of their own party, and will allow it to no others, whereas it belongs to all that have obtained mercy. It is a title not to be proudly assumed, and yet not to be denied, where the good work is wrought, Ps. cxvi. 15, 16., of his saints. I am thy servant. God's servants are God's saints; he doth not say, Lord, I am thy saint.

2. Are the saints God's people? Let them be our people. Are they dear to him? Let them be dear to us. Doth he delight in them? Let us delight in them. Ps. xvi. 3., Gal. vi. 10., Ps. xv. 4., 1 Pet. ii. 17. Like delights in its like. They are God's jewels, and should be yours.

Qu. How shall we know who are saints?

Ans. Infallibly they cannot be known but by their fruits you shall know them. Ask your own consciences. What do they say to such ways, and such people? 2 Cor. v. 11. Manifest in your consciences. Mark those to whom to live is Christ, Phil. i. 21.; that worship God in the spirit, Phil. iii. 3.

3. Make sure to yourselves that you are saints: for, certain, either a saint or a brute is true of every one of us. O live like saints, Eph. iv. 1., 1 Pet. i. 15. Make your saintship sure, and then make your salvation sure. Saints on earth shall be saints in heaven. We profess saintship. O live up to that profession. We are called to holiness, not to uncleanness: to be saints, not sinners. O, then, walk as saints: do all things as becometh saints, Eph. v. 3.-an exIcellent word. Doth worldliness and covetousness, &c. become saints? No. Praying, and hearing, and good discourse, becomes saints. Consider the promises, 2 Cor. vii. 1. comp. vi. 18. God is a holy God, and loves to dwell among holy people. Be saints, that you may have an interest in the promise of the text; he will

keep the feet of his saints. If you would have God to keep your feet, you must keep your sanctity.

Doct. II. It is a promised mercy to God's saints, that God will keep their feet.

Shew, 1. What is meant by the feet here; and what it is to keep them.

1.) There are the feet of the body: then it is a promise of preservation and protection to our outward man, going out, coming in, Ps. xci. 10, 11, 12—121. He is the preserver of all men; he preserveth man and beast; but he is, in a special manner, the preserver of the saints; they can more comfortably expect; they are in covenant with him, and have a promise from him. We are to encourage ourselves in this promise. If he will keep the feet, much more the head and heart. The feet are most exposed: the feet are the supporters of the whole body. We are to acknowledge God in the performing of this promise daily.

2.) The feet of the affections, which are the feet of the inward man, by which the soul moves,

(1.) To that that is good, or apprehended; so love, hope, joy. (2.) From that that is evil, or ap prehended; so hatred, fear, &c.

These feet have need of a keeper, for the affections are unruly, and inordinate with these feet we often stumble, Prov. xix. 2.: hastens with his feet, i. e. is rash in his affections. Eccles. v. 1.

keep thy foot, i. e. look well to the workings of thy affections. Exod. iii. 5. thy shoe from off thy feet, i. e. all carnality from thine affections. It is a mercy to have these kept to right objects, in due measure.

3.) The feet of the actions. Our life is a journey; every thing we do is a step taken: when we sin, we stumble and fall; when we do well, we walk and run in the way of God's commandments.

to help them. Isa. xxvi. 3. Psal. x. 14. God is obliged to help those that trust him, not carelessly, presumptuously, but believingly. We would not fail one that trusts us for any thing.

3.) Because he hath said he will. 1 Thess. v. 24. He is able to keep us, Jude 24. i. e. with an engaged ability; otherwise what comfort that he is able. We may go and plead the promise.

4.) For his own honour's sake; because that is concerned. If the saints stumble, and fall into sin his name is like to suffer by it. 2 Sam. xii. 14. God will not have his enemies to blaspheme; and, therefore, keeps the feet of his saints.

