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This 16x Spin-wicked in ne," both "u vi tui no án sé is good pleasure.” In hi wrist run, indeed, as in his works of nature. De arts a sunt conformity with himwiit WTH ISOnes of sudden and mirandas mierpositive ca either side. The ild has is gradations towards the perfect ma—the seed, its seascas, from bud to stalk, and stem, and branch, i, at length, it overshadows with its expanded boughs the subject earth. And the seed of the word in the child of God, has equally to await the period of its maturity. It is experiment which is here the test of truth; and the Scriptures court experiment. Let not any person, therefore, who becomes their disciple, be discouraged at the tardiness of his advancement;—for Christians are said to “grow in grace.” ungenerous passion mitigated, an emotion of wrath, of envy, or of pride, restrained—an unkind temper softened, under the joint influence of God's word, and of God's Spirit, are symptoms that the work of the Lord is begun within, and the joyful earnest of better things than these. Let us then receive with equal thankfulness their kind reproofs as their gracious encouragement.

But one

It is through
It is through patience

of God's holy word-through submission to its

discipline, however strict;-through a chearI ful reception of its doctrines, however mortifying;—through a grateful acquiescence in its 1 restraints, however severe, that we become prepared to receive "comfort" from it. We must bleed, in short, under this "sword of the spirit," and suffer it to search and expose to us the wounds that sin has made upon us, before we can enjoy its consolations, or be made partakers of its promises. And then

shall the most trying and arduous duties be no longer accounted grievous, nor impracticable. We shall "love" our "enemies, do good to them that hate, and pray for those that despitefully use us and persecute us." That "peace which the world giveth not," and "which the world taketh not away," shall be our portion; and thus dying unto sin, and self, and made "alive unto God," we shall be enabled to " on" our "way rejoicing," ascribing the entire glory of all we are, and all we hope to be, him who has given such ample means of becoming meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.

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conduct of the world at large) appears the most revolting to flesh and blood. It is no less than the unnatural duty of "love your enemies, do good to them which hate youbless them which curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you ;"-a duty which the infidel and the scoffer deny in principle as well as in practice. It is the painful duty, unknown to philosophy and to worldly wisdom, of "turning the left cheek,” of “giving up a coat or a cloak,” of being "reviled, and reviling not again," which is accounted folly, and pusillanimity, and cowardice, by all who "know not Christ," nor "the power of his resurrection, nor the fellowship of his sufferings;"-a duty which is questioned and softened down, and, at best, reckoned among the "hard sayings," difficult to "bear," even by some who profess Christ, but "who stop short in the principles of the doctrine of Christ," and seek not to "go on unto perfection." But to endeavour after fection in this way is sound philosophy," the wisdom of the simple," as far surpassing the "wisdom of the wise," as Christ and the little volume of "all he did and taught," excel the whole host of human sages, and all that has been ever written, said or printed, since the day he was first announced as the Saviour of

per

a sinful world. It would be, indeed, as contrary to common experience as to Scripture, to say that the compliance with this duty, or the pursuit of this perfection, depended on any mere human motives, however excellent; or that man is, of himself, sufficient to it. For, though he might proceed even so far as to admire and approve of such a glorious exhibition of all that is meek, and holy, and charitable as this is, yet it is a well-known fact, that the convictions of the understanding have, in all things spiritual, but little influence on the movements of the heart. The dissolution of such heavenly concord was one of the first effects of our ruin at the fall. And hence, the affections have ever since exercised a dominion over the reason, which they were at first formed and commanded to obey. For to approve and even to will "is" often "present" with us, when "how to perform that which "is good," we find not ;-we seek not. Now, the great moral object of the Christian faith is to restore the entire man into harmony with himself and this difficulty, however great, is not insurmountable. For it is the peculiarity of Christ's religion, that it prescribes us no duty, without supplying us also with ability to perform it. "I can do all things," says St. Paul, "through Christ who strengtheneth me."

And lest this might be misinterpreted, as relating to the exercise of miraculous gifts, he accompanies it with the recital of several instances of moral obedience, and of selfcommand, in all of which, he acknowledges himself indebted to a higher power than his own. Here then is the great, the inexhaustible source whence every Christian is invited to draw freely. His strength is in the Lord, who "maketh even his enemies," as in the case before us, "to be at peace with him ;" and “his grace is,” at all times, and in all places, and under all circumstances, "sufficient for" him. With such mighty aid as this, what duty can be enjoined to us, provided God enjoins it, which we need fear to undertake? Or why should we stop at any inferior attainment, or fall behind in any good word or work? For as we have no inferior law to serve, so neither do we depend on any inferior help. The claims that are made upon us, and encouragements afforded to us, run parallel with each other. It is the law of God to which we are responsible, and it is also in the responsibility of God himself that we are taught to trust. To him we are invited to "commit" our "way," who has said that "he will bring it to pass."

And if these things are so, it.

may well be