sanctifying grace, and the hope of eternal glory: these are nourishing and refreshing to the soul, as milk the richest of foods, and as wine the best of cordials, are to the body. These, you see, are to be obtained' without money and without price;' without any merit of our own, without any plea deduced from ourselves, by poor, undone, perishing bankrupts. They are to be enjoyed by every one who unfeignedly esteems them, and humbly seeks them. No exception is made; no exclusive clause added. It is not said, any one that is worthy, but every one that thirsteth.' To leave no room for any misgiving apprehensions, the kind invitation is repeated, 'buy and eat; buy wine and milk.' The inva luable, yet free tender, is confirmed again and again; he that hath no money; without money; without price and both are pressed upon us with a very remarkable, with the most affectionate vehemence: Come ye; come ye; yea, come."

Had our heavenly Benefactor permitted us to draw up this instrument of conveyance, and word it according to our own wish, what language could we have contrived to render either the grant more free, or our claim more secure?

Ther. These are cheering truths; they amount to little less than a demonstration: and I am ready to declare, in the language of Agrippa, Almost thou persuadest me to commence a believer.

Asp. And why, my dear friend, why not altogether? Can you distrust the sincerity of the divine overtures? If the overtures are real, your title is unquestionable, Nay, there is more than an overture: you have an actual gift from the Almighty Majesty. To us,' says the prophet, including all that wait for the redemption of Christ and the consolation of Israel, a child is born: to us'-he repeats the precious truth, to declare his exuberant joy,t and denote the absolute certainty of

Isa. ix. 6.

+ Virgil has copied the prophet's fine manner: he represents Joy uttering her sentiments in the same spirited strain, with the same reiterated earnestness:

Humilemque videmus

Italiam. Italiam primus conclamat Achates.
Italiam læto socii clamore salutant.

See Gen. xli. 32.

the thing, a son is given; even God's own Son, the ever-blessed Jesus, to be our Propitiation, our Surety, our complete Redeemer.

Just cast a look upon yonder neat lodge: though placed in the centre of a spacious field, it seems to be contiguous with the extremity of the vista. The eye, travelling over such a length of ground, has almost lost the windows, and the decent ornaments of the front; but I shall not soon lose the idea of that amiable munificence, which, as I was rambling one pleasant morning, and accidentally called at the house, I learned from its present owner. He was, I find, one of your servants; had spent several years in your family: when he settled in the world, you bestowed upon him that commodious box, and a pretty adjacent farm, to possess, without molestation or control, during his life.. Does he not reckon the little estate, by virtue of your dona. tion, to be his own; as much his own, for the time pre. scribed, as if he had paid an equivalent in money? Since the Lord Jehovah has given us his Son, and all his unutterable merits, why should we not, with an assurance of faith, receive the incomparable gift? Why should we not confide in it, as firmer than the firmest deed, and far more inviolable than any royal patent; especially since it has been sealed to us in every sacramental ordinance, and witnessed by every good motion of the Holy Spirit in our hearts?

Ther. My servant never affronted my authority. If he had vilified my character, or insulted my person, should I then have been inclined to make the same advantageous settlement?

Asp. Hereth appears the infinite superiority of the divine bounty. God is rich in mercy, not only to the obedient and grateful, but to the unthankful and unwor thy. To the Lord our God,' says the prophet,' belong mercies and forgivenesses,' in measure superabundant, and in continuance unwearied: and this, notwithstanding we have' offended him by our manifold failures in duty; nay, have rebelled against him' by flagrant violations of his law.

Dan. ix, 9. The original is 77, than which no expression in the Hebrew language bears a more obnoxious signification.

In sweet concert with this prophetical lesson sings the transported psalmist: Thou, Lord,' in thy sacred humanity, hast ascended up on high: ascended from the low caverns of the tomb to the highest throne in the highest heavens. Thou hast led captivity captive;' hast abolished death, that universal tyrant, and subdued those powers of darkness which had enslaved the whole world. Like a glorious' and' triumphant conqueror, thou hast also received gifts;' not merely for thy own fruition, but to confer on others, by way of honorary and enriching largess. What are those gifts, Theron?

Ther. The gifts of the gospel, I suppose; pardon of sin, the influences of the Holy Spirit, and those other privileges of Christianity which constitute the present happiness of mankkind, and prepare them for future bliss.

Asp. You rightly judge. And for whom were those royal, those heavenly donatives received? If you have an inclination to bestow a sword set with diamonds, a finely-wrought piece of plate, or an exquisitely finished picture, what names present themselves to your thoughts? what persons are the objects of your choice? The approved friend or distinguished favourite, I make no question. But for whom, let me ask again, since it is a point of the last importance, were those heavenly donatives received?

