ON HAPPINESS

IN my principle in [...] in the desire of hap­piness▪ [...] in such pur [...]uit in [...] and [...] of m [...]n. [...] If God [...] man for Life, and [...] HIMSELF [...] the supreme [...] of his fulness; if man was created lord of the [...] universe, and by the [...] of his [Page 2] Maker put in p [...]ssession of the infinite variety of terrestrial good; whence this foul mistake, and man enveloped in scenes of complicated woe? SIN contaminated the heart;—by sin the delightful vi­sion of God in Nature was lost;—man became alienated from the life of God, and exposed to all the miseries incurred by reiterated transgression. Reduced to such a mass of depravity and guilt, no wonder that man mistake the true nature, object, and means of happiness! As by the carnal prin­ciple of the heart objects are selected and embrac­ed, which promise that sort of felicity which is [...]ongenial with its own nature, it is to be expected that such in the pursuit will meet with disappoint­ment, shame and grief. Not to enumerate the variety of means which men pursue after happiness, it is sufficient to say, it constitutes the grand busi­ness of all orders and ranks of men; and this is the very spring which keeps the whole world in motion.

As these reflections on human nature are too true to admit of controversy, it may not be im­proper to ask, "What, in man's present state, can restore to him that happiness which the capa­cious powers of his soul are capable of enjoying?" As a sinner, he must have a full pardon from his JUDGE; as a depraved subject, his mind must be [Page 3] illuminated, and his passions refined; as a traveller through the thorny path of life, he needs some thing adequate to support him, and bring his mind into acquiescence with his lot; as a creature im­mortal, and hastening to a future state, he must have assurance that after death he shall be transmit­ted to the bosom of JEHOVAH, where alone, sin­less, undisturbed happiness reigns. Where then can these blessings be obtained? Go, search the volumes of Nature,—alas! not a line in her ex­tensive page can assure a sinner there are pardons with his JUDGE. Go, pass through all the scenes of dissipation, honor, wealth, with all the world calls good and great, and see if a balm can be procured adequate to heal the guilty conscience, or meliorate the heart. Here Nature herself becomes dumb, and the seats of royalty are found the very regions of anxiety, disappointment and pain. Turn then to the volume of REVELATION; there learn that to restore human happiness God freely gave his BELOVED SON to sustain that weight of misery we incurred by our sin; that he who knew no sin, was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. v.21. Though he was rich, for our sake he became poor, that we through his poverty might be rich. 2 Cor. viii.9. By the merit of his holy life, vi­carious [Page 4] death, and triumphant resurrection, de­rived from his union with the DEITY, he did not make our happiness possible, but actually obtain­ed it. Heb. ix.11, 12. In Jesus is deposited all that grace which our depraved nature can demand, to restore its felicity. Through HIM the sublime pleasures of communion with God, as a COVE­NANT EVERLASTING FATHER, is enjoyed, a sense of whose adopting love diffuses in our breast the most inexpressible delight! From Jesus, by his SPIRIT's aid, we may daily receive light, peace, joy, love, strength, with every other virtue to adorn our minds, support us under suffering, and ani­mate us in obedience. All the vicissitudes of Pro­vidence, whether prosperous or adverse, we learn, are in the hand of HIM who bought us with his blood; and these, however contrary to human ap­prehension, shall work together for the good of those who love him. And the same adored IMMA­NUEL, by his conquest over death, hath brought life and immortality to light, and unfolds to us the brightest scenes of unutterable bliss! 2 Tim. i.10. Here then is happiness restored! Here the immor­tal mind may find its centre, and be forever blessed. Happy is that people that is in such a case: hap­py is that people whose God is the Lord. Psa. cxlv.15. Interested in this ADORED LORD, I find a [Page 5] heaven below. None of the ills of life shall dis­compose my heart, nor shall its thousand sna [...]s tempt my feet to stray.

To direct men to this grand source of substan­tial happiness, is the humble attempt of the Editor of the CHRISTIAN'S POCKET LIBRARY; wholly depending upon the smiles of the Almighty to ren­der it effectual to his readers of every class; and to God, the FOUNTAIN of FELICITY, would he as­cribe all the glory!

MEMORIAL Of the Lord's Visitation to the CITY OF NEW-YORK, by a malignant Fever, which swept away, by death, seven hundred and forty-six Inhabitants, from the 26th of July till the 5th of November, 1795.

THE judgment we deplore is one of the swiftest and most tremendous calamities that can fall upon a people: It evidently is " The Lord's voice to the city," and demands our solemn attention. Surely there was a cause—" God doth not willingly afflict the children of men." This city was growing in opulence, and indulged with every privilege, civil and religious, which could constitute our happiness. Let us then ask if our gratitude has been propor­tionate to our obligation? It is with extreme re­gret we review the too many instances of pride, luxury, discontent, avarice, and dissipation, which have increased with our years. Who but must drop a tear on recollecting the astonishing growth of infidelity, and the many attempts to traduce the person and gospel of the Son of God, by whom alone we can be saved! and it is with still greater sensibility we behold the extreme indifference paid [Page 7] by professors to the life, power and prosperity of the pure primitive truth and worship of christianity! Thus, Because iniquity abounds the love of many waxeth cold. Matt. xxiv.13. That this hath long been the unhappy state of our city, many, many of the more serious of different religious denomi­nations have acknowledged with grief. God could not behold us without some tokens of his displeasure. On the 20th of September, 1793, our inhabitants fled to the sanctuary to implore the Divine protec­tion from a severe judgment which then pervaded a neighbouring city, and threatened our borders;— then did every heart tremble, and every eye flow with tears: but the Lord was intreated for the land, the plague was stayed, and we were pre­served. 2 Sam. xxiv.25. That the sight of this chastising rod did not produce its desired effect, is evident by our Lord's laying upon us his severer hand. He commissioned not a foe against us which could have been driven from our borders by force of arms, but

[Page 8] Many, with swift precipitation, fled from their ha­bitations, while the horrors of death sat on the brow of those who were left behind. Slow, yet steady to his purpose, the foe advanced; and, oh! who is competent to describe his awful spoils? Blooming youths, once the joy of their parents, and the hope of their country, cut down and lodged in the re­cesses of corruption! How many persons of the most brilliant parts were arrested by the polluting hand of Pestilence, and the public forever deprived of their useful virtues! The parent, how shall I speak it! the tender parent, not only called to mourn over his departed babe, but compelled, by the law of self-preservation, to fly from the putrid corpse of her who once lay in his bosom with delight!— Dictated by humanity in relieving others by every kind office in their power, how many

O Lord, surely thou art known by the judg­ments which thou executeth. May it never be said of us, "This people turneth not to him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts." Isa. ix.13. Although our affliction has been great, [Page 9] and never to be forgotten, yet, neither so great as we justly merited, nor as Philadelphia experienc­ed. Let us remember if this visitation leaves us without salutary effects, God hath still more ar­rows in his quiver, more keenly pointed, and more swift in flight. In the year 79 three cities were destroyed by an earthquake in Cyprus. In 1456, by the same messenger of justice, 40,000 people were lost in Naples. And, in 1665, there died of the plague, in London, 68,600 inhabitants. Isaiah, when Jerusalem were insensible of the judgments of God upon them, declared, Thou shalt be visit­ed of the Lord of Hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise; with storm and tem­pest, and the flame of devouring fire. Isa. xxix.6. Who will not fear before this great and terrible JEHOVAH! Let us, therefore, incessantly pray, that this severe judgment may be succeeded by co­pious showers of the richest grace! that magistrates may rule in the fear of the Almighty; ministers preach with additional zeal; our congregations walk more sensibly in the light of the Lord, and multi­tudes be converted unto our God! Amen.

A DAY'S WORK AT SEA MORALIZED

NOW, my dear Sir, you may be far from th [...] immediate embraces of your friends, but the arm, of your omnipotent Immanuel surround you. The liquid horizon attracts your eye, and gives you the most striking emblem of the IMMENS [...] SUP [...]EM [...]! When you trod his hollowed courts, his glory shone upon your soul; and here the watery worlds pro­claim the gran [...]eur of your Lord. Safe in his hand, and happy in his breast, may you remain, and plow the briny deep. Soon may you return, and speak the praise of HIM who, through calms, and tempests, brings his people to their desired haven. Psa. cvii.23—31.

You're sad, my friend; come take a chair and let's converse. Who so happy as the man that, while sailing o'er Life's tempestuous ocean, hath God to be his guide? Retirement is an aid to true de­votion; it drops a kind of curtain, and in a measure hides the busy scenes of time, while we converse with God. Certainly you have an advantage on the seas, unfelt, if not unknown, to us on land; [Page 11] you are immediately, and more sensibly dependent on him whom winds and seas obey. Ever uncer­tain, you cast your anchor in your Father's breast. The winds, you learn, are a part of his treasure, and in awful majesty he rideth upon their wings: Raging storms and bellowing tempests are but the voice of God. Now he speaks with terrible ma­jesty, and casts the foaming deep to mountains hight—anon, his milder voice is heard; the gentle gale springs up and fills the pendant sheets, and peace sits smiling on the humble wave. This, how charming! how welcome to the mind, which, from the storm without, felt greater storms within! But this God is your's, your Father and your Friend. Though storm and tempest rage, and all the sea be foam, may you be perfect calm, and leave yourself, your friends, your all with him.

Captain, let's take a walk on deck, 'tis near sun-rise. How s [...]ene the morning! the filthy fog hath retired to give us leave to see the sun;—see, his beams appear and gladden every wave. He seems to tinge the sea with golden hue, and pour his rays through all the sky—What earthly mo­narch ever rose so bright? Yet sol is but a faint resemblance of Israel's King; that King whose wide domain shall reach to yonder eastern clime. Soon may he send his heralds there to sound his pre­cious [Page 12] name; soon may he hear that east unites with north and south and west, and all the globe pro­claim the Saviour's love! Who can tell, Captain; you see the sun arise and strike his rays around; perhaps the Saviour too may now arise with heal­ing in his beams, and save the heathen race! Go, go speed your way, and bring the happy news.

Heave the log—let's see the [...]ook —adjust the points, and know our course. So far advanced, yet, ah! how much lee-way. So is our life. How swift we move, but seldom keep ou [...] course. Amazing! so much lee-way and waste time is gone. I look back but see the wake is closed; my minutes, days and years are mingled with the flood. O thou Heavenly Pilot! so teach me to number my fleet­ing days, that I may apply my heart unto wisdom. Psa. xc.12.

Boy, bring coffee! Still our floating habitation affords us pleasing food. Heaven bless the poor on land, and kindly feed the souls that famish on the seas! Take away, boy;—hand the chart, compass and scale;—thanks to the Artist for his skill in pointing out the pathless sea. Let us now survey our course, prove our log, and see what rocks and shoals are nigh. So let us take the precious Book of God, that CHART DIVINE; my FAITH a compass, and my HEART a scale; with these let [Page 13] me find the way that leads to perfect bliss. How many heedless mortals, like the lazy seaman, never view their tract till, running on the rocks or shoals of vice, they are plunged into woe! See, Captain, depicted on your chart your destined port! how minutely it is laid down! yet, not more certain than is the harbour of eternal rest in God's most sacred page. O let me have my heaven in view, my days shall then be bliss, nor cares shall rob my heart! Come thou celestial winds, fill my sails, and I shall speed my way to yonder happy shore, and see my God, my Father, and my Friend!

'Tis almost twelve o'clock:— boy, hand up my quadrant! How fine the horizon—how clear the sun! What wisdom God hath given to man to form an instrument like this—so simple in itself— so useful on the seas! By this we prove our log and ascertain our course. May you, dear Sir, by [...]aith, behold the exalted sun of righteousness—by [...]im confirm your hope, and regulate your life.

Take the quadrant, boy, and bring on deck the cherry-rum, the biscuit and the cheese! Every creature of the Lord is good when not abused. Come, mates, let's take a cheering glass;—the vessel seems to heel to disappoint our lips—well, 'tis sailors' fare! See how yonder shark heaves his fins to make us sport. The dolphin too, see, [Page 14] he cuts the wave, and darts to catch his flying prey. How pleasant is the scene! No verdan [...] fields, nor shady groves, are here—those we leave for friends at home. Hark! what horrid oaths belch from yonder Jack-tar's mouth—little does he think on what a slender thread he hangs over Hell's yawning deep. 'Tis habit, sure;—go, Cap­tain go give him kind reproof—a sailor's heart may feel. Wear ship!—stand to the halyards— all ready—about she goes!—make fast, my lads!

Captain, hear the boy—"It is one o'clock and dinner waits."—How fine and mellow is this beef; —excellent cyder;—how profusely is our table spread! Boy, hand some glasses! One glass to our owners, and one to all our absent friends. 'Tis fine Madeira, it warms and refreshes as it goes. A few nuts to crack and pick, and then we'll walk again on deck. Alas! no news to-day. Po Jose Wetmore ^* goes round in vain for us.

The night draws on—the sun begins to fall; clear he bids us all farewell! O may I, when spent my days, set like the sun, nor cloud possess! The moon appears, and o'er the deep her silver mande throws. Thanks to that ALMIGHTY LORD who formed the sun to rule the day, and moon to give us light by night. The stars now [Page 15] [...], and bespangle the canopy of Heaven—how truly grand! But, ah! how faint are these roll­ing flames when once compared to the righteous throng above! Redeemed from sin and death by Jesus' precious blood, they stand before the throne of God, and celebrate his praise. Great King of heaven, and earth, and seas, O bring my soul to that delightful place where I shall sing thy bound­less praise, when suns shall rise and set no more!

Call the watch! Put out your lights below! Well, dear Captain, thanks for my entertainment to-day. If you wish to have an hour's chat to­morrow, let your cabbin-boy hand you this paper. Good night, Captain—good voyage—farewell!

The Christian reader will require no apology for the terms and phrases used in this letter, as it was intended both to enliven and to instruct.

NATURAL HISTORY.

