THE EXERCISED CHILD OF GRACE.

O could I, could I, but declare

One half of what I feel;
Sometimes a little love for God,
Sometimes as hard as steel.

Sometimes I'd give the world to pray,
But cannot pray at all;
Sometimes my mountain seems to stand,
And then again I fall.

Sometimes corruption bears me down;
Such feelings none can tell,

But those that know the wretched heart.
Is like a little hell.

Sometimes I feel disposed to pray,
And feel a heavenly gleam;
But ah! those soul-refreshing views,
Alas! how short they seem.
Sometimes I see, and can admire
Salvation's glorious plan:
Sometimes can neither feel nor see,
And care not what I am.
Sometimes I think to give up all;
But I can't give up.
yet
Sometimes I see the reason why,
'Tis Jesus holds me up.
Sometimes I murmur and complain,
And thus I murmuring go;
I'm hardly ever satisfied

With what my God may do.
Sometimes I think I must be wrong,
And never was set right.
Sometimes I see my state secure;
Again, as dark as night.
Sometimes I seek God in his house,

Where others sing and pray;
Thither I often mourning go,

And mourning come away.
Sometimes I seek him in his word,
But almost in despair;
O what a dreadful path is this!
Ah! was you ever there?
Sometimes I feel no heart to pray,

And think to pray no more;
And then again I think I'll try
Once more at mercy's door.
I but still no comfort find;
go,

My soul is dark as night. How dark and dismal is the road When Christ is out of sight! Is this the road you ever trod? Methinks I hear some say; 'You are an antinomian still, 'And not in Zion's way.'

Time's potent wheel revolving round,
Brings all to their appointed bound;
As round it turns by firm decree,
I've with it come to sixty-three.
O may I ne'er offend that power,
Whose mercies make up every hour;
While moments, minutes, seasons flec,
My last may come in sixty-three.
The wheel of providence and grace,
Invite the chosen blood-bought race;
Often to meet, recount, and see,
Great wonders wrought to sixty-three.
While many dying all around,
'Tis Jesus' voice, a solemn sound!
Regard that voice, and join with me
To praise his name in sixty-three.
In accents sweet this voice doth speak,
That, "I am strong," tho' thou art weak;
Although thy friends may fickle be,
I will support in sixty-three.
My dearest Lord, 'tis what I love—
To think and speak of things above;
Then keep, O keep me near to thee,
And hear my prayer in sixty-three.
Then help me still to speak thy name,
Thine honours, and thy deathless fame;
Thy chosen bring, and let me see
Thy church increase in sixty-three.
But should this favour be deny'd,
Lord, keep me still, and satisfied,
To wait and hope that I shall see
Thy blessings flow in sixty-three.

Now help us, Lord, thy name to praise,
For grace bestowed in former days;
Until that we to glory rise,
And every wish hath full supplies.

The time fast approaching for me to pass o'er; This thought shall encourage, this thought so consoling,

My Saviour has passed through the river before.

He fought and he vanquished the merciless tyrant,

Who now is employed to perform his behest; No longer a foe he conducts the aspirant, From earth and its sorrows, to mansions of rest.

He will come, but he'll come not as one unattended,

For close in his train see his Master appears, Who will whisper, "The days of thy mourning are ended,

"Thou now mayest depart from this valley of tears."

"And fear not the conflict, my presence shall

cheer thee,

Support and protect thee, though friends must all fail;

"A place I've prepared, thou shalt ever be near me," "Where winds of temptation no more can assail."

Oh, sweet to my soul is the blest recollection That Jesus has softened and perfumed the

tomb;

And who would not joy in the cheering re. flection,

That glory celestial shall lighten the gloom.

And though 'tis decreed, till the bright morn of gladness,

Death's portals must closed o'er this fabric remain ;

That voice which disperses my doubts and my sadness,

Shall raise this poor mortal in glory to reign.

EMMELINE.

THE MIGHTY GOD IN THE MIDST OF ZION.

Zeph. iii. 17.

Shout and triumph, sons of Zion,
See! thy great all-conquering Lord
In the midst of thee is mighty,
Ruling by his powerful word :
He will save thee,
From the fury of the foe.
Still with joy exulting o'er thee,
He delights to do thee good;
In his love for ever resting,

He for thee has shed his blood:
Precious fountain!

Washing Zion's guilt away.

LEBANON LEAVES.

"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent: and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God!" Matt.

xxvii. 51-54.

