appeared to be afleep; but we foon difcovered it was the fleep of death; for he awoke no more on this fide eternity! "Thus, he fweetly breathed his foul into the arms of his beloved Saviour, without a groan or figh, about one o'clock on Thurfday afternoon, Sept. 6, 1798; leaving a bleffed teftimony behind him, for the comfort and encouragement of thofe who are left to mourn their lofs, while they would rejoice in his everlafting gain,"

THE UNION OF KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE, Fye know these things, faid our bleffed Lord, happy are ye ye do them. Knowing and doing, then, are diftinct matters, though too often feparated by profeffed Chriftians. Knowledge is neceffary to practice, and there are fome who never attain it, however, advantageous the means they enjoy. There are others well informed in judgment,

they know thofe things," but they forget to do them; they are however, not happy, if the opinion of Jefus may be taken; for holiness and happiness are infeparably connected.

The genuine influence of divine truth on our minds, with its proper and vifible effects in our converfation, is a fubject that deferves our ferious confideration.

We profefs that we know God, let us not "in works deny him." Is he Almighty? Let us dread his wrath; let us rely on his protection. Is he omniprefent? How can we forget it, daring to fin under his all-feeing eye, while the pretence of a mortal is a fufficient reftraint? Is he a fovereign? So we think and fay. Why then do we murmur at his difpofals, and why do we fwell with rage against fellow worms, who are merely the inftruments of his will ?

We know that we are fallen, ruined, helplefs creatures: How then do we conduct ourselves towards God and man? Before the former we thould be all humility and contrition; and among the latter we fhould be all meeknefs; but we fometimes forget our principles, and are proud before our God, and haughty among men.

We know, and loudly maintain, that Jefus is the only, the all-fufficient Saviour; and we contend earnestly against Arminian pride and popish merit: But at times, in the view of our dreadful guilt, we are ready to defpair; or elated with our duties, frames and ufefulnefs, we begin to prefume. We fay, that Jefus is the good fhepherd, and call ourfelves his theep; but in a dark and diftreffing season,.

we

we are afraid to trust him, and put far more confidence in an arm of fieth.

We boat of our Chritian privileges. As children of God, we have liberty of accels to our heavenly Father. his word, we fav, is tweeter than honey; and communion with him, is heaven upon earth. All this is very tree, and perfons thus perfuaded, fhould live very near to God, and be very happy in him. But practice fails. A worldly trife keeps us from the clofet; a human production, is frequentlyfubftituted for the facred pages; and the company of a mortal, debars us from the enjoyment of our God.

The Chriftian, as depicted in the New Teftament, is a lovely character; just what man fhould be. He exhibits the meeknefs and gentlenefs of Chrift. He forgives injurics, like his dving matter. He puts a charitable conftruction on doubtful attions. He earneftly endeavours to be useful to the bodies and fouls of men; and floops to perform the most menial fervice for the leaft of his brethren. This is pure religion and undefiled. We know thefe things and approve them; but do we perform them? In anfwering the queftion for myfelf, I hefitate-and blush-and. pray, God be merciful to me A SINNER.

ON THE ABUSES OF THE CHRISTIAN SABBATH.

Sit is the higheft privilege of the Chriftian to draw near to God, as his reconciled Father in Chrift, it is a matter of much joy to him, that his Lord has appointed a ftated portion of time to be fet apart as wholly devoted to his fervice. Was it not for this divine inftitution, his heart would be fo enveloped in the concerns of the world, as to leave very little leilure for the confideration of his most important intercfts; but this appointment of infinite wif dom affords him opportunity to retire in fome measure from the world, and leave its concerns at the foot of the mount. Whilft he afcends to meet his God, and hold communion with him by faith and prayer, he has fome foretafte afforded him of thofe joys, which are the portion of glorified fpirits in the houfe not made with hands. But it is not only his privilege, but his duty; the law of his. God has enjoined it; in which law he delights after the inner man, and derives abundant advantage from its fanc tions, which procure him a peaceable, unmolefted Sabbath.

To cnumerate the abufes of the Sabbath by those wha

are

are merely profeffers of Chriftianity, would be an endlefs tafk; my prefent defign therefore is, to confider fome which more particularly appear in the conduct of those who are partakers of the grace of God, and ought therefore to fhine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life by a strict attention to every duty their divine Lord has enjoined upon them,

As every advantage the believer enjoys on the Sabbath, proceeds from communion with Jefus, he fhould be particularly watchful againft whatever has a tendency to interrupt that communion; and, of courfe, fhould be very cautious in the choice of his companions, cípecially on the Lord's Day. Believers lofe much of the benefit of the word, for want of attention to this particular; how many go from the houfe of God, without the leaft appearance of neceffity, into communion with the world whofe converfation, as an inftrument in the hands of the wicked one, catcheth away the feed which was fown in the heart! Others, following the example, and joining the company of mere profeffors, feem to lofe fight of the great end of hearing the word of God, and waste that precious time, which ought to be devoted to his glory, in ufelefs difcuffions on the manner, gifts, or comparative excellence of different Minifters.

