- The excellent, infallible preparation, and one only disposition to grace, is the eternal election and predestination of God.

It is false to assert, that if man does all he can, he removes the obstacles to grace.

In short, nature does not possess either a right judgment or a good will.

On man's part there is nothing that precedes grace, except impotence and rebellion.

There is no moral virtue without pride, or without sadness, that is to say, without sin.

From the beginning to the end we are not masters of our actions, but their slaves.

We do not become just by doing what is just; but on becoming just we do what is just.

Man is more hostile to the grace of God than he is to the law itself.

He who is without God's grace sins incessantly, even though he neither kills, nor steals, nor commits adultery.

He sins, for he does not fulfil the spiritual law.

Not to kill, not to commit adultery, outwardly alone and as to action, is the justice of hypocrites.

The law of God and the will of man are two adversaries, which, without God's grace, cannot be reconciled.

What the law wills, the will never wills, except through fear or through love it makes a show of willing it.

The law is the hangman of the will, which is not overcome, save by the Child that is born unto us.-(Isaiah ix. 6.)

The law makes sin abound, for it provokes and repulses the will.

But the grace of God makes justice abound through Jesus Christ, who makes the law to be loved.

Every work of the law appears good without; but inwardly it is sin.

The will, when it turns to the law without God's grace, does so only through self-interest.

Cursed are all those who do the works of the law.

Blessed are all those who do the works of the grace of God.

The law, which is good, and in which we have life, is the love of God which is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.-(Rom. v. 5.)

Grace is not given that the work may be done oftener or more easily, but because without grace there can no work of love be done.

To love God is to hate oneself, and to know nothing, save in God.

SKETCH OF

JOHN BUNYAN'S SERMON

ON REV. XXII. 1.

THIS Water of Life is called a River, to intimate to you by what store of the same it is supplied to you. All rivers have the sea for their original : "All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full: unto the place from whence the rivers came, hither they return again." And so this river of Water of Life is said to proceed out of the throne, as out of a place where it breaketh out, but the original is the sea, the ocean of grace, which is an infinite deity. "Thou wilt cast all our sins into the depths of the sea"--into the depth of the sea of Thy grace. Rivers, when they are broken up, do with their gliding stream carry away a great deal of the filth which from all parts of the country through which they run is conveyed into them; and they carry it away into the sea, where 'tis everlastingly swallowed up. And oh the filth that is cast into this river of God! and oh how many dirty sinners are washed white therein; for by their continual gliding away they carry that filth into the midst of the sea.

A river will take away the very stench of a dead dog, nor doth all the soil and draught that is cast into the rivers hinder their use. All that have used do betake themselves to these rivers, notwithstanding.

But how much more virtue is there in this sweet river of grace, that is designed, yea, opened on purpose, to wash away all uncleanness-to wash away all our filth, and to remain as virtuous still!

It is called a River to shew that it yields a continual supply, as I may call it, of new and fresh grace. Rivers ever yield fresh and new water: for though the channel, or water-course, in which the water runs is the same, yet the waters, themselves, are always new. And so it is with the River of God, which is full of water; it yieldeth fresh and new supplies

of grace to those that have business in these waters. And this is the reason, that when sin is pardoned it seems as if it were carried away. These waters have, with their continual streams, carried away the filth of the sinner from before his face. It is not so with ponds, pools, and cisterns-they will become foul if they be not often emptied, and filled again with fresh water. We must then put a difference between the grace that dwelleth in us, and this River of Water of Life. We are but as ponds, pools, and cisterns, that can hold but little; and should soon corrupt, notwithstanding the power of God is in us, if we be not emptied from vessel to vessel, and filled with fresh grace from this River. But the River is always sweet, nor can all the filth that is washed into it make it infectious. Its water runs, as a continual stream, as was said, into the depths of the sea.

Hence, as the grace of God is compared to a river, so these that live by grace are compared to fish for as water is that element in which fish live, so grace is that which is the life of the saint-" And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither, for they shall be healed, and every thing shall live whither the river cometh." Art thou a fish? Canst thou live in the water?

