Letters concerning Toleration, and the binding obligation of the Scotch covenants. A Hiftory of the Churches in Scotland and England from the earlieft period, 2 vols, 12mo. Harmony of Scripture Prophecies, with the Hiftory of their fulfilment. Since his death, his SELECT REMAINS have been given to the world. The following Character of MR BROWN was drawn up by two of his brethren. For piety and charity, zeal and diligence, he was equalled by few, perhaps excelled by none: poffeffed of uncommon powers of understanding and memory, he acquired an extenfive fhare of ufeful learning, which in him was wholly fubfervient to the knowledge and elucidation of the fcriptures. For twenty years profeffor of divinity under the affociate fynod, he laboured with indefatigable zeal for the instruction of the youth committed to his charge, in the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jefus. Having fupported an eminent character through the whole of his ministry, he died full of the confolations of the Holy Ghost. DEAR FRIEND, LETTER I. Through the tender mercies of the Lord we have been generally well fince we heard from you; but, alas ! there is little wellness of foul to be found with us: There all things are wounds and bruifes, which have not been bound bound up nor mollified with ointment. We are glad to hear you are about your ordinary at prefent. O to win to a truly Christian ordinary! The life that I live, by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, would be that; but, ah! how little we attain to that, nor have we any to blame but ourfelves; Jefus, his Father, and bleffed Spirit, are the fame as ever: His new covenant fullnefs, promifes, and offers of grace are still the fame. But these wicked, carnal, careless hearts, are the fhameful cause of our barrenness and leannefs. Wo unto us! that treacherous dealer dealeth very treacherously, and often we love to be deceived by it: It is, however, good, very good, that there is no plague about us, but fuch as Jefus and his grace are exactly fuitable to. What plagues will not this cure? « I am the Lord thy God that healeth thee." The blood of his Son Jefus Chrift cleanfeth from all fin. May it be our study to make use of this remedy and no other, for all others will but fester and corrupt our wounds. The state of religion here is in a miserable cafe. The godly are dying away from us in every corner, while we cannot fay this man and that man is born there. But what a mercy is it, that the church's head, our great Immanuel, cannot die out from, nor can he wholly leave us! Thanks to him, and his Father, and bleffed Spirit, that we have it under their hand and oath, that the Ifles fhall wait for his law, that the heathen shall be his inheritance, and the uttermost ends of the earth for his poffeffion. O, when it is well with you remember me and mine! It ftings me to think how ufelefs I have been in Chrift's church the many years I have had fince I first knew you. What a fad verification am I, that bodily fervice profiteth little ! This wishing you and your family a large measure of the confolations of Chrift, and that will produce conformity to him; and, if you had these two, I might defy hell and earth to make you unhappy. HADDINGTON, Yours affectionately, J. B. DEAR FRIEND, LETTER II. You and I have lately been drinking more of God's gall and wormwood in the death of children and otherwife. Let us be dumb, because the Lord hath done it. The cup that our Father giveth, fhould we not drink it? Alas, what hard knotty timber muft we be, that the Lord hath to hack us fo much, in order to render us plain and smooth! It is a mercy God is at fuch pains with, us. But it is not eafy for our hearts to believe fuch things mercies. Alas, how often we pray that God's will may be done; and yet, when he takes his will, we think we do well to be angry! We pray that God would divorce us from our lovers, and purge away our fin; and yet, when he fends fore troubles on us for this very purpofe, we fret or rage like wild bulls in a net. What a mercy that we have to do with fo patient a God that can bear with fuch conduct! So gracious, that he can forgive it! That we have to do with that blood of Jefus Jefus which cleanseth from all fin. What a mercy, that the more trouble we are in, the more promises are directed to us! Pfal. 1. 15. and xc. 15. Ifa. xliii. 2. and xli, 10.-16. and xlvi. 4. May our afflictions wean us from fin, and felf, and from this world. This is not our reft. May we feek for one to come.. O to be ready for that place where there is no more night, forrow, or curfe, but God is all and in all! Here he often fhews us the paths of diftrefs and death. May he at laft fhew us the path of life. In his prefence is fulnefs of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for ever more.. The form of your child's diftrefs, and my child's being come that length to fhew himself a son of fallen Adam, and yet not the length as to give any comfortable evidence of his union to Chrift, is ready to difcourage our anxious minds. But God's way is in the fea, and his paths in the mighty waters. He hath faid that he will dwell in the thick darkness. No dilirium or childhood can difunite from, or keep out Jefus and his Spirit from the heart: Jefus is able to fave to the uttermoft, and who knows where that is? This wishing you God's presence when you are now reaping through old age, which is but the valley of the fhadow of death. LETTER III. DEAR FRIEND3, We received the news of your child's death, and are truly affected with the fame. God has been marking out to you that vanity of vanitics, all that cometh is vanity and vexation of fpirit. O! mind that it is the Lord who hath done it, and, therefore, you ought to be filent. It is the Lord, who lent him, that has called him back. It is the Lord who taketh a peculiar pleasure in the falvation of little children. It is the Lord who can more than make up your lofs, and O! infist with him that he make it up by the enjoyment of himself. The enjoyment of the only begotten Son is more than fufficient to balance your want of yours. Perhaps for this very reafon the Lord took him from you, becaufse you gave him too much room in your heart, and Jefus Chrift fo little. Fill now, therefore, your heart with Jefus and his excellencies. How infinitely better thefe than any you could ever difcern about your child! Do not let your thoughts murmur for your child, and his works, looks, or deeds; but call to mind the perfon, the looks, the words, the deeds of the great Immanuel, and all with application to your own fouls, upon the foundation of God's free grant in the promise. My R-b is a phrafe now that has a fting in its tail, but my Lord Jefus never had, nor ever will have any fting in his tail. Let that, therefore, be now not only the language of your lips, but chiefly the language of your hearts. Happy you evermore, if God hath pluckt out your fon to fill his place with his only begotten Son. May the Lord fanctify to you the painful ftroke. Wonder that it hath not been more |