through all eternity. It is true, as he was God, his glory was the fame from everlafting, and could admit of no increafe--but as he was man, it certainly did: “being "found in faíhion as a man, he humbled

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himself, and became obedient unto death,

even the death of the cross: wherefore Cod "alfo hath highly exalted him, and given “him a name, which is above every name, "that at the name of Jefus every knee "fhould bow, of things in heaven, and

things in earth, and things under the earth: "And that every tongue fhould confefs that Jefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God "the Father." Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10, 11.

Since, now,

life and immortality are" clearly" brought to light through the gof"pel,” 2 Tim. i. 10; and “through the ten68 der mercy of our God the Day-fpring from

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on high hath vifited us, Luke i. 78., even us, in this island of the fea, where our fathers" who fat in darknefs faw great light;

and to them who fat in the region and fha"dow of death light is fprung up," Matt iv. 16. even him (who is the Sun of righteoufnefs with healing in his wings, (Mal. iv. 2.) through whose bleffed rays they faw their

benighted fituation, and were enabled to come out of the dark howling wilderness of fin, from the fnares of Pagan and Romish superstition, and made to walk in the way everlasting, Pfalm cxxxix. 24.; and fince to us, their children, the light of the glorious gofpel ftill fhines in our land, how ought we to rejoice in God our Saviour, who "hath "broken down the middle wall of partition," Eph. ii. 14. and, as well as the Jews, hath vifited the Gentiles with falvation.

For my part, I defire to fing with the fweet Pfalmift of Ifrael, that "the lines are fallen unto me in pleafant places." Pfalm xvi. 6. ; May I walk in the light of his countenance, Pfalm lxxxix. 15. while here, and at length enter into that "city, which hath founda"tions, whose builder and maker is God," Heb. xi. 10.; where there is no need of "the fun, neither of the moon to fhine in

it; for the glory of God" doth lighten "it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, and "the nations of them which are faved fhall

walk in the light of it." Rev. xxi. 23, 24.

He, whofe ftar conducted the wife men of the east to the humble place of his birth,

Matt. ii. 2, 9, 10. ftill "holdeth the feven ftars in his right hand," Rev. ii. 1. ministers of the everlasting gofpel, to direct thofe who are made wife to falvation, 2 Tim. iii. 15.; not only in the eaft, but in north, fouth, east, and west, to that city of habitation, Pfalm cvii. 3, 7. his kingdom of glory: May I follow their light, in fo far as they are enlightened by the glorious Sun of righteoufnefs, until at length I enjoy his beams in that land of blifs, where "the inhabitants fhall not fay, I am fick, and the people that dwell therein fhall be forgiven their iniquity," Ifa. xxxiii. 24. and reap that endlefs harvest of light and gladness, which is fown for the righteous and the upright in heart, Pfalm xcvii. 11. in the spring time of grace, in the field of the everlasting gofpel, by the good Husbandman, "the Father "of mercies and the God of all comfort," 2 Cor. i. 3.

Some of the inclofures, into which it is divided, where this good feed is fown, are, the field of meditation and contemplation, 'the valley of prayer and praise, the green paftures of the Scriptures, and the mount of the preached gofpel, with its verdant fum

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mit the Sacraments. In thefe delightful inclofures may I ftill delight to walk, that I may fee the feed fpringing up with pleasure in the blade, and taste of the full corn in the ear; that, in the valley of death, I may begin to reap that harveft which, after I have paffed the Jordan of diffolution, I fhall reap and feaft on fully in the heavenly Canaan.

But this I cannot do, unlefs He "who "commanded the light to fhine out of darknefs," fhine in my heart, " to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jefus Chrift," 2 Cor. iv. 6. for, through the fall of man, grofs darkness hath overfpread the whole foul, fo that "the "natural man receiveth not the things of "the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness .. unto him; neither can he know them, be"cause they are spiritually difcerned." 1 Cor. ii. 14. And indeed it is impoffible that he can, so long as his mind is in this ftate, difcern the beauty of fpiritual objects; any more than a man, during the darkness of the night, can difcover the beauties of creation; till God, of his infinite mercy, vouchfafe to illuminate his mind by his Holy Spirit. It is then alone that he can

difcover the vilenefs of his own heart, the deformity of fin, and the beauty of holinefs,

But though light doth make manifeft the deformities and beauties of objects in the natural world; yet, without the rays and falutary beams of the fun, nothing is cherished or brought forward to perfection.

In like manner, though a finner may be fo far enlightened, as to be convinced of the evil nature of fin, the hatefulnefs of his own. heart, and the neceffity of renewing grace; yet, without the Sun of righteoufsness arise to him, with healing in his wings, he cannot be favingly converted; nor any of the graces of the spirit in his foul, made to fpring up and flourish to eternal life. How much doth it then concern me to examine whether I have experienced the dawn of fpiritual things only, which confifts merely in knowledge; or the fructifying beams of the Sun of righteoufnefs, making me fpring and grow in grace!