brought me up out of an horrible pit, and hath set my feet upon a rock, and hath put a new song into my mouth;" yet bear in mind that you are to expect difficulties, you are not yet arrived where all troubles cease; you are yet in an enemy's country, and have a threefold source of disquietude, to attend you all the journey through-the world, your heart, and the devil, will unite their influence as a grand army to attack your peace; while there will be also many other companies of the same regiment, that will often attack you and invade or oppose your prosperity. Let not this, however, cause you to faint in the prospect of difficulty. I name these various sources of opposition, to set you on guard; that you may be on your watch tower, and remember also, that with all these foes there is armour provided; armour that has been well tried, and is able to make the Christian soldier stand in the evil day, and will finally make him more than conqueror. Of these enemies Mr. Newton has simply, yet powerfully said:

"In conflict with this three-fold troop,
How weary, Lord, am I;

Did not the promise hold me up,

Sure I must faint and die."

From this view of your spiritual foes, it will appear plain to you, that watchfulness, prayer, and perseverance, will be much needed; and will become your most powerfully defensive weapons; they must all be used, and used in concert. Prayer will not do without watchfulness; you must watch unto prayer: and prayer and watchfulness must be persevered in, or they will not prove successful weapons, or useful parts of Christian armour. The attractions of the world, worldly conversation, neglect of the Bible, and many other enemies will be given place to, if these important subjects are unattended to. Let me then urge

upon you the great value of private prayer, in connection with watchfulness and perseverance as the only means that can preserve you in a prosperous state of soul. If you wish to be useful to the world, or to the church, be much in private prayer. Be very particular to observe regular seasons for devotional engagements, and be anxious in your retirement to enjoy the presence of the Lord. Never let sloth or any occupation keep your closet; or when there, so fill your mind with worldly cares, as to allow you to go through the form

you from going into

of devotion, without being able to say, "it is good for me to draw near unto the Lord;" for as well, my friend, could your body be sustained without food, air, or exercise, as your soul be prosperous, without daily communion with God in secret. When the mind is most reluctant to be brought into the solemn engagement, then is the time that we should be concerned to resist the enemy, which in this way tries to disturb our peace, and rob us of comfort. Our backwardness to pray, and want of a praying spirit, is a sufficient errand for us to go, expressly to the throne of grace upon; we should be most anxious for such wants to be supplied; yea, we should resolve that we will take no denial. Here, then, see the value of perseverance, for we "ought always to pray and never faint," to continue in prayer and to watch therein; and we have great encouragement thus to pray, for our Father hath promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask it: if you ask a fish, he will not give you a serpent-no; if you ask for grace, he will not send you empty away; he knoweth how to give good things to those who ask him. Do therefore pray in fervency, in faith; for "whatsoever things, (said the Saviour,) ye pray for, believe that ye have them, and ye shall have them." Oh what encouragement is this for you! Whatever may be your spiritual need, come and beg for help in the name of the Saviour, with faith, and your wants shall be supplied. And it is only by this spirit of persevering prayer that you can expect peace, or that you will be useful in the world. "Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." "It is in the closet," says a good writer, "that we are to derive strength to give a right bias to our depraved minds; there a desire will be increased after enjoyment in the soul that shall make it prosperous, and this can only be attained by fervour of heart in the duties of the closet. Another writer says, "A Christian's devotion should be like the flowing tide, which, gradually gaining point with every returning and advancing wave, and still advancing, at length replenishes the whole space; thus should the spirit of devotion advance, till it fill our whole souls."

Thus, my Christian friend, let it be your aim to "walk with God." Cultivate a spirit of habitual prayer; yea, pray always, pray in temptation, pray in suffering, pray in mercies and comfort, yes especially pray then. Sometimes our enemy comes

with temptations, sufferings, and trials, as a roaring lion: we are not likely to mistake him then; but sometimes he comes with ease and comfort, and by lulling us with indifference, appears as an angel of light. Then we are in the greatest danger. Oh! let me beg you will be watchful; do not bear your burden alone, but whatever may be the nature of your need, spread it all before the Lord. He has promised to hear -to answer; therefore "watch unto prayer;" yea, pray and never faint."

The examples of the saints in all ages tend to encourage you in this delightful duty. David says, "when I was in distress, I called upon the Lord, and he heard me." Paul, when afflicted with the thorn in the flesh, was sustained and strengthened in answer to prayer. Peter, when in prison, was delivered by prayer. Hezekiah's enemies were defeated thereby. The woman of Canaan was helped. The publican was accepted. The jailor was saved. And whosoever calleth now upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Prayer was appointed to convey

The blessings God designs to give;

Long as they live should Christians pray,
For only while they pray they live."