I would here offer a word of advice to young believers, who are diftreffed on account of their connections with the world, which appear to lead them unavoidably into Sabbath breaking. If they are fingle perfons, who are placed by Divine Providence in ungodly families, let them retire in the intervals of public worthip, as much as poffible into folitude, where they may enjoy communion with God uninterrupted by their earthly friends, and pray earnestly for thofe with whom they have to do, as well as for themfelves; and they will not fail to come forth refrethed and ftrengthened to fill their respective stations, as becometh the Gofpel of Chrift. Others, who are heads of families, are perhaps complaining that they cannot avoid the intrution of worldly company, who call to fee them without invitation on the Sabbath day; but if they keep their Bible on the table, and entertain their vifitors with reading the word of God, Family Prayer, and finging his praifes, they will foon find that thofe who do not love to hear of Chrift, will refrain from calling, and the fewer vifits we receive or pay upon the Lord's Day the better, even among true believers; as our natural pronenefs to a worldly fpirit, is too apt to lead

us

us into fuch converfation, as drowns the word which we hear at the house of God.

Whatever may be faid of Chriftian liberty from the reftraints of the Jewish ritual, we never find our bleffed Lord engaged in any other works on the Sabbath, than thofe of neceflity or mercy; and his faithful followers find the whole of that facred day too fhort a period for thofe divine employments, which more immediately attach themselves to it; and too often have to regret at the close of it, that they are not a Sabbath day's journey nearer Zion; while we find many (of whom we could hope well) allowing themfelves in things, that are direct violations of the Sabbath.

We would here notice that inattention to the early duties of the Lord's houfe, fo prevalent in the prefent day. Thofe who habitually enter his courts, when the congregation are confiderably advanced in worthip, manifeft an indifference to communion witl: Jefus, and give their brethren much reafon to fear they are feeking the preacher rather than the Lord; for there is no doubt, but if they were appointed to receive a large fum of money at a certain hour, they would take especial care to be pun&tual in their attendance.

BRIEF REFLECTIONS ON JOHN X. 16.

J. T.

"Other Sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them alfo I "must bring, and they fhall hear my voice: and there fhall "be one fold, and one hepherd."

HERE is a richness in the expreffions of our divine Redeemer, the great Prophet of the Church, which is not to be found in any human compofition whatever. "He fpake as never man fpake." The above verfe, is a fmall fpecimen. Let us mark the words, and weigh the expreffions.

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Sheep." The cle&t of God, are fheep in the purpose of Jefus Chrift, when they are, as yet, wolves in themselves. Other theep." This is a fine antidote against bigotry. An evil, which has long prevailed, and which we hope is dying apace. May it never have a refurrection!“ I have." Chrift hath them-in the covenant, where their very names are registered: In his thoughts, though they have no thought of him: In his heart, having loved them with an everlasting love." I muft bring:" Bring-out of darkness

darkness into marvellous light; from a ftate of fin into a ftate of holiness; from Jelf-confidence to confidence in the Mediater and Advocate for finners.-"I must bring." Jefus Christ must bring them-beeaute, it is his Father's will he fhould: Because, they are the purchase of his blood. Every one is concerned to have his purchafe; and it is but right he fhould." I must bring." For if Chrift bring them not, they never will come. They are ignorant and know not the way; obftinate, and refufe to come; helpless, and unable to come: Not only weak, but without ftrength.

"They fhall hear, &c." It is peculiar to Christ's Sheep to hear his voice. The goats hear others, but not him. "They all hear:" Chrift will speak to the heart, and cause them to hear, regard and obey." My voice:" As the voice of a friend, that is fweet; as the voice of a bridegroom, that is fweeter ftill; as the voice of God, that is not only fweet, but glorious and divine.-O! my foul, wait upon him in all the means of grace, liften attentively to his voice. Hear his word and do it." There fhall be one fold." Jews and Gentiles fhall be united into one. church. No more parties, or party diftinctions fhall be known forever. "And one hepherd." The bleffed Jefus will reign, the chief Shepherd, and the fupreme Sovereign, forever and ever.

Amen.

THE JOURNEY OF LIFE.

A VISION.

DALETH.

SI was lately travelling in a wafte howling wilderness, where every step was attended with difficulty and danger; I retired to a fhady covert to feek that repofe, which the fatigues of my journey had rendered defirable; and no fooner had fleep with its refreshing influences clofed my eyes, than Fancy (ever on the wing) again conducted me to the fcenes, in which I had fo lately toiled.

Methought I faw two travellers, both in the full glow of youth and vigour, juft entering upon a vast defart, in which three feveral paths, prefented themfelves to their choice. For a time, they kept company together, and each of them was bufily employed in communicating to the other, the projects he had formed refpecting the progrefs, the fuccefs, and final end of the journey. It was not long, however, before their views and defires began confiderably to *John vi. 27, 40.

VOL. VI.

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vary;