NATURAL history is a source of pleasurable entertainment, and, when morally improved, assists our admiration of the infinite wisdom, power, and goodness of the SUPREME. Those who are in­dulged with a spiritual preception in the use of the holy scriptures, find many of the productions of Nature employed by the Spirit of inspiration to fa­miliarize [Page 23] to their min's the riches of grace, and to teach them the wonderful undertaking, and in­effable excellence of that adorable Saviour, by whom, and for whom all things were created, and by whom all things consist. We shall, therefore, esteem ourselves happy, in the course of this pub­lication, frequently to assist our readers in the study and improvement of this delightful science. Our first effort shall be on

AN ESSAY ON JUSTIFICATION.

JUSTIFICATION is one of the most import­ant articles of our holy religion, and demands our most solemn attention. Brevity and perspicuity be­ing our aim in preparing this paper, we shall—ex­plain [Page 50] the term—consider the author—the objects interested—the blessings resulting.

We are, I. To explain the term. Justification, spiritually or evangelically considered, is a complete acquittal from imputed and contracted guilt; a de­liverance from the condemning power of sin; an act of free grace flowing from Jehovah's sovereign good will and pleasure. By many eminent divines this leading doctrine is considered as twofold — ETERNAL and DECLARATIVE. By the former, we understand that which existed in the divine mind from everlasting, respecting the chosen seed, united with Christ their head, "who hath saved us, ac­cording to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus, before the world began." 2 Tim. i.9. By the latter, viz. declarative justi­fication, is designed that which, in time, takes place in or on the conscience of a believer, commonly stiled justification by or through faith. It is upon this we now address you. To be thus fully absolved from all sin and guilt, by virtue of Christ's plenary satisfaction, and pronounced "heirs of eternal life," oh, how enlivening the thought! how animating the reflection! "Bless the Lord, O our souls, and all that is within us, bless his holy name."

We come, II. to consider the author of our justi­fication. "It is God who justifieth." Rom. viii.33. [Page 51] A Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. A truth this, when viewed in all its parts, calculated to excite not only within us, but amid the angelic choir the highest wonder, "which things the angels desire to look into." 1 Pet. i.12. "Whom GOD hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remis­sion of sins that are past, through the Forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteous­ness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus. Rom. x.25, 26. "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgive­ness of sins; and by HIM all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." Acts xiii.38, 39. "And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the SPIRIT of our God." 1 Cor. vi.11. Many other pertinent texts might be quo [...] ed; but permit us, previous to our dismission of this head, to mention, with all due conciseness, a few of the causes of our being thus justified or pronounced RIGHTEOUS. "The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them who have pleasure therein," is of equal force now as when penned by Israel's king. Thus supported, we will not be backward in asserting—

[Page 52]1st. That from this main pillar, this Sublime Characteristic of gospel truth, man's obedience to a law of works is to be utterly excluded. Paul peremptorily says, "By the deeds of the law no flesh shall be justified in his sight." Rom. iii.20. This single declaration, confirmed by repeated equal tes­timony, condemns at once every idea of justification by virtue of our own doings. Those who harbour a sentiment so opposed to Jehovah's revealed will, vainly imagine, consistent with themselves, to bring the supreme governor of universal nature under obligation to do them good. But, beloved, we have not so learned Christ, we do not wish to rob the blessed Redeemer of the brightest jewel in his me­diatorial crown, we do not intend thus basely to detract from that glory which peculiarly belongs to the sacred Three-One. "For there is not a just man upon earth who doeth good and sinneth not." Ecc. vii.20. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isa. lxiv.6.

2dly. What is by too many denominated com­pliance with gospel terms, we do not admit as hav­ing any claim. The gospel of our salvation is un­conditional; it knows no terms on our part as lead­ing to a justifying righteousness. Faith and repent­ance are graces bestowed by the Spirit of God; they are blessings flowing from that covenant which [Page 53] is ordered in all things, and sure. In fine, regene­ration of soul, sanctification of heart, sincerity of disposition, holiness of life, persevering fidelity, un­deviating acquiescence in Jehovah's government, steady zeal for Immanuel's interest, all our own pious frames of mind, comfortable feelings and ap­proving testimonies of conscience are, with respect to this all-essential doctrine, to be kept totally out of view. To what, then, is our justification to be ascribed?

We reply, 1st. To the mere grace or favour of God as the moving cause, "being justified freely by his grace." Rom. iii.24. "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared; not by works of righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us." Titus iii.4, 5. That, which never could have been found out by men or angels, the wisdom of Jehovah contrived, and his love hath made known. This is the original source. Here is the fountain from whence all springs.

2dly. To the life and passion of Jesus as the pro­curing cause. "But God commendeth his love to­wards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him." Rom. v.8, 9. He fulfilled every precept, [Page] he bore the whole penalty of the law in the room and stead of his people: thus was the law magnified and rendered honourable, an end made of sin and everlasting righteousness brought in; "and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Jeremiah xxiii.6. Oh glorious name! predicted long before his in­carnation—Unto whom should we go but unto our once bleeding but now risen Saviour for acceptance? —For us he drank the bitter cup—Let us not substitute any thing in the place of his noble sacri­fice—It is now a righteous thing with God, freely to justify and abundantly to pardon. "In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." Isaiah xlv.25. The robe of Christ's righteousness is a garment down to the foot, where­with every member of the mystical body is amply covered; "for he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God, in him." 2 Cor. v.21. "Such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners." Heb. vii.26. Should any put the question—How doth Christ's righteousness, thus consisting of the holi­ness of his nature, his active and passive obedience, become our's in such wise that we also are neces­sarily deemed RIGHTEOUS?

[Page 55]We readily answer—By IMPUTATION; by making it over unto us; reckoning it our's, or placing it to our account, being wrought out by our elder brother on behalf of the whole ransom­ed flock. "David describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness with­out "works." Rom. iv.6.—Pursuant, therefore, to the unalterable purpose of heaven, agreeable to the oeconomy of man's redemption, this righteous­ness of the precious Jesus, whereof so many glo­rious things are spoken, is as much our's as though wrought out by ourselves in our own proper per­sons. Rom. v.18, 19. Phil. iii.8, 9. Thus clothed upon with raiment of needle-work—Thus united with the HEAD, how can the members be viewed by God the judge of all but as perfectly and com­pletely justified? "And ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power." Col. ii.10.

3dly. Our justification is by some ascribed to faith as an instrumental cause. Strictly speaking, we apprehend saith as no cause at all in this mo­mentuous procedure, but rather as an effect. It is true, the scriptures frequently mention a justifi­cation by faith—By such expressions it is evident the object, and not the act of faith, is designed: the object of faith is Christ and his righteousness: this [Page 56] the believing soul holds fast. Faith is the eye which discovers, the hand which receives; espying a Sa­viour's worth, charmed with his merit, the believer is so enraptured as to cast away all his heavy burden, falls at Messiah's feet, confides in the promise, and pleads atoning blood, "with the heart man believeth unto righteousness." Rom. x.10. It is beautifully observed by one of our very first and most orthodox writers: "The reason why any are justified is not because they have faith—But the reason why they have faith is because they are justified." If justified by faith as a work performed by us, or as a grace wrought without us, where would have been the necessity of the death and resurrection of Jesus? Faith is that precious grace by which we do, in a certain manner, put on the righteousness of the Lord's anointed, and receive the greatest of all bles­sings from the God of our salvation. "It is a grace (saith one) which quarrels much with human pride, and makes its only boast of Sharon's rose; and ne­ver was meant to be our justifying righteousness in the sight of God, else it would learn to boast— Faith says, 'In the Lord have I righteousness,' and tells a sinner, 'I cannot save thee,' thou art saved by grace through faith." The grace of Jesus, and that alone, brings salvation; and the sinner, through faith, as an instrument put in his hand, is enabled [Page 57] to reach the rich donation; just as a begger, by his empty cap stretched forth, receives an alms. We proceed,

III. To describe the objects interested. In the Examination of this particular, what abundant rea­son have we to adopt the prophetic language, "to the law and to the testimony? If they speak not ac­cording to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah viii.20. The persons justified through rich and sovereign grace are in the living oracles declared to be "ungodly," Rom. iv.5. also "sinners." Gal. ii.17. Was it not for declara­tions like these, where would be our comfort? We are all sinners, we are all ungodly; does it from hence follow, that all who are sinners, all who are ungodly, are without exception justified? By no means! the whole canon of scripture combine with the dictates of sound experience to render every such idea inadmissible. It is true, we read, "that by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." Rom. v.18. By a careful revision of what goes before and follows after, we shall find the apostle did not mean all men absolutely, but all the chosen, all believers; his epistle was directed to "all that be in Rome, be­loved of God, called to be saints." Moreover, the justified are represented as a peculiar people, and [Page 58] have such characters ascribed to them as cannot, without the greatest inconsistency and abuse of lan­guage, be ascribed to all the progeny of fallen Adam. They are spoken of as those who are predestinated, redeemed, pardoned, effectually called, sanctified, regenerated, &c. That these things are not true, with respect to all the lapsed family, every unpreju­diced mind must acknowledge. Upon the whole, those who are unworthy and guilty in themselves, but in the everlasting covenant elected and beloved, have that righteousness whereon their justification is founded, not only exhibited to them by the gos­pel, but brought nigh by the Holy Ghost, these are the "purchased possession," this is the "bride," the lamb's wife; between whom and the Lord Je­ses, an union not only now exists, but hath exist­ed, ancient as eternity itself, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn thee," Jer. xxxi.3. a mul­titude which no man can number. The

IV. And last thing proposed for investigation, is the blessings resulting from justification.

Where shall we begin, and how shall we end? blessings great indeed croud in upon us! blessings beyond compare are consequential on our being thus freely justified! a doctrine pregnant with com­fort inexpressible! a foundation is hereby laid not [Page 59] simply for fluctuating hope, but for the full assur­ance of present and future bliss. By virtue hereof, we experience—1. A freedom or deliverance from sin and condemnation. From all sin, as to its guilt, from its reigning power and dominion, and by and by from its in-being "the blood of Jesus Christ his son, cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John i.7. Heb. x.12—14. Our sins are covered and hid from the all-penetrating eye of divine justice, and when sought for hereafter shall not be found; "there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus." Rom. viii.1. Gal. iii.13. When seriously reflecting on our happy rescue from the hands of satan, our accusing foe; also from death and the grave, as penal evils; but more especially from the pains of hell and the wrath to come; and all as the effect of love divine, what heart among us can remain cold and lifeless? what tongue can cease to praise?—2. As justified we enjoy peace with God. "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. v.1. Connected herewith is real peace of mind. Oh happy souls! brought fully to behold a crucified Redeemer making peace by the blood of his cross, "the chastisement of our peace was upon him." Isaiah liii.5. Knowing this to be the case, well may we, "on the Dove-like [Page 60] wings of faith, fly, far away from the storms and tempests of an opposing conscience, and find in the rock of ages a quiet sanctuary and safe retreat." —3. The acceptance of our persons and services is another blessing resulting herefrom. The Father is well pleased with both for the alone sake of Christ his Son, "to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved." Eph. i.6. Christ's garments smell of myrrh, aloes and cassia, wherewith his people being clad, the Lord smells a sweet savor in them also. A view of this emboldens us to draw near to the King of kings. Heb. x.19—22. The person, the blood, the righ­teousness, the mediation of Jesus, are the only foun­dation of all our pleas at the celestial throne.—4. As justified we are blessed through life, shall be so at death, and through eternity. While on earth, we are expressly assured that "all things work to­gether for our good:" when summoned to die, we need not fear the grim messenger. The property of temporal death, with respect to God's people, is greatly changed; it puts an end to all their sorrows, hath its sting taken away, and will prove to be our very great gain. In honour and triumph are such conveyed to the mansions above; and oh, with what joy are the everlasting doors expanded wide for their reception! Our bodies, though moulder­ing [Page 61] to dust, will nevertheless enjoy a glorious re­surrection—our persons at the last day shall have an honourable distinction, and gracious approbation from the judge supreme. Never-ceasing felicity, con­summate happiness, and perpetual glory will be our portion. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them who love him." 1 Cor. ii.9. We shall then, O joyful period! live and reign with Christ for ever and ever, and our song will uninterruptedly be, "unto him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood; and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever."

NATURAL HISTORY.

THE ELEPHANT.

THE elephant is supposed to be the largest of any quadruped in the known world; and seems to be the wisest also. The observation is Cicero's: whose words ( De Nat. Deor. i.) are, "Ele­phanto belluarum nualla providentior. At figurâ quae vastior?" All the amiable, and all the furious passions, are to be found in this animal: and its docility is wonderful; for, when properly tamed, he is capable of being instructed and disciplined into a vast variety of entertaining and useful qualifica­tions.

[Page 74]Do him a material injury, and he'll act as if he had been tutor'd by the late Lord Chesterfield; i. e. if it be in his power, he will immediately revenge the affront; but it restrained for the present, either by motives of prudence, or by inability to wreak his resentment, he will retain the offence in his memory for years together, and take care to repay it with interest, the first favourable opportunity. I have heard or read of a boy, who wantonly struck the proboscis, or trunk, of an elephant; and then courageously secured himself by running away. Seven years afterwards, the lad was playing near the side of a river; and had, probably, forgot his past misdemeanor. But the elephant had a better memory; and, making up to the young delinquent, grasped him with his trunk, and very sedately car­ried the sprawling captive to the water; where he ducked him once or twice over head and ears, and then quietly setting him down again on terra firma, permitted him to walk off without further hurt.

It is said, that in those countries where elephants abound, such of them as are tame, go about the streets, like any other domestic animal; and, it is common for people to give them fruit as they pass. In time they commence absolute beggars, and will put in the extremity of their trunks at doors and windows, in hope of receiving the little benevo­lences [Page 75] which custom has inured them to expect. After waiting a short while, if nothing is given them, they withdraw their trunks, and pass on to the next accessible house. It is related, that some taylors were at work, on a board, withinside of a window whose casement stood open. A passing elephant stopt, and put in his trunk. One of the men, instead of conferring a douceur, gave the animal's trunk a scratch with his needle. The injur'd party took no present notice of the provoca­tion, but patiently walked away. He repaired to a neighbouring stream; and, having filled his ca­pacious trunk with a large quantity of water, re­turned to the window, where he coolly avenged himself, by spouting the fluid artillery on the ag­gressor and his comrades, for their late breach of hospitality.—If we do not relieve the indigent, they at least have a right not to be insulted. And, very frequently, the meanest are able, sooner or later, to retaliate, with usury, the contempt they undeservedly receive.