Is grace thy proper element? The fish dieth if she be taken out of the water, unless she be timely put in again. Take a saint from this River and nothing can make him live. I know there are some things besides fish that can make a shift to live in the water, but water is not their proper, their only proper element the frog can live in the water, but not in the water only; give some men grace and the world, grace and sin, admit them to make use of their lusts for pleasure and they will make a pretty good shift, and scramble on in a profession.

The grace and spirit of grace of God is compared to a river to answer those unsatiable desires, and to wash away those mountainous doubts that attend those that indeed do thirst for that drink. The man that thirsteth with spiritual thirst fears nothing more than that there is not enough to quench his thirst. All

the promises and sayings of God's ministers to such a man, seem but as thimbles instead of bowls. I mean so long as his thirst and doubts walk hand in hand together. He that thirsteth aright, nothing but God can quench his thirst

"My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God." Well! what shall be done for this man-Hearken- -"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, (for they can find none when all the promises seem to be dry) and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them."-Aye, but Lord, what wilt thou do to quench their thirst? saith "I will open Rivers in high places, and fountains, in the midst of the valleys," I will make the Wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. Behold! here are Rivers and Fountains, a pool and springs, and all to quench the thirst of them that thirst for God,

THE SACRED SCRIBE. No. I.

He

IT cannot but give me pleasure to have ground to hope, that I have been in any measure owned of God to your advantage. I desire to be thankful unto Him, to whom all the praise is due, and to whom, I doubt not, you ascribe all the praise. May he now direct me to say something suited to your circumstances. I am really at a loss what to say, but what I have often said: make Christ your all in all, if you would be either safe or happy.

You assert, that you daily live upon him for pardon and sanctification, sensible that without him you can do nothing; and yet you make little progress in the divine life, and have ground to fear, whether a work of grace is begun?

You either express feelings with which you are unacquainted, or else a work of grace is begun and carrying on in your soul. I cannot suspect you guilty of the former, nor do I at all think it likely that you should be: therefore I conclude the latter, and from my heart congratulate you as an object of God's sovereign,

unchangeable love. I look back to eternal ages past, and find no period when God did not love you. I look forward to eternity to come, and can conceive no period when God will not love you, when you shall not enjoy the blessed fruits and effects of his love. For "the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear him." What God has done for you is a proof of his past, and an earnest of his future compassion; of his love from eternity to eternity. By our calling, we make our election sure, sure to our own minds: where God begins a good work, St. Paul is confident 'he will perform it.'

If you want comfort, you must not look to yourself, but unto Christ. If God is teaching you, the older you grow, the more vile will you appear in your own sight, the more out of conceit with yourself, and the more convinced that you must go to Christ, and live on Christ, for all and every thing you need.

I fear you want something to admire in yourself. Christ must be the grand object of your admiration and delight; you must die to self, and live unto Him. He must be your wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. You must be content to be vile in yourself, that you may be accepted in him. Cast your soul upon him. You say you do so: then his blood and righteousness are yours. What then is the result? This sentiment, I know, proceeds from your heart. Blessed Jesus, gracious, all-sufficient Saviour, O that I were like thee! O that I could ever please thee! Study his word then, that you may know his will, and look to him continually for grace to do it. This I apprehend to be

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living the life we live in the flesh, by the faith of the Son of God." A certain evidence, that he "loved us, and gave himself for us." So a life of safety and of comfort, and the only way to it.

Fear not live on Christ, live to Christ, and all will be well. Sin and Satan will give us much trouble by the way; but the time is short; there is a world where "the wicked cease from troubling, where the weary are at rest.”

