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the many unexpected comforts provided for their lives, that God hath not left himself without witnefs, even in the common courfe of nature; must we not think, that, in the diftribution of fupernatural favours, it well becomes divine grace to appear in a diftinguifhed manner? There it is meet, that the arm of the Lord should be revealed. Accordingly Jefus faid to Nicodemus, The wind bloweth where it lifteth, and thou hearest the found thereof, but canft not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: fo is every one that is born of the Spirit. No man can account for his being privileged with the knowledge of the fimple truth, while he obferves many of quicker understanding than himself remaining in their oppofition to it. But he can give a very good account of what comforts him he has in readinefs a folid and fober reafon to give for his hope; even as he who has been providentially furprised with some valuable discovery in some branch of art, cannot tell why he was the first discoverer, but he can give a good reafon for his fubfequent practice founded upon it, as having a clear no tion of what has been difcovered to him.

Paul, in his Epiftle to the Romans, towards the clofe of chapter x. informs us how faith comes. He tells us, It comes by hearing, and bearing by the word of God. He then leads us to obferve what in fact took place among Jews and Gentiles, as to the belief of the Gofpel, that many of the latter, who were living in the groffeft ignorance of God, readily came to the knowledge of it; while the bulk of the former, notwithstanding their many and great advantages, continued in their oppofition. As many queftions might arife in the minds of men about this furprising event, the Apostle prevents, and

Gilences

filerices them, by the only answer that could be given them. He examines, if any reafon or excufe for the unbelief of the Jews, could be drawn from their labouring under any disadvantage or incapacity in comparifon with others; and if, on the other hand, there was any favourable fymptom in the cafe of the Gentiles, that promifed the Gofpel any better reception among them. So he moves the following queftion, on the cafe of the Jews, who obeyed not, fo did not believe the truth: But I fay, have they not heard? In answer to this he maintains, that the facred oracles, compared to the heavenly luminaries, had extended their influence to all parts of the earth where the Jews were difperfed: Yes, verily, their found went into all the earth, and their words unto the end of the world.

But, then, fome men may reap no benefit from what they hear by reafon of their being more unlearned or more dull of apprehenfion than others. Accordingly, the next question runs thus, But I fay, did not Ifrael know? To this a two-fold answer is given, the one from Mofes, and the other from Ifaiah. In the firft, the fpirit of prophecy intimates, that, in facred learning the Jews would far excel the Gentiles, who, in comparison with them, are described as having no wisdom, and as unworthy to be accounted a people; yet declares, that these fools would obtain the right hand of them as to the true knowledge of God, and accefs to his favour, and fo provoke them to jealoufy. In the fecond it is declared, that this knowledge, with its attendant bleffings, would be bestowed on them that were no way in queft of it. The two anfwers run thus: First, Mofes faith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish

not;

foolish nation I will anger you. But Efaias is very bold, and faith, I was found of them that fought me I was made manifeft unto them that afked not after me. But to Ifrael he faith, all day long I have fretched forth my hands unto a difobedient and gainfaying people. Though the Jews then eagerly ftudied the Scriptures, and had all the knowledge of them that the utmost of human zeal and fagacity could lead to; yet all their knowledge only prompted them the more to gainfay and difobey the great scope and end of the law and the prophets.

The defign of the paffage is plainly to fhew, that faith comes not by any human endeavours, or the use of any means, even under the greatest advantages that men can enjoy; but of that fame fovereign good pleasure which provided the grand thing believed. Paul himself, while, with great heavinefs of heart, he declares the rejection of his brethren who believed not, and confiders them as anathematised, or accurfed from Chrift, is far from glorying over any of them. For in the bofom of the fentence wherein he bewails them, he declares (Rom. ix. 3) that had he been left to his own former wifh and choice, he had remained in that dreadful condition wherein he now perceives them to be. All his former zeal and knowledge ferved to attach him to what he faw his brethren now with regret perfifting in.

As the Chriftian teachers, for the most part, differ from the Jewish only in ftile; fo the directions given by both have the fame effect on the mind of the hearer: for it is much the fame whether he be prompted to exert acts of faith, or do the works of the law, in order to justification. The very nature of his exercise in either

cafe

cafe muft ferve greatly to difaffect his mind to the faving truth, which fhews that all his endeavours can only ferve to aggravate his guilt. Still it must be faid, that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God; and this is the only mean God makes use of for making men wife unto falvation.

LINES

WRITTEN BY THE LATE

LEWIS MANSERGH, Esq. OF ATHY,

ON THE

DEATH of his SISTER.

MUTE
on the willow hangs my tunelefs harp,
No fkilful hand fweeps the fad string; filent,
Save when it fighs, refponfive to the wind,
Or wakes, as now, in ftrains of elegy.
Sweet faint, adieu! though far remov'd beyond
The reach of mortal eye, to happier fcenes,.
Still treafur'd in my heart thy name fhall reft,
And oft fhall penfive recollection bring
Thine image to my view.-Sorrow is mine:
Not fuch as their's who forrow without hope,
Or dare to murmur at Jehovah's will;
But that, which unforbidden I may hold,
To fee thee taken from fraternal arms,
And doom'd to mingle with thy kindred duft.
Here might affection, ling'ring, love to dwell,
And with faft-gufhing tears bedew the tomb

Where

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Where Anna fleeps; here too might fancy mufe, And to herself pourtray time's changing fcene, Beholding her, "ere half life's glafs had run,' Breathless, dismantled of her youthful robe, Stretch'd in the gloomy chambers of the grave. But lo!-our tears are gone-our wond'ring

eyes

Turn upward, on the wings of Faith we mount,
And view her now, unburthen'd of her clay,
Float on celeftial air before the Throne,
And gather glory from the Saviour's face.
Now from the fount the draws unmingled joys,
And pleasures pure, that fuffer no decay.
Loud is her fong of praise, and ceafelefs; fweet
The notes that from her well-tun'd harp arife;
Of victory fhe fings, and to the Lamb

Gives glory; prepar'd by him, a spotless robe
She wears; and bright, amidst the angel throng
Who hail her entrance on the happy fhore,
She fhines, a trophy of redeeming grace.

Oh wond'rous grace! that made e'en death a
friend,

And chang'd his afpect into fmiles of peace.
No terrors grim array'd the king; vanquifh'd
He came, and to his conq'ror gave the prize.
No fting had he,-no victory the grave!
Triumphant over both, the gladly left
A painful world, for Heav'n's eternal reft.

RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

IT is known perhaps to moft of our friends,

that a Society was formed fome time fince in London for the purpose of diffusing religious knowledge

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