Every beggar is not honest. Nor are all ele­phants actuated by a strict sense of moral delicacy. Their smell is very acute: and if a person has any fruit or cakes about him, they shew, by the quick and judicious application of their trunks to the proper part of his dress, that they are adepts in [Page 76] the art of picking pockets, with excellent dexte­rity.

Elephants, like men, have (if I may be allowed the expression) their virtues and their vices: though, to the honour of the former be it observed, the vices of an elephant bear but small proportion to his virtues. There have been instances of these creatures, who, in the first hurry of rage for ill-treatment, have killed their keepers. But their subsequent remorse has been so insupportably keen, that they have refused to take any sustenance, and literally starved themselves to death. A lesson to persons of violent passions, who, if hurried away by the impetuous torrent, either of excessive and unguarded anger, or of head-strong and irregular desire, are liable to the commission of irreparable evil, and may, in a single moment, lay the foun­da [...]ion of irremediable ruin. He that HASTETH with his feet, sinneth. O believer, if thou art by nature hasty, vehement, and easily inflamma­ble, call in superior aid. He who, in the days of his flesh, rebuked the raging of the winds, and still'd the tossings of the sea, can, by the sweet compescing influence of his gracious SPIRIT, re­strain thee within the bounds of holiness, and speak the storm into a perfect calm. I have read of an Heathen, who, when he found himself unduly fer­mented [Page 77] by the kindlings of inward wrath, would never utter a single word, till he had first delibe­rately run over in his mind all the letters of the al­phabet. I have read of a Christian, who, when endangered by similar temptation, would not suffer himself to speak a syllable, till he had silently re­peated the Lord's Prayer. Go, and do thou like­wise. Repeat that prayer to God, in the spirit of supplication: and thy victory over passion will be more than probable.

Elephants are singularly grateful, and have a very deep sense of friendship. They have been known to lay the death of a brother elephant, or of a kind keeper, so much to heart, as to pine away from that time forward. Even virtue, if strained beyond a certain pitch, degenerates into a fault. Nor is it right for us to love, with too much ardour, any perishable good. Dr. Owen some­where remarks, that "strong affections make strong afflictions." Confine, therefore, your ab­solue regards to FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT; the Three glorious Friends, who never die, and whose loving-kindness is immortal as themselves!

In some countries, we are told, elephants supply the place of executioners. They are trained, at a given signal, to lay hold on the criminal with their trunks, by a strong suction, and either dash him [Page 78] violently against the ground, or toss him aloft in the air, till repeated contusions put a period to his life.—Mankind are very prone to value themselves on their supposed civilization; and yet, by artfully practising on the ferocity of inferior animals, they sometimes teach brutes themselves to be still more brutal.

Clumsey as elephants are, they may be taught to dance, both singly and in companies; and they move, on these occasions, with singular exactness and order. They are not insensible to the harmony of music; and, if properly inured, keep time with their feet, in a manner which discovers great powers of judgment. If I rightly remember, Bishop Bur­net informs us, in his travels, that he saw an ele­phant play at ball, with all the ease and expertness of a man. But PLUTARCH, in his life of Pyrrhus, mentions a much nobler instance of elephantin un­derstanding and adroitness; accompanied by such magnanimous courage and fidelity, as would have redounded to the honour of a Sertorius, or of an Alexander. When Pyrrhus stormed the town of Argos, a number of accoutered elephants (accord­ing to the custom of those times) formed a part of his military apparatus. One of these creatures, perceiving that his rider was fallen, invited him, by every effort in his power, to re-mount. But find­ing, [Page 79] soon after, that he [viz. the rider] was dead of the wounds he had received, the animal, in a transport of grief and rage, rushed furiously on friends and foes, without distinction; and, taking up the body with his trunk, made good his retreat, and rescued the remains of his breathless master from further violation, by faithfully and heroically conveying them from the scene of action.

With all his magnitude and strength, an elephant (if not sour'd by unkind usage) may be rendered so passive and gentle, as to be led and governed by a child. Just representation of that amiable meekness and humility, wherewith christians of exalted rank condescend to men of low estate; and persons emi­nent for superior grace, or for distinguished learn­ing, bear with the infirmities, and are courteous to the ignorance of the weak. It was in this spirit that the excellent Doctor WATTS descended from the regions of philosophy, and stooped from the heights of more elevated poetry, to compose his admirable hymns for children, and teach infant warblers to lisp the praises of the great THREE-ONE.

The method by which wild elephants are taken, deserves to be noticed. A narrow inclosure is made; one end of which is left open, for entrance; and, at the extremity of the other, several tame fe­male [Page 80] elephants are placed. Between both (i. e. be­tween the entrance and the extremity where the females are fixed) a large pit is dug, whose surface is lined with a slight bridge-work, so neatly turfed, that it has all the appearance of firm ground. Al­lured by the females, the male elephants make to­wards the place, but are suddenly intercepted by the unsuspected snare. Proper persons, who are stationed to watch the event, start from their con­cealments; and, with exulting shouts, mock the indignant distress of their unwieldy prisoners.— Striking picture of the deceitfulness of sin; the unthinking folly of heedless minds; and the ter­rible effects of successful temptation.

Elephants are tamed chiefly by hunger and by blows.—Providence hides pride from man, and bends his stubbornness to obedience, by graciously afflictive dispensations.

E [...]ephants are said to be extremely fond of pomp, and to receive very pleasurable ideas from the ex­hibitions of splendour. Hence the natives of East-India, who hold the doctrine of Transmigration, imagine that these animals are animated by the souls of departed princes. For this reason they are treated (especially in the kingdom of Siam) with distin­guished respect; and some of the handsomest are decorated with rich ornaments, and even dignified [Page 81] with titles of honour. An elephant of quality is known by the rings of gold, silver, or copper with which his tusks are adorned.—There is something very humiliating in the pride of human reason, in conduct so extravagantly absurd as this. Absolute good-nature is absolute folly. And yet, the fanci­ful surmise of the transmigration of souls from one body into another, is attended with peculiar feli­cities to the poor beasts who live in countries where that doctrine obtains. It is our duty to adopt the humanity of those heathens without its absurdities; and to be scrupulously tender of the life and hap­piness of every inferior animal entrusted to our care: knowing that the sovereign Providence, which has made them subservient to our wants, has given us no charter for the exercise of unnecessary cruelty or wonton tyranny.

AN ESSAY On the Influence of Grace upon the Soul of Man.

AS, when a river is turned into a new channel, the stream forsakes its ancient bed, and pursues a course unknown till then; so the soul of man, when its native captivity to sin and death, is turned as the rivers in the South, flows back to God, from whom it ran before; nor ceases to flow, till it has gained the ocean of infinite good.

[Page 98]This is the inseparable effect of union and com­munion with Christ. The glorious liberty of the children of God, is a liberty from the darkness of unbelief, and from the bondage of moral corrup­tion, into the light of faith, the fire of love, and law of righteousness. That question in the pro­phet, Can the Ethiopean change his skin, or the leopard his spots? admits of a favourable solution. The converting SPIRIT of God does that for us which we could never do for ourselves. He makes the Ethiopean, in a moral sense, fair as the driven snow; and renders the spotted leopard spotless, in comparison of what he was. The vassals of ini­quity became vessels of glory; and the soul that once cleaved to the dust of sensuality, and lay dead in trespasses and sins, is quicken'd from above, and made to sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. When the citadel of the human heart is taken by grace, the enemy's colours are displaced; Satan's usurped authority is superseded; the standard of the Cross is erected on the walls; and the spiritual rebel takes the vow of willing allegiance to Christ, his rightful sovereign. The strong holds to sin on one hand, and of self-righteousness on the other, are batter'd down; and the soul, from that blessed moment, made free indeed, crys out, Other lords have had dominion over me; but the darkness is [Page 99] past, and the true light now shines: the snare is broken, and I am deliver'd.

From this experience of the divine power in our own hearts, we cannot but adopt the celestial anthem, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men! Our Conversion becomes known to all; and some of the practical effects, produced by, and connected with, that great display of grace, are these that follow:—

Where Lust, that fiery serpent, was wont to crawl, divine LOVE kindles her hallow'd flame, and raises the affections, as on eagles' wings, to heaven.

Where Unbelief, blind and sullen as the mole, lay wrapt in malicious gloom, loving darkness ra­ther than light, and seeking to undetermine what she had not eyes to see, FAITH diffuses the bright­ness of celestial day, and leads the willing soul to Him who bought her with his blood.

Where Insensibility, thoughtless as the bird that hastens to the snare, and gay as a victim crowned for the slaughter, sported on the precipice of de­struction, and danced on the verge of death, se­rious CONVICTION fixes her keen, but salutary weapon; and filial FEAR keeps the avenues of the converted person's heart, and the actions of his life, in powerful, but sweet, restraint.

[Page 100]Where Envy pined, where Malice hissed, where Slander sharpened her tongue, and Pride, that bloated snake, lifted her swelling crest; universal CHARITY throws wide her arms; HUMILITY stoops to the tenderest offices of beneficence; and dove-like MEEKNESS smiles with benignity in her heart, and the law of candour upon her lips.

Where Intemperance mixed the intoxicating bowl, and lawless riot pushed the superfluous glass, seeking to drown every thought of eternity, and to sink the poor remains of human dignity, in the poisonous draught; there, religious MODERATION marks out the limits; mindful of that more than golden rule, Whether ye eat, or drink, or what­soever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

Where Prophaneness, assuming the mask of wit, spawned the irreligious jest, and solicited the hellish laugh, prostituting, perhaps, even the lan­guage of Scripture to the purposes of licentious mirth, and playing on the very words of the Holy Ghost; trifling with sacred subjects, at which an­gels tremble, and lightly mentioning that adorable Name, at which angels bow; there, from the mo­ment of conversion, grace introduces a total change. The renewed sinner abhors himself, as in dust and ashes, for all that he has done; and can never suf­ficiently adore, admire, and revere, that infinite [Page 101] goodness, which, instead of turning him into hell, has turned him to God, and made him a living mo­nument, not of deserved vengeance, but of un­merited mercy. His heart, which, till then, was a sink of impurity and prophanation, is transform­ed into an house of prayer; and his mouth, once the seat of blasphemy, is consecrated into an altar of praise.

Where Avarice sat brooding, tenacious as death, and insatiate as the grave; unfeeling as marble, and deaf to the cries of distress, as the adder that stops her ear: discreet LIBERALITY unlocks the heart, and well-directed Beneficence extends her hand to bestow. The language of the soul is simi­lar to that of Zacchëus: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods, I give to the poor; and, if I have taken any thing from any man, by false accusa­tion, I restore him fourfold. The true believer, like his adorable Saviour, goes about, doing good, and seeking whom he may relieve.

Where Discontent, like a wild bull in a net, raged and struggled, turning the rod of affliction into a serpent, and charging Providence with folly; reclining PATIENCE kisses the hand that smites, and, knowing that Infinite Wisdom and Goodness have mingled the draught, not only receives, but even relishes, the cup: while celestial HOPE casts [Page 102] her anchor on the inestimable promise of Him who says, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; and who has immutably declared, that All things without exception, work together for good, to them that love God, to them that are the called accord­ing to his purpose. Thus does the follower of Christ, in the communicated strength of the Holy One, take up his cross; content to bear it as long, and to carry it as far▪ as God's unerring will shall please:

Where sacrilegious Impiety once robb'd Jeho­vah of his own Day, and prophaned the SAB­BATH, either by rioting and excess, or by travel­ling, or by the transaction of worldly business, or by making it an opportunity of recreation and idle amusement; thus rendering the best of days subservient to the worst purposes, either of atrocious guilt, or of criminal insignificance; either basely selling, or unprofitably squandering, those precious, those irretrievable hours, which should be appro­priated to the glory of God, and to the spiritual improvement of the soul;—There, religious regard to divine appointment, and love to the gracious [Page 103] Appointer, constrain the Christian to keep the Lord's Day holy to the Lord, and to cultivate an habitual, increasing fitness for the enjoyment of that Sabbatism, that everlasting rest, which remain­eth for the people of God.

In a word, where Impenitency, armed with ten­fold brass, stiffened her neck, and withdrew her shoulder from the yoke of obedience;—the once obdurate sinner, being made willing in the day of God's power, crys out, with vanquish'd Paul, Lord, what wouldst thou have me to do? Tears of contrition flow, like water from the smitten rock; REPENTANCE strikes her conscious breast; and DEVOTION darts her aspiring eyes to heaven.

May those, who have, hitherto, been uncon­cerned about the great work of conversion, beg of God to shew them the things belonging to their peace, e'er death makes them wise indeed; wise, perhaps, too late!

And may such of us, as are influenced, by grace, to the experimental knowledge, love, and imitation of Christ; be led, farther, and deeper, into acquaint­ance with God, and communion with his blessed Spirit: gaining, day by day, brighter evidences of our Election to eternal life, and more substantial marks of our interest in the Covenant of Grace. Pray for the full assurance of faith, for the feel­ing [Page 104] of God's favour to you in Christ Jesus, and for the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of sins.

A PRESERVATION.

SIR James Thornhill was the person who paint­ed the inside of the famous cupola of St. Paul's, London. After having finished one of the com­partments, he stepped back, gradually, to see how it would look at a distance. He receded so far (still keeping his eye intently fixed on the painting) that he was got almost to the very edge of the scaf­folding, without perceiving it: had he continued to retreat half a minute more, he must have fallen to the pavement beneath, and completed his destruc­tion. A person present, who saw the danger the great artist was in, had the happy presence of mind to snatch up one of the brushes, and daubed it over the painting. Sir James, transported with rage, sprung forward to save the remainder of the piece. But his rage was soon turned into thanks, when the person addressed him—"Sir, by spoiling the paint­ing I have saved the life of the painter. You had advanced to the extremity of the scaffold, without [Page 105] knowing it. Had I called to you, to apprize you of your danger, you would naturally have turned to look behind you; and the surprise of finding yourself in such a dreadful situation, would have hastened your fall. I had, therefore, no other me­thod of retrieving you but by acting as I did."

