If any man have not the spirit of Christ (but the spirit of this world) he is none of his. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. ROM. viii. 9, 14. See also ver. 7, 8.

NOT gross wickedness only, but even a carnal

mind, is enmity against GOD. "Know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with GOD? Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of GOD." James iv. 4. "For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of CHRIST: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things." Phil. iii. 18, 19. But how do I know that I have

the Spirit of CHRIST?

Answer.-I have prayed for him earnestly; this cannot be in vain. "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Luke xi. 13. He works also hatred and sorrow of sin; rebukes, comforts, and drives me to CHRIST and to prayer. This is his abiding witness, built upon the word of GOD, which no man of this world can have, but even the weakest believer enjoys.

Holy, true, and righteous LORD,
I seek to know and do thy will;
Be mindful of thy gracious word,
And stamp me with thy Spirit's seal.
My conscience purge from every blot,
My idols all be cast aside;

Rebuke each vain and sinful thought,
And crucify both self and pride.
Within me thy good Spirit place,
Spirit of health, and love, and power;
And grant me such victorious grace,
That inbred sin may reign no more!

Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundantly. MATT. xiii. 12. For the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up unto everlasting life. JOHN iv. 14. He that is righteous let him be righteous still; and he that is holy let him be holy still. REV. xxii. 11.

F the remarkable increase of the kingdom of

GOD, even from the least beginning, see also Matt. xiii. 31-33; and that beautiful figure, Ezek. xlvii. 1-12. This well being opened, it highly concerns us to draw living water out of it daily by fervent prayer, and then it will spring up freely. But, reader, if you begin to be slothful, and distracted with worldly cares, not abiding closely with CHRIST, nor calling diligently on him, your spirit will soon be dried up, and you will scarcely be able, with anxious groans, to draw a single drop from this well. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and if you desire your own comfort and God's glory, keep near the well's mouth, and be drawing its water continually by prayer, drinking it sweetly by faith.

Glory to GOD that walks the sky,
And sends his blessings through;
That tells his saints of joy on high,
And gives a taste below.

Cheerful I feast on heavenly fruit,
And drink the pleasures down,
Pleasures that flow hard by the foot
Of the eternal throne.

But ah! how soon my joys decay,

How soon my sins arise,

And snatch the heavenly scene away

From these lamenting eyes!

When shall the time, dear JESUS, when

The shining day appear,

That I shall leave these clouds of sin,
And guilt and darkness here ?

and

1

Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness, &c. MATT. XXV. 30. Read the whole of the parable.

LOOK at this man to whom his LORD had given

one talent; he could not bear the thought of using his talent according to the will of him from whom he had it, and therefore he chose to make himself happier in a way of his own. "LORD,"

said he, "I knew thee, that thou wast a hard man,”
&c. But his LORD having convicted him out of his
own mouth, despatched him with this sentence,
"Cast the unprofitable servant into outer dark-
ness," &c. Here you see how happy this man
made himself, by not acting wholly according to
his lord's will. It was, according to his own ac-
count, a happiness of murmuring and discontent;
"I knew thee," says he, "that thou wast a hard
man;" it was a happiness of fears and apprehen-
sions; "I was,'
says he, afraid;" it was a
happiness of vain labours and fruitless travels
"I went," said he, "and hid thy talent," and
after having been awhile the sport of foolish
passions and fears, he is rewarded with darkness,
eternal weeping, and gnashing of teeth. Look
at the man with his five talents: "LORD, thou
gavest me five talents," &c. Here you see a
man intent on improving his talents; he hath no
uneasy passions, murmurings,vain fears, and fruit-
less labours, like the other, but his work prospers
in his hands; his happiness increases upon him,
the blessing of five becomes doubled; and he is
received with a "Well done, good and faithful
servant, enter thou into the joy of thy LORD."
With careful hand may I employ
The talents GOD has given;
Yet not my profit, but my faith,
Must bring my soul to heaven.

Through desire, a man having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. PROV. xviii. 1. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, &c. GAL. v. 22, 23. THROUGH pride and self-will, a man having separated himself from the written word of GOD, and the spirit of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, seeks to set up and pull down, and to establish everything according to his own wisdom, selfinterest, or ambition, instead of humbly following the truth as it is in JESUS. Self-will never becomes a Christian, and much less a reviling those who differ from us. The LORD was not in the strong wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire; but in the still small voice. 1 Kings xix. 11, 12. He that taketh offence at everything that differs from him, shows great weakness. It is written, "Destroy it not." Isa. lxv. 8. Though the grape be young, there is wine in the cluster. All spiritual exercises are good; brotherly love renders them beautiful and lovely. The Spirit of the Lord JESUS CHRIST breathes love to him, holy joy in his salvation, and a divine and peaceful temper, with long-suffering, and gentleness towards the weakness and infirmities of all around us. The fruit of the Spirit is real goodness in heart and life, a steadfast faith in a precious JESUS, a partak ing of his divine meekness, temperance, &c. By these things let us daily try our own spirit, in‹ stead of sitting in judgment on the spirit of others. Lo! what an entertaining sight

Are brethren that agree;

Brethren whose cheerful hearts unite
In bands of piety!

When streams of love, from CHRIST the spring,
Descend to every soul,

And heavenly peace, with balmy wing,

Shades and bedews the whole.

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another. JOHN xiii. 35. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. Acrs iv. 32.

OD is Love; and every one that loveth is

GOD

born of GOD;" if we love one another as brethren in CHRIST, and love all saints as saints, not because they are of this or that party; if we love not in word only, but in deed, and show the truth of our love by works and labours of love, this is a solid proof to ourselves and to others that we are real disciples of JESUS. It is a clear testimony that we have truly learned CHRIST, and that we have his Spirit and his love shed abroad in our hearts; that we are of the family and household of faith, and shall enjoy all the family privileges. This is a better evidence, and more convincing to all around us of what we are, than all knowledge, gifts, attainments, and outward privileges whatever. O GOD of love, cause me to love thee, and all thine; the poor, the weak, and the feeble, as well as the strong; for all are thine!

Let party names no more

The Christian world o'erspread;
Gentile and Jew, and bond and free,
Are one in CHRIST their Head.

Among the saints on earth

Let mutual love be found;

Heirs of the same inheritance,

With mutual blessings crowned.

Let envy and ill-will

Be banished far away;

Those should in strictest friendship dwell,

Who the same LORD obey.

Then will the church below

Resemble that above,

Where streams of pleasure ever flow,

And every heart is love.