a master, servant, husband, wife, parent, child, &c.-Eph. v. 22 to vi. 9; Col. iii. 18. to iv. 2. Do I dread sin and its consequences as the greatest of all evils, as opposed to my present and future happiness, and as tending to involve me in everlasting destruction?-Rom. iii. 23.; vi. 23. Am I, indeed, sorry for my past sins, and are they as a heavy burden too heavy for me? And do I believe that they would sink me into despair and ruin, if they were not forgiven by God?-Psalm xxxviii. 4, 18. Do I live in the habitual neglect of any one duty, or in the wilful commission of any one act of impiety? Psa. cxix. 101, 104.; James, ii. 10. Is there no worldly care, interest, or indulgence; no evil passion or vicious inclination, that hinders my spiritual progress, and overcomes me more easily than other sins?-Heb. xii. 1. Am I careful to abstain from all appearance of evil, and to act uprightly, both in public and in private?-1 Thess. v. 22. Do I set the Lord always before me? Have I never forgotten the Lord my Maker?-Psalm xvi. 8.; Isa. li. 13. Is there not iniquity in my heart? Does my heart rejoice in the Lord? —Psalm lxvi. 18.; Hos. iv. 8.; Zech. x. 7.; Phil. iii. 1. Is not my mind polluted with impure and unchaste desires, which, although concealed from men, are abominable in the sight of God?Prov. xxiv. 9.; Hab. i. 13. Do I offend God and man, by pride, anger, malice, hatred, revenge, or lust?-Proverbs, xvi .18.; Eph. iv. 31.; 1 Peter, ii. 1.; Lev. xix. 18.; Rom. xii. 19.; James, i. 15. Am I tender of my neighbour's reputation? Do I not needlessly expose his faults?-Titus, iii. 2.; James, iv. 11. Do I ever converse with my Christian brethren upon religious topics?-Deut. vi. 6. Does not filthy, obscene, or corrupt communication, proceed_out of my mouth?-Col. iii. 8.; Eph. iv. 29. Am I diligent in business, and temperate in all things? - Prov. xxii. 29.; 1 Cor. ix. 25. Do I speak the truth on all occasions? Am I honest, upright, and sincere in my dealings with other men?-Psalm xv. 2.; Rom. xii. 17.; 1 Thess. iv. 6. Do I act upon this important Christian precept: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them?Matt. vii. 12. my Does character resemble that of the proud and self-righ teous Pharisee, or that of the humble and penitent Publican?----Luke, xviii. 9—14. Are my hopes of eternal glory built on Jesus Christ, as the only foundation? Do I trust in Him, as the only anchor of my soul; the only Rock of my salvation; my only Redeemer, Mediator, Advocate, and Intercessor with God? Do I confide in him, as the only propitiation for sins? And do I believe in him, as the Lord our Righteousness, Emmanuel, God with us?-1 Cor. i. 30. iii. 11. x. 4. ; Heb. vi. 19. vii. 25.; Psalm xcv. 1.; Jer. xxiii. 6. l. 34.; 1 Tim. ii. 5.; I John, ii. 1, 2.; Matt. i. 23. Have I reason to hope and to be persuaded, that I am actuated by the quickening Spirit of God, and that that Spirit beareth witness with my spirit that I am a child of God? Do I not resist and grieve that Spirit?-John, vi. 63. Rom. viii. 16.; Acts, vii. 51; Eph. iv. 30. There is but a step between me and death: Has the closing day brought me nearer to heaven or to hell? What is the state of my soul towards God?-1 Sam. xx. 3. God may require my soul of me this night: Am I prepared to obey 30 displeasure;-Matt. xxv. 1, 15.; Rom. xv. 13.; Heb. x. 27. Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord of Hosts.Jer. ii. 19. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.-Rom. vii. 24, 25. MORNING AND EVENING CONSIDERATIONS. MORNING, "As for me, I will call upon God; and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning, and at noon will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice."-Psalm lv. 16, 17. "When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime."-Dan. vi. 10. "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."-Mark, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the Psalm way everlasting." cxxxix. 23, 24. If any man begins and ends the day, without feeling a strong impulse of devotion, and a warm and affectionate sense of gratitude to God, he has reason to suspect the inclinations of his heart, and to fear that he is unacquainted with the true spirit of piety. If, although permitted again to behold the light of the sun, and although awakened from sleep, and in the enjoyment of health and safety, he neglects to dedicate the first moments of the day to prayer, praise, and other devout exercises; and if, when darkness is spread around, he consigns himself to his usual repose, without previously beseeching God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, to pardon his sins, and to vouchsafe, at all times, the gracious and necessary influences of the Holy Spirit; if any man lives thus without serious meditation and earnest prayer; if he does not, on all proper occasions, make known his wants to his heavenly Father; if he does not avail himself of the condescension, mercy, and love of his Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer, he has no knowledge of the joy and peace of a truly religious frame of mind, no prudent care or love of his immortal soul, no real desire to preserve an upright and approving conscience, and no sacred awe