Not altogether dissimilar to this is God's conduct to his people. It is the vain employ of sinful man, by the imperfect duties of his life, to draw his own portrait, in such delusive colours, as to esteem him­self worthy the attention of the Almighty; and, after the performance is executed, to view himself in every favourable light to gratify the vanity of his self-righteous heart, although every step he takes in the review, hastens his unwary feet to a fall which must complete his destruction. But, it is the determination of the God of Grace, to stain the pride of all human glory; and, as the by-stander daubed the painting of Sir James Thorn­hill, purposely to save his life from death, so the LORD the SPIRIT mars our legal performances, shews us the guilt that attends them, and their in­efficiency to justify us before the tribunal of JEHO­VAH; then directs our attention to JESUS, the Son of God, the Lord our Righteousness; who, being the brightness of his FATHER 's glory, and the express image of his PERSON, having purged [Page 106] our sins, becomes our only salvation. Then, in­stead of our hearts arising in resentment against the conduct of the Almighty, in destroying the works of our hands, we thankfully adore his grace, and triumph in his love!

THE SLOTHFUL WORSHIPER ADMONISHED.

FOR a professed christian to enter a place of pub­lic worship when service is half performed, is attend­ed with extreme disadvantages to himself, and many inconveniences to others; consequently merits friendly admonition.

Such a person, however, may reply, "better late than never;" but, on serious reflection, he must find his tardy steps expose him to severe reflection. Does he not give others leave to imagine he has indulged a bed of sloth, especially when on every other morning in the week he is known to be first at market, and the earliest at his business? Who can suppose he has had time for either family or closet Devotion; or if performed at all, it must have been in a bustle to get to Church before sermon. May not many steady worshippers imagine, that this slothful christian, however he may talk of loving sermons, can have little idea of the true worship of the great God, when he enters the door after pray­er? Should he be equally late in his attendance in the afternoon, who but may imagine he has too freely eat at his table; or has taken a few glasses too many? This, however, is certain, no one has [Page 118] reason to suppose his mind in a lively frame for re­ligion; that he loves the habitation of the Almighty; feels a warm attachment to God's saints; or is a lover of prayer and praise.

This evil does not rest alone upon or with himself. What a bad example does he set his family, and others in the congregation, especially young persons, who need every stimulus to duty! What an interrup­tion to public worship is it for a person to bounce in, and almost out of breath, to take his seat, while service is performed? And, what a discouragement is it to the minister to see so little fruit of his labour, and perhaps to be interrupted in his work by this negligent attendant, who catches the eye of every body in the church?

It is granted, that lawful, unavoidable obstruc­tions may occur to prevent a person's timely atten­dance on worship; where this is the real case, it will create the pain of disappointment in that breast which glows with ardour for Communion with God in his sanctuary; but it is to be feared, many, very many habitually neglect a due attendance on the house of the Lord, and need admonition to quicken their steps, which, if effected hereby, will answer the desired end of this paper.

THE REFLECTION.

AM I a sinner?—The conviction of my conscience, the events of my life, and the law of my creation, confirm the solemn truth. Sin has pro­duced in my breast unhallowed desires, deranged by mental powers, and debased my softer passions; it prepareth for my steps a thorny path, and creates a stubborn will, averse to all that's good. In vain I pass the busy scenes of life, or seek to drown my conscious sensibility among the sons of mirth: these enhance my pain in reflecting hours, and arm my pillow with thorns, more piercing than the poisoned arrow. I am amenable to HIM who made me. This, a conscience something, resi­dent within, announces. And this I learn from the various scenes of life, and the passage of my fellow mortals, though against their will, to a state from which they never, never will return. Ah! my soul, every fleeting moment brings thee nearer to the fatal crisis, when thou, and all that's mortal, shalt bid adieu, and then to stand before thy Ma­ker's august throne. But O!—this God is good, and mercy dwells with him. Yet, say my soul, this God is righteous too; nor can his goodness, nor his mercy, reach thee as a sinner, at expence [Page 120] so dear as forfeiture of justice. If there be a God, immutable must be his attributes; nor one impeach or cross another. How then, as a sinner, canst thou hope to meet his smiles?—Sayest thou, revolve, repent; yet alas! who will pay the old arrear! Will repenting tears obliterate the awful debt I owe? But, should I say I will repent, can re­pentance flow from a heart so hard and vile as mine? The terrors of my God forbid repentance; inflexi­ble is his law, and exorable is his justice;—my guilty breast feels encrusted; my tears refuse to flow; nor can I find repentance, though by repen­tance I should be saved. Whither then wouldst thou fly? Survey the stores of nature, if a victim can be found to satisfy thy God;—see, if among her choicest sweets, a balm so full of virtue can be found to make the whole. All, all is vain! "Shall I come before the Lord with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" These, alas! have no merit for human of­fence; and the very offering of them would betray my folly and accumulate my guilt. What said Abraham to his son?—"God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering." Gen. xxii.8. The [Page 121] gospel points me to that Lamb; God's co-equal, co-eternal Son—that Lamb, who was lead to the slaughter; bled beneath the stroke of justice; and whose atoning sacrifice is accepted by that God against whom my sins arise. Here then will I rest. On this rock of salvation will I cast my soul with all its guilt and cares. O thou bleeding, suffering dying Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world; wash me in thy precious blood, clothe me in thy justifying righteousness, and, by thy so­vereign, efficacious grace, restore my heart, my life, my soul, to thy holy image! and when flesh and heart shall fail, be thou the strength of my life and my portion for ever.

AN ESSAY ON LOVE TO GOD.

LOVE to God is the essence of personal reli­gion; without it the most splendid profession is un­satisfying and vain. It will be our attempt in this essay to explain the principles on which God has [Page 146] a right to demand our affections, and the felicity of that man who loves the Lord with all his heart.

I. From the natural relation which subsists be­tween God and the creature, he has a right to de­mand our affections. When the Almighty form­ed man, he enriched his soul with a propensity to love; and upon the exercise of this passion the basis of human happiness was formed. Love is the most sensible, operative, visible passion of the human soul, and leads every other in its train; in the exercise of this our first parents, in their primeval state, grasped the vision of JEHOVAH, as the God of universal Nature, and thereby experienced the most inconceivable delight. This claim is consist­ent with the honour of God, and the interest of his creature, and is supported by an holy and an inflexible law; the tenor of which is, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. Deut. vi.4, 5. Adam, in Paradise, did thus love the Lord his God; but, on the entrance of sin, the know­ledge of God was turned into darkness, the affec­tions were contaminated, enmity reared its baneful head, and man fled with precipitation from the voice of his Maker. Nor was this change in Adam's heart peculiar to him alone—by his disobedience many were made sinners. Rom. v.19. The carnal [Page 147] mind is enmity against God; it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Rom. viii.7. Jesus said unto the Jews, I know ye that ye have not the love of God in you. John v.42. Thus, although man be under a natural and moral obligation to love God, and the divine right to the creature's affections still abides, the fact is too stubborn to be denied, that mankind, universally so by nature, are lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. 2 Tim. iii.4. Let the reader apply this to his own heart, and ask, "Have I loved the Lord with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength?" Surely he has not. This view of human nature calls for deep humiliation. Not to love God is to be destitute of a pure fountain of happiness, and to be exposed to the awful pe­nalty of death, annexed to the law of our Sove­reign. Glory be to God, that GRACE has restor­ed what NATURE lost! Therefore,

II. God claims the affections of his people from the principle of their ADOPTION to HIMSELF in CHRIST JESUS flowing from the good pleasure of his will. Eph. i.5. This, though unintelligible to nature, is the grand theme of revelation, and is the only way in which the depraved sinner can be brought to love the Lord with delight. It was the act of the FATHER to adopt; JESUS engaged to [Page 148] assume our nature, bear our sins, magnify the law of love which we had violated, atone for sin by the shedding of his blood, and prove our adoption in HIMSELF worthy the attributes of JEHOVAH. The SPIRIT of ADOPTION, in the fulness of time, is sent into the conscience of a redeemed sin­ner, shews him his condemnation for sin, testifies of Christ as a complete Saviour, sheds abroad the love of God in his heart, and enables him to ap­proach and enjoy God as his father. Gal. iv. 4—6. Rom. v. 5. How different is the state and sensi­bility of such a man to what they were! The en­mity of his heart is slain; he feels the force of re­conciliation to God, and enjoys peace in his con­science; he neither boasts of loving God upon the principles of nature, nor cavils at adopting grace, but exults in the everlasting, distinguishing love of FATHER, SON, and SPIRIT to him; by which he is brought to know and feel the sweets of loving God. He that enjoys but the smallest degree of love to God, though he may not to be able to re­cite any remarkable circumstances in his conver­sion, is able to tell you that there was a time when he did not know nor love God; and what little he now enjoys is the fruit of great grace. Thus, we love GOD because he first loved us, sent his SON to die for us, and then gave us his SPIRIT, to [Page 149] unite our hearts in love to himself, bearing testi­mony that unless God had thus loved us we never should have been restored to enjoy the sweets of love to him. To this we add,

III. GOD, as the REDEEMER of his people, has a right to their affections, from their personal surrender of themselves to him, as the fruit of his own grace. That heart which reviews its own native wretchedness by transgression, contemplates the boundless love of God in his salvation, and is brought nigh, by the blood of CHRIST, to enjoy the smiles of the EVERLASTING FATHER, re­members that he is not his own, but bought with a price. He approaches the Lord by faith and prayer, and adopts the language of David: Into thine hand I commit my spirit, for thou hast re­deemed me, O Lord God of truth. Ps. xxxi.5. In the retired chamber, at the water of baptism, at the gates of Zion, and at the table of the Lord, the Christian, in lively emotions of heart, resigns himself to be the Lord's for ever: No part of re­vealed truth but he receives in the love of it; no command which dropped from his Saviour's lips, whether for private or public obedience, but is em­braced with affection; no cross, no suffering, but what he cheerfully welcomes; knowing that the many waters of affliction cannot quench the flame [Page 150] of his love to God, neither can the floods of temp­tation drown it. Sol. Song viii. 7. For the truth of these observations I appeal to the scriptures, and to the experience of the Christian reader. You have not repented giving your hand and heart to HIM who bought you with his blood. From the principle of your surrender to God he addresses you, My son, give me thine heart. Prov. xxiii.26. This claim is founded upon your sonship, and is supported by God's endearing relation to you as your father in Christ. Frequently, in duty and in trial, in pro­vidence and in conscience, Christ addresses you in his language to Peter, Lovest thou me more than these? John xxi. 15—17. As the High Priest un­der the law bore the names of the Hebrew tribes upon his breast-plate, so Jesus, the great HIGH PRIEST of our profession, bears his people upon his heart; and by the methods of his grace he makes them to enjoy the comfort of that privilege, and then claims their hearts for himself.

Let us now take these three parts of our subject, and view them as containing the principles of na­tural and revealed religion. On the principles of adopting grace, the obligation of nature's law is not annihilated, but established. Grace restores what nature lost by sin. Though the honours of nature are restored by the obedience of Christ, and [Page 151] our affections claimed by the Lord, remember it is by the display of adopting grace alone. You be­hold God not as Creator only, but in the new, eternal relation of your Father in Christ. You never can be too well established in this important truth. Not viewing the believer's love, as flowing from his adoption, is the principal cause of blend­ing law and gospel, nature and grace, obligation and privilege, together; and, from this almost every other error proceeds. By the gospel your obedi­ence is directed into a new channel, and flows from the precious love of Christ: you are actuated by new motives, have new sources opened for your perseverance in holy obedience, and a sure and cer­tain prospect of receiving the end of your faith, in the final salvation of your soul. 1 Pet. i.9.

Let them, said Deborah, that love the Lord, be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. Judges v.31. How pleasing the emblem to de­scribe the happiness of that man who loves the Lord with all his heart! like the SUN in the fir­mament, he stands a monument of JEHOVAH's wisdom and almighty power! As at the brightness of the sun the stars withdraw their light, so the redeemed of the Lord, washed in the blood of the Lamb, cloathed with the immaculate righteousness of the God-man Christ Jesus, and replenished with [Page 152] his everlasting love, outvies the formal moralist in pure obedience, and eventually he shall outshine the angels in the height of glory above!—As the SUN pursues his course, and rejoices as a strong man to run a race, though storm and tempest fill the sky; so the man that loves the Lord shall per­severe through the raging tempests produced by earth and hell; and the black clouds of affliction which surround him, shall only tend to make him shine the brighter!—Not as an idle spectator the SUN is placed in the centre of the mundane system, but governing the surrounding planets, while his bright beams pierce through all the skies; like the man who loves the Lord, placed in society, diffu­ses his knowledge, candour, truth, benevolence, and zeal, for the happiness of all around!—In one instance, however, the emblem fails. The period will arrive when that great source of light and heat shall set to rise no more, and be lost amidst the wreck of nature: But the righteous shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, for ever and ever. Mat. xiii.43.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REGENERA­TION AND CONVERSION.

REGENERATION is the ACT of God, as the God of all grace, turning to the sinner, who, by nature, is dead in trespasses and sins—quick­ening the conscience—forming a principle of spiri­tual [Page 154] life, with all its habits, separate, and as distinct from the old body of sin, as the soul itself is from the animal body. Titus iii.5. Eph. ii.1. John iii.6. 1 John iii.9. The Image of God is formed upon this new creature, in embryo, as much as the hu­man foetus possesses all the habits, parts, and passions of man. Eph. iv.24. Col. iii.10. Rom. viii.29. Power, unfelt before, is now experienced—a con­flict commences in the conscience, between this new life and the body of sin—a desire is produced, accompanied with an ability to turn unto God as the fountain of mercy, and to enjoy the light, the exercise, and the pleasures, connected with a spiri­tual state of existence. Ps. cxvi.4. Acts ix.6.

CONVERSION is the spiritual deliverance of a soul from a state of regeneration, and is therefore called a birth. John iii.3—5. It is the motion of the living soul turning to God; and the exertion of spiritual life embracing God, as he is revealed in the scriptures, as the believer's happy portion in Christ Jesus, as much as by natural instinct the new-born infant applies for sustenance to its mother's breast. Jer. xxxi.18. Sam. iii.24. Now, the Image of God is displayed in obedience; and life becomes sensibly evident in the exercise of all its faculties. Gal. v.22. Therefore, he that is regenerated shall, in due time, be converted to a life of happiness in [Page 155] God; for God cannot have a still-born child; his work is perfect. Deut. xxxii.4. Eccl. xi.5.