Ther. Let me recollect. Thou receivedst gifts,' not It denotes the most audacious and the most flagitious impiety. It denotes that rebellion which is as the sin of witchcraft, and that stubbornness which is as the iniquity of idolatry.' Yet, all virulent and execrable as it is, it does not suppress the yearnings of divine pity, nor snpersede the exercise of divine forgiveness. With a word derived from the same root, Saul, when exasperated almost to madness, upbraids Jonathan; and we know per sons so extremely incensed never speak in the softest terms, never touch the subject with a feather, but make their tongue like a sharp sword.

May I venture to add, that our translators seem to mistake the proper application of the aforementioned passage? They represent Saul's invective, flying as wide of the mark as it is overcharged with malice. Son of the perverse rebellious woman! This might be asserted without the least impeachment of Jona than's personal loyalty. Besides, is it not excessively indecent, as well as absolutely unreasonable, to reflect upon the mother for the misdemeanors of the son? Surely the clause should be rendered, in perfect consistence with the genius of the original, Thou son of perverse rebellion; or, more agreeably to the English idiom, Thou perverse rebellious wretch!' 1 Sam. xx. 30.

for fallen angels, but för men;' and not for thy friends, but for thy enemies ;' yea 'for the rebellious' also. Mer ciful heaven, what a word is this! And does it come from the God of truth? Gifts! divine gifts! gifts of unspeakable value and eternal duration! and these to be conferred on enemies, on the rebellious! wretches who are destitute of all gracious qualifications, who deserve not the least favour, but have reason to expect the frowns of indignation and the sword of vengeance!

Asp. Thus it is written in those sacred constitutions, which are far more steadfast and unalterable than the law of the Medes and Persians: thus it is spoken by the mouth of that Almighty Being, with whom there is no variableness nor the least shadow of turning. Let us not, my dear friend, by unreasonable unbelief frustrate all these promises, and reject our own mercies. Let us not, by an evil heart of unbelief, make God a liar, and make ourselves of all creatures most mi serable.

But see, the clouds which hung their agreeable sables to damp the ardour and abate the glare of day, are departing. The sun has been colouring their fleecy skirts, and spreading over the floating screen a variety of interchangeable hues. Now he begins to edge them, with gold and shine them into silver; a sure indication that, like the glittering but transitory toys which they represent, they will be soon swept from the horizon, and seen no more. The bright orb, while we are speaking, bursts the veil; and, from a voluminous. pomp of parting clouds, pours a flood of splendour over all the face of nature. We shall quickly perceive this open situation too hot to consist with pleasure, and must be obliged to seek for shelter in the shady apartments of the house.

Will you admit me, Theron, into those shady apart.

ments?

Ther. Admit you, Aspasio! I am surprised at your question. I thought you had known me better; and am sorry it should be needful to assure you, that my house is as much your own as it is mine. The more

* Psalm lxviii. 18.

freely you command it, the more highly you will oblige me.

Asp. May I believe you, Theron? Do you speak from your heart? Or must I conclude, that you plausi. bly profess what you have no intention to perform? Would you be pleased, if I should obstinately persist in these dishonourable suspicions, notwithstanding all your friendly protestations?

Ther. My dear Aspasio, I see your design: I see, and am ashamed;-ashamed to think that I should fancy myself more punctual in my professions than God is true to his word. Lord, I believe! help thou mine unbelief!'

DIALOGUE XVI.

Harvest scene-Philenor's gardens Statues Grove of evergreens-Nature of true Faith-Its sure foundations and firm supports.

OUR friends had agreed upon a visit to Philenor. They rode through a fine, open, fruitful country, which was covered with crops of ripened corn, and occupied by several parties of rustics gathering in the copious harvest,

The rye, white and hoary as it were with age, waved its bearded billows, and gave a dry husky rustle before the breeze. The wheat, laden with plenty, and beauti. fully brown, hung the heavy head, and invited by its bending posture the reaper's hand. Plats of barley and acres of oats stood whitening in the sun: upright and perfectly even, as though the gardener's shears had clipped them at the top, they gratified the spectator's eye and gladdened the farmer's heart, Beans, partly clad in native green, partly transformed and tawny with the parching ray, were preparing the last employ for the crooked weapon. Some of the grain lay flat in regular rows on the new-made stubble; some was erected in graceful shocks along the bristly ridges; some, conveyed homewards on the loaded, waggon, nodded over the groaning axle.