willing servant. Satan says, Go, and he goeth; come, and he cometh; do this, and he doeth it;' no matter whether he walk in the lust of the flesh, in the desire of the eye, or in the pride of life.' But being saved out of the hands of his enemies, (Satan and sin) he walks before the Lord in holiness and in righteousness all his days.' He that committeth sin is of the devil; whosoever is born of God sinneth not.' Herein salvation becomes manifest. In this the children of God (the saved) are manifest, and the children of the devil (the unsaved.)' Thus the apostle Paul speaks of the saved in the Corinthian church; he first gives a catalogue of sundry sinners, and then adds, And such were some of you.' Só also Peter,' the time past may suffice, when we walked in lasciviousness;' (and other sins which he mentions,)' wherein they think it strange that ye run not (any longer) with them to the same excess of riot, &c.' Tó be saved, is to be delivered from the guilt of sin, to have the divine displeasure removed, and a sense of the divine favor imparted; it is to have sin pardoned, and the conscience healed: to have the love of God, in Christ Jesus, manifested to the soul, so as to fill the soul with peace and joy; or as the apostle expresses it, to have the kingdom of God within us, (explained as) righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Thus far we have considered to be saved as a present salvation, but it is also a future good; it is to be delivered from the consequences of sin. The wages of sin is death; everlasting death! everlasting misery! to

be

be saved is to be delivered from this, and to be raised into the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of everlasting blessedness and glory. This we may call a final, or a full salvation: not a salvation distinct or separate from a present salvation, but as the necessary result, or rather as the consummation thereof.

QUESTION 2.-Are we saved? from the love of the world, its pleasures and its sins? are we renewed in our hearts and minds? are our thoughts, affections, and desires with God? are we really new creatures in Christ Jesus? are we delivered from the power of sin? does the Spirit of God dwell in our hearts? which reigns? the Holy Spirit of God, or the evil spirit of Satan; sin or grace? are we saved from the practice of sin, from sin and sinners? have we forsaken the counsel of the ungodly, and the way of sinners? have we come out from amongst the ungodly? are we separate from the pleasures, pursuits, and practices of those that know not God? If we can answer all this in the affirmative, then are we saved: thus far we enjoy the salvation of God. But if we still love the world,' then the love of the Father is not in us.' If we be still under the power of sin and Satan ; if we still walk in the way of sinful worldly pleasure, or in the practice of grosser sins and iniquities, then we are not saved; the Spirit of God, it is manifest dwelleth not in us; we belong not to Christ; we are reprobates: the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in you, except ye be reprobates,' saith Paul; and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he

willing servant. Satan says, 'Go, and he goeth; come, and he cometh; do this, and he doeth it;' no matter whether he walk in the lust of the flesh, in the desire of the eye, or in the pride of life.' But being saved out of the hands of his enemies, (Satan and sin) he walks before the Lord in holiness and in righteousness all his days.' He that committeth sin is of the devil; whosoever is born of God sinneth not.' Herein salvation becomes manifest. In this the children of God (the saved) are manifest, and the children of the devil (the unsaved.)' Thus the apostle Paul speaks of the saved in the Corinthian church; he first gives a catalogue of sundry sinners, and then adds, And such were some of you.' So also Peter,' the time past may suffice, when we walked in lasciviousness;' (and other sins which he mentions,) wherein they think it strange that ye run not (any longer) with them to the same excess of riot, &c.' Tó be saved, is to be delivered from the guilt of sin, to have the divine displeasure removed, and a sense of the divine favor imparted; it is to have sin pardoned, and the conscience healed: to have the love of God, in Christ Jesus, manifested to the soul, so as .to fill the soul with peace and joy; or as the apostle expresses it, to have the kingdom of God within us, (explained as) righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Thus far we have considered to be saved as a present salvation, but it is also a future good; it is to be delivered from the consequences of sin. ،The wages of sin is death ; everlasting death ! everlasting misery ! to

be

be saved is to be delivered from this, and to be raised into the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of everlasting blessedness and glory. This we may call a final, or a full salvation: not a salvation distinct or separate from a present salvation, but as the necessary result, or rather as the consummation thereof.

QUESTION 2.-Are we saved? from the love of the world, its pleasures and its sins? are we renewed in our hearts and minds? are our thoughts, affections, and desires with God? are we really new creatures in Christ Jesus? are we delivered from the power of sin? does the Spirit of God dwell in our hearts? which reigns? the Holy Spirit of God, or the evil spirit of Satan; sin or grace? are we saved from the practice of sin, from sin and sinners? have we forsaken the counsel of the ungodly, and the way of sinners? have we come out from amongst the ungodly? are we separate from the pleasures, pursuits, and practices of those that know not God? If we can answer all this in the affirmative, then are we saved: thus far we enjoy the salvation of God. But if we still love the world,' then the love of the Father is not in us.' If we be still under the power of sin and Satan; if we still walk in the way of sinful worldly pleasure, or in the practice of grosser sins and iniquities, then we are not saved; the Spirit of God, it is manifest dwelleth not in us; we belong not to Christ; we are reprobates: the Spirit of Christ dwelleth in you, except ye be reprobates,' saith Paul; and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ,

he

he is none of his' we are then still in our sins, we are yet'in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity.' Are we saved from the guilt of sin? have we pardon and peace with God? If so, then are we saved indeed; for thus it is that Jesus' gives the knowledge of salvation,' namely, by the remission of sins,'

But, perhaps, some of us are not saved; then examination and reflection are necessary, which leads us to a third question, What hath hindered us from being saved?

(To be Continued.)

On IDLENESS.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

IDLENESS has been so often and so ably treated on, that it may seem strange in me to venture my thoughts upon it; nor should I, but I am aware that it in general too well accords with my own inclinations, and would mingle itself with all my pursuits, rise with me in the morning, and continue my companion till night; and through life, if my reason did not suggest the consequences, and check its progress. It is the effect of sin, and is productive of many evils. Had we any regard for our time, our comfort, our bodily or our mental powers, we should not indulge in idleness, because it destroys them all. It takes away our peace of mind, einbitters our reflections here, and is often a prelude to a miserable state hereafter. When giving way to this, we expose ourselves more particularly to

the