To these observations may be added—In REGE­NERATION the sinner is passive; in CONVERSION he is active. REGENERATION is, by the secret operation of God's holy spirit, alone; CONVER­SION is enjoyed by the same Spirit, through the mean of the word of truth. REGENERATION is once, and for ever; CONVERSION is frequently necessary. Luke xxii. 32. James v.19. Let no man think of conversion, until he be first regene­rated: Life must be given before life can either be exercised or enjoyed. Matt. xviii.3. This great work, of regeneration and conversion, flows from the everlasting Love of the FATHER, through the Person of his SON CHRIST JESUS; and is produced in the soul of guilty man, by the sove­reign, invisible operations of the HOLY GHOST. Jer. xxxi.3. Eph. ii.10. John iii.5, 6.

NATURAL HISTORY.

AN ESSAY ON CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE.

EXPERIENCE is knowledge and advantage arising fr [...]m practice: evangelically, as applied to christians, it is the knowledge and enjoyment of God, arising from the conflict in the soul between [Page 194] nature and grace; flesh and spirit; the old man and the new. Although the experience of the heart admits of different degrees of combat and sensibility, light and darkness, pleasure and pain, yet there can be no christian, as such, without some measure of experience; it is absolutely inseparable from his ex­istence as a believer, either as a babe, a young man, or a father, in Christ. A subject, therefore, of this magnitude is worthy a place in this publication, and demands the most serious attention of our nu­merous readers.

The AUTHOR of christian experience is the Spirit of God. This sentiment our Lord taught in his discourse to the Jews: He that believeth on me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters. This spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive. John vii.38, 39. To the woman of Samaria he explained the same truth: Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. John iv.14. This well is dug in the sinner's Regeneration; the sacred water springs in Conversion, flows through every channel of Obedience, replenishes the heart under the se­verest sufferings, and creates those sublime pleasures which bear the soul above the fears of death, in [Page 195] prospect of immortal joys. Nor can we omit citing the great channel of experience which our Lord hath given us under the expressive emblem of the vine and the branches, the vital sap of which, the power of the Blessed Spirit, produces the buds of desire, the leaves of profession, the fragrant flowers of comfort, and the richest fruit of love to God and man. The experience of God's grace and love, the essence of religion, can no more be enjoyed in the breast of a sinner without the Spirit of God, than the branch can bear fruit without a living union with the vine. John xv. 1 — 5. As it was the office and work of CHRIST to make atonement for sin, by the shedding of his blood; so it is the office and work of the SPIRIT to bring sinners into the know­ledge and experience of that great salvation. For a man to profess his faith in the person and work of Christ, without being able to give a testimony of the work of the Spirit upon his heart, is the most awful delusion— If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his, let his profession be as brilliant as it may. Rom. viii.9.

The STANDARD of experience is the gospel of Christ. As the Holy Ghost dictated the authors of the bible, so the gospel, in all its variety, fulness and glory, is applied to a believing soul in the de­monstration of the same Spirit, and of power. [Page 196] 1 Thess. i.5.ii.13. To the law, and to the tes­timony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah viii.20. It is in the volume of revelation alone that we know how God pardons sin—how it is our guilty conscience can have peace with God—how we may walk happily with him—what are the enemies we have to fight against—and by what means we are made more than conquerors. It is here alone that we learn the great, the glorious act of JEHOVAH, in adopting his children in Christ— what are their features, trials, mercies, duties, pri­vileges, and security. A considerable part of this sacred book exhibits, in the most lively colours, the EXPERIENCES of God's children, for many thou­sand years; and it is most certain, that there is no man who has been made a partaker of God's grace, but has found, in the lives of bible saints, an exact copy of his own frames, feelings, fears, hopes, and joys. Let the men of grace be of whatever lan­guage, nation, or particular visible denomination, they may, the pure language of experience which God promised to turn to the people of his love, is the same, that they may call upon the name of the Lord, and serve him with one consent. God's truth can alone be the criterion of God's work. That experience which flows from Christ, and rests upon [Page 197] his word, will satisfy, and abide; while that which is derived from outward means only, and exists in mere frames, fits and passions, shall vanish as the smoke, or prove as the morning cloud and as the early dew which passeth away. Hosea vi.4. There were some in the church at Corinth, and such will be found in every church, who neglected the stand­ard of the gospel, and estimated their state by the feelings, gifts, and experiences of each other. We dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some, that commend themselves: but they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves amongst themselves, are not wise. 2 Cor. x.12. If he that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, equally so must he be that trusts in another. Let us derive pleasure from reciting our experiences to each other; but, let the word of the Lord be the light unto our feet, and a lamp unto our path, to ascertain the perfection of our expe­rience, and the safety of our state.

The PROGRESS of experience is, in scripture, called, growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; 2 Pet. iii.18. and, a growing up into Christ in all things. Eph. iv.15. It is analogous to he advance of ve­getable nature; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Mark iv.28. And, [Page 198] to the advance of humanity— babe, youth, man­hood, old age; with all the passions, activity, du­ties, virtues, and advantages of each stage. 1 John ii.13, 14. These productions of nature, like the growth of the soul in grace, are gradual and im­perceptible, and only to be ascertained by their pe­riods, light, strength, and virtue. The first efforts of grace are described as seeing men as trees walk­ing, Mark viii.24. its advance and completion to the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. Eph. iv.16. The prophet Ezekiel gives us a most delightful view of this subject, in his description of the flowing of the water that issued out from under the threshold of the house of the Lord; the depths of which were, to the ancles—the knees— the loins—and waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over. Ezekiel xlvii.1—5. In the advance of experience, we cannot but perceive that faith, hope, love, repentance, meekness, long-suffering, and truth, as derived from Christ, oppose the baneful powers of unbelief, despair, hatred, pride, malice, and every other evil that arises from the old body of sin that lodges within the soul. By this conflict the christian is led more deeply to know and to loath the vileness of sin, pants after greater [Page 199] conformity to Christ, and cleaves unto the Lord with full purpose of heart. The more powerfully the snares of the world and satan surround him, the more ardently he breathes for communion with God. The more sensibly he feels his own imper­fections, the more he cries for the enjoyment of the fulness of Jesus, and rejoices in him as the great High Priest, who hath made atonement, and bears the iniquities of our most holy things. This con­flict Paul felt, and hath left us a copy of his ex­perience in the seventh chapter of the Romans. He that is a partaker of the same grace, can, more or less, adopt his language in the fifth chapter— Therefore, being justified, by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribu­lation also, knowing that tribulation worketh pa­tience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.

The MEANS by which experience is advanced are necessary to be understood. As vegetable nature prospers by the rays of the sun, and the rains from above, so the christian is indebted to the beams [Page 200] of Christ, the glorious Son of Righteousness, and to the constant influences of the Blessed Spirit.— As the body depends upon the air in which we breathe for the comforts, use, and exertions of ani­mal life, so the soul is incessantly dependant on the Spirit of God for all the support, consolation, and activity, connected with a life of faith on Christ. As the advance of animal nature is promoted by activity and industry, so the christian finds an in­finite variety of duties, personal and relative, in the world, in the closet, in the family, and in the church; the performance of which is connected with his hope in God, and his love to his Saviour. But, perhaps, experience is more rapidly advanced, and more strongly rooted, in the furnace of afflic­tion. It was in this furnace that the faith of the primitive christians was found to be more precious than gold that perisheth. 1 Pet. i.7. Never did a believer pass through suffering, but, either in it or after it, he was convinced that he could not have done without it. The Lord made Joseph fruitful in the land of his affliction. Genesis xli.52. And in all the Lord's dispensations to his people, he promotes their humility, increases their faith, and gives them the greater enjoyment of his presence. It is very observable, that the annual season that ripens the corn in the ear, is most attended with [Page 201] thunder, lightning, storm, and tempest; and, many excellent christians have found, that the nearer they advanced to the close of life, temptations and af­flictions increased upon them: and thus, as an oar of wheat ripe for the sickle, he bows his head in humility, self-denial, and obedience; while the lan­guage of his heart is, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

To conclude this essay: let the professor of re­ligion be persuaded to try his experience by the tes­timony of the gospel. Psm. cxxxix.23, 24.—Let not the weak in faith be discouraged: although a babe in grace, be thankful for what you enjoy, and remember, God giveth more grace. James iv.6.— Let those who have good experience of pardon, peace and love in God, be ready to give a reason of the hope that is in him with meekness and fear; proving the genuineness of his profession by the holiness of his life. Matt. v.16.—And, let those who advance to the last stage of life know, that God will not forsake the work of his own hand; but that you shall come to the grave in a full age, like a shock of corn cometh in in its season. Job v.27.

THE RELIEF.

A CLERGYMAN of the state of New-York, not many years since, through a misapprehension of a leading member, was precipitately deprived of his pulpit, which involved a large family in ne­cessity. At supper, the good man had the pain of beholding the last morsel of bread placed upon the table, without the least means or prospect of a supply for his children's breakfast. His wife, full of grief, with her children, retired to her bed. The minister chose to set up and employ his dark hours in prayer, and in reading the promises of God. Some secret hope of supply pervaded his breast; but when, how, what, whence, or by whom, he knew not. He retired to rest, and in the morning appeared with his family, and performed the duty of prayer. It being the depth of winter, and a little fire upon the hearth, probably to keep the poor children's expectations alive, that breakfast should soon be enjoyed, he desired his wife to hang on the kettle, and spread the cloth upon the table.—The kettle boiled—the children cried for bread: the af­flicted father, standing before the fire, felt those emotions of heart unknown to those whose tables are replenished with affluence. While in this [Page 203] painful state, some one knocked at the door— en­tered—passed the compliments of the morning, and was about to leave the room, when he stepped back and delivered a letter into the minister's hand. When the gentleman was gone the letter was opened, and, to the minister's astonishment, it contained a FOUR POUNDS BANK BILL, with a desire of acceptance. So manifest an interposition of Divine goodness could not but be received with gratitude and joy; and, should be a lesson to others to trust in that Saviour who hath said, Verily thou shalt be fed. Psm. xxxvii.3. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Heb. xiii.5.

This remarkable occurrence being communi­cated to the EDITOR, who, having an intimacy with the gentleman said to be the hand that offered the seasonable relief, was determined, the next time he made him a visit, to introduce the subject, and, if possible, to know the reason that induced the generous action. The story was told—the gen­tleman discovered a modest blush, which evinced the tenderness of his heart. On interrogation, he said "He had frequently heard that minister: on a certain morning he was disposed for a walk; thought, in the severity of the winter season a trifle might be of service, as fuel was high; felt a kind of necessity to inclose the money in a letter; went [Page 204] to the house; found the family adjusted as was de­scribed; delivered the paper and retired; but knew not of the extreme necessity of the minister and his family until this moment."

The address made by the gentleman's amiable sister, present in the parlour, shall serve as an im­provement of this narrative. "Brother, learn from this never to withhold your hand from re­lieving another, when you feel a dictate in your own breast; as this instance must convince you, it was from God, and greater benefit conveyed than ever you intended to bestow."

THE BENEVOLENCE OF GOD In concealing from Man the Knowledge of future Events of Time.

MAN, by transgression, hath prepared for him­self a thorny, tempestuous passage through life. It [Page 205] hath, however, pleased the Almighty to draw a kind of veil to conceal from man the certain knowledge of those various and successive events of time, the immediate prospect of which would crush the soul in deep despair. No man can wisely boast of to­morrow; we know not what a day may bring forth; no, nor even a moment, or the twinkling of the eye;—such short transitions of time are big with the most important events.

Could the merchant foresee the obstructions and the losses attending his eager efforts in trade; or the husbandman anticipate the blasts that so often at­tend the labour of his hands, the springs of indus­try would immediately fail, and society at large be­come truly necessitous. Who would exult in forming the pleasing connections of social life, were we to know before-hand the blasts of friend­ship, the assaults of disease, or the period when death would tear from our embraces the objects of our esteem, and lay them in the recess of corrup­tion?—Were it possible for a man to ascertain, with precision, the moment, the place, the cir­cumstances that should be destined for his own death, what perpetual anxiety and tormenting fear would rage in his breast, and totally render himself incompetent to discharge the duties of public or private life! Did such fore-knowledge pervade [Page 206] the mind of man, childhood and youth would bear the sorrows of old age; the powers of genius would fail; art be unimproved; and nature herself unex­plored. How little does the busy worldling reflect on his obligation to infinite goodness, for his ability to perform the duties of his station, and that the uncertainty of future events demands his constant dependence upon the pleasure of the Almighty! Those whose minds are directed to the Supreme, know, that the providence of God is a mystery to man in all ages. It is as the bud which gradually and imperceptibly arises into flower, and then emits its richest fragrance. It is a second bible; every day, and every moment, like the several leaves of the sacred volume, presenting something new and astonishing to the intelligent observer.

If the observations now made, as they relate to men in common life, be pronounced just, I may venture to add, that the wisdom and goodness of God, in withholding the knowledge of future events, is more highly esteemed by the real Chris­tian than by those whose habit of dissipation de­prives them of an ability to observe the dispensa­tions of the Almighty. If God, in the early part of the Christian's life, had uncovered the great deep of the heart; exposed the secret evils that lodge within it; or had given the good man a view of [Page 207] the imperfections, disappointments, temptations, crosses, and sorrows that awaited him, how would his soul have trembled at the awful prospect, and bowed himself to the very dust of the earth! The Christian sometimes ascends the mount of con­templation; surveys the map of his past experi­ence; remembers the way which the Lord his God hath led him; and in the review his soul is filled with profound astonishment! So many winding, thorny paths,—seas of tribulation,—dreary deserts, —mountains of difficulty,—valleys of humiliation! My God! says he, and drops the silent tear, can I have passed through such ways as these? Is it possible! Surely had I known the path, my feet had never made the choice. It was thou, my God, my Saviour, and my Guide, that safely brought me through; nor can I now distrust thy future care. Secure beneath thy sacred wings I shall pass my fleeting days; finish my course with joy; walk through the shades of death, and mount to Zion's hill above, to celebrate thy praise!

