where he was; his arm is not shortened; what he hath done heretofore he can do now: we should, therefore, register his favours, as David "The Lord that delivered me (saith he) out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam. xvii. 37. Every former mercy should strengthen our faith for new ones: as conquerors, whom every former victory encourageth to a new conquest.

Again. He speaks of this for the time to come; the Lord will deliver me from evil. A true christian is as careful to avoid sin for the time to come, as to be freed from the guilt of sins past. Judas may desire to have his conscience freed from former sins; but Judas cannot desire to be a good man for the time to come. Nothing shews a good conscience more than this. The most wicked wretch that breathes may desire to have his conscience pacified, and yet never have any purpose or power to abstain from sin; but, like a dog (after he hath disgorged himself) return to his vomit again. 2 Peter ii. 22.

Moreover. True repentance is a turning from former evils to a contrary good, according to that which Christ said to the woman taken in adultery, "Go, and sin no more;" and as David prayed, "Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin-uphold me with thy free spirit (for the time to come)." Psal. li. ii. 12. As though he had said, "Lord, I know it is not in man to order his own ways; I desire not the forgiveness of my sins, that thereby I might with more liberty follow my own lusts, and so offend thy majesty; but with pardoning grace I beg preventing grace." No hypocrite can plead with God in this way. A real christian, that prays aright, prays as well that God would preserve him from future sin as forgive him his former sins.

Again. It is here a perpetuated act: the Lord will deliver me still from every evil work. Hence you see, that in every evil work we are tempted to we need delivering grace, as to every good work, assisting grace. Indeed, our whole life (if we look upwards) is nothing but a deliverance; but if we look to ourselves, it is nothing but danger and a warfare; and

therefore we have need of such a deliverance.

But to proceed. God doth not only deliver from evil works, but preserves us to his heavenly kingdom. We must take "preserve" here in its full breadth: he preserves us in our outward estate by himself, and by under preservers; for there be many such under God: as angels, that are his ministering spirits; (Heb. i. 14.) and magistrates, who are the shields of the earth, they may preserve under God; and likewise his ministers, that are the chariots and horsemen of Israel (2 Kings ii. 12.); and good laws, &c. But God is the first turner the wheel; we must see and acknowledge him in all other preservers whatsoever. And therefore the apostle, in the language of the Holy Ghost, and of Canaan, saith here, "The Lord will preserve me." And rather than a child of God shall be cut off, or fail through the malice of his enemies, when God hath anything for him to do, he will work a miracle to save him. The three young men could not be burned in the fire, God so suspended the force thereof: Daniel could not be devoured of the greedy lions, &c. Dan. iii. 25, and vi. 22. Sooner than God's purpose shall fail, that a man should perish before the time that he hath appointed him, the lions shall not devour, and the fire shall not burn: God hath measured our glass and time even to a moment; and as our blessed Saviour assigned the reason why the malicious design of his enemies was frustrated for a season, said, "My time is not yet come:" so let us be assured that, till our time comes, all the devils in hell cannot hurt one hair of our head: and this is a grand ground for confidence, that we carry ourselves above all threatenings and fears whatsoever. "Thou canst do nothing, except it were given thee from above," said Christ to bragging Pilate, who boasted of his power. John xix. 10, 11. Alas! what can all the enemies of God's people do, except he permit them?

Yet observe, briefly, thus much: 1st, Heaven is a most holy kingdom, no uncleanness can enter there. 2ndly, It is a large kingdom; and, 3rdly, an everlasting kingdom. Men's kingdoms determine with their persons; perhaps

they may live to outlive their glory in the world, as Nero did (the king that Paul was under when he wrote this epistle), who came to a base end. But this kingdom can never be shaken: God's preservation shall end in eternal glory.

