formed for the purpose of prayer. Here it is usual for consenting neighbours to take sweet counsel together, and wrestle with ardour for the hope of the gospel in words like these: "Gracious Father! forgive the sins of thy returning children, and grant us an increase of spiritual strength. Sensible of our own unworthiness, assist us to place all our confidence in thine unbounded mercy, manifested through Jesus Christ. Increase our faith in the Son of thy love, and confirm our hope in thine unchangeable promises. O thou divine Saviour! descend this day into our hearts as thou didst once descend upon thy first disciples. Consecrate us thy living temples; fill us with thy graces; and, during the time of our earthly pilgrimage, vouchsafe to lead us with the right hand of thy power Let not thy Spirit of illumination and holiness, thy Spirit of consolation and joy, abandon us for a moment, as we pass through this valley of tears. May its potent operations subdue in us the power of sin, and produce in our outward conversation the happy fruits of righteousness, peace, and joy. Permit us at this time to return to our houses with a consciousness of thy love, and an assurance of thy favour; and grant that, after having been the temples of thy Spirit upon earth, we may one day be received into the temple of thine eternal glory in the heavens."

A worldly minister, on a certain time, entering into an assembly of this kind, heard the prayer of these humble believers; and, as much surprised to see the ardour with which they offered their petitions, as to observe the time and place in which they were presented, withdrew from their society with as much indignation as a good pastor would retire from a company of jugglers. But having understood that one of his own parishioners was of the religious party, he took the earliest opportunity of testifying the utmost disapprobation of his conduct. "What was it," said he, "that you was doing with those people the other day in such a place? Conventicles of that kind are contrary to order, and unworthy of toleration. The church is the only proper place for the performance of divine worship. Moreover, I heard you foolishly praying

for I know not what consolation, light, and power of the Holy Spirit. Receive in good part the advice I offer you: -Look upon inspirations and illuminations of this sort, as no other than the idle fancies of visionaries and enthusiasts; renounce the imaginary assurance with which you do but deceive yourself, and repose upon the hope which I have constantly preached to you,-a hope with which you and your neighbours may very well rest contented.” Confounded with a discourse of this kind, a weak and inexperienced Christian might have been drawn aside from the narrow path of truth. But the person here alluded to, by citing Ephesians i. 17, 18, was enabled to prove, that the very same illumination and power which were treated so contemptuously by his opponent were, nevertheless, absolutely necessary as the groundwork of a solid hope. Nay, he pushed the matter still further, and asserted, that the prayer against which the zealous pastor had so angrily exclaimed, was used in exact conformity to those very petitions which he himself was inconsistently heard to offer at the feast of pentecost, and on other solemn seasons.

If this little relation faithfully describes the manner of thinking which is too common among the clergy of the day, is it not evident, that they are more disposed to ridicule, than to preach, the Christian hope; and abun dantly more earnest to obstruct than to further their parishioners in the pursuit of everlasting blessedness?

When the dawn of this glorious hope first began to glimmer; when, at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole company of the disciples began to praise God with a loud voice, strewing the way by which their Lord was to pass with garments and branches of trees, and crying out before him, "Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; hosanna in the highest!" some of the pharisees who had mixed among the multitude rudely exclaimed, "Master, rebuke thy disciples." And when he had entered into the temple, "the chief priests and scribes," (those models by which the generality of ministers seem anxious to form themselves,) "seeing the wonderful things

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that he did, and the children crying Hosanna, were sore displeased, and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say?" And Jesus answered them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? I tell you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out." Matt. xxi.; Luke xix. There still exists the same opposition betwixt those who cordially embrace the gospel and those who ungratefully reject it. As often as the former are perceived to give a loose to the transports of their gratitude, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, the worldly minister, displeased to observe any thing that appears to reproach his own lukewarmness, is prepared to stifle the emotions of that joyful hope which he deems no better than the confidence of presumptuous fanatics. While the faithful minister, on observing such a scene, cries out, in imitation of the great apostle, “Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost."