Calvary is trembling 'neath the dolorous weight
Of Jesus in his agony! Count, my soul,
The portents dire, developing that He
Now on the cross suspended, is the same
As was of old declared," the Wonderful."
The mystic vail which shrouded from the gaze
Of peering curiosity, is torn,

And all the temple's secrecies disclosed.
Rocks and the solid earth, with open mouths
Express their wonder: 'tis their Maker dies!
Yon brilliant orb, which for four thousand years
Had walked its shining course, and shed around
Its sparkling radiancy, beholding now
The fountain of its glory veiled in death,
Blind with surprize, in darkness leaves the
world.

And Death, astonished at his victory,
And dubious yet to assume the laurel-wreath,
Watching the event his sceptre loosely holds;
While saints of earlier time to life emerge,
Leave the cold caverns of the tomb, and walk
The Holy City.-

Rest not content, my soul, With the centurion, saying, "Of a truth This was the Son of God." Go on to ask, What brought him from his glory, thus to die? And then enquire, if in the enterprizeSurpassing all which men call chivalryThou hast a part?

In this chapter, the apostle having commended the charitable Corinthians, he recommends unto them a liberal contribution for the saints, for the display of the grace of God in them: he recommends it as a prime fruit of the grace of love to Christ, and his members; and after taking a view of the streams of grace, he ascends and mounts higher, even to the fountain head of all grace, Christ Jesus himself. Here he could not rest; but flying on the wings of faith and love, cries out in rapturous transport, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift." He had been taking a view of the little gifts in the church of Christ; one gift shining in one believer, and another shining in another believer; but Oh! says he, there is a gift that vastly excels all these, and for which our mouths should be continually filled with the praises of the Lord, and that is, God's unspeakable gift.

The doctrine that the Lord Jesus Christ is this unspeakable gift, is so manifest, that I shall spend no time in adducing proof; but in some feeble way attempt to open up the nature of that gift. But alas! who can do it? The opening up of it is the May, 1838.]

opening up of a richer treasure than ever the sun shined upon. What tongue can express the half of what is contained in this gift? What, though there were ten thousand times ten thousand worlds, and all these filled with pearls of most inestimable value, yet here is a gift, a pearl, in the dispensation of grace, which vastly overweighs and excels them all, for it fills the heart full of overflowing joy and gladness, and enriches the soul so, that you may rejoice through all eternity.

In opening up its nature, let us take notice of a few of its properties.

1. It is an ancient gift; it is given from eternity; it was given very early in the council of peace. In that eternal transaction, God the Father foresaw us impoverished in Adam; and so, out of his wonderful love, provided this gift for his elect; and even in respect of manifestation, it was nearly as ancient as sin itself. Adam fell, and lost his stock, his natural stock of holiness, knowledge, wisdom, and righteousness; but behold, a gift is held out unto him, in the first gospel promise, (Gen. iii. 15.) a promise richly laden with a gift. The first thing that ever came to man after the entrance of sin, was the revealing of this unspeakable gift; and all other blessings were but like the rear following it. Christ leads the van; he is the

source from which all the other gifts of God flow. Poor Adam knew of nothing but the wages of sin, which is eternal death; but oh! he is surprised with a gift out of the hands of God, an unspeakable gift; "the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head," &c. This was the promise opened up to Adam; and he, by the eye of faith, saw more in it than heaven and earth could contain; yea, it is a promise comprehending all the subsequent promises that are revealed in the sacred writings. Is not Christ an ancient gift?

2. He is a seasonable gift. "In due time Christ died for the ungodly," Romans v. 9.; that is, in due season. There never was a gift more seasonable than this gift of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. For just as man had ruined himself, to all intents and purposes, and sold himself into the hands of the devil, lo! a Surety is revealed to him. Just as man had his head on the block, and the axe of justice was ready to give the fatal blow, in comes the New Testament sacrifice, and cries, Spare him, justice, let him go; I will receive the blow that is destined against him.' Just as man had contracted the debt, in comes the Surety, and gives his bond for the full amount. Just as man, like a prisoner, is upon the point of being hailed to eternal darkness, he steps in, and cries, Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom; I'll deliver the prisoner; law and justice, let him go free.'