Here is a special ground to God's people of perseverance in well-doing; for God has himself undertaken our tuition, until he hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints, and put us into heaven. (John vi. 45, 47, and chap. xvi. 13, 14.) Where is the Popish doctrine of falling away, then? Since He that keeps heaven for us, keeps us for heaven, till He has put us into possession of it. "We are kept (we are guarded, as the word is in the Greek) by the power of God to Salvation." 1 Pet. i. 5. For Christ hath carried our names upon his breast to heaven; as the High Priest had on his breast-plate written the names of the twelve tribes, in precious stones, (Exod. xxviii. 21. 30.) so Christ, our High Priest, hath the names of all his children in his heart, to present them always to God by his intercession; so as when he now appears before God, the church with him appears in his heart. The Father sees the church in the heart and breast of CHRIST; and therefore, to hold that an elect vessel may be cast away, or lost, is to pull Christ himself out of heaven: be it spoken with the greatest reverence to his majesty.

"The Lord will preserve me to his heavenly kingdom." Paul cared not for death; he looked beyond that: like a man that swims over a river, hath his eye still on the shore, so the apostle had his eye fixed upon heaven still. I beseech you, therefore, in all dangers and distresses whatsoever, be much in meditation, and conversing with God in your spirits. Consider the crown of glory

that is laid up for us.

REGARD attentively the LORD JESUS, and you will see in him at once, GOD and MAN, without relinquishing any part of his deity as God, without alienating any part of his humanity as Man.

At his birth, you will see a MAN persecuted by Herod, and a GOD adored by the wise men of the east.

At his baptism, a MAN in the River Jordan, and a GOD proclaimed from heaven as the beloved Son of the Eternal Father.

In the vessel, a MAN who sleeps, and a GOD who calms the wind and the sea.

At the tomb of Lazarus, a MAN who weeps at the death of his friend, and a GOD who raises him by a word.

At the well of Sychar, a MAN who thirsts, and a GOD who gives water, springing up into life eternal.

Upon the cross, a MAN who dies, and a GOD who astonishes all nature much, that the earth trembles to its centre and the sun itself loses its light.

All these are so many indications that the INCARNATE WORD was equally GoD and MAN; GOD eternal, and MAN born in time; GOD omnipotent, and MAN weak and infirm; GOD immortal, and MAN subject to death.

THE FALL OF MAN.

CHARNOCK.

ALL men might justly be left wallowing in that miserable condition to which they were reduced by the apostacy of Adam; and God might have passed by the whole race of man.

The holiness of God is not blemished

by his secret will to suffer sin to enter into the world.

To say, God doth will sin as he doth other things, is to deny his holiness; to say it entered without any thing of his will, is to deny his omnipotence.

In the fall of man, God did not hold the reins strict upon Satan to restrain him from laying the bait, nor restrain Adam from swallowing the bait. God left Satan to his malice of tempting, and Adam to his liberty of resisting.

THE APOSTOLIC PULPIT.

SUPERNATURAL EPISTLES.

2 COR. III. 2-Ye are our Epistles. THIS was the language of our great apostle Paul, (who, in his own eyes, was less than the least of all saints) in an address to the Corinthian Church, the members of which had been some of the most abandoned characters; and to whatever place the apostle went, where letters of commendation were required of the visiting ministers, he pointed to those conspicuous converts who were living epistles, and so eminent as to be known and read of all men.

The change in them was so great as to render it evident to every one. The drunkard became sober; the dishonest just; the miser liberal; the prodigal frugal; the libertine chaste; and the proud humble. So to them the apostle appealed for himself and fellow labourers, as letters of commendation, who were living epistles at Corinth, and as lights in the world.

In an epistle there must be paper, or parchment, a pen, ink, a writer, and somewhat written.

First. The paper or parchment we may consider, in these divine epistles, as the human heart; which, some people say, is as clean as a white sheet of paper; but if it be so on one side, it is as black as sin can make it on the other.

It may

appear clean, like a whited sepulchre without, but it is full of all uncleanliness and defilement within.

