2. They use Christ to excuse them from duty, and comfort them in the neglect of it. They contend that faith in Jesus is every thing; and presuming they possess that, care for nothing else. Christ is used to justify their partial regard to truth. Then, comparing themselves with some conscientious and diligent believer, they interpret his tender regard to the divine will, to mean legality and scrupulosity; and triumph in what they think their own large and evangelical views. This feeds their pride. And some weak Christians, seeing their ease, may exclaim, “I wish I was like you!" And in a few months or years, change their tone and cry, "how I was deceived in that man!"

But the liberty of the gospel is spiritual and holy. It is a liberty in coming to Christ, and God through him. A freedom in our meditations on spiritual things;-the free exercise of the fruits of the Spirit-a free enjoyment of gospel privileges, and discharge of gospel duties. These are the first fruits of "the glorious liberty of the children of God!"

The nature of gospel liberty is much mistaken by those who greatly admire the name. The name is often extolled, and the thing despised. A mere pretender to it, is one who boasts of it, thinks and speaks lightly of others, as deficient in the knowledge of the gospel, because they do not, cannot talk with that assumed confidence of their interest in the Saviour's love and death. These persons are so confident, as never to doubt of the safety of their state; or so proud and deceitful as never to own it. Their walk is lax, and their conversation doctrinal, and speculative. The decrees of God, election, the death of Christ, and final perseverance, are almost their only themes. On these they so dwell, as to forget themselves! They speculate, reason, and dispute about these; and are free and liberal in censuring all who deny any of these doctrines, or do not hold them in their bigoted way. And if another professor should say, I reverence the decrees of God; but they are deep and hidden, and are no rule for my conduct; election is a glorious truth, and I wish to make my election sure, by making my calling so-the death of Christ is the foundation of all my hopes; but I want to feel its purifying evidence ;--final perseverance I admire, and read it clearly enough in the Bible; but I wish to enjoy, prove it true, and honour it, by actually persevering. I am afraid, lest, whilst I contend for the doctrine, I should neglect the experience and practice of it; for I see many who are zealous to prove, explain, and defend the doctrine, who stand still! and others who, boast of the truth of it, and go backwards. Others glory in God's finishing the good work, without evidence of its being carried on, or even begun. It is not enough to read, "the righteous shall hold on his way, and wax stronger and stronger;" without inquiring whether I hold on?-and grow stronger!If a soul talks thus; they say he is practical and legal; and is not brought into the liberty of the gospel. Awful, awful self-deception.

No. CLXXVI.-A QUIET CONSCIENCE.

ONE great part of the deceit of the human heart is discovered, in attempts to quiet conscience, by resolutions to shun sin, without forsaking the avenues of sin. Sin is a harlot; and the only way to escape her destructive charms, is, to "come not nigh the door of her house." To pretend a hatred to sin, and yet rush into temptation, manifests the power of sin over the affections, to be so great, as to over-rule reason, conscience, and interest. If we venture into the way of temptation, when we might avoid it; or continue in it longer than duty calls; or indulge an unwatchful spirit in the place or season of temptation, and think of the sin with delight, and refrain from it through fear, rather than hatred :these circumstances prove that sin has an awful sway over such a soul. If convictions are resisted, and pleasurable thoughts of sin lodge in the mind, the heart will harden, conscience will sleep, and fear give place to the most perilous security.

No. CLXXVII.—THE GRAVE INSATIABLE.

"THE grave is never satisfied," Prov. xxx. 15, 16. The grave has swallowed down one generation after another. The grave is like a voracious monster; it never has enough. The ungodly are received by it; but it hungers for the saints! The infant and the fool die; but it opens its mouth for the wise, the ignorant, the poor and the wealthy, the weak and the strong, the old man, the middle aged, the youth, and the child; it receives, and yet it is unsatisfied. Ye grey-headed, ye young men, it longs for you! are you ready? It longs for me; am I ready? The Patriarchs, Prophets, and apostles, it has had; yea, Christ! the Lord of them all; and yet not enough. Ah, humbling thought! "Sin has reigned unto death, and death passed upon all men; for all (in Adam) have sinned." The thought is terrible to the ungodly; they must die, and what follows? The grave waits for you, too, believers; wait ye for that, with faith, courage, diligence, and joy.

The death of every infant proves, that every human life is forfeited. If the infant receives the death-blow, before it reaches its third or first year; if it dies as soon as it comes into the world, or finds a grave in the womb,-surely the life of every human being is forfeited. What forbearance in God! to spare a creature so many years: and yet how little is this considered.

The fall of an infant manifests the ignorance of the human being, in relation to things which do not concern his duty or his happiness. How mortifying to human pride! how confounding to human reason!

What end could the short life of the infant, of eight months old, answer in this world? Was it born to prove a trial to its parents? to take up their time, employ their care, and raise hopes to be defeated? If it must live-why not longer? If not longer; wherefore was it born? "Even so, Father, because it seemed good in thy sight!"

If, then, my life is forfeited, what hour can I call my own? What conduct can be justified to my own conscience, which renders me unprepared for death to-day, to-morrow, or any day?

No. CLXXVIII.-MEANS OF GRACE.