All I know of Christianity myself, if I know anything in experience, is this,deeply, deeply sensible that I deserve to

be eternally condemned, and that God would be just in my condemnation-to cast myself at the feet of a bleeding Saviour, while I smite upon my breast, saying, "God be merciful unto me а sinner." Had I ten thousand souls, I would rest them here! I cannot say I am destitute of hope, but I count the smallest glimpse of it, the greatest mercy. To the compassion of Jesus, Jehovah, the self-existent Redeemer, I commend you, praying him as "the God of all grace, who hath called us to his eternal kingdom and glory; after that you have suffered a while, to make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen" Forget not to pray for

Your affectionate brother,
WATTS WILKINSGN.

DROPS FROM THE FOUNTAIN.

HAWKER.

THE Epistles are all directed to the Churches, not to the world (see the envelope) the Church that lives from one eternity to another. The Church as a spiritual seed were in Christ as a Grace Head before the world began, even as they were in Paradise in and with Adam, as their natural representative; but though we had a real life in both when each was set up as a public head, yet had we not a communicated life from either till we received the same after the flesh by generation, and after the spirit by regeneration.

The Lord hath never writ a bill of divorce against his Church.

We can fall no more, the Church is safe.

What is Grace?-Grace is the Lord himself.

What are God's decrees?-God himself decreeing.

What is Grace?-God himself being gracious.

God is love, and by the converse love is God.

The Lord, in calling one and another among you, is performing more work than creating a thousand worlds.

It is beautiful to see how God has

loved the Church in their time, state from generation to generation, If God be love, his love must be like himself without beginning and without ending.

A sixth finger shall as soon be added to my hand as there shall another member be added to the Church of Christ. Who shall dare add to the perfect body of Christ ?-to his fulness nothing can be added, nothing subtracted.

God is not constrained by merit, nor restrained by demerit.

My brother; the Lord knows the names of all his little ones.

God shows grace in defiance of our deserving it.

God will not suffer your vile bodies to be subdued: I would not be without these workings of corruption for the world.

I have no more fear of death than I have of life.

Sin cannot sting me, it is taken away, I am sure of going to heaven as I am of resting after the labours of this day.

The Church of God is as safe on earth as in heaven.

We shall have no more nuptials: the Lord tells his Church that he was married to her and had redeemed her before she returned to him; therefore, whenever she returns, it must be as a wife to her husband.

Little saints and great saints are equally acceptable to Christ-small faith is sufficient.

You calculate too much upon what has been done in your own hearts, not what had been done from all eternity, those great ancient antiquities; we do not remember the original settlements of eternity.

If there be but two or three of the called in this congregation, they are the Church they will be safe when the whole lump shall be burnt.

What is the promise ?-God himself.

THE MYSTERY OF FORGIVENESS. OWEN.

FORGIVENESS is too deep and mysterious to be fathomed and reached by any thing else but faith. Reason's line is

It

too short to fathom the depths of the Father's love, of the blood of the Son, and the promises of the gospel built thereon, wherein forgiveness dwells. Men cannot, by their rational considerations, launch out into these deeps, nor draw water, by them, from these wells of salvation. Reason stands by amazed, and cries, how can these things be? can but gather cockle-shells, like him of old, at the shore of this ocean; a few criticisms upon the outward letter; and so bring an evil report upon the land, as did the spies. All it can do, is but to hinder faith from venturing into it; crying, spare thyself, this attempt is vain, these things are impossible. It is among the things that faith puts off, and lays aside, when it engageth the soul into this great work. This then, that it may come to a discovery of forgiveness, causeth the soul to deny itself, and all its own reasonings, and to give up itself to an infinite fulness of goodness and truth. Though it cannot go into the bottom of these depths, yet it enters into them, and finds rest in them. Nothing but faith is suited to rest, to satiate, and content itself, in mysterious, bottomless, unsearchable depths. Being a soulemptying, a reason-denying grace, the more it meets withal, beyond its search and reach, the more satisfaction it finds. This is that which I looked for, saith faith, even for that which is infinite and unsearchable: when I know that there is abundantly more beyond me, that I do not comprehend, than what I have attained unto; for I know that nothing else will do good to the soul. Now, this is that which really puzzles and overwhelms reason, rendering it useless. What it cannot compass, it will neglect or despise. It is either amazed and confounded, and dazzled like weak eyes at too great a light, or fortifying of itself by inbred pride and obstinacy; it concludes, that this preaching of the cross, of forgiveness from the love of God, by the blood of Christ, is plain folly, a thing not for a wise man to take notice of, or trouble himself about: so it appeared to the wise Greeks of old, 1 Cor. i. 24. Hence, when a soul is brought under the power of a real conviction of sin, so as that it would desirously be freed from the