5.) For their peace and salvation sake. He knows how much prejudice it will be to them if they fall-in their comfort, and in their strength. See Ps. cxvi. 8. eyes from tears, feet from falling. When God keeps our feet from falling, he keeps our eyes from tears, the tears of trouble, the tears of repentance; and the soul from death too. God loves them, and is a friend to them; and, therefore, he keeps them.

Obj. If God keeps the feet of his saints, and be as he is engaged to do it, whence is it that any of them fall at any time?

Ans. It is not from any unfaithfulness in God, but from their own fault, and folly. They are presumptuously confident in their own strength. They are rash, and careless, and heedless, and neglect the strength that is offered them, as the child puts by the nurse's hand, and then God leaves them to try, and convince them, as he did Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. and Peter.

Use 1. In reference to what is past. Let us reflect before the Lord, and think how it has been with us as to our feet.

selves. You have forsaken your own mercies by following after lying vanities. God would have kept us, but we would not be kept. Think how you have fallen, fallen here, fallen there. You might have fallen finally, fallen into hell. Hos. xiv. 1, 2. The Lord help us, and all his people, at this day now we are fallen into trouble, to bethink ourselves of our falls into sin; and to return unto the Lord.

2.) How we have been kept from falling. Acknowledge it with all thankfulness. Remember some of your former perils, and think how you have been delivered, prevented with these blessings of goodness.

(1.) It may be it was in time of prosperity, and you were beginning to be proud, worldly, and secure, and the Lord came with some rod or other that prevented thy fall— as to David when he said, I shall never be moved. Psal. xxx.

(2.) It may be it was in time of persecution. Thou wast inclined to commit sin to avoid suffering, and the Lord was pleased to prevent in an evil time, and enabled thee, by his grace, to choose suffering rather than sinning.

(3.) When the stream has been strong, leading to wickedness, engaged in bad company, thy feet almost gone, thy steps well nigh slipped; as Joseph, just at the pit's brink, and God kept him. Has he kept thee so? O be very thankful. It may be it was in some great turn of your lives, and God kept you. Your are sometimes very sensible of the mercies of God to you in journies. If you have been kept in your journey heavenward be much more thankful. Consider how many have stumbled, and fallen, and yet you have been kept. It was because God kept your feet, and not theirs.

2. For time to come be exhorted.

1.) Be sensible of your own weakness, and aptness to fall. It is our self-confidence that throws us down. Be not high-minded, but fear. Peter missed it in this. Though all men yet not I-but he sooner than any. You think you may venture upon the pit's brink; and the Lord, to shew you your folly, lets you fall in.

2.) Be much in prayer; commending the keeping of your feet to God, not in the morning only, but often in the day; when compassed about with temptations Lord keep me. As good have no promise as make no use of it. Here is a promise. Turn it into prayer.

3.) Second your prayers with endeavours, Jude 21. compare ver. 24. Commit your souls to God in well doing. If you will have God to keep your feet you

must keep God's way. Remember that, Psal. xci. 10. in all thy ways. If you turn aside, and leave his way he is not bound to keep your feet. Prov. ii. 8. Matt. xxvi. 4. allus Neh. iv. 9. In a

word. Among the rest of the pieces of our Christian armour, we have one for our feet, Eph. vi. 15. our greaves; the preparation of the Gospel of peace, i. e. Expect, and prepare for troubles in the way to heaven. We get many a wound by walking with naked feet; how beautiful are thy feet with shoes.

4.) If we have fallen we must not lie still, but get up again by speedy repentance. Prov. xxiv. 16. Rev. ii. 5.

5.) Handle those with meekness and gentleness that are fallen. Gal. vi. 1, 2.

AMERICA. No. I.

