It may be you are the the subject of many doubts and fears. It may be you can only lay hold of the promises with a trembling, hoping hand. Well, even to you, without a dream, without a vision, I have a word of comfort. Jesus Christ said to doubting Thomas, “Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless but believing." And what Christ said to Thomas, He says in spirit to you: son or daughter, put forth thine arm of faith; be not faithless, but believing. If thy fear be a filial fear, then do I find many precious comforts attached to it, for blessed is he who on this wise feareth always: yea the Psalmist calls upon you to praise God, because he has given thee this fear. But mount up a little higher; "O ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;" trust His mercy, and that will beget love, and perfect love will cast out fear, that is, that fear which hath torment.

But on this review, does your conscience testify you have neither part nor lot in the matter, then let the persuasion haunt you as a vision of the night; let it fasten on you as a dead weight; let it oppress you, yea even make you melancholy. Then if you are not content that matters should remain thus, if you desire to be freed from your bondage, seek it from Him who is exalted a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins. Bow to the sceptre of the Son of David. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and so you perish, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Yea blessed are all they (and only they) who put their trust in Him. Psalm ii. 12. WATCH-WELL.

ON returning home from a neighbouring town, where I had been assisting a brother Minister, I found that a poor woman, whom I had been accustomed to visit during a short illness, had died a few hours before my arrival. I somewhat regretted that I should have been from home when she died; but her experience during her illness was so satisfactory, that, without witnessing her last moments, I feel no hesitation in concluding that she is one of them of whom it may be said, "Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord." She had been accustomed for many years to attend the means of grace; and had so read the Bible that I could scarcely mention a passage to her which she was not well acquainted with. Her mind being thus richly stored with the best of treasures, and the Holy Ghost having, as I trust, taught her it's spiritual meaning, and applied its life-giving power to her soul, she never felt herself alone even when left alone. The word of God in her heart and memory

was her constant companion during her sickness. She appeared to entertain the most humbling views of herself, and the most exalted of her Saviour; without Him she felt that she could do nothing. The only foundation of her hope was His atoning blood. Her feelings sometimes fluctuated during her illness, and now and then a cloud would seem to conceal the Saviour from her view; but this was occasioned in a great measure by her disease which very much affected her head. In such seasons, however, she was not without hope. If, to use her own words addressed to me on one occasion, "the Saviour had gone down into the garden," (alluding to Solomon's Song, vi. 2.) she felt assured he would return and comfort her. Having asked her, at another time, what was the state of her mind, she replied to me, with some emphasis, Christ is precious. Then surely, thought I, this must be a believer; for the Apostle's language implies that it is only to them that believe that Christ is precious. Reader! be thou a follower of her, who through faith and patience now inherits the promises.

Since her death I have had several other persons on my sick list, of whom I might say something; but the fear of occupying too much space, as well as of being tedious to the reader, forbids me. Perhaps, however, I may be allowed to mention one circumstance more, which may not be uninteresting. The other day, I visited a sick person at some distance from my residence. It was my first visit; and as her dwelling is situated in a rather secluded spot, where strangers may not be supposed to frequent, I might have imagined, that as it was my first visit, I was also

her first visitor. But no; that honor was not reserved for me: another had forestalled me; it was "The Cornish Parochial Visitor." And, although we do not generally like rivals, I was happy to find that I had such an one; especially, when I was informed, that the "Light from the West," which this Visitor always conveys, had, in some degree, illumined the mind of the sufferer. This I learnt from the sick woman herself, who told me, that she had derived comfort from reading the article, entitled, "Weak Grace Victorious."

And now, Reader, what do you think of sickness and death? How would you wish to die? I dare say you will reply, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." Then be concerned to live the life of the righteous. How did such an one die? is a question, though often proposed, not always the most important: but rather how did such an one live? If for you to live is Christ, to die will be your eternal gain; but if you are living without God, and without Christ, and without hope, it is much to be dreaded that you will die in the same state. "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." J. D.

WEAK GRACE VICTORIOUS.

(Continued from page 136.)

By Christ we have not only words of grace to encourage us, but the power of grace to establish us: not only precepts to persevere, but promises that we shall. Otherwise the promise could be no surer than that annexed to the covenant of works. If the condi

tion of it might be as easily lost as the condition of Adam's covenant, then would it lose its end, which was to ensure the promise or covenant to all the seed; "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; that the promise might be sure to all the seed," Rom. iv. 16. Adam was under a mutable covenant, and we under an everlasting one. Adam had no reserve of nature to supply nature upon any defect; we have out of Christ's "fulness, grace for grace," John i. 16. i. e. Grace for the supply of grace upon any emergency. The manner whereby we stand is different from the manner of his standing; he stood in dependance on his original righteousness, which being once lost, all the original virtues depending on that were lost with it.

Our state is secured in higher hands. Christ is made wisdom, &c. "But of him are you in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. i. 30. All which are dispensed to us in the streams, but reserved in him as the fountain. He is made all those to us, not we to ourselves. Adam's life was hid in himself; "ours with Christ in God." Col. iii. 3. Our life is as secure in Christ, as Christ's is secure in God. Christ's hand, and his Father's bosom, is not to be rifled by any power on earth. Heaven is no place to be pillaged by the serpent. Which state then is best? Our nature is restored by the second Adam fundamentally better; not at present so bright as his, but more permanent. The mutability of the first Adam procured our misery; the strength of the second preserves our security. So that a gracious man is better established in his little grace, by the