wilderness, where foes annoy-sore temptations press you downdarkness invades-fears prevail-pleasures kill-and glories cheat. Yea, where mists of darkness, arising from the infernal cave, and from your own nature, often becioud your evidences, and hide the promise from your eyes. These things often render you comfortless. Remember, your Lord says, he will not leave you so: Jehovah may and does suffer his children to be in the furnace, but he will not leave them there, no; he will try them according to his own will, and their need, and then will come and deliver them, Zech. xiii. 9. Sin which dwells in a believer often causes him much pain, and sometimes it hardens his heart so that he cannot feel. Or,

"If aught is felt 'tis only pain,

To find he cannot feel."

Nature remains nature still; and will oppose the new-born soul while it remains in this vale of tears. It was this gave rise to Paul's heartrending cry, "O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death." Thus, he who had the first-fruits of the Spirit found, and thus you, dear sister, often find that sin renders you unhappy. But rejoice and be glad, though it strives for the mastery, it shall not obtain it, see Rom. vi. 14.

Soul darkness is often the cause of much sorrow. Mental darkness arises from inbred depravity-from the want of a faith's view of our interest in the everlasting covenant. In such a state the christian is afraid to call God Father; cannot embrace the promises of his word, nor call the joys of heaven his own: neither can he hold communion with God as his God, and is therefore comfortless. But he shall continue in that state no longer than his Father sees fit. I, says the Redeemer, will come to you, cause my face to shine upon you, strengthen your faith, animate your hope, dissipate your fears, and help you to cry Abba Father. "Upon you that fear my name, shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth and grow up as calves in the stall," Mal. iv. 2. When, therefore, my dear friend and I cannot walk by sight, may we learn to walk by faith, and trust our God where and when we cannot trace him, Isa. 1. 10. Micah vii. 8, 9. Ps. xcvii. 11.

Another cause of soul distress is those fears of which believers are the subjects. Sometimes they fear that they are not in the way to heaven; that their experience is not genuine; that all that they have felt is mere delusion; and are sometimes almost ready to conclude that they have neither part nor lot in the matter. Hence it is that their poor minds are so often bowed down through fear of death. May you, dear sister, and all the Lord's tried family, be enabled to remember that ever-precious declaration which came from the lips of our heavenly Lover, "Fear not, little flock; it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom," Luke xii. 32. It is when we forget his words, that

"From hope to fear, from fear to hope,
Our shipwreck'd souls are tost,
Till we are tempted in despair,
To give up all for lost."

Temptation often renders the Lord's people comfortless. It is a fire which brings up the scum of the heart. To be tempted to sin against a God of infinite goodness is painful indeed. Sometimes believers are tempted of the devil, and sometimes of their own hearts; "But let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil; neither tempteth he any man. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lusts. Lust when it is conceived bringeth forth sin; and sin when it is finished, bringeth forth death," James i. 13. Sometimes christians are tempted to disbelieve the word of God, the truth of christianity, and sometimes to put an end to their wretched existence. As an antidote against the sorrows of tempted souls, the apostle says, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it," 1 Cor. x. 13. It is because we are the subjects of sin, that we are the subjects of disquietude.

I proceed to notice the nature of the promise, "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." Though the Redeemer has left his church for a time, yet he will come again. "Unto you that look for him, he will appear a second time without sin unto salvation." Then he will take his ransomed spouse to dwell with him for ever; and while this earth is her abode, he now and then grants her a token of his love, or visit from his throne. He comes to his dear children at times in the ministry of the word; bids their fears depart, and comforts them with his life-imparting and soulrefreshing presence. Sometimes he comes and meets the praying soul at the throne of grace; pours the oil of grace into the soul; creates new desires; gives utterance to express them, and while the soul is breathing out its desires it is blessed with sweet communion with its God. Sometimes he comes when the believer is walking in the large field of his revealed will; applies a promise which removes the burden; soothes the sorrows of the mind, and clears the rugged pathway of human life. He comes also by means of christian conversation; some mercy drops are scattered down which are as the dew unto Israel. He comes by the Spirit, the sacred Comforter, and comforts Israel with the dew of his love.

"God on his thirsty Zion's hill,

Some mercy drops has thrown;

And solemn oaths have bound his love,

To show'r salvation down."

Thus the promise is fulfilled; the soul is delivered from trouble; light springs up in the place of darkness; joy comes intead of sor

row; faith in lieu of unbelief. Now there is a song instead of a sigh; a smiling instead of a gloomy countenance; a joyful instead of a dejected heart; and the soul thus blest takes his stand on the mount of everlasting love. Praise now becomes his delightful employ the service of God truly pleasant. You, dear sister, have known what these happy seasons mean: what it is to live by faith on the dear Redeemer, and to enjoy a well-grounded hope of everlasting happiness.

:

That this, dear sister, may still be your happy lot on earth, is the earnest desire and prayer

of

Your ever-constant friend,

In Zion's glorious Head,

Halesworth, December 6, 1832.

A COUNTRY MINISTER.

ON THE TRINITY.

No subject, upon which the intellect of man expends its vast resources, is the pride of his heart more developed, than when the mighty powers of his unsanctified mind come in contact with the evidences by which the truths of God are supported, and the validity of the doctrines of the gospel demonstrated. Of which evidence, no part is probably more contumaciously rejected, yet no part is more irrefragible than that which demonstrates the proposition that, "there are three that bear record in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one."

