our calling, &c."....Eph. i. 18. "And the fruits of the Spirit are love, peace, joy, &c."....Gal. v. 22. He works effectually. He teaches us by the law to despair in nature and self, and revives and comforts with hope and assurance of full and perfect salvation in Jesus. But while the spirit of truth sows the good seed of the kingdom in the heart, Satan sows tares to spring up and choke it. He works upon our unbelief, practises his devilish art upon our carnal reason, and suggests, that God is an implacable enemy; the meek Lamb is a devouring lion; the gospel is à cunningly devised fable, or requires such hard terms, which we can never fulfil; therefore misery, wrath, and hell must be our doom. He is ever an implacable adversary to salvation by Jesus, through sovereign love and distinguishing grace. Such terrors are to be prayed against rather than coveted. David knew whence they came; says he, "Because of the voice of the enemy and the oppression of the wicked one,"....verse 3. Praised be our dear Lord for that precious promise, "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him," and put him to flight.... Isa. lix. 19.

The Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly....Psalm lxxxiv. 11.

VULGAR minds have but very contracted ideas of the magnitude of that glorious luminary, the sun. The most knowing of the children of men, form but very inadequate notions of the nature and properties of that grand source of light and heat. We daily see his power and feel his influence. This he incessantly sheds upon the whole creation FREELY. How vain and arrogant would he be deemed, who should pretend he could procure the chearing light and comforting warmth of the sun! Dwells there, in the breast of man, a thought, that he can procure the light of grace; or by his doings entitle himself to the comforts of salvation from Jehovah? Yes: so vain, so arrogant is that vile worm, that weak creature, proud, fallen man. By sin, how stript of all but shame! by pride, he "opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God."....2 Thess. ii. 4. But grace, like the streaming light of the sun, freely and powerfully sheds its benign, humbling, comforting influence upon the ungodly and unworthy. So the Lord enlightens and renews the soul of man; makes it fruitful to his glory; and with his almighty arm shields and défends the new-born, heavenly replenished soul, from the violent attacks of every foe. Grace as well as glory are God's free gifts.

Children of God, members of Jesus, how safe! salvation, how secure! For it is all of rich grace, free favor, unmerited love, unconditional election; not earned by any doings of ours, but freely given by promise. Glory, not procured by conditions, but freely bestowed through Jesus. See thy portion, believer....read it with joy....dwell on it with triumph. Here is a redundancy of promises; what the Lord is ....what the Lord will give, will give it freely, "without money and without price," all things, every thing for his own glory, and his children's good. Love overflows all bounds; gives the fullest vent to its gracious disposition. No good thing will the Lord withhold. From whom? See the character of those, upon whom the sun of grace hath shined. Is it thine? They are not in angelic purity, or sinless perfection; but upright, sincere in heart with Jesus, chaste virgins, married to him in faith and love, they see that he is all in all to them "their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." They choose him for their only king to reign in them and rule over them in love; delight in his work and way, grieve for, strive and pray against all that is contrary to him. Of their sins they are ashamed....in their own righteousness they have no confidence. In Jesus their bridegroom they glory. It is truly said of them, "The upright love thee."....Cant. i. 4

"The Father himself loveth you....John xvi. 27.

THE history of the life of sorrows, and death of shame, curse and agony, which Jesus sustained for sinners, was it believed perfectly in the heart, would fill the mind with the strongest affection, and inflame the soul with the most fervent love. But alas! all have reason to complain for want of greater love to Christ, and stronger faith in him. O unbelief, what an enemy to love! Our love keeps pace with our faith. As the one grows stronger, the other increaseth. But if faith grows weak, love declines. Yet no one poor sinner that believes the record of Jesus' love and salvation, as his only hope and confidence, but love, in some degree, is drawn out to Jesus; for "faith worketh by love." The soul in its first love, and for a season perhaps, sees and knows only the love of Christ, and thinks little about the "love of the Father." It may be, he considers, that what the Saviour did and suffered for sinners, was to procure the love of the Father to them, and to appease the fury of his wrath against them. But this is not right. Let no disciple think so. For, saith the Saviour, "The Father himself loveth you.". Yea he teacheth us the love of the Father, as the only source and spring of his coming in the flesh to save us....for "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."....John iii. 16.

Hence it is plain, God the Father loves sinners....loves them inexpressibly....with the greatest affection. For he gave, who? an angel? an archangel? myriads of the heavenly host? No; but one infinitely more dear to him, his Son, his only begotten, his dearly beloved Son, who lay in his bosom from all eternity, that we might "believe on him, and live in him." So, the effect proves the cause. It is plain the love of the Father to his people, is prior to the Son's coming into the world to save them, or to their belief on Jesus. For, says our Lord, "No man can come unto me, except the Father draw him."....John vi. 44. And because the Father "hath loved us with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness he draws to Jesus." "Behold, (O ye followers of the Lamb) what manner of love the Father hath, bestowed upon us.".... 1 John iii. 1. Trace his love to the fountainhead. The holy Spirit of truth teacheth, that "God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ hath chosen us in him before the founndation of the world, and hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, and hath predestinated us to the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself." To what end is this? even "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the bes loved."....Eph. i. 6, &c.

