not be useless to follow in the same track, though haud passibus equis. If every one who has sufficient energy to possess a distinguishing character, stamps upon his productions the initials of their author, how much more may we expect the impress of Deity upon the works of a being so singular and unrivalled as Jehovah? In the material world, a child can discern between the wants of nature and of art; may we not then conclude, that, in the moral world, where he peculiarly reigns, the Father of spirits, the moral Governor of the universe, will leave such impressions of his attributes as the mind's eye, if unprejudiced, may discern with certainty, and distinguish with precision? Is the protuberance in the seal evinced by the corresponding impression on the wax? What then may we call the prominent feature in the divine character? Is it not the attribute of holiness? Is not this "the beauty of the Lord our God" Has he not "sworn by his holiness" as his most dear and sacred peculiarity? May we not, then, expect to find the impress of holiness conspicuous on the productions of his mind, the moral truths which he has revealed?. Has he not himself characterized them as " doctrines according to godliness?" Who will refuse to appeal to this test, and abide by its decision, but those who suspect their tenets to spring from the human brain, and to tend to the toleration of sin? To enter at large into the holy tendency of all the doctrines of the gospel, would require a volume of no inconsiderable size. In this short essay, why should I speak of Regeneration and Sanctification? for who can avoid seeing that the express object of these is the recovery of depraved man to the holy image of God! But against other doctrines the enemies of truth have raised a hue and cry, professing to be much alarmed at their licentious tendency. And what truth has encountered so much of this opposition as Election? They who treat it as a chimera can be no judges of what influence it has on the mind, which believes and adopts it as a truth. I appeal to the believer, Has not the thought of being chosen and beloved of God, from eternity, overwhelmed you with gratitude and love, forcing from your heart the eager enquiry, "What shall I render to the Lord for all his kindness towards me" Recollecting that God has "chosen us, that we should be holy, predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his Son, chosen us to salvation thro' sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth;" has it not operated as the most powerful motive to holiness, which is the only criterion you can have of your own election, and without which you are left to tremble, lest you should prove "a vessel of wrath fitted to destruction?" As for those who, destitute of all regard for holiness, have wrought themselves up to a presumption of their election, in defiance of Scripture, considering it waste of

words to address them, I turn from them with a sigh, as men afflicted with a species of insanity, quoad hoc.

Justification by faith alone, without works, was objected to the Apostles, as it is to us, as making void the law through faith, and teaching" to sin, that grace may abound." Paul maintains the morality of his doctrine, because it establishes, and not makes void, the law. And what can so firmly bind upon our minds the authority of the law, as to see its precepts magnified by Christ's obedience, and its penal sanction executed upon such a victim? After this, who can expect that God will tolerate disobedience to his law? He that believes in Christ for justification, must feel the conviction of the necessity and glory of Christ's submission to the law, which will ever leave upon his heart the impression of its sanctity, and an eternal, indispensable obligation. This thought, while it contributes to drive him from his own defective obedience to Christ's perfect righteousness for justification, will secure him from trifling with the eternal rule of right by wilful disobedience. Besides, works of righteousness are so evidently the essential fruits of that faith which justifies, that, without them, an apostle declares our pretence to faith is a lie. I forbear to expatiate on the holy effects of gratitude for gratuitous justification, which must be so powerfully felt by the ingenuous mind, which grace produces, that I hesitate not to appeal to you who believe, Whether you have not found your hearts more forcibly impelled to holy obedience to Him who has justified you freely by his blood, than ever you felt when you were labouring to establish your own righteousness?

I would next avert to the doctrine of Final Perseverance. I know that this truth has been traduced as of licentious tendency. If, indeed, the doctrine were, that every one who sets up a profession, let him live as he may, shall finally be saved, it would lead to sin. But this bugbear is a mere man of straw, which the cavillers have dressed up for themselves, to enjoy the triumph of knocking it down. What is the genuine truth? That all real saints shall persevere in holiness to the end, and finally obtain eternal life. Now, who perceives not, at the first view, that the doctrine of perseverance in holiness cannot be licentious? When a religionist once said, "If I were sure I should persevere, I would not take so much pains as I do," he betrayed a heart rotten to the core with hypocrisy and love of sin. Such a man may, and will, fall away; and, unless brought by grace to another mind, will infallibly perish in his depravity. But the genuine Christian shews his belief, and not his rejection, of the doctrine, when he cries out, "Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe; establish

my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not; I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway; for by means of such a temper and conduct, God accomplishes his decree to keep him from falling, and to preserve him to his heavenly kingdom."

God effects his purposes in the world even by means of sinners; but then " they mean not so;" they are mere tools, undesigning and unwilling instruments; and when God has performed his whole work by them, he will punish the stout heart of these kings and heroes*. But Jehovah will not use his saints so; he employs them as willing and intentional " workers together with him;" and especially in the affair of their own salvation, he so works in them, as to work by them. Thus, by holy jealousy, watchfulness, faith, and prayer, be "keeps them from falling, till at last he presents them faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy."- Such is the tendency of the doctrines of grace. Are they not, then, evidently the "wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the doctrine which is according to godliness?" J. B.

* Isa. x.