6

3. It is a free gift. There are few gifts among men, but what proceed upon the score of merit, or some other consideration; but we could claim nothing at God's hand, but death and destruction. That we justly deserve; but any gift, far less this unspeakable gift, we can have no pretension to. Christ is one of the freeest gifts that ever was given to the family of Adam; and for proof of this, consider what Paul says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us

all, how shall he not with him freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. God gave this gift, his own Son freely, and all other things are given in him as freely; "How shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" imparting an impossibility in not giving all things with him. O believer! will he give you a kingdom, and yet refuse you a sip of water, or a worldly lodging? He will never let you want. Are you invested with a right to this gift? Then he will never refuse you heaven, and all the glory of the upper house. This gift is free, and it must be so; what could have purchased it? Simoniacal pieces must be thrown by as useless here. If you are come to the market of grace, you must receive freely, or want altogether. Not a sip of the water of life can be purchased; ten worlds could not buy it; merit cannot buy it. Papists and Arminians would fain come with a price, with some moral duties and virtues in their hands; but such audacious bribes will meet with the same stunning answer that Simon Magus got, "thy money perish with thee!" No price out of heaven, or in heaven, can purchase this gift; Jehovah, the God of glory in our nature, is a free gift.

4. It is an enriching gift: hence it is called, "the pearl of great price." Believers are compared to jewels, Mal. iii. 17. Who purchased their jewels? Who purchased them to be God's jewels? This pearl of great price. It cost Christ very dear to buy them. O believer, thou, who hast by faith received this gift, wilt be rich in time, and rich to all eternity. Believers are not so poor as the world, and even themselves sometimes think. Look to your charter, O believers! and consider your riches. Let every son and daughter of God's family look to his charter-1 Cor. iii. 21-23., “All things are yours, whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's."

There is nothing left out of this charter. These are your legacies, believer; they all belong to you, all flowing to you from Christ, as God's unspeakable gift, and the charter is ratified by his blood. Trials and afflictions are yours, as they are medicinal to your souls. Death is in the charter. What office, say you, has death? Why, death is a servant to hand thee home to thy Father's house, and commissioned to do thee no harm, but to carry thy soul to the lodgings of glory and blessedness. The grave is yours. What have I to do with the grave? says the believer. The grave is a chamber of repose for thy clay tabernacle, till the morning of the resurrection. Christ lay in that chamber to perfume it for thee, to make it a palace, not a prison to thee. Oh! it is an enriching gift. Thou, who hast this gift, art rich for evermore; and if you have not this gift, you are poor indeed, even if you were possessed of the wide universe, and were master of all the diamonds, rubies, and gold which it contains. These are but fleeting things, which will all one day vanish; but this is an enriching gift, which shall last for ever.

5. It is a comprehensive gift. "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 32. All things are given with and included in this gift. I cannot stay to tell you the vast contents of this gift; only in a word, there is righteousness in this gift for the guilty, wisdom for the foolish, sanctification for the unholy, redemption for them that are in bondage, sight for the blind, medicine and health for the diseased, strength for the weak, raiment for the naked, gold, yea, unsearchable riches for the poor and needy, joy for the sorrowful, knowledge for the ignorant, food for the hungry, and drink for the thirsty; in a word, there is all grace and glory in him; and whatever your case and condition, in him you

be

will find every thing which is suitable to your state.

6. It is a precious gift. It is precious to the saints, "unto you that believe, he is precious," 1 Pet. ii. 7. He is precious to God; he is called the chief corner-stone, the sure foundation, which the Lord hath laid in Zion. He is precious to the angelic hosts, when they look into the gospel mystery of the Son of God assuming human nature, and taking it into a personal union with his divine nature. This is such a sublime mystery, that the very angels look into it with astonishment; they wonder that such a precious gift should be bestowed on the fallen race of mankind sinners.

7. It is a surprising gift. No sooner hath Adam fallen, than he is pursued with a cry, "Adam, where art thou?" No doubt Adam expected a sudden blow; but behold! he is pursued with a cry, and a gift in the crier's hand; and doubtless, Adam was surprised in a ravishing manner, when this surprising gift was put into his hands in paradise. And it is also a surprising gift to the poor soul in the day of conviction, when he is arraigned at the bar of God, and at the bar of his own conscience, and there stands as a poor condemned creature, hearing the black roll of his sins read, and saying, amen to the whole; the law being holy, and all the challenges of it just. Would not such a word as this be surprising, son or daughter, "be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee!" Or that word, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." When this gift, which is just Christ revealed in the promise, is given to the soul, trembling at the bar of God, where none dare speak a word in his favour, neither angels, nor men, but only Christ himself, O how surprising it must be! Reader, wast thou ever surprised witli this gift? O! blessed, happy, and rich man, that receivest this gift. It