Second. The pen may be well compared to the ministers of the gospel, who are used in these living epistles as such; and many of them are willing to acknow

ledge themselves very bad pens, scarcely fit to write with, or any way to be employed in so glorious a work. It seems they have been trying to make good pens at the universities; but after all the ingenuity and pains taken, the pens which are made there, are good for nothing, till God has nibbed them. When they are made, it is well known that the best of pens want mending. I find that the poor old pen that has been in use now for a long while, and is yet employed in scribbling, needs to be mended two or three times in a sermon.

Third. The ink used in these divine epistles I compare to the influences of divine grace upon the heart; and this flows freely from the pen when it has a good supply from the fountain head, which we constantly stand in need of; but sometimes you perceive the pen is exhausted and almost dry. Whenever any of you find it so, and are ready to say, "Oh, what a poor creature this is, I could preach as well myself"; that may be true, but instead of these sad complaints, lift up your hearts in prayer for the poor pen, and say, "Lord, give him a little more ink." But if a pen is made well, and quite fit for use, it cannot move of itself, there must be an agent to put it in motion; and, Fourth, The writer of these glorious and living epistles is the Lord Jesus Christ, Some people talk about, and are very curious in fine writing; but there is something in the penmanship of these epistles which exceeds all that was ever written in the world; for as the Lord spake, so he writes, as never man ever spake or wrote. One superior excellency in these epistles is, that they are all so plain and intelligible, as to be known and read of all men ; and the strokes will never be obliterated! As pens cannot move of themselves, so we profess when we take on us this sacred character to be moved hereunto by the Holy Spirit; nor can we move to any good purpose without his divine assist

ance.

Lastly. In all these epistles there must be somewhat written. Many things might be said here, but I shall include the divine inscription of these epistles in repentance, faith, and holiness.

House of Israel.-All that are born of God, and are like Israel of old-a praying people.

After those days.-After the mosaical dispensation is ended.

I will put my laws into their minds. I will put. The work is God's. The mind is naturally dark and ignorant of spiritual things. It shall be enlightened to behold the spirituality and extent of the law, together with the doctrine of salvation, in Christ alone, without the deeds of the law. The mind is naturally vain. It shall be renewed, (Eph. iv. 23.) and made spiritual. God's laws (his precepts and promises) shall not only be discerned by the mind, but put into the mind, so as to abide there and convey a spiritual savour. Unconverted people may have the former, but not the latter. The children are often directed and quickened, or comforted by a precept or promise dropped into the mind. I will write them on their hearts. Alluding to the tables of the law-I will not only enlighten and renew their minds by my laws, but will make a thorough change upon their wills and affections, by impressing my laws upon their heart and conscience, to guide and govern them in all their ways. The laws were first wrote for them on the tables of stone, now to be wrote in them. I will be a God (peculiarly) to them.-In a way of protection and blessing; doing all things needful for their temporal, spiritual, and eternal welfare. I will own them, watch over them, feed them, and defend them, as their God. And they shall be a peculiar people to me. My grace shall enable them to believe in me, and love

me, and devote themselves to me, as persons redeemed, adopted, and saved by me. Thus the covenant shall not be liable to be made void on their part any more than on my own. God engages in this covenant both for himself and his people.

There is ground for examination.-If God has put his laws in your mind, and written them in your heart, you are then God's Israel; but if you are strangers to this inward work of God's spirit your religion is vain, and your hope is vain. Awake, and call upon God, that you perish not.

Ground for comfort.-God will carry on his work from grace to grace; from strength to strength; until all the covenant people appear before God in glory.

JUSTIFICATION.

ACTS XIII, 30.