(In our last Number we published a letter from the Rev. Robert Everett, of the Welsh Presbyterian Church, Utica, U. S. detailing some interesting particulars respecting a revival of religion in the county of Oneida, which has excited considerable attention amongst our readers. We have now received, through the kindness of the Rev. Thomas Lewis, of Islington, an American pamphlet, entitled "A Narrative of the Revival of Religion in the County of Oneida, particularly in the bounds of the Presbytery of Oneida, in the year 1826," which is introduced to the readers by the following advertisement:

"At a meeting of the Presbytery of Oneida, held in Whitesborough, Sept. 8, 1826:

"The Rev. JOHN FROST, Rev. MOSES GILLET, and Rev. NOAH COE, were appointed a committee to receive communications from ministers and others, respecting the late revivals of religion in this county, particularly within our bounds; and to publish a narrative of the same,

should deem proper, and such suggestions as, in their judgment, are calculated to sustain and increase the spirit of religion in our churches.

"NOAH COE,

"Stated Clerk of Oneida Presbytery." From this document it appears, that about twenty churches have been the subjects of a simultaneous revival, and that the conversion of three thousand individuals has been the result. We shall select the most interesting parts of the narrative for our miscellaneous intelligence, and intend to present our readers with the remarks and suggestions of the Reverend Gentlemen who formed this committee of publica tion in this department of our work; and we trust that the perusal may excite, amongst our churches at home, a devout desire to participate in these copious effusions of divine influence.) Ed.

Remarks on the Character of this Revival.

We are constrained to acknowledge that God has made a rich and wonderful display of his grace

amongst us during the past year, in the conversion of sinners, and the quickening of his children. More than three thousand are indulging hope that they have become reconciled to God through the Redeemer. About half this number have already united with the Presbyterian and Congregational churches, and a large portion of the remainder with the Baptist and Methodist churches. Never before have the churches in this region been blessed with so great a shower of divine grace.

The history of the church, in every age, forbids the expectation that all this number possess that repentance and faith, which is unto salvation. In the little family of Jesus, there was a Judas. We may reasonably hope that the proportion of deceivers and deceived is not greater among those who are numbered as converts in this revival. And if eleven-twelfths of this number are adopted into the family of the sons of God, and are heirs to the heavenly inheritance, great, unspeakably great, is the blessing, and great should be the joy, and loud the praise, of those who love and pray for the prosperity of Zion.

But while we are bound to give thanks for his distinguishing mercy, we have cause to mourn over our unfaithfulness as ministers and churches, and to weep over the multitudes who still remain " dead in trespasses and in sins."-How many of these may have been left, on account of the unfaithfulness of ministers, and elders, and private members of our churches! Had every minister been as self-denying and devoted as the nature of his office requires; had all our elders and the members of our churches been as united, as bold, and as active, as becomes the soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ, many more would doubtless have been brought to the knowledge and acknowledgment of the truth. How often may the Spirit

Let every

have been grieved by those who profess to desire and pray for his influence! The judgment day may disclose facts, which, could they now be known, would furnish matter to us all for deep repentance and humiliation before God. minister, elder, and private professor, inquire what more he could have done for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, and let him confess his offences, by prayer for pardon, through the blood of that Saviour who died for sinners, and dedicate himself anew to his service.

2. This revival has continued longer, particularly in some of our societies, than has been usual in former revivals. It is now more than a year since it commenced in some places where it still continues; and in most of our churches, an unusual spirit of prayer still prevails, and instances of conviction and conversion continue to occur.

3. Considering the number of converts, and the time that has elapsed since the revival commenced, the instances of backsliding have been fewer than usual. From the preceding narrative, it appears, that, with few exceptions, those who have indulged hope, are steadfast, and growing in knowledge and grace. By their fruits in future life their real character must be proved.

4. In this revival there has been less appearance of mere sympathy and excitement of the passions, unaccompanied with conviction of sin, than usual. Most of the feeling, and the strongest feeling, which sinners have manifested, has arisen from the lashes of an accusing conscience. So far as this characteristic of the revival is owing to means, we believe it has been to the fact, that Christians have prayed much for the convicting and sanctifying influence of the Spirit, and that ministers have constantly pressed the consciences