If penitents are not pointed to the blessedness of this hope, they will strive like Cain to stifle their remorse by passionately abandoning themselves to the business and enjoyments of the present world; or, like the Israelites, who found not sufficient pleasure in religion to banish the recollection of Egypt's vanities, they will indulge that spirit of trifling which the apostle thus describes: "The people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." 1 Cor. x. 7. On the contrary, when the Christian is directed to the hope of his high calling, he finds it a source of unutterable consolation: and having discovered the treasure hidden in the gospel field, "for joy thereof he selleth his all," in order to purchase that field. He now renounces without pain what before had hindered him in running the heavenly race; counting nothing dear to himself, that he may finish his course with joy, and ensure the crown of everlasting life. So powerfully were the first Christians supported by this gospel hope, that they remained immoveable amid the sorest calamities of life, and suffered death itself with a courage that astonished the persecutors. But when they lost their

confidence, like Demas, they began to indulge the fond hopes and foolish fears of the present world, becoming altogether weak as other men: and such are the generality of Christians at this day. The love of many is waxing cold, while the church of God is evidently falling into ruins; and how shall we assist to rekindle that love, or repair that church, but by zealously proclaiming abroad the hope of the gospel?

THE TRUE MINISTER PREACHES CHRISTIAN CHARITY.

Ir the evangelical pastor proclaims repentance, faith, and hope, it is with a view of leading sinners to that Christian charity which is justly esteemed the crown of every grace. In preaching repentance, he lays the axe tothe root of every corrupt tree. In publishing evangelical faith, he plants the tree of life. When he proclaims the hope of the gospel, he causes that tree to put forth a beautiful blossom; but when he preaches Christian charity, he calls forth the rich fruit from every vigorous branch. And while he is engaged in performing the various parts of this important work, he denounces the anathemas of the gospel against that repentance, faith, and hope which are superficial, unfruitful, and delusive.

The minister of the day piques himself upon preaching morality; which he is ordinarily accustomed to do in the manner of an heathen philosopher. Unacquainted with the importance and power of the doctrines of Christianity, he is ashamed to walk in the traces of St. Paul. If he is enabled to paint, with any degree of ability, the serpents of envy, the inquietudes of avarice, and the delights of charity, he imagines that he shall readily dispose his neighbours to love as brethren. He knows not that "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is that alone which can make any man free from the law of sin and death," by delivering him from that envy, that avarice, that ambition, that indifference, and those worldly fears which are incompatible with evangelical charity. "What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,” (that is, our degenerate nature, which has need of stronger motives and more powerful supports than those which the law proposes,) "God sending his own Son in the likeness of sin

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ful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that," by the new motives and the divine assistance offered in the gospel, "the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who," being regenerate, "walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. viii. 3, 4.

The judicious pastor, observing the same connexion between the morals and doctrines of Christianity, as between the root and fruit of a vigorous tree, is constrained incessantly to preach those important truths which naturally give rise to the three first-mentioned graces; and he is perfectly assured, that wherever these truths are permitted to take root, he shall shortly rejoice over the inestimable fruits of Christian charity. This mode of acting is equally conformable to reason and revelation. By publishing those doctrines upon which the necessity of repentance is founded, he exterminates pride and inordinate self-love, which are the greatest obstacles to charity. By preaching the doctrines of faith, he gives rise to that universal love which extends to God and man. Thus, when a sinner sincerely believes that "God is love;" 1 John iv. 16; when, penetrated with admiration and gratitude, he can say, with the apostle, "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me;" Gal. ii. 20; at that moment, he necessarily feels a degree of affection toward the creating Father and the redeeming Son, whom he longs to imitate, and whom he rejoices to obey. This love is as boundless as it is ardent, and reaches to the most unworthy of his fellow-creatures, enabling him, after the example of Christ, to sacrifice for his very enemies, not only outward comforts, but even life itself. Hence the Christian faith is said to work by love. Now if this lively persuasion of the unspeakable blessings which God hath already given us in Christ Jesus is sufficient to produce in the soul a high degree of scriptural charity, it is evident, that a well-grounded hope of greater blessings still to come must necessarily serve to quicken and increase this charity. And if we are fully persuaded, that our labours of love shall never be forgotten; that even a cup of cold water, imparted for the love of Christ, shall not go unrewarded; how vast an influence may such a