A FICTITIOUS DREAM ABOUT FACTS;

OR,

OCCURRENCES OF EVERY DAY.

A SCENE which I beheld in my sleep, some time ago, has occupied my waking thoughts ever since. As the circumstances which then seemed to happen, certainly take place every day, the recital may both please and edify, and stamp a solemnity upon Time which was not observed before. The remembrance of it has both moderated my joy and regulated my sorrow, upon various occasions.

In my sleep I supposed myself seated in a balloon, and carried up an immense height into the air, when all at once it became stationary. An angel then presented me with a telescope and an ear-trumpet. "With the one," said he, "you will be able to see every thing that happens to-day in one half of the world; the other will convey the words, spoken by the persons you see.”

When I put my eye to the telescope, the scene which was presented was grand beyond conception; and the glass had this peculiar property, that it disclosed the transactions which

passed within the houses, as well as without them. The variety which I beheld in the various countries of the world, the numberless cities, towns, villages, palaces, &c. filled my mind with such confusion, that I could not for some time fix my attention upon any particular spot, so as to observe what was going forward.

The first object to which I particularly directed my attention was, a prince sitting in his bed-chamber, who, for the first time, had felt the symptoms of a mortal disease. "There! there!" said he, " is a summons to leave all my pleasures, my riches, my honours! How quickly have my days passed away! Life appears only like a dream!? He sends for his physician, who feels bis pulse. At first his countenance indicated alarm. The prince perceiving this, hastily asked his opinion. This he declined, but advised him to retire to bed: there I saw him laid, and there I left him, to turn my glass towards some other object.

In an adjoining house I perceived a large company assembled, to congratulate the family in consequence of a large fortune which had been left them by an uncle, who had died a few days before. Their mirth was excessive. Wines and all the delicacies of the season were presented; when they drank to the memory of the deceased, without regretting his removal. None remarked the transitory nature of temporal things, nor warned the family not to trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who is the only permanent possession.

A ship at sea, in a furious storm, next attracted my attention: it was full of passengers. These were in the utmost perturbation, every moment expecting a watery grave! I beheld a husband clasping his beloved wife in his arins several children clinging to their father, begging him to save them: his silent sighs and tears strongly expressed his inability. In a few minutes the vessel was invisible, and every soul on board had perished!

I then looked to a humble cottage, the master of which was reading the 14th chapter of the Gospel by St. John. I overheard him say, "My soul doth magnify the Lord; and all that is within me is stirred up to praise him." He laid down the book, and, looking towards Heaven, said, "My soul seems as if within the veil, viewing my dearly beloved Lord, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!" Happy man!' said I, thrice happy man! The aggregate riches of both the Indies could not give rise to such life, joy, and peace. In a few more hours or years, that humble, unnoticed cottager shall stand before the throne of God and of the Lamb, and join for ever in the hallelujahs of the glorified!'

How differently is yonder miser employed, counting his money in that garret, trembling lest it should be seized by the

X

is not aware:

hands of some robber! But I perceive a danger of which he -the under story of his house is in flames; but his attention to his treasure prevents his perceiving it, till too late to escape. He leaps from the window, is killed on the spot; and his property is consumed by the undistinguishing fire. My soul! set thy affections on things that are above, where destruction shall be unknown for ever;-where separation from the object of thy affections can never happen.

I next turned to a gaming company. To appearance they were all happy and cheerful. Some were losing, others gaining. A thoughtless young man lost his whole property at one throw of the dice!-he slipt away to another apartment, and seemed ready to tear out his very heart. He had several brothers and sisters entirely dependent upon him for support, who had all been brought up in the first style. How to reveal his ruin to his friends, he knew not;- but do it he must. He called the gentleman aside who had gained his property, and begged him, as a friend, to allow him only to retain a few thousand pounds, to prevent his utter ruin: but the love of money rendered this gentleman deaf to his proposal.

I saw a stack of chimnies blown down in one of the principal streets in Vienna, and five or six persons were buried in the rubbish!-the relations of one of them lived on the other side of the street. It was affecting to hear their shrieks, and observe their anguish!

In an upper room of a house at Berlin, I observed an affec tionate mother taking leave of her numerous weeping children, She committed them to the care of her heavenly Father; commended the amazing love of God in his Son Jesus to their constant consideration, charged them to depart from iniquity, and to live obedient to their God; declaring, if they did not, her instructions and warnings would witness against them in the day of God. She stopped suddenly, closed her eyes, saying, "I go to God my Saviour!" and died.

In South America I beheld ten captives dragged to the mines, to remain under ground for life. As they entered the mouth of the pit, they looked back to the Sun with sorrowful countenances, to bid a final adieu to that fair luminary. I followed them with an eye of pity many hundred yards down, and saw them instantly put to work.

I next viewed a ship wrecked upon a barbarous coast. The mariners reached the shore with nothing more than their lives. They scrambled up the rocks, and witnessed their vessel beat into a thousand pieces. A party of savages appeared from behind some bushes, and barbarously slew these forlorn strangers. Perhaps at this very time the parents of some of them were in the midst of merriment, ignorant of the awful situation of their sons; others looking anxiously every day for the arival of this ship, in which was a beloved father or brother,