Before I quit this paper, it may not be unnecessary to inquire, why God thus conceals from man the knowledge of future events, when, as transgressors against him, they merit every exhibition of present and eternal sorrow, as the fruit of their own trans­gressions? We reply, JESUS HATH DELIVER­ED [Page 208] US FROM THE WRATH TO COME. 1 Thess. i.10. THE LORD THY GOD TURNED THE CURSE INTO A BLESSING UNTO THEE, BE­CAUSE THE LORD THY GOD LOVED THEE. Deut. xxiii.5. The glory of divine grace changes the vicissitudes of Providence. All things, however afflictive, under the administration of ZI­ON's KING, work together for the best interest of those who love the Lord. Let us then forever sing, HALLELUJAH, FOR THE LORD GOD OMNIPOTENT REIGNETH! Amen.

NATURAL HISTORY.

THE ROSE OF SHARON.

HOW infinite, how truly grand the works of the ALMIGHTY! On this lower globe, what in­numerable productions strike the eye of contem­plation, [Page 211] and lead the soul with profoundest rever­ence to adore the infinite, the wise, the glorious Supreme! But, of all these, how is our sight gra­tified, and our senses regaled, while passing through the FLOWERY NATIONS? Here nature wears her bright attire, pours forth her wonders, and de­mands our highest praise. From this rich, inex­haustible profusion of Nature's garden, let us at least select the ROSE of SHARON, survey its beau­ties, and collect its sweets.

The ROSE, rosa, is acknowledged a genus of the polygamia order, belonging to the icosandria class of plants. The sorts of roses are very nume­rous. Turnefort reckons no less than fifty-three, and botanists find it very difficult to determine with accuracy, which are species, and which are varie­ties, as well as which are varieties of the respec­tive species. On this account, Linnaeus, and some other eminent authors, are inclined to think, that there is only one real species of rose, which is the rosa canina, or dog-rose of the hedge, and that all the other sorts are accidental varieties of it. How­ever, according to the present Linnaean arrangement they stand divided into fourteen supposed species, each comprehending some varieties, which in some sorts are but few, others numerous.

The rose we admire is the rose of Sharon, the [Page 212] most delightful in its colours, and the richest in its fragrance. This invites our choice, because it is an emblem of Immanuel's glory, and endears our hearts to him. Sol. Songs ii.1.

1. The beauty of its colours, red and white, expressive these of the glory of the God-head, and the sorrows of the humanity of Christ. My be­loved, said the church, is white and ruddy. Sol. Songs v.10. WHITE is properly no colour at all, but a composition of all colours; the light of the sun, therefore, said Sir Isaac Newton, is only white, because consisting of all colours: neither is BLACK, its opposite, a colour, but a deprivation of all colours, therefore the proper emblem of wretchedness and death. Apply these observa­tions to the scripture testimony of Jehovah: God is light, and in him is no darkness at all, 1 John i.5. demonstrative this of that underived, self-ex­istent purity, happiness, truth, love, and glory, which, without the shadow of variation, disorder, and imperfection, is essential to Deity. That this excellence, peculiar to Jehovah, is ascribed to Je­sus, the current of scripture evinces. Aaron, the High Priest, was to wear a pure linen garment un­der the ephod, to represent the invisible divinity under the humanity. Daniel saw the Messiah, the Ancient of days, with a garment white as snow. [Page 213] Dan. vii.9. When Jesus was transfigured upon mount Tabor, his raiment was white as the light; more than any fuller on earth could make them. Mark ix.3. Thus, Jesus Christ, the bles­ed and only POTENTATE, the KING of KINGS, and LORD of LORDS; who not only hath immor­tality dwelling in the LIGHT, which no man can approach unto; whom, in his divinity, no man hath seen, nor can see, is worthy of honour and power everlasting. 1 Tim. vi.15, 16. Let us now contemplate the other colour that forms this beau­tiful rose. This is to exhibit the quality of the human body, generally acknowledged to be formed by the Almighty, from a sort of red earth. Nor does it less intimate those sorrows which mankind experience as the fruit of disobedience. But, as applied to Christ, denotes the greatness of his suf­ferings, and his bloody death, as the redeemer of sinners. Isaiah beheld Messiah, red in his appa­rel, and whose garment was like him that tread­eth in the wine-fat. lxiii.2. In the days of his flesh, sufferings attended his path, and, in Gathsa­mane, his sorrows were such that produced strong cries and tears, while sweat and blood issued from every vein, and fell down to the ground. His death exhibited the most affecting scene; so great the ago­nies of his body by crucifixion; so extreme the sor­rows [Page 214] of his soul pressed with the weight of divine judgment for our sins, that nature herself, by a su­pernatural darkness, drew a veil over the distressed sufferer! In his exalted state, he is seen by the glorified throng, as a Lamb that had been slain. John beheld this adored Lord, wearing a name written that no man knew but himself; and he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood. Rev. xix.12, 13. Can we read these scriptures with­out a conviction of the eternal power and God­head of Christ? Can we turn the sacred page without being deeply affected with the life and death of Jesus, as a man of sorrows, and acquaint­ed with griefs? Impossible! Cast then your eyes upon THE ROSE OF SHARON, produced, may I say, on purpose to exhibit by its colour the same truth which revelation teaches. Let us look still closer, and while the white and the red, pure in themselves, exhibit the perfection of Nature's pen­cil; observe how delicately fine the union between the two; this to teach us the great mystery of god­liness, God manifest in the flesh. A union this that constitutes the character of Christ as MEDI­ATOR; lays the foundation of our pardon, and is the strong basis of our communion with God, perseverence through life, support in death, and hope of a glorious immortality!

[Page 215]2. The odoriferous scent of the Rose of Sharon assists us to contemplate the precious virtues of the Lord of glory. How richly does this sweet rose pour forth its fragrance to gratify the sense! yet more richly does Jesus display the glories of his name; opens the unbounded love of his heart; ap­plies a full pardon bought with his most precious blood; proclaims, by his gospel, the inconceivable fulness of his grace as an all-sufficient supply for our support, comfort, perseverance, sanctification, and everlasting felicity. Jesus, the Rose of Sha­ron, is ever precious to them that believe; yet there are special seasons when his delights are more sen­sibly enjoyed. David exclaimed, Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me. Psm. cxxxviii.7. And thousands in every age have enjoy­ed more sensible comforts in Christ, at a period of affliction, than ever they experienced in a time of ease and affluence. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also a­boundeth by Christ. When the church attends the supper of the Lord, how often does the Redeem­er gladden their hearts with the light of his counte­nance, while communion, with bread and wine, yields the richest delight! But, however precious and delightful the Rose of Sharon may be to us in our passage through life, in the article of de [...]th, far [Page 216] superior enjoyments are conferred. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. When flesh and heart fail; when the sweets of hu­man friendship are no longer to be enjoyed; when the richest cordials and the most delicious produc­tions of nature cease to gratify the taste, and pol­lute upon the lips, then for the soul to be regaled with the smiles of Jesus, the delightful Rose of Sha­ron, how great is the blessing! Sheltered beneath Immanuel's wings, and sweetly solaced with his love, how many thousands have launched into eter­nity with a smile, and hailed the promised crown of life!

3. The medicinal virtues of the rose affords us further aid to explore the excellence of the Lord Christ. There is not a more rich perfume than the essence of roses. The rose distilled with wa­ter yields a small portion of a butyraceous oil, whose flavour exactly resembles that of the rose itself. This oil, and the distilled water, are very useful and agreeable cordials. A conserve of ro­ses is of various uses, particularly in relieving im­perfections attending the eye, and of meliorating and removing complaints, unnecessary now to be mentioned.

But whence these medicinal virtues of the rose? Do they flow while blooming in the field? No: [Page 217] this delightful flower must be cut down, cast into a Still, and undergo the severity of fire, before its essence can be enjoyed. Solemn thought this, when applied to Christ, the Rose of Sharon! He appeared in all the perfection of humanity, and displayed the glory of divinity thirty-three years; then was cut down by death, the instrument of jus­tice, cast into the grave, sustained the fire of divine anger against sin, and thus, as the Redeemer of his people, yielded the virtues of his sacrifice, for their pardon, peace, and happiness in God. There is no virtue in the rose to regale the fainting spirits, re­store the wasted frame, heal the obstructed sight, or cure the burning fever, but what there are infi­nitely greater virtues in a crucified Jesus, to cure similar, nay, every disorder possible incident to the soul of man. Thousands in every age, under the most complicated mental evils, have received with joy the virtues of the Rose of Sharon; and thou­sands still, and thousands more, shall enjoy its sa­cred sweets and triumph in its praise!

4. SHARON, (that is, a plain or field) the native soil of the lovely rose, will help us to conceive a few more thoughts of the adored Redeemer. This plain of Sharon was a delightful, fertile place, where David f [...]d his numerous flock, and may de­note the open, free publication of Christ in the [Page 218] world by his gospel; or his church, where he dwells, conducts his sheep, displays his glory, heals the sick, and comforts the sorrowful. By the pre­sence of the Lord, this wilderness, solitary place of our earthly pilgrimage, dreary as the desert, is made to blossom as the rose. Isaiah xxxv.1, 2. Wher­ever his love is experienced, there is that sacred joy which can only be exceeded by drinking at the fountain head in glory!

As the Rose grew upon Sharon's plain, free for all who had eyes to see, sense to smell, or hands to embrace, so Jesus is freely and fully published in his gospel. Whosoever will, let him come, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out. But, those who have neither eyes to see, nor sense to smell, pass by the Rose of Sharon, treat it with disdain, and attempt to crush it under foot.

5. No Rose without its Thorn; no, not even the Rose of Sharon! Who takes Christ must take the cross too. If any man will be my disciple, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. If any man will live godly in Christ Jesus, he must suffer persecution. When men without grace take Jesus, the Rose of Sharon, in the hand of mere profession, the thorn of persecution makes them throw away the rose, and seek for other flow­ers to gratify their carnal taste; but, when men of [Page 219] grace, by the hand of faith, pluck this precious flower, the thorn of suffering makes them grasp the harder, enjoy its sweets more sweetly, and dare to stand though blood itself should flow.

THE REVOLTING CHRISTIAN.

THAT a person who, through grace, has enjoy­ed the rich manifestations of a Saviour's smiles, and hath been numbered with Christ's visible flock, may be liable to fall into temptation, lose the bloom of his profession, and the comforts of his soul, for a season, is a truth so evident in the scriptures, and so convicting in the conscience, as at once demands our assent and our tears. Although it be abso­lutely impossible to describe every sensation of a backsliding heart, and the many erring paths to which such are exposed, I shall, in this paper, draw the general outline of such an unhappy case, and add my fervent prayer, that God may make it a mean to alarm the careless, humble the disobedi­ent, and reclaim the wanderer.

True religion begins with Christ; he is our par­don, peace, hope, and everlasting salvation. To [Page 223] sit under his shadow, and by faith experience the fruit of his passion, sweet to our taste, constitutes the sublime happiness of our souls: It is therefore evident, that the first step to our departure from God, and our errors in life, begins at the cross. John vi.68. The eye is allured from beholding the person of Jesus and the heart partially ceases; to have sensible enjoyment of his grace and his love. Perhaps this observation may meet with conviction in the reader's breast;—the time is re­membered, that when impressed with guilt, and loaded with distress, he rested at the cross, beheld the bleeding Lamb, and felt peace and pleasure with God. Then, how incessant was the panting of the heart [...] communion with the Saviour! the least [...], and the smallest evil, keenly wounded [...] soul, and made the eyes flow with tears. But now, though the name of Christ be ap­proved, it is not preciously enjoyed. The soul and Christ seldom meets in love, and feels the sweets of pardon in his blood. A shyness has taken place, and the perfidious conduct of the Christian deeply convinces his conscience, and leaves him without excuse. Perhaps the Saviour's charge may reach the reader's ears, and pierce his guilty breast:—" Know, therefore, and see, that it is an [Page 224] evil, and a bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God. Jer. ii.19.

As by the cross of Christ we are brought nigh to God, and enjoy the sweets of fellowship with him as our Father; so, a neglect of the virtues of the cross imperceptibly obstructs us in the enjoy­ment of that high privilege. Our communion with God is carried on by faith, meditation, and prayer; the essence of which is, the secret motion of the soul in peace, adoration, hope, love, and joy; pro­ducing that solid satisfaction and sublime pleasure, which none but he that feels it knows. This ex­perience constitutes our heaven upon earth. We thus walk with God, and never feel ourselves un­happy but when interrupted in this holy path. Whatever affliction may attend us, it is in commu­nion with God that our tears are wiped away, learn the design of every adverse providence, and receive grace to help in time of need. Perhaps the reader may bring to recollection the time when he enjoyed this privilege with sweet delight, drew near the Lord by prayer, could tell him all your grief, and receive the satisfaction which gave you bold­ness to pursue the path of life with joy; but, you are conscious it is not so now. You pray; but it is not in prayer: your meditations are attended with darkness; your faith is surrounded with such amaz­ing [Page 225] unbelief, that often induces you to question if ever you believed at all; and the motion of your heart to God is in great coldness and heaviness. Thus, when you would do good, evil is ever pre­sent with you; and a consciousness of guilt hur­ries you away from prayer, and increases the dis­tance of your soul from God. Standing thus as on the threshold of the closet, you are ripe to em­brace any temptation which satan may propose. Thousands of most excellent Christians have mark­ed this fatal spot, where apostacy more visibly be­gan. If David could say, It is good for me to draw near to God, O how extremely bitter and dangerous the consequence of living at a sensible distance from God! Christian, where art thou? Take heed lest there be in you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; for, be assured, the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. Prov. xiv.14. And, if you feel it not now, it will be more severe at a future period. You know not whither you may be led by sin, therefore return unto the Lord, from whom you have deeply revolted.