The assumption of the three distinct personalities in the undivided essence of the Godhead, is a doctrine which stands pre-eminently conspicuous in the vocabulary of the saints, and acknowledged with profound humility by all who are born again, "not of the will of the flesh, but of God." In this their hopes centre; upon this is suspended their eternal all. It is the key-stone in the majestic fabric of revelation, and the first link in the celestial chain of redemption : and the medium of communication between Jehovah and his creatures. "If this foundation be destroyed, what will the righteous do?" Deny the doctrine of the Trinity, and christianity evaporates into thin air, dwindles into a scheme of theological nonsense, and gives a highly coloured countenance to the haggard charge of the unblushing sceptic, of its being "a chimera,” a very bug-bear;" and what is of the most momentous importance to an immortal soul, it bars, and for ever bars the door of mercy against a returning prodigal; and exhibits no way of escape from Eternal wrath; nor opens any channel whereby the guilty may approach the eternal throne, without immediate destruction; seeing that abstract Deity is "a consuming fire :" "no flesh can behold his face and live."

As well (I speak it with solemn reverence) may we admit the

claims of Mahomet, the Arabian prophet, as admit those of Jesus of Nazareth, if the latter be not the Eternal God. As well may we avail ourselves of the intercessory services of Gabriel, as of Jesus, "who ever liveth to make intercession for us," if he be not indeed and in truth, "bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh." So near man, as to be man, and so near God as to be God; for, "whilst he was found in the fashion of a man,' and sustained the character of a servant, he being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to claim equality with God, that he might become our elder brother, yet remain "the true God, and eternal life." Seeing it is written, "Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, and that maketh flesh his arm." But blessed is he that trusteth in the Lord! for in Jehovah is everlasting strength; and he shall never be confounded, world without end.

We, as the worshippers of the God-man Jesus desire not to shrink from the test: although Dr. Priestley, and other equally bold impugners of our Lord's divinity, would fain avoid deciding the point at issue, by the following simple, but conclusive sylogisms, drawn from the infallible proposition, "Cursed is he that trusteth in man;" but "blessed is he that trusteth in the Lord." Thousands have leaned for salvation upon the arm of Moses. Moses was (but) a man; therefore they have been cursed; for, "by the deeds of the law, shall no flesh living be justified." Many have confided in Mahomet. Mahomet was a man, therefore they have been cursed; for, there is none other name given under heaven, whereby man can be saved, but the name of Jesus. Again, very many have trusted in Jesus, the crucified Nazarene; and worshipped him; they have been blessed in time, and blessed for eternity; therefore, Jesus of Nazareth must have been "God over all, blessed for ever." For "blessed are they that die in the Lord." And these are they which were redeemed from amongst men, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb; and are ever with the Lord, ascribing "blessing and honour, and glory, and power, unto him that loved them, and washed them from their sins in his own blood; and made them kings and priests unto God for ever and ever."

Again, brethren, as it respects the personality and essential Godhead of the Holy Ghost, we speak that we do know, and testify that which we have experienced of his Almighty power, in creating us anew in Christ Jesus. Upon this point, those who are "born again" need not that any man teach them; seeing they have the witness within themselves; even the witness of God, which is far greater and far more satisfactory than the most logical deductions, and the most irresistible demonstrations of the schoolmen. The devil will dispute the latter, but dare not touch the former.-The inward witness is indeed a "strong man armed, who keepeth the goods in peace;" nor is there a stronger than he, to drive him from his dwelling-place; for "Know ye not that your bodies are the temples of the Holy-Ghost, if so be that he dwell within you."

If, beloved brethren, we are in such a state, happy, yea, superla

tively happy are we. We may indeed, under such circumstances, adopt the language of the amiable John Newton, and say,

"Poor, weak, and worthless tho' I am,

I have a rich Almighty Friend;
Jesus! the Saviour is his name,

He freely loves, and without end.
He ransom'd me from hell with blood,
And by his power my foes controll'd;
He found me wandering far from God,

And brought me to his chosen fold."

And in this fold, the sheep of Christ are eternally secure against every threatening harm-"I give unto my sheep everlasting life! and they shall never perish; neither shall any one pluck them out of my hand." Are these, my friends, the words of a man? Does not their very dignity bear the impress of Deity? Verily they were words emanating from the same lips, which, on the morning of creation said, "Let there be light, and light was!" And is that a mortal hand, which holds within its mighty grasp the destinies of the church? Is it not rather the same which moulded yon beauteous, unmeasurable orbs, and bowled them through infinite space, fixing each in its particular sphere! Is it not the same hand that was outstretched to rebuke the foaming billows of the Galilean lake, and the same voice that spoke the threatening element into a calm?" Peace, be still." The ocean acknowledged the fiat of its Lord, and obeyed the mandate of the great “ I AM.”

Holy brethren, it is one thing to have our judgment warped by the crude sophistry of scholastic erudition; and another thing to be driven from our resting-place, and deprived of our confidence. It is possible for us to have our heads confused; but our souls will remain impregnable to the assaults of the enemies of our salvation, so long as we hold fast our confidence in the "Three that bear record in heaven."

We are not to

The bold, impious, and calculating acumen of Dr. Joseph Priestley cannot make us ashamed of our hope; nor the more subtle, sophistical reasoning of Dr. Samuel Clarke (the leader of Arianism in the eighteenth century) influence us to cast away our confidence, which hath great recompense of reward, although these mighty heresiarchs make the perilous attempt to prove us idolaters. be deprived of our birthright by their metaphysical demonstrations, nor their philosophical deductions. The Lord will recompense them according to their ingenious attempts to make the hearts of his people sad; for he hath not required this at their hands. And we, my brethren, can smile, and weep too, at their folly. God Almighty grant, that this, our assumed idolatry, may lead us to renounce every other object of dependence, and that we may be continually found at the feet of our Saviour, worshipping him" in spirit and in truth."

The apostle Paul, when surrounded by a confluence of the most disastrous circumstances, could say, " None of these things move me; for I know in whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able VOL. IX.-No. 112.] 2 I