of all who shall sue for mercy in his name. The character of this Saviour, his unspeakable love, his dreadful sufferings, the agonies he endured in Gethsemane and upon the cross, are made known to us; and as his past humiliation, so his present glory, and his invitations to come to him for pardon and eternal life, are largely declared. These are the principal points expressed in the passages of The Messiah, which Mr. Handel has set to music; yet the same great truths, divested of the music, when delivered from the pulpit, are heard by many admirers of the oratorio with indifference-too often with contempt.'

Our correspondent M. has kindly favoured us with the following unpublished paper of the eminent Divine whose name it bears.

THE UNEASIE WORM.

SITTING Solitary by the fire, that was sunk low, and glimmering in ashes, I mused on the sorrows that surround humane nature, and beset the spirits that dwell in flesh. By chance I cast my eyes on a worm that was lodged on the safer end of a short firebrand. It seemed very uneasie at its warm station, wrything and stretching itself every way for relief. I watched the creeping creature in all its motions; it reached forward, and there it met the living coals; backward and on each side, and then it touched the burning embers, still starting from the present torment it retreated and shrunk away from every place where it had just before sought a refuge. At last I observed, that having turned on all sides in vain, it lifted its head upward, and raised its length as high as possible in the air, where it found nothing to annoy it. But the chief part of the body still lay prone on the wood, its worser part hung heavy on the aspiring animal, and forbid its ascent. How happy would the worm have been could it then have put on wings, and become a flying insect!

Such, said I, is the case of every holy soul upon earth. It is out of its proper element, like the worm lodged

amongst hot embers. The uneasie spirit did once stretch its powers, its desires and wishes on every side to find rest and happiness amongst sensible goods. But these things instead of satisfying its nobler appetites, rather gave new pain and variety of vexation. The soul, having found every experiment vain, retires and shrinks backward from all mortal objects; and being touched with a divine influence, it raises itself up towards heaven to seek its God. But the flesh, the body, the worse part of the man, still hangs heavy, and drags it down again, that it cannot ascend thither where rest and ease are only to be found. What should such a soul do now but pant and long hourly for a flight to the upper world, and breathe after the moment of its release? What should be more joyful to such a spirit than the divine summons to depart from flesh? O, blessed voice from heaven that shall say to the saint, Come up hither, and in the same instant shall break off all its fetters, give it the wings of an angel, and inspire it with power and zeal to ascend.

DR. WATTS.

THEOLOGICAL ESSAYS.

EFFECTUAL CALLING.

I OBSERVED in the last paper, that election is not simply to an end, but to an end by certain means. God's purpose takes effect by sundry steps and divers instruments. In creation, indeed, he said, "Let there be light," and immediately, at the bare word, there was full and perfect light. But the light of grace is gradually fanned into a flame, and by a variety of means, it is made to "shine more and more unto the perfect day."

The step which I am now to consider is the effectual call. God calls men in many ways; such as by his word, by his ministers, by his fatherly corrections. The call is general: "whosoever will, may come "—but it is not generally complied with. To some it appears a hard saying," to others " a lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; they hear the words, but they do them not." In this sense,

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many" are said to be "called, but few chosen." In fact, if men were left to themselves, they would all reject the invitation; and therefore, to secure the purposes of his grace, and to provide his Son a people, God takes care to incline the hearts of some men to compliance. They,' says the article, 'which be endued with so excellent a benefit of

God (i. e. predestination to life), be called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season: they through grace obey the calling.'

That the persuasive power so exerted, is of God, is, I think, clear, from the following considerations. The calling of the saints is described in scripture as a high privilege. "Whom he did predestinate, them he also called," (Rom. viii. 30.) He "hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began," (2 Tim. i. 9.) And that, in such passages, there is meant, not merely the invitation, but a compliance with it, is manifest, because in the latter of those quoted, salvation is expressedly connected with the "holy calling ;" and in the context of the former, we are told, that "all things work together for good, to them who are the called according to his purpose, "whereas evidently all things do not work for good to multitudes to whom the gospel invitation comes. The same truth is remarkably taught in another place: we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness: but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor. i. 23, 24.) where the simple meaning is, that it is of God's mercy, that out of vast multitudes certain individuals are called, and that their calling is the power of God to their salvation.

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Further instruments are spoken of in the bible as ineffective without the blessing of the Lord. The written word may promulgate plain truth, and ministers may convey expostulations and invitations, but