galling entanglements of it, it is then the hardest thing in the world to persuade such a soul of this forgiveness. Any thing appears more rational unto it, any self-righteousness in this world, any purgatory hereafter.

Forgiveness is a thing chosen out of God from all eternity, to exalt and magnify the glory of his grace, and it will be made appear to all the world at the day of judgment, to have been a great thing. When the soul comes, in any measure, to be made sensible of it, it finds it so great, so excellent, and astonishable, that it sinks under the thoughts of it. It hath dimensions, a length, breadth, depth, and height, that no line of the rational soul can take or measure. There is exceeding greatness in it, Eph. i. 19. That this is a great work which we have prescribed, Eph. iii. 19. Even to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge. Here, I suppose, reason will confess itself at a stand, and an issue; to know that which passeth knowledge, is none of its work. It cannot be known, saith reason, and so ends the matter. But this is faith's proper work, even to know that which passeth knowledge. To know that, in its power, virtue, sweetness, and efficacy, which cannot be thoroughly known in its nature and excellency; to have, by believing, all the ends of a full comprehension of that which cannot be fully comprehended.

ARMOUR.

LUTHER.

WHEN thy conscience is thoroughly afraid with the remembrance of thy sins past, and the devil assaileth thee with great violence, going about to overwhelm thee with heaps, floods, and whole seas of sins, to terrify thee, and draw thee from Christ, then arm thyself with such sentences as these: Christ, the Son of GOD, was given, not for the holy, righteous, worthy, and such as were his friends; but for the wicked sinners, for the unworthy, and for his enemies. Wherefore, if Satan say, thou art a sinner, and therefore must be damned; then answer thou, and say, because thou sayest I am a sinner, therefore will I be righteous and be saved and if he reply, nay, but

sinners must be damned; then answer thou, and say, no; for I fly to Christ, who hath given himself for my sins; and therefore, Satan, in that thou sayest I am a sinner, thou givest me armour and weapons against thyself, that with thine own sword I may cut thy throat, and tread thee under my feet. Matth. xi. 28. Rom. v. 6, 8.

THE COVENANT.

MATHER.

THE first part of the covenant is this, that God would be a God to him and his seed; and this indeed is most comprehensive, and includes all the rest: I will establish my covenant, and be a God to thee and thy children after thee. And what is it for God to be a God to a man, thy God, or a God to thee? It is when he gives to a poor creature a special interest and propriety in Himself; so that God, in his all-sufficiency and efficiency, is ours, and we are his. All his attributes and works are ours, for our good. I will be thy God; that is, all my attributes shall be thine, for thy good, as really as they are mine, for my glory. The infinite wisdom of God shall contrive their good, whose God He is ; the infinite power of God shall effect it: the infinite love of God is theirs; his mercy, truth, and all his attributes, are theirs as his essential power, so his working, or his actual power: as He will be all to them, so he will work all for them. Ps. lxxxvii. 7., lxxxix. 28, 29., ciii. 17. Isa. xxxiii. 22., xlix. 16.

THOUGHTS ON MARRIAGE. Extracted from the Gospel Magazine of 1771.

IF marriage is of divine institution and appointment, it is honourable in all. It consisteth in a conjugal union of one man with one woman, ratified and confirmed by the sacred ordinance of wedlock, whereby they become one flesh, "therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife," Gen. ii. 24.

Before I enter further on the subject, it may not be unprofitable, to direct the christian reader to the first marriage,