The loss of sensible communion with God soon discovers itself in the disposition of the mind, and in the actions of the life. The Word of the Lord was precious in those days when the Christian lived [Page 226] near to God: now it is read with indifference, without faith, without prayer, without a desire to find Christ, and a determination to follow his pre­cepts or embrace his promises. In the discharge of domestic duties, the temper is altered; morning and evening prayer becomes formal; and the imperfec­tions of servants and children are passed over with­out reproof, because the conscience is an accuser of its own sin. Religious conversation, if held at all, is not upon the beauties of Christ, the riches of grace, or the experience of the heart; but, on speculative points, the gifts of ministers, the mis­fortunate miscarriages of others, or (what is pretty fashionable among professors of this day) the de­cline of religion, without producing one effort to revive it in themselves or others. The Lord's day now comes rather of course, than from pleasing anticipation. Public prayer is little enjoyed; and the preaching of the gospel is not nourishing, for want of faith in him that hears it. Heb. iv.2.— Either the minister is charged with barrenness, or the hearer thinks himself sufficiently wise without fresh instruction: nor is it uncommon to find such a person going from one minister to another, in search of something new; yet nothing really satis­fies the heart, because, the man is dissatisfied with himself, and at a distance from the Lord. This [Page 227] spiritual decline of heart paves the way for a more general neglect of the means of grace—lives above them, and concludes, he is as well at home, or walking in the fields, as he would be at church. Thus, no wonder that the man who has lost the comforts of grace in his soul should misimprove, or totally neglect the means of grace also.

Lut us now take one step farther with the re­volting Christian, and mark the change which takes place in his conduct in the more busy scenes of life. That sweet restraint which a sense of the love of God once created upon his soul, and directed his cautious steps in forming his connections, manag­ing his trade, and answering his obligations, gra­dually wears away, and his heart takes a more speedy flight after all which the world calls good and great. He may now pass for a polite Christi­an; having the name, but destitute of the spirit of a lively believer, and of course tries pretty hard to make his profession and his worldly pursuits com­port with each other. The men of business can­not, however, but perceive that this man has con­siderably lost the fine bloom of his religious pro­fession, and triumphantly exclaim— See, the man hath become like one of us! It is now that he stands in the way of indulging those maxims, and committing those evils which before his soul abhor­red, [Page 228] and which he severely reproved in others. Sa­tan meets him upon his own ground, suits his bates to the frame of his heart, and, by every method in his infernal power, blinds his mind, hardens his heart, and pollutes his passions. Here, at least, let us stop—No man's pea, or tongue, can ascertain how far, and to what wretched lengths a man in such a state may go;—rather than attempt such a pursuit, it is the wish of the writer of this paper to ask the reader, Is this case your own? Happy for you, if it is not. Testify your gratitude to God; live upon Christ; plead his Spirit; keep his statutes; watch the motion of your heart, and you are happy indeed! But, if this description of a back­slider, in either, or in all its stages, shews your own likeness, and your conscience says, Thou art the man, let me solemnly intreat you to reflect upon your case. Each stage has an easy transitition to another; he that is not watchful of the first, will soon find himself in the next, and, like a rolling stone, will find the way to the botton.

Remember, the sin of your departure from God has been committed with your eyes open. What ingratitude is this to God for his love—to Christ for his salvation—and to the Blessed Spirit for his instruction and consolation!—Did you not solemnly devote yourself to be the Lord's at your conver­sion; [Page 229] and have you not frequently renewed this sur­render in private, at your baptism, and at the Lord's Supper?—What evil has the Lord done unto you? and wherein has he wearied you? Were not his paths pleasant, his promises sweet, and his smiles charming? In how many scenes of distress has he delivered you? And in the bounty of his providence, and the riches of his grace, how often has he ex­ceeded your highest expectations? What griefs does your present coldness of heart and disobedience of life create in the breast of those who are the friends of Christ, and who knew you when a hum­ble, lively, happy christian?—Neither forget the discouragements which you give to the lambs of the flock who are seeking the paths of the Lord; and the advantage you offer the enemies of the gos­pel to impeach its virtues.—Surely you cannot be insensible what injury you do your own souls. Are you as happy now as when you delighted beneath the Shepherd's care, and fed in the rich pasture of his grace? O! no. Think, for a moment, were temptations now to assail you, how awfully you might fall, and sink deeper into sin and misery?— If death was now to advance, where is your certain hope of future bliss? Can you shut your eyes, harden your heart, pursue in sin, and abandon the Lord of life? God forbid! There is a certain [Page 230] something within your breast that fills you with shame, produces a tear, and makes you cry, O that it wer [...] with me as in months past! Lord turn unto me, have mercy upon me, heal my backslidings, let me once more find the way to thine arms, and enjoy that peace I felt when first I knew thy love.

Presuming this may be the desire of your heart, I shall, in the next number, show you some of those methods by which Christ the good Shepherd restores his wandering sheep, and the sensibility such have of their merciful restoration.

AN ESSAY ON THE VIRTUES OF FAITH.

WITHOUT faith it is impossible to please God, either in our thoughts, words, or actions. Heb. xi.6. Faith is simply taking God at his word, as unbelief is giving God the lie. The [Page 242] scripture testimony concerning mankind is, they are children in whom is no faith. Deut. xxxii.20. and God hath concluded all in unbelief. Rom. xi.32. We need not trace the black circle of athe­ists, deists, and modern free-thinkers, and listen to their awful expressions against the being, ma­jesty, providence, law and gospel of God, to dis­cover the baneful fruit of unbelief; but, enter into our own breasts, where we are sensibly convinced that from this bitter root spring those thoughts and evil passions which are unworthy the true dignity of our nature, and bring us under the pain of damnation. Mark xvi.16. In this state mankind would have lived and died; and, in a future state of existence, been compelled to believe the justice of God, and the evil of sin, in their own punish­ment, had not God, in the glory of his grace, pro­vided a way by which guilty men should be brought back again to him—a new principle of faith creat­ed in their unbelieving soul, and thus their moral and eternal happiness secured.

The gospel informs us, that faith is the gift of God; Eph. ii.8. that it is obtained through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. i.1. and produced in the heart by the opera­tions of the Holy Spirit. Gal. v.22. Col. ii.12. It is a constituent part of that new life which Christ [Page 243] communicates to all his people, distinguishing them in their state, sensibility, obedience, pleasures, and prospects, from other men; and those who have it are daily taught practically to believe that the growth, strength, comfort, and lively exertion of their faith, wholly depend upon Jesus, who is the author and finisher of our faith. Heb. xii.2. As faith is of such infinite consequence to our present peace and future happiness, I shall, in this essay, form a short collection of its virtues, and wish that they may be more highly experienced in every rea­der's breast.

1. It scatters the clouds of self-desception, which naturally cover the depraved heart of man; shews his true character as a sinner, and reveals his stand­ing in Christ for eternity. Thus, he that believeth hath the witness in himself. 1 John v.10. God's word is the ground of faith: in this, as in a pure mirror, the enlightened sinner sees his own likeness, and is filled with self-abasement. His heart gradu­ally opens; its treachery, power, and vileness, in­duce him, were it possible, to fly from himself. The immortality of the soul, the consequence of transgression, his obligation to the law, the certain­ty of death, the solemnity of judgment, and the ne­cessity of forgiveness; these, and many other im­portant truths which before he either denied or neg­lected, [Page 244] are now conveyed to his conscience, with the fullest demonstration from the Almighty. He had often heard his character described by others; he had frequently felt the convictions of his own conscience; he knew his heart was not altogether right with God; but now, by faith of the opera­tion of God, he knows his case to be desperate, and to live and die in such a state fills him with grief. All things within him, and around him, wear their true colours, and impress his soul with that solemn weight he never felt before. Proud nature, aided by satan, may devise ten thousand ways to recover itself; but such is the virtue of that faith by which the work was begun, that the sin­ner finds a perfect inability to amend his conscience and obtain peace with God, and firmly believes, if ever he is saved, it must be by grace alone. The ear which once turned from the charming voice of the gospel, now listens with attention. The per­son of the God-man Christ Jesus, the perfection of his righteousness, the fulness of his atonement, the riches of his grace, the freeness of his love to sin­ners, the chief of sinners, his most inveterate ene­mies, engage the awakened mind, and create a longing for a share in so great a salvation. The word preached profits, being mixed with faith in him that hears it. He begins to understand the [Page 245] truth, which before he despised, that, by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God, because they are imperfect and vile, which the law condemns and not accepts;— but now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets: even the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe; for there is no difference. Rom. iii.21—23. This discovers the gospel to be worthy of its AUTHOR, and to contain a suitable salvation for the sinner. There can be no greater ground for faith in Christ than that the GOD against whom we have sinned, hath set HIM forth in the gospel, a propitiation through faith in his blood, to de­clare his righteousness in the remission of sins that are past, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Rom. iii.25, 26. Here rests our faith: cut off from this we perish. The belief of it engages the heart and soul most earnestly to pray for it. The same blessed Saviour who said, All things whatever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive, Matt. xxi.22. in due time returns a gracious answer, by manifest­ing himself to the trembling heart, saying, Fear not, I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. Isa. xliii.1. This is [Page 246] enough; faith credits the report, and brings the comfort of the promise. Christ dwells in the heart by faith. Eph. iii.12. My beloved is mine, and I am his. Sol. Song ii.16. The conscience feels peace with God, being satisfied with, and reconcil­ed by the blood of Christ. What joy and peace in believing! The soul casts itself into the bleeding bosom of the Saviour, and finds rest, pardon, com­fort, hope and happiness indiscribable. From what Christ is in himself, what he hath done for sinners, what he hath done for me, and my entering into the love of his heart, by faith; these are evidences to me of my interest in him, and I rest assured he will love me to the end. This experience of the heart is called the work of faith, 2 Thess. i.11. because such are its soul reclaiming, saving virtues, which never could have been produced by nature, the powers of reason, the circle of the arts, nor all the objects of sense; and brings the highest honour to Jehovah.

2. As the cross of Christ leads to communion with the Father, we will now examine the virtues of faith, in enabling us to walk humbly and hap­pily with him. This is the substance of religion. We walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Cor. v.7. By faith we see him who is invisible to the eye of sense; enjoy the comforts of a covenant relation in God [Page 247] as our Father; exult in the glories of his attributes in our redemption, and walk in the light of his countenance. We know nothing of such a rela­tion of grace but as it is revealed in the Bible; and it is the virtue of faith to receive the truth as it is in Christ, and enjoy the comfort of it. It is the object of unbelief to raise a cloud between the christian and his God, to interrupt the pleasures of communion; but faith, nourished by the Spirit of Christ, is stronger than unbelief fed by satan, and therefore the darkness soon vanishes, and the light of faith cheers the heart.—All our communion with God is maintained by faith in the blood of Christ. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us—let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith. Heb. x.19—22. It is the person and blood of Jesus, the great High Priest, that render our persons, prayers, and praises, ac­ceptable to God; and this is the way alone in which God will meet and commune with us; nor can we enjoy any sensible, lively communion with the Fa­ther, unless by faith we rest upon the precious blood of the Lamb; guilt will stop our mouth, fears will arise in our breast, and our spirits will stand at a sorrowful distance from God.—As God hath given [Page 248] us exceeding great and precious promises, on which we may rest our prayer, enjoy communion with him, and wait for the good things promised; so it is by faith that we embrace the promises, view them in Christ, who possesses the grace and glory promised, and who is engaged to make them good to all that believe. 2 Cor. i.20. It is not possible for us to enjoy communion with the Father, sepa­rate from the Redeemer. Truly, our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. To them that believe, Jesus is increasingly precious in all the sacred relations and offices he sustains; and it is the virtue of faith to lead the christian, under all his necessities, to employ Christ as his Priest, Prophet, King, and Shepherd; and thus, as he re­ceived Christ Jesus the Lord, so he walks in him, and has the most solid peace of conscience, and hap­piness of soul in walking with the Father—Nor is it possible that faith should be unconcerned about the influence of the Spirit of God, who implanted it in the heart. As by believing we know we have nothing, nor can we do any thing to raise our hearts to communion with God; so the be [...]iever rests upon the Spirit to help his infirmities, testify of Christ, dictate his prayer, seal his conscience, and shed abro [...]d the love of God in his heart. Lest we ex­ceed the bounds allotted for this essay, we will,

[Page 249]3. Proceed to enquire into the virtues of faith, in producing obedience. The scripture speaks of faith that purifieth the heart, and worketh by love, Acts xv.9. Gal. v.6. and that the gospel was preached among all nations for the obedience of faith. Rom. xvi.26. Faith creates new princi­ples, affords the sublimest motives, and proposes the most glorious ends, on which an immortal soul can act before God and man. God is our most gracious, everlasting Father, and we obey his will, not as slaves, but as his adopted children. Christ hath bought us with his precious blood, and we yield ourselves to him as our Sovereign, Lord, and King. Introduced by grace into his spiritual king­dom, we receive from his hand THE LAW OF FAITH, Rom. iii.27. the gospel, sanctioned by his divine authority, and inforced by his redeeming love. In this law is contained every precept essen­tial to our walk with God, the worship due to his name, the government of ourselves, our conduct in the world, our conflict with our enemies, and our fellowship with the saints. So far from the possession of faith leading men into neglect and licentiousness, it is the spring to every good word and work; for, as it hath been often said, "He that hath St. Paul's faith will never fail to prac­tise St. James's works." The christian firmly be­lieves [Page 250] that there can be no precept which the wis­dom of his Saviour enjoins in the law of faith, that can be trivial and unnecessary; therefore his obe­dience is universal, and, with David, he has re­spect unto all God's testimonies. The virtues of faith produce the highest pleasures and cheerfulness in obedience—It is my Father's command—my Sa­viour's love constrains—it is connected with my character—it may promote the happiness of another, and display the honour of my Lord; therefore, with an enlarged heart I will run the way of his commands, and think myself happy to obey. Let us then hold fast the profession of our faith with­out wavering, for he is faithful that promised: and let us consider one another unto love and good works; for herein is our Father glorified, that we bear much fruit.