VOL. I.

U

I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, such an one caught up to the third heaven....2 Cor. xii. 2.

VISIONS, manifestations, raptures and ecstacies of soul, though even from God himself, (which there is every good reason to suspect, unless they sink the soul in humility, and excite such love to Jesus as is founded in knowledge and productive of obedience), are not to be gloried of. St. Paul says, it is not expedient for ME to glory. I know the danger, I fear the evil of it; from the pride and treachery of my nature. It tends to exalt one above measure; and to make others think more highly of one than they ought to think. Therefore, on these accounts glorying of these things is to be avoided. Indeed the cause of truth may require it, and the glory of God may be promoted by it. Though on these accounts it may be expedient to glory; yet it is not expedient for the christian's own sake to do it. So Paul declared. Yet he did glory; for necessity compelled him.

Behold, admire, and imitate the humility of this great apostle, “I knew a man in Christ," &c. When he speaks of himself, it is as a poor sinner, under the most humbling, self-abased views. Then it is I MYSELF....Rom. vii. But here, lest ostentation should appear, he conceals himself under the character of another man. What a contrast is here between self-exalting principles and the grace of the gospel! How widely different is this from the notions many professors entertain! For if they can but give a tolerable account of some vision, revelation or manifestation, which they suppose was from God, they conclude they know their sins are forgiven, and all is well. Perhaps this might pass on them fourteen years ago, more or less. But what is their frame and temper now? what their pursuit and practice? If no evidence of faith, hope, love and obedience, but if while sunk into carnality and the love of the world, yet strong in confidence that their sins are forgiven, and bold in hope of the safety of their state; surely such are blinded to the hope of the gospel, through the spirit of this world. Satan transforms him, from a minister of darkness, into an angel of light. Luther was wont to caution against the white devil, as well as the black one. St. John's advice is ever needful, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.".... John iv. 1.

Faith in heart true comfort brings,
It makes and keeps it humble too.
Christian experience ne'er exalts,
But gives to Christ his glory due.

Then while by faith I Jesus know,
And peace and love and joy do spring
Of Christ alone, I'll glory now,
Not self, but Christ, I'll speak and sing.

M.

He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him....John vi. 56.

THIS is a great mystery, but it is a comforting truth in the experience of Christ's members. Our Saviour saith, "It is my meat to do the will of him that sent me." So it is the believer's privilege to feed by faith on him that is sent, even the flesh and blood of Jesus: the MAN "like unto ourselves in all things." But his flesh is pure and holy, his blood immaculate and untainted, without sin:" therefore healthful for the soul to feed upon, and to be nourished up to eternal life. For consider, soul, "Christ suffered in the flesh" all the fiery wrath and dreadful curses of God's pure and holy law, which we deserved, because transgressors. Christ, in his flesh, per fectly fulfilled all the demands of God's righteous law, and so wrought out a righteousness for us, who have no righteousness of our own. "In the body of his flesh he hath reconciled us who were aliens and enemies to God; and in the body of his flesh, through death, he presents us unto God, holy, unblameable, and unreproveable in his sight."....Col. i. 21, 22. Surely then the flesh of Jesus "is meat in deed." The richest repast, the most delicious banquet for poor

sinners.

Christ's "blood is drink indeed." Most precious in its nature; most reviving to the thirsty soul. O believer! the blood of this GopMAN was shed for thy sins; it hath fully atoned divine justice for them; and "you, who were sometime afar off, are now made nigh to God by the blood of Jesus."....Eph. ii. 13. By his blood peace

is made with God."....Col.i. 20. "And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin."....1 John i. 7. Thus is Christ's flesh and blood the life of the soul. Hear the triumphant song of the saints in glory. "Jesus hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood."....Rev. i. 5. Their confession of victory over Satan the accuser of their souls is "by the blood of the Lamb." What is now their glory and triumph above, was once the food of their souls while poor sinners here below. For in every age, believers did all "eat of the same spiritual meat, and drink of the same spiritual drink, the flesh and blood of Christ.".... 1 Cor. x. 5, 4.

This food strengthens man's heart. This drink makes him of a cheerful countenance. "He dwelleth in me," saith Christ, by a secret mystical union. So saith the Psalmist, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in all ages;"" and I in him," by sweet mani. festation, knowledge and comfort, by faith. Inestimable blessing! glorious privilege, thus to receive, thus to feed upon Christ in the heart by faith! For, saith Christ, "He that eateth me, shall live by me; he hath eternal life." Such are Christ's sweet words and heartywelcome to his church; eat, O friends! drink, O beloved! "Eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart."....Eccl.ix.7.