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A PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATION OF THE PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE,

Be ye wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

In the short but inglorious reign of James the Second, when Popery was making rapid strides to power, the king had his agents and emissaries in every part of the kingdom, to harrass, vex, and weary the Protestants into a compliance with the measures he was endeavouring to bring about; and where persua sion and threats had no effect, sometimes force and violence were had recourse to: One of his agents, with a party of soldiers (rather ruffians, I should say) went out on a Sabbath morning to "hunt down the Protestants," as they termed it. They met a young woman, a servant maid, running along the road, early in the morning, without either shoes or stockings on. The captain of this band asked her where she was going, so early in the morning and what was the urgency of the business that made her run so fast. She told him, That she had learned that her elder brother was dead; and she was going to receive her share of the riches he had bequeathed to her, as well as to her other brothers and sisters; and she was afraid she should be too late. The commander was so well pleased with her answer, that he gave her half a crown to buy a pair of shoes, and also wished her success: but if he had known the real business she was going upon, which was to a Sacrament, he would most probably have prevented her from going that day to the place where she hoped to receive durable riches. D. W.

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THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY.

DR. COTTON, who was intimate with Dr. Young, paid him a visit about a fortnight before he was seized with his last illness. The old man was then in perfect health. The antiquity of his person, the gravity of his utterance, and the earnestness with which he discoursed about religion, gave him, in the Doctor's eyes, the appearance of a prophet. They had been delivering their sentiments upon this book of Newton *, when Dr. Young closed the conference thus: "My friend, there are two considerations upon which my faith in Christ is built, as upon a rock. The Fall of Man, the Redemption of Man, and the Resurrection of Man, the three cardinal articles of our religion, are such as human ingenuity could never have invented, therefore, they must be divine. The other argument is this: If the prophecies have been fulfilled (of which there is abundant demonstration) the Scripture must be the word of God; and, if the Scripture is the word of God, Christianity must be true.' Hayley's Life of Cowper.

* On the Prophecies.

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THE CHRISTIAN'S REFUGE

FROM DOUBTS AND FEARS.

Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Isaiah 1. 10.

SOME, in our times, talk of doubts and fears as being quite impossible in the character of true Christians. They maintain that assurance of a state of salvation is essential to true faith; and therefore is the attainment of every true Christian at all times. It cannot be denied, that this contradicts both the sentiment and the experience of many of the saints of God. I have known many who have imbibed such notions, who were themselves but novices in religion, and who therefore ought to have spoken with much modesty and diffidence. Some I have heard exclaiming against doubts and fears in Christians as quite anti-scriptural, while their own characters were often very doubtful, or perhaps shewed them to be undoubtedly in the wrong. Such persons are led to these notions from gross ignorance of themselves, and from indulging daring presumption before God.

Some are led to adopt such sentiments as those we have been speaking of, from inattention to the subject, or from confounding things that are very different. The truth of their characters as believers, and of their interest as dependents on Christ, does not vary, or rise and fall with the degree of their comfort and assurance. Faith in Christ renders them safe, though it may not immediately free them from doubts and fears; nor will their apprehensions endanger them; but by leading them to cleave closer to Christ, will render their safety more evident and undoubted. Such confound too the permanent security of the saints with the perpetual assurance or sense of their safety :but their security is permanent, as it rests on the unchangeable love and power of the Lord, while their assurance of it, or comforts, may vary, according to their present fervour, diligence, and watchfulness.

We have here a particular description of the people of Godthey fear the Lord, and obey the voice of his servant. The saints all fear the Lord: their fear is not that slavish fear or terror which is connected with hatred of God, and aversion to his character. This is the alarming apprehension ef God's enemies. But the fear of the saints is a filial affectionate fear, or dread of offending him, or dishonouring him. Their understandings are enlightened by his Spirit, and their hearts are filled with love to Him. Solomon tells us, "The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; 4 F

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and to depart from evil is understanding :" and every one of the saints is a living evidence of its truth.

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They shew that they fear God by their conversation. They speak of the things concerning the King. "They speak of the glory of his kingdom, and talk of his power, to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom." The people of God associate together, in times of degeneracy, to comfort and assist one another when despised and persecuted by their enemies. Thus it was in Malachi's days: "Then they that feared the Lord, spake often one to another, and the Lord hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name." The zeal and faithfulness of his people for his glory are not unnoticed by him, and will not be forgotten of him: They shew that they fear God by their conduct. Loving God and his service, and fearing to offend, they cannot but obey. They are all obedient children: their reverence of God is operative: they testify their attachment to him by doing what he says. The catalogue of ancient worthies, in the eleventh of the Hebrews, all justified their faith by their works. Of Abraham, God says, 166 Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." So we must manifest that we fear him by our conduct.

