ragements. Some, perhaps, may ask, why does not the Lord deftroy pride in the hearts of his people by a perpetual and clear funfhine of his grace and love? And they may as well afk, why does he make a difference between this earth and heaven? In heaven the vifion of God will effectually remove all felf-exulting thoughts, but this vision is not the privilege of mortal men; they are to be dealt with in a different manner, fuited to their low and probationary state, by difcipline and correction, and thus by degrees are to be weaned from felf-conceit, felf-will, felfrighteoufnefs, and brought into a fettled temper of humility. Here they are to be humbled by frequent views of their fins, and fenfations of the juft difpleasure of their God; hereafter they will fee that in his glory that will cause them to veil their faces in his prefence, and caft their crowns before his feet. For every purpofe there is a fet time and feafon. This life is evidently defigned for labour and patience, the next life is the appointed place of perfect reft, holiness and happiness. It is in vain for us to look for our harveft in the feed-time, and for our full triumph in the heat of the battle. An habitual humblenefs of mind is what becomes us beft, and fhould be our conftant aim and defire. "He that "humbleth himself shall be exalted; and bleffed are the poor "in fpirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Faith, hope and joy are very defirable graces, but humility is the temper of Jefus, and the garment with which he will have his difciples clothed. Would we know that our fins are forgiven us? Let us defcend into the vale of Chriftian humility, and there God will meet with us and bless us. On the Mount we may fee and enjoy more, but here we shall best know ourselves, and be prepared for our prefent work and future reward. If others are fond of thining qualities that attract the admiration of the world, let us frive to excel in humility, which men may defpife, but God will accept and honour for the fake of a crucified Saviour, whofe image and workmanship it is.

BOETHOS.

WE

REFLECTIONS UPON GEN. xlii. 36.

"All these things are against me."

E are perfectly incapacitated to judge either of perfons or things in the dark. Gloomy apprehenfions are not uncommon in the experience of true christians, and when they prevail in any confiderable degree, we make but flow and uncomfortable advances towards the kingdom. Faith in the promifes and hope of fruition, thefe only can brighten up the profpect. Relations die-friends changetrade flackens-loffes recur-fickneffes prevail-flanders arife-alas! "all these things," faith the believer, “are against me." We commonly judge from fight and fenfe, but the Lord acts from infinite wifdom and perfect rectitude. Now, for a man to refufe the enjoyment of some comforts because others are removed, is ingratitude to God and injurious to himself. Poor Rachel refused to be comforted becaufe her children "were not." Let us ever remember that the Lord's affurance is far better than our conjecture; he declares that "all things do work together for "good to them who love God, and are the called according "to his purpose."

A want of penetration, and frequent mistakes in judging about the difpenfations of Providence, occafion no small degree of anxiety and uneafinefs in the experience of true chriftians. The venerable patriarch Jacob (whofe pathetic and bitter exclamation I have fettled as a motto for this brief effay) was a man tried in a great variety of ways, as appears from his hiftory; and at times he was led to write bitter things against himself; but fure he was not wife in fo doing. As for Job, it is well known that the history of his life is a mass of woe. (See chap. iii.) The diftreffes of David were complicate indeed, and fometimes led him to draw dark conclufions against himself. (See pfal. lxxiii.) Now, our want of penetration and discernment are owing to two things: 1. Our ignorance of God and his peculiar methods of working. He put Joseph in prison, in order to bring him to honour. He brought Moses into Pharaoh's houfe to keep him alive. He brought Ifrael into straights in order to work their deliverance. And, to the confufion of human

pride, he called fisherman to propagate his gofpel, and to found the first chriftian churches in the world, "The wif "dom of God is foolishnefs with men, his paths are in the 'great deep, and his footfteps are not known."

We

2. Our felf-will and a natural defire to prescribe. are too confident in our apprehenfions of what we think will do beft. This felf-conceit blinds the understanding.The prayer of a certain woman agrees to this, "Grant that thefe my two fons may fit, one at thy right hand and one "at thy left in thy kingdom." Jefus reproved her folly by faying to her and her affociates in the petition, "Ye know "not what ye afk." Peter on the mount of transfiguration, propofed to erect three tabernacles, but alas! "He knew "not what he faid." Now, a fcriptural and firm perfuafion that all our concerns are under the management of the divine Providence, and that all is therefore right, will fupport us under, and reconcile us to every affliction and trial. I conceive it was this, as a prevailing fentiment and a wellgrounded principle in the mind of Fob which enabled him to fay, "Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him. He "knoweth the way which I take, and when he hath tried "me I fhall come forth as gold." It was this which enabled Habakkuk to make that triumphant boaft which occurs in the third chapter of his book. "Although the fig-tree "fhall not bloffom, neither fhall fruit be in the vines: the "labour of the olive fhall fail, and the fields fhall yield no meat, yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the "God of my falvation." Oh the bleffing of genuine Faith! Be it obferved, that which makes against the body and our temporal interefts often, by the grace of God, makes for the foul and promotes our beft interefts-If the children in God's family are afflicted, what will become of rebels? "If the righteous fcarcely be faved," what will become of the ungodly? The gospel of Chrift is defigned to relieve our fears and exalt four hopes. Then, O my foul, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft its facred contents.