Therefore, my dear friend, persevere in prayer.

Whatever

may oppose, still pray. You may say with the poet, and be animated thereby:

"What various hindrances I meet

In coming to the mercy-seat;

But who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there."

May it be your favoured privilege thus to find a refuge, a resting-place in calling upon the Lord; to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and to have no confidence in the flesh! FAREWELL,

SELECT PASSAGES.

We cannot build too confidently on the merits of Christ, as our only hope; nor can we think too much of the "mind that was in Christ," as our great example.-Cecil.

It is by prayer that the branch draws the juice and sap of the vine, and receives from thence more plentiful nourishment.

Quesnel.

All our knowledge ought to tend towards Christ, and to stop at him.-Ibid.

Trust in God's wisdom, and his love should make us take up the cross, without arguing or disputing.-Ibid.

Christ came to heal the sick, and let the healthy die.-Pascal. Woe, woe be to them, that put on Christ's name, and shame his love, with a loose and profane life: their feet, tongue, hands, and eyes give a shameless lie to the holy Gospel which they profess.-Rutherford.

Nothing moveth me more, and weigheth my soul, than that I could never from my heart, in my prosperity, so wrestle in prayer with God, nor be so dead to the world, as when a heavy cross was upon me. The cross hath extorted vows of new obedience, which ease hath blown away, as chaff before the wind. Ibid.

THE GOSPEL.

The "Gospel of God" is his embassy of peace to men, the riches of his mercy and free love opened and set forth, not simply to be looked upon, but laid hold of; the glorious, holy God declaring his design of agreement with man in his own Son, his blood streaming forth in it, to wash away uncleanness. And yet the Gospel is not obeyed! Surely the conditions of it must be very hard, and the commands intolerably grievous, that they are not hearkened to. Why judge you if they be; the great command is, to receive that salvation; and the other is this, to love that Saviour; and there is no more. Perfect obedience is not now the thing; and the obedience which is required, love makes sweet and easy to us, and acceptable to him. This is proclaimed to all who hear the Gospel, but the greatest part refuse it; they love themselves and their lusts, and this present world, and will not change, and they perish! "They perish"-what is that? what is their end? I will answer that but as the apostle doth, and that is even by asking the question over again; “What shall their end be?" There is no speaking of it; a curtain is drawn; silent wonder expresses it best, telling that it cannot be expressed. How then shall it be endured? It is true that there be resemblances used in Scripture, giving us some glance of it. We hear of a "burning lake, a fire that is

not quenched, and a worm that dies not:" but these are but shadows to the real misery of them "that obey not the Gospel." O! to be filled with the wrath of God; the ever-living God, for ever! What words or thoughts can reach it. O eternity, eternity! O that we did believe it! O that you would be persuaded to betake yourselves to Jesus Christ, and seek salvation in him! Seek to be covered with his righteousness, and to be led by his Spirit in the ways of righteousness. That will seal to you the happy certainty of the end, and overcome for you all the difficulties of the way. What is the Gospel of Christ preached for? What was the blood of Christ shed for? Was it not, that by receiving him, we might escape condemnation. Nay, this drew him from heaven: "He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly." (John x. 10.) Consider, if you still despise all this goodness, how soon it may be otherwise; you may be past the reach of this call, and be cut off for ever from the hopes of it. O how sad an estate! and the more sad by the remembrance of these slighted offers and invitations.

THE DRUNKARD'S LOOKING-GLASS.

Leighton.

A man in Maryland, who was addicted to drunkenness, hearing a considerable uproar in his kitchen one night, felt the curiosity to step without noise to the door, to know what was the matter; when behold, his servants were indulging the most unbounded roars of laughter at a couple of negro boys, who were mimicking himself in his drunken fits!-as how he reeled and staggered-how he looked and nodded, and hiccupped and tumbled. The pictures which these children of nature drew of him, and which had filled the rest with such inexhaustible merriment, struck him with so salutary a disgust, that from that night he became a perfectly sober man, to the great joy of his wife and children.-Penn. paper.

EVENING HYMN.

Now one day's journey less divides
Me from the world where God resides:
If I have used the grace bestow'd,
And kept the strait and narrow road.

If I have walked by faith in fear,
A stranger and a pilgrim here,

And in each word, and deed, and thought,
Have liv'd as Christ's disciple ought,