4. As the Lord's are a poor and an afflicted people, they need a Faith, whose virtues shall bear them above their deepest sorrows. The believer has trials in common with other men; and he has afflictions peculiar to himself, the chief of which are found within his own breast. As a disciple of Christ, he believes his Lord and Master has wisely allotted a cross, for the exercise of his faith, the trial of his patience, and the proof of his sincerity, and therefore it is with cheerfulness he takes it up. [Page 251] The word of God contains many salutary cordials for suffering christians, and shews them, that, how­ever severe, they spring from a Father's love, and are designed to promote their real interest. Belov­ed, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing had happened unto you; but rejoice, in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Pet. iv.12.13. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God. Rom. viii.28. Afflictions brighten, manifest, and improve the virtues of faith; and faith makes afflictions fruitful of real good, al­ways to the soul, and frequently to the body. It is as an anchor to the soul, keeping it quiet in the bosom of the Father's love, that, however long and severe, the storm shall produce a brighter sky, and make him more humble, patient, watchful, obedi­ent, and happy. He believes there is no rod held in his Father's hand without honey at the end—no cross without a crown—nor crown without a cross. The darker the providence, the more intricate the path; and the more violent the opposition, the greater is the opportunity for faith to discover its intrinsic virtue. It will hang upon Christ in the midst of a wreck—it will trust him when he seems to have [Page 252] forsaken—it will always shine the brightest when there is the least objects of sense to surround it— it will draw consolation from the ancient transac­tions of God in eternity, and look forward with transport to futurity. It is impossible to enumerate or to estimate the virtues of faith! It however shines brightest in the furnace: there can be no sight so honourable to God, so gratifying to the be­holder, and so convicting to the eye of infidelity, as to see a christian stripped of the creature, yet full of love to the Creator; surrounded with thick darkness, yet light in the Lord; walking on the borders of despair, yet believing in hope against hope, that every event shall terminate to the honour of God and the real happiness of himself!

5. If such are the virtues of faith to a christian in life, they must be superior in the article of death. Of the long list of ancient worthies contained in the 11th of Hebrews, it is said, these all died in faith! To profess faith is easy; to possess faith is a blessing which none but God can give; to die in faith, is to enjoy more peace, and more happiness than ten thousand worlds can bestow; and which can only be exceeded by the full possession of the glories of immortality! If by faith all things were discovered in their true colours, and felt in their due weight of influence upon the mind in life, much [Page 253] more so the nature, appendages, and end of death become visible, and all things around now become truly solemn! By faith the dying christian takes a view of Death, clad in all his native horrors, lead­ing mankind to an awful state of punishment due to their transgressions; feels the sentence within him­self, and drops the silent tear—Then looks on Christ, who has conquered Death, and perfumed the grave with his own blessed body, and from a lively faith of interest in him cries, "This God is my God, and he shall be my guide even through death!—Though flesh and heart fail, the Lord shall be the strength of my life and my portion forever! —I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to se­parate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord!" Nor does faith yield its virtues only in the immediate article of dying: No—

[Page 254]It brings to view the glories of immortality, and assures the conscience of after bliss. He that be­lieveth on the Son hath everlasting life.—He knows it is secured in Christ; that Christ hath pro­mised it; thousands have died in anticipation of it, and he rests in hope the blessing shall be his. He dies in faith; leaves a testimony of faith behind him for the comfort and establishment of others: but O! who can describe the virtues of faith in bearing the soul above the pangs of mortality?—Who can paint the prospect which faith affords beyond the vale?— He drops his clay, and mounts on high, to be forever with the Lord.

NATURAL HISTORY.

THE LAMB.

OVIS, the SHEEP, in the system of MAMMA­LIA, a genus of the order of pecora, the charac­ters of which are these: The horns are concave, turned backwards, and full of wrinkles; there are eight fore-teeth in the under-jaw, and no dog-teeth. [Page 262] The species are, 1. Aris, or ram and ewe; the horns of which are shaped like a half-moon, and compressed. 2. The Guineensis, or Guinea sheep, has pendulous ears, large hairy dew lips, and a prominence on the hind part of the head. The wool is short, like that of the goat. 3. The Strep­siceros, or Creton sheep, has strait carinated horns, twisted in a spiral manner. It is a native of Mount Iola. The sheep is the most harmless, and yet most exposed to danger of all other animals. It may be esteemed one of Nature's great gifts to man­kind; its flesh is excellent food, and its fleece high­ly, beneficial for cloathing. The property of the ancients principally consisted of sheep and other animals! Job, after his affliction, had no less than fourteen thousand sheep.

SHEEP, from their obedience to their shepherd, their patience under suffering, their proneness to wander, their exposure to enemies, and their profit­ableness to mankind, are used in the sacred scrip­tures to disignate those happy souls who were bought with the blood, and called by the voice of Jesus Christ our CHIEF SHEPHERD, and placed by him in the fold of his church to feed in the pas­tures of his unsearchable grace.—LAMBS, the young of the sheep, from their tenderness, activi­ty, meekness, innocence, and defencelessness, are [Page 263] equally descriptive of those young converts whom Peter was commanded to feed; and whom, accord­ing to prophecy, Christ, the good Shepherd, gathers with his arm, and [...]rries in his bosom.

It is our intention, in this piece of Natural History, to contemplate the Lamb which the volum [...] of revelation exhibits as a lively emblem of Jesu [...] Christ, the LAMB OF GOD, who taketh away the sin of the world; John. i.29.—The Lamb which Abraham told Isaac, his son, God would provide himself for a burnt offering. Gen. xxii.7, 8.— Under this emblem Messiah has been known in all ages. He was the Lamb slain from the foun­dation of the world; decreed so to be, and per­petually exhibited as such through successive pe­riods, until he shed his blood for men. Rev. xiii.8. This, probably, therefore, was the creature slain, the skin of which the Lord God made coats and clothed our first disobedient parents, to teach them the necessity of a sacrifice; and, that righteousness, procured by HIM, who was to bruise the serpent's head, that they might be justified with God.

It is certain, that the Lamb, selected by the ex­press command of the Almighty, to be the victim sacrificed, to secure the Hebrews when the destroy­ing angel was commissioned to smite the first born of Egypt, and to form the supper for those who [Page 264] were to pass over the Red Sea, did, in a very cir­cumstantial manner, typify the blessed Jesus, and the rich benefits of his grace. An expositor, who cannot be mistaken, has given us this interpreta­tion of that remarkable ceremony: Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. 1 Cor. v.7. De­claring, hereby, that Christ is a real sacrifice; that he was prefigured in this capacity, by the Paschal Lamb; that the circumstances which distinguished it met in him; and the advantages which result­ed from it flowed through him.

The name of this celebrated feast Pascha, Pass­over, because the angel of the Lord passed over the doors of the Israelites, on seeing the posts thereof sprinkled with the blood of the Lamb; evangelically it points to the great feast of the gospel. God, passing over the offences of his people, through the complete satisfaction by the blood of Jesus Chirst.—The Lamb was to be taken from the sheep, or from the goats; Jesus was made a partaker of flesh and blood, and, in all things like unto his brethren; yet, sepa­rated from them in his designation to the office of a Mediator, in the miraculousness of his Incarnation, and in his performing the great work of redemption alone.—The Paschal Lamb was without blemish: such was the Lamb of God, free from all taint of original sin, and from every spot of actual transgres­sion; [Page 265] he was holy, harmless, undefiled; and, through the eternal Spirit, he offered himself without spot to God.—A Lamb of the first year, in all the sprightliness and beauty of youth; Christ also laid down his life, not when worn out with age, or de­bilitated with sickness, but in the very prime of his days, amidst all the bloom of health, and all the vi­gour of manhood, that this tender, precious Lamb may prove the sweetest food for the believing soul; and to testify that his sacrifice is of perpetual effi­cacy.—Nor is it without meaning that the Lamb was, for the space of four days, separated from the fold; for thus also it was with Christ, if we reckon prophetic days for years. Ezek. iv.6. At his thirti­eth year he left his mother's house, as a fold, where he was born and brought up, and was crucified the fourth after. But it likewise deserves observation, that Christ came to Jerusalem to the feast, and to his last passover, on that very day on which God had commanded the Lamb to be kept up in Egypt, the tenth of the month Nisan. For six days before the passover, he came to Bethany, John xii.1. that is, on the ninth of the month Nisan: the day after he went to Jerusalem, ver. 11. to present himself to be offered to God.— The Lamb was to be slain in such a manner as might occasion the most copious effusion of blood; [Page 266] and was not this very exactly fulfilled in our suffer­ing Saviour? On sight of that CUP of indignation he came to drink, blood issued from every vein, and fell in vast drops upon Gathsamane's ground! the rending lashes of the scourge; the lacerating points of thorns; the rugged nails which pierced his hands and his feet; the deadly spear which ripped his side, and made way to his heart; these, these were the ways through which his most precious blood flow­ed, to wash away our stains.—Though the blood was to be so copiously shed, a bone of the Lamb was not to be broken; a circumstance this which a wonderful, interposing Providence directed. The soldiers had received their commission to break the legs of the three crucified persons. When they had actually broken the legs of each malefactor which hung on the right side of our Lord and on his left, their minds were over-ruled to spare the blessed Je­sus, and to leave his bones untouched.—The Lamb was to be killed before the whole assembly; and did not the whole multitude of the Jews conspire against our Redeemer to put him to death? Did they not all, with one voice, cry, Crucify him, crucify him? Was he not put to death at one of their grand festi­vals, and in the sight of the whole assembled nation? The blood was not to be poured heedlessly upon the ground, but received carefully into a bason, [Page 267] and sprinkled with the utmost punctuality upon the door posts. In like manner the blood of this pre­cious Lamb was to be realized in heaven, and to be received by an humble faith, and applied to our consciences.—The sprinkling of the blood of that Lamb secured every Israelite from the destroying angel's sword; and the blood of Jesus Christ cleans­eth from all sin, and saves us from the pains of eternal death.—The Lamb was to be roasted with fire, and the soul of Christ suffered the fire of divine anger against sin; so that, according to David, his heart was like wax, melted in the midst of his bow­els!—As the blood of the Paschal Lamb was the peace and preservation of the Hebrews, so they were to eat the whole flesh, and none of it was to remain until the morning: thus the Lord Christ hath not only made peace by the blood of his cross, but hath given his flesh for the life of the world; his flesh is meat indeed—more nourishing to our souls than the delicious flesh of the tender lamb is to our bodies; and, whosoever eateth thereof hath everlasting life. Not a part only, but the whole of this precious Lamb of God is embraced by faith: his person, obedience, life, death, grace, and offices, form the delightful food of his ransomed people, so that, emphatically, he is said to be all, and in all. It must not be forgotten, that those who celebrated [Page 268] the Paschal Supper, eat the Lamb with unleaven­ed bread, and with bitter herbs; their loins were girt, their feet shod, their staff in their hands, and to eat in haste; equally those who, by faith, feed upon Christ, the slaughtered Lamb, keep the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth; the bitter herbs of affliction are of real ad­vantage to enliven and preserve the appetite of their soul, that they may feed more deliciously upon the Saviour; for, if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him; their loins are girt about with truth; their feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; the staff of divine Promise is held in the hand of Faith; and in their general deportment they testify that here they have no abid­ing city, but seek one to come. The whole of this very remarkable institution was from the Lord, without the solicitation, or the merit of the He­brew captives, to produce their temporal deliver­ance; infinitely more so the gift of Christ, the Lamb of God, was the sole fruit of the Father's unmerited, everlasting love; to procure our liber­ty from sin, the power of satan, the sting of death, the curse of the law, to bring us the enjoyment of God in time, and to lead us over the red sea of death to the mansions of glory in eternity.

We cannot omit citing that evangelic view [Page 269] which the prophet Isaiah had of Messiah, the Lamb of God, who was to bear the sin of many. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb. so he openeth not his mouth. liii.7. How just, how pathetic the description! Had the pro­phet lived in Jerusalem at the very period Jesus was betrayed, by a perfidious disciple, for thirty pieces of silver, and taken to the bar of Pilate; had he stood by in the prison while the Saviour submitted to be scourged and spit upon; had he actually crowded among the murdering Jews, and followed in the mouring train to Calvary, he could not in colours more strongly have marked the solemn scene, nor described the patience, humility, and sub­mission of the blessed Jesus under his crucifiers. But if innocence mark this distinguished Lamb, why these extreme sufferings? Let the evangelic prophet himself reply. The Lord hath lain upon him the iniquity of us all, and he bears the sin of many; thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin; therefore, it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put him to grief. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our ini­quities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. PHI­LIP, [Page 270] a preacher of the gospel, well understood this prophecy; therefore, when the Eunuch asked him, Of whom speak the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? Philip began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus, with the most pleasurable success. Acts viii. JOHN, too, when he saw Jesus, equally understood whom he was, when he exhorted his two companions to be­hold the Lamb of God! John i.29. All that was designed by the Paschal Lamb, and the bleeding lambs used in the daily sacrifice;—all that the pro­phets prophesied of Messiah, centre in this lamb, emphatically called the LAMB OF GOD;—of his own nature, of his own providing, of his own sa­crificing, and of his own accepting! O for the light of faith, to behold this adored Lamb in all the excellence of his nature, and to enjoy him in all the virtues of his sacrifice! O for an heart to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth, in the vicissitudes of his providence, the institutions of his grace, and the delightful precepts of his lips!

If the contemplation of the Lamb at the slaughter creates such solemn sensations; let us, by aid of the scriptures, behold him glorified upon his throne. JOHN was favoured with this august sight, and he informs us— In the midst of the throne, and of the four beings, and in the midst of the elders, [Page 271] stood a lamb as it had been slain. Rev. v.6. He that was slaughtered on Mount Calvary, for sin, is now enthroned on Mount Zion, to reign in glo­ry! O happy subjects of his celestial dominion!— They behold him worthy to open the seals of the book of life, and of divine decrees. v.2.—They stand before the throne in spotless purity, having washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; and serve him day and night in his temple; 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. vii.17. &c. They no longer see through a glass darkly, but face to face. No stormy cloud to fill their sky; nor do they dwell in temples made with hands, but exult in that glorious state where no temple exists; for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the tem­ple of it; the glory of God enlightens it, and the Lamb is the light of it. xxi.22, 23. From such high enjoyments, no wonder they are filled with rapture, crying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God Almighty reigneth! Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wis­dom, [Page 272] and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing, for ever and ever!