GOSPEL justification not only frees believers from guilt, but pronounces them righteous through the obedience of Christ. Justification is an act of God, as a judge discharging us from condemnation, and accepting us as righteous. Adoption is an act of God, as a Father appointing us his children, and heirs with Christ. By justification we are brought into favour; by adoption, into his family. Sometimes we are said to be justified by God's grace, to point out the original spring of justification; sometimes to be justified by Christ, to shew the meritorious cause of our justification. And this is twofold: by his obedient life, and by his blood: (Rom. v. 9. 19). At other times we are said to be justified by faith, to point out the instrumental cause of justification, or how we are made partakers of this blessing. When God justifies, he absolves from all guilt, and accepts a sinner as absolutely, completely, and eternally righteous.

great mercy in the suddenness of her removal; and when your bowels have done yearning for her, you will see it too. Oh! what is she snatched from? Why, truly, from the plague of an evil heart, a wicked world, and a crafty devilsnatched from all such bitter grief as now overwhelms you; snatched from every thing that might wound her ear, afflict her eye, or pain her heart! And what is she snatched to? To a land of everlasting peace, where the voice of the turtle is ever heard, where every inhabitant can say, I am no more sick-no more whim in the head-no more plague in the heart; but all full of love, and full of praise, ever seeing, with enraptured eyes, ever blessing, with adoring hearts, that dear Lamb who has washed them in his blood, and has now made them kings and priests unto God, for ever and ever, Amen. Oh, madam, what would you have? Is it not better to sing in heaven "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," than crying at Oathall, "Oh, wretched woman that I am!" Is it not better for her to go before than to stay after you; and then to be lamenting, "Ah! my master! !" as you now lament "Ah! my daughter!" Is it not better to have your Selina taken to heaven than to have your heart divided between Christ and Selina? If she were a silver idol before, might she not have proved a golden one afterwards? She is gone to pay a most blessed visit, and will see you again by and by, never to part any more. Had she crossed the sea and gone to Ireland, you would have borne it; but now she is gone to heaven 'tis almost intolerable. Strange love this! I could almost beat you for it; and I am sure Selina would beat you too, if she were called back but one moment from heaven, to gratify your fond desires.

I cannot soothe you and I must not flatter you.

I am glad the dear creature is gone to heaven before you. Lament, if you please, but GLORY, GLORY, GLORY be to God, says

JOHN BERRIDGE.

To Lady Huntingdon.

ALL spiritual blessings be on my dear friend! Whatever the tender heart or

the almighty arm of the loving Jesus has to bestow, may it be all yours! You made me promise to inform you of my motions, which I now fulfil.

A

No

God willing, I shall be next Sunday at Mr. C.'s; on Monday morning in Y-; from thence I shall make the best of my way to T- and, if I hear nothing of you there, I shall proceed to My time is short, so that I can but just stay to take my leave of my friends. What a life is this! hurry, hurry, hurry, from place to place, from this object to that-weary with seeking, but never finding rest. Happy christian who is fixed to a point!-Go where he will, ONE object is his ALL. The crucified Saviour is his happiness; his perfect, everlasting happiness; and this heaven he carries about with him. time, no place, no circumstances, make any change. He has one LORD, one faith, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Come pain, sickness, poverty, death, the Saviour's love and power bear him up. Come temptations of all kinds, I will be with thee in the hour of temptation, says the Lord God. Where he is, nothing need be feared, because nothing can hurt. Oh, my friend, the true knowledge of Jesus Christ is an infallible cure for all the miseries which come into the world by sin. There is no evil of mind or body, temporal or eternal, but our precious dear Lord is by office engaged to remove it. And shall not you and I value and love him? What can we set our hearts upon; what can bid so high for them as this adorable Saviour? May he enable us to give them to Him, and then he will sanctify all their inferior loves; will let us love them as flowing from his grace; so that this love will make us love him more. This love is Heaven. All joy and glory is in it. And as for the happiness of his redeemed people, we shall never know how great it is till we join the church above. It will be a glorious meeting. Jesus bless you! Amen! Amen. I am, for his sake, your faithful friend,

WILLIAM ROMAINE.

He is no true believer to whom sin is not the greatest burden, sorrow, and trouble. Rom. vii. 15.