DALETH.

ON CHRISTIAN CONVERSATION.

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt."

W

Coloffians, ch. iv. v. 6.

HEN we contemplate the dignity and importance of the chriftian character, confidered in its relation to Chrift our living head, from whom all its glory, and all its excellence are derived; we are constrained to acknowledge that it ought to be the peculiar care of every believer in Jefus to act in all points confiftently with the high rank to which he is exalted; and to maintain his importance in the eyes of an obferving world. We do not mean by this, that he fhould behave with fupercilious difdain, or forbid ding referve towards thofe who are not partakers of the pri vileges he enjoys; for a difpofition of this kind, by whom foever manifefted, is fo very different from real dignity, or true greatness, that it is the true characteristic of a little mind, and will always draw down contempt instead of refpect upon its poffeffor. Far, very far, be fuch a spirit from the humble followers of a meek and lowly Saviour; rather let them study to convince the world by their lives and converfation, that the religion of the golpel is a religion of univerfal love and unbounded benevolence; and that although the errors or the wickedness of man, may fometimes have concealed her beauties under a mask of gloomy fuperftition, she is, when viewed in her own undisguised form altogether amiable; and worthy of the admiration and love of every rational and immortal creature.

It was with this view that, the infpired Apoftle gave to his Coloffian converts the injunction which we have felected for our motto: "Let your fpeech be always with grace, "feafoned with falt." perhaps the word grace in this connexion may bear a double acceptation: it may, primarily, refer to the grace of God, and fignify, that this fhould always make a part, and a very diftinguithing part, of the chriftian's converfation; that we fhould delight to talk of the wonderful love which has refcued us from the bondage of fin, and the heavy yoke of Satan, and brought us into the glorious liberty and exalted privileges of the fons and daugh

ters of the Lord Almighty; and that it ought to be the conftant defire of our fouls, and the uniform aim of our tongues, to bring others to taffe that grace which we have proved to be the only fource of real happinefs; and to ferve that mafter, whofe yoke we know to be eafy, and whofe fervice we find to be perfect freedom.'

But it may also imply that our fpeech fhould be graceful in the common acceptation of the word; never affecting, nor indulging that four aufterity and cynical moroseness, which cannot fail to difguft; but conforming to the focial habits and innocent cheerfulness of civilized life; and thus, by mixing the law of kindnefs, and the mildnefs of affability with our words, we fhould endeavour to conciliate the affections, while we ftudy to promote the immortal interests of those with whom we affociate. Religion is by no means an enemy to the charms of eloquence, or the refinements of true politenefs; and we will venture to affert, that this life can afford no enjoyment, (communion with God excepted) that can furpafe, and but few that can equal, the fociety and converfation of a felect party of chriftians, whofe minds have been cultivated by a liberal education, and expanded by the grace of God."

But, left fome of the preceding remarks fhould be thought by any to give a fanction to trifling or ufelefs difcourfe, we haften to the latter part of the apoftolic advice: "Let your fpeech be, feafoned with falt." To enter more fully into the meaning of this expreffion, it may not be amifs to notice a few of the moft ufeful qualities of falt; and firft, it is calculated to give a pleafing relifh to our food, and render it more favoury and delightful to our palate. Now, the mental appetite of every regenerated perfon is, in a greater or lefs degree, fpiritualized and refined; and fitted to receive its only or chief enjoyment, from fpiritual and divine things; and this hunger and thirst after righteouf nefs, [as it is filed, Matt. v. 6.] will increafe the more it is gratified. Surely then, this verfe intimates to us, that we ought to feed this defire of the foul in ourfelves and others, by dwelling upon fuch topics as are moft full of the favour of religion; and highly feafoned if I may be allow ed the expreffion) with Gofpel truth and piety.-Again, another of the diftinguishing virtues of falt is to preferve from corruption and putrefaction; and does not the figure here ufed by the apoftle taken in this fenfe, imply that the difcourfe of chriftians ought to be fuch as may have a tendency to keep themfelves and their connexions from falVOL. II Bb