But saints also obey the voice of his servant. The servant of the Father bere spoken of, is doubtless the Lord Jesus Christ. He delivers to us his Father's will, which we are bound to listen to and obey. His voice is interesting and animating. It is at our peril to refuse to listen to him, or obey him. Hence Moses says, "I will raise them up a prophet, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." And Solomon says," Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors; for whoso findeth me, findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord: but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.". His people all obey his voice. He tells such as profess attachment to him, that this is necessary to prove it genuine." If ye continue in my words, ye are my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

We have in the passage a distressing condition supposed, which some of these people may be found in. Who is among you that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? This is a very distressing situation, and has been a subject of consider. able dispute. Attention to the Scriptures may very well dis

cover to us the truth of the case. Those who are living in sin, may be said to walk in darkness, and have no light. This is state, which leaves them in darkness about true happiness; it leaves them to go on in deeds of darkness, and it leads to the blackness of darkness for ever: Of such a state the apostle Paul enjoins the Ephesians to beware. Those who make a false profession, and have a conversation unbecoming the Gospel, may be said to walk in darkness, and have no light. Such im pose on themselves, and fancy themselves in the light while they continue in darkness. "If we say we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." But this is not what the Prophet means; for these persons do not fear the Lord, nor obey the voice of his servant.

But to walk in darkness, means also to walk in distressful and afflicted circumstances. The people of God are not exempted from afflictions; but their iniquities render such chastisements often necessary. But when the Lord does thus chastise them, it is always in love and in mercy. They are in much darkness. on this account, anxious for deliverence from the rod, and in much darkness about its language and design. Thus it was with David when the Lord struck the child whom Bathsheba bare unto him. He besought God, and fasted, and lay all night upon the earth; but when the child died, he acquiesced in the will of God. When involved in such calamities, we may well be said to walk in darkness. Hence we hear Jeremiah speaking in his Lamentations in this manner :---" I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. He hath led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light.' When the cause or design cannot be discerned by us, we may be said to walk in darkness, and to have no light. This may lead us to propose Job's enquiry and complaint," My soul is weary of my life I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

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To walk in darkness may also refer to that anxious expectation of the people of God, during eventful periods, as to the designs of God, and the issue of present appearances. In times which seem pregnant with events of the greatest moment, the expecta tions of the people of God are awakened, to view the workings of Jehovah's arm, and to observe the displays of his goodness. Whether these events be encouraging or alarming, when they seem interesting, their attention is aroused, and their hopes are elevated. Their safety in God leads the saints to view all undis mayed. They invite others to consider his workings and his ways. To disregard the workings of his hand is a dangerous symptom. Aged Simeon, who waited for the consolation of Israel, though not left in darkness, would be anxious; and aged Anna, and those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem, would be full of expectations as to the events transpiring when our Sa

viour appeared in our world. The disciples going to Emmaus, seemed to be walking in darkness, and to have no light, when they could only say of their crucified Master, we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel.

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Self-righteousness produces such spiritual distress or fear. When we are disposed to justify ourselves, and take credit for our conduct, our regularity, or our diligence, spiritual pride gathers strength, we are hurt at the humbling views others may express about us, and are ready to treat them with contempt or indignation. This seems to have been Job's way, when he uttered those complaints among his friends, which are recorded in the 23d and 29th chapters:-"Even to-day is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning. O that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his seat! I would order my cause before him, and fill my mouth with arguments." It is not likely that mere bodily affliction would have led him thus to complain; but though connected with this, it is evident that spiritual distress bore heaviest on his spirit: - he mourns an absent God. It cannot mean that he could find a throne of grace to which he might draw near, but that the Lord tried him by withdrawing his presence, and hiding his face from them. He says, therefore," Behold, I go forward, but he is not there; and backward, but I cannot behold him: he hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see him. Therefore am I troubled at his presence: when I consider, I am afraid of him for God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me. We hear him again complaining, and saying, "O that it were with me as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me! when his candle shimed upon my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness!"-Can we suppose that this does not express the want of the sensible manifestations of the divine presence? What can we understand by the candle of the Lord, which shone upon his head, the light by which he walked through darkness, and the secret of God which was with him, but the discoveries of the divine favour, and a sense of an interest in that favour ? The withdrawing of the sense of these was certainly a cause for spiritual distress and despondency. Our spiritual pride and self-righteousness dishonour and rob him of his glory; we cannot, therefore, have peace till we be humbled before God for deliverence from these.

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Worldly-mindedness fosters this despondency and fear. When we are influenced by love to this world and the things of it, this often presses hard upon us. Then we are ready to faint, because things look discouraging, and are not going according to our wish. This eager attachment to the world carnalizes the mind and affections, and brings leanness into the soul, and draws a veil over our evidences. Untenderness of walk, or compliances with the world, produce it. The Lord is grieved and displeased when his people fall into sin, and associate with the worldly in any of

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