The means of grace is a common phrase, and a very important one. Grace! what equals it? The grace, or undeserved favour of God, communicated to the believing soul in blessings; spiritual in their nature, tendency, and design; blessings as large as our desires, yea, exceeding our very hopes; blessings which are adequate to the capacity and necessities of a soul, immortal in its duration, sinful in its dispositions, and cursed in its condition; blessings which become God in bestowing, Christ in dying to obtain the Spirit in revealing and applying; blessings which are unnumbered and unalienable; which are exceeding the conception, and equalling the existence of the spirit, for which they were ordained! Is it not a favour, indeed, to draw near to God, and to have God drawing near to the soul? To see God and a believing sinner meeting? To have the soul acquainted with God, united to God, resembling God, and happy in God? Is not this a real, great, comprehensive, and incomprehensible blessing? and if the ends are so noble, what should we think of the means which are appointed to bring about these ends? Alas! alas! it is too, too evident, why the means of grace are neglected; it is because the ends to be answered by them are too little known, considered, and valued. If the designs of God, in appointing, hearing, reading, singing, meditation, and prayer, were spiritually discerned, could we think of them with indifference, treat them with neglect, and justify ourselves in so doing? yea, should we not rather wish them to occur more frequently, attend them more seriously, be more happy in, benefited by, and thankful for them? The numbers in hell, who are there for despising and neglecting them, and the millions in Heaven, who have found salvation in the use of them, preach their importance.

No. CLXXIX.-ON KEEPING THE THOUGHTS.

THE vast importance of keeping the thoughts, is increasingly manifest to a believer. They are the medium of good or evil impressions on the mind; and they discover the frame of it in the most decisive manner. If the mind is under the rule of sensible things, the thoughts will be employed, principally, about such things. Hither they will not flow now and then, but with a persevering constancy. Hither they will flow, in society and solitude, day and night. They may be interrupted by the duties of a Lord's-day, or the lively conversation of a spiritual man; but they return to the same objects, when such checks are removed. If the mind is lively and spiritual, the habitual tendency of the thoughts will run towards spiritual objects. The soul may be clogged in its operations, amused by trifles, staggered by temptations, and diverted by novelties, or by unpleasant company; but it goes back to its intimate and suitable objects with greater force, and the thoughts dwell upon them with the additional delight of renewed friendship.

The freedom of thinking indicates the state of the mind. Fear may constrain, and pride may force the mind to think of what is disagreeable to it; but still the thoughts fly to their favourite object, as to a centre. There is a bent of mind discovered towards sensible or spiritual things, by the complacency which attends them. The thoughts may necessarily be engaged about objects which disgust the mind, as a man obliged to visit company whose sentiments and taste he abhors. Here the prospect of ending this painful association affords pleasure, and shows where the most delightful thoughts are. How true are the words of Solomon, " as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." A man is not always what he appears to be, when he speaks and acts, but "as he thinketh in his heart," with freedom, delight, and constancy, "so is he." This decides his state, this discovers his real, internal character. Whatever a man's sentiments, profession, duties and sufferings may be, his affectionate thoughts show the Christian or the devil.

Money is the object of the most cheerful, anxious, and perpetual thoughts of a covetous man. He revolves in his mind the means of gaining more: new plans are constantly produced by his fruitful invention. The pleasing consequences of growing riches are painted on his reflections. Could we HEAR him THINK, we should hear such language as this: " On such a day, I shall receive such a sum, and I'll lay up most of it. I shall be asked for something for the support of the gospel and the poor, but I cannot afford much. Nor is it necessary that I should give much, as there are others who have more money and less expenses. Besides, a little will support the gospel, and the poor ought to work, then they will need but little. There is much false

charity in the world, and it is hard to know who is really needy. We should beware of extravagance, as many have been ruined by it." Thus he thinks of what money he has, how he may keep what he has, and obtain as much more as he can. His thoughts contrive excuses which may justify his selfishness. Thus the object of a man's warmest passions, will always employ his most lively and abiding meditations. Other objects may divert, and court him; but on this his thoughts dwell most pleasantly and permanently.On the favourite object, the thoughts hang with concern; they hover over it, and about it; view it on all sides. The mind thinks deeply and anxiously. It thinks with fear, hope, desire, delight, according to the situation of the darling thing; the thoughts seem bound to it; and when other subjects engage the tongue, the thoughts are flying from them, and crowding upon the thing the heart most dearly loves. If this very subject should be talked over, then, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." It has an abundance of thoughts, and a variety of affections to display concerning it. A man may talk in a lively strain, when his mind is overspread with a cloud of gloomy thoughts, like locusts preying upon it. This shows how wrong our judgment of persons may be, and enjoins us, “not to judge by outward appearance, if we would judge righteous judgment." And how different do we appear by our words and actions, to what we are internally! And how impossible it is for us to know our hearts, without closely examining our thoughts; and equally impossible to govern our hearts, without much attention to the offspring of them;-our first thoughts.

No. CLXXX.-SUPPOSED STRENGTH.

A GOOD man oft thinks, in the absence of temptation, that he is strong, and can resist one if it comes; and when temptation is present, he thinks he should be happy, if God would remove it.— The temptation departs, and he sinks into languor and inactivity. It is true, he is not now in any sensible danger of falling into that sin; but then he is unable to rise to God. Both these instances prove human weakness; and the necessity, reality, and importance of the Holy Spirit's power and grace. Sometimes the mind may suppose, that if God would withdraw the temptation, it should obtain strength in the absence of it to resist its next approach. But alas! it finds itself deceived, for when it is disturbed by temptation, and a fair opportunity offers for conquering it in the root; the very opportunity itself becomes a burden. This answers good ends, if sanctified as first-it removes the presumption that a person may yield to a temptation, as far as he. thinks right, or convenient, and then escape from it; but when a man finds the presence of the temptation leads him beyond his intention, and that the absence of