grave-yard, which will be disturbed by the sounding of the trumpet. God will come near to such to judgment. Perhaps he may send his gospel, as he has not done before, and it will be preached with life, unction, and power; it will discover their folly, stir up their corruptions, and irritate their souls. They will oppose it, reject it, and very probably villify and misrepresent it. They will harden themselves in sin, silence an honest conscience within them, and shut their ears against God's testimony without them, until given up to judicial blindness. Or, they will be visited with fear, trembling, and surprise; and when it is too late, the door being shut, they will discover their want, as the foolish virgins did, that they had no oil, but must have it, or be excluded from the marriage feast for ever. Then they will make vain efforts to obtain, called going to buy; or sink into gloomy despondency and despair, and be finally punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and the glory of his

power.

Reader, let us carefully and thoroughly examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith or no. Let every man, as the apostle directs, prove his own work. If we have a religion, let us be sure that it is divine; that it will stand the great test; that it will secure our admission into glory at last. Whether it is God's religion, or only man's. A searching time is coming, when with lighted candles,

God will search the depths of the soul; and if a work of sanctification is not found there, if the image of Christ is not discovered there, if the divine nature is not there, all else will be rejected. We must be new created. We must be born of the Spirit. We must have Christ living in us. We must possess the Spirit as a hidden spring of water in the soul, springing up unto everlasting life. If we have not, when God comes to search with candles, we shall be detected, exposed, and punished. Punished for deceiving ourselves and others. Punished for neglecting the great salvation. Punished for professing what we never possessed. Punished justly, punished lawfully, punished eternally. For they shall have judgment without mercy, who trifled with mercy and braved the judgment of God, without a Saviour.

Sinful, and blind, and poor,
And lost without thy grace,
Thy mercy I implore,

And wait to see thy face;
Begging I sit by the way-side,
And long to know the crucified.

Jesus! attend my cry,
Thou Son of David, hear;
If now thou passest by,

Stand still and call me near:

The darkness from my heart remove,

And show me now thy pardoning love.

THE SECRET.

'Only Jonathan and David knew the matter." 1 SAM. XX. 39.

DAVID was in great danger from the jealousy and enmity of Saul. Jonathan had no suspicion of his father's design. But he agrees with David to endeavour to ascertain it, and to let him know. The plan was laid, Jonathan went to court, Saul manifested his murderous intention. Jonathan was grieved, and came out into the field with his armour bearer, to warn David by shooting an arrow, The lad was sent to gather up the arrows, and carry his master's instruments into the city; then David came forth, and Jonathan proved the depth of his friendship, and the constancy of his love. "The lad knew not any thing, only David and Jonathan knew the matter."

Jonathan was David's superior, being the king's son. His name signified, "given of God," or "the gift of the Lord." He was heir apparent to the throne. He may represent Jesus, who is the Son of God, the brightness of his glory, and heir of all things. He is also, God's unspeakable gift. And,

what a gift! A gift that comprehends every other gift, and comprehends every good thing. Its greatness is unsearchable. We are therefore warranted to conclude, that as God has given it, he will now freely give us all things, and it was given freely, without solicitation, and without desert. Given to be our Saviour, our portion, and our everlasting all. Given absolutely, to be for our good, and to be ours for ever.

He may

David was the son of Jesse, comparitively a poor man. His father was a farmer, or grazier, and David had kept his sheep. He was now driven out from his home, and sentenced to death by the king. But he was greatly beloved by the king's son. represent the sinner, quickened by the Spirit, but still under the law, and therefore condemned already. He is indeed poor. Yet he is beloved, and beloved, not by Jonathan, but by Jesus. Loved with a love more strong, more tender, and more lasting; and yet Jonathan loved David as his own soul. As David afterward sung, his love was wonderful, passing the love of woman. But the love of Jesus was more wonderful, for he loved us more than his own soul, and there fore he laid down his life for us.

The secret between David and Jonathan, consisted in a covenant of salvation, a plan to save David's life, an agreement to devise means, that he may not die, and there is such a secret between Jesus and us; and we may

trace out an analogy too.

Jonathan stood up before his father to plead for David, and Jesus stood up in the everlasting covenant, to plead for us: therefore it is said, “He made intercession for the transgressors." Jonathan shot the arrow from his bow to arouse, alarm, and inform David of his danger; and Jesus sent the arrow of conviction right home to our hearts, arousing, alarming, We were and informing us of our danger.

alive without the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and we died. Then all hope of salvation by works was given up, and the sentence of death was felt in all its dreadful power. The arrow of Jonathan, brought David out of his hidingSo, the place, to bow and weep before him. arrow of conviction, brought us out of our false refuges, and brought us to the feet of Jesus. There we confessed our sins. There we wept and deplored our lost condition, and there we sought for pardon. Only David and Jonathan were present, while Jonathan manifested his sympathy, and displayed the greatness of his love. So only Jesus and the sinner were together, when pardon was proclaimed, reconciliation was effected, and salvation was brought home. The sympathy of Jesus, excited the strongest hopes; but the love of Jesus, brought assurance and peace to the soul. Oh, how sweet was this first secret interview, between Jesus and the soul! How sweet, how pleasant the tears we