or reverence of the power, goodness, wisdom, holiness, and majesty of God. The inhabitants of the humble cottage are earnestly and affectionately exhorted to cultivate piety and submission towards God; and, on every proper occasion, to pray to him in secret, with their families, and with their Christian brethren in his house. Happy are those poor, from whose dwellings the voice of supplication, praise, and thanksgiving, continually ascends to the throne of grace. Happy are those fathers and mothers, whose hearts are filled with the love of their divine Redeemer; who take delight in approaching to God, and have no greater joy than to see their children walking in truth. Choose you this day whom ye will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.3 John, 4.; Josh. xxiv. 15.; Isa. lviii. 2. wrath; but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."-1 Thess. v. 8-10. “Wherefore we labour, that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.". 2 Cor. v. 9, 10. "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet."-Prov. iii. 24. He who pretends that he cannot find time to pray to God for spiritual mercies, to read and meditate upon the Holy Scriptures, to commune with his own heart, to humble himself before his Maker, or in any way whatever to consult the interests of his soul; will find, it is probable, that he has time to endure the afflictions of this life, without receiving any comfort from the consolations of religion; and will also find, unless he repent, whilst repentance can be accepted, that, even when time shall be no longer, he has to suffer the punishment justly due to his sins. The gay and thoughtless, the busy and the worldly, trifle away the few days allotted to their existence here, and live as if there would be no future and eternal state; but the faithful Christian, however exalted or humble his station, always acts as in God's presence, and looks up to him in every part of his conduct; he earnestly prays that he would so teach him to consider the shortness and uncertainty of the present life, and the proportion of it which is already past, as to direct his constant attention to the cultivation of heavenly wisdom. Although our blessed Lord has not thought proper to make known to us the particular day of our death, or the manner in which we shall die, he has left us without excuse if we be unprepared; for he has solemnly admonished us to take heed, to watch and pray; and has assigned as a reason for this continued watchfulness, the uncertainty of the time-for ye know not when the time is. The hour of our death cannot be far distant; many of our fellow-creatures have been unexpectedly called this day into the unknown world, and it may be that our sun is even now setting; and that before the dawn of an other day we may sleep in death; at the midnight hour the alarm may be given; Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Watch ye therefore; for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning; lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching.Matt. xxv. 6.; Mark, xiv. 3335.; Luke, xii. 37. CARMEN NATALE. "Tis come-the fulness of that promis'd hour, When He, "whose goings forth were from of old," See in the east his seraph Star arise? What precious gifts attend the God-born child! Through him each jarring attribute shall meet In perfect love, in harmony complete! Mercy and Truth are knit in firm embrace; Justice, appeas'd, now shares her throne with Grace: By Him the price of our redemption paid; Rejoice, ye ransom'd! you your God hath freed Peal the loud anthem of forgiving love, To "man forgiven" belongs a grateful strain, He who is most forgiven, should love and praise the most. J. S***. ON THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT.-ROM. VIII. 16. WE have received several communications on this important passage, in consequence of the remarks of D. R. in our number for March, p. 94. Perhaps the following extracts may retain the most important ideas. We should gladly insert more did our limits allow. Sir,-In offering an opinion upon this passage, I feel sensible, that many of your readers are far better able to treat the subject than myself; and that some degree of explanation is, therefore, due on my part for venturing in this instance to take up the pen. I shall only observe, that when I sit down to study the Scriptures for my own private edification, the familiarity which I have acquired with them, from frequently reading and expounding, often prevents me from giving that close application and serious attention to them which is necessary in order to profit: I take it too decidedly for granted, that I understand the mind of the Spirit" as I pass on; and am not always sensible where the real difficulty of a passage exists. I feel a similar hindrance when I read a commentary together with the text: it saves us the trouble of thinking for ourselves; and though we determine not to lean to any man's system, we imperceptibly contract our author's mode of interpretation; if for no other reason, because we have not formed one for ourselves. In order, therefore, that I may not read the word of God in a superficial manner, my plan at present is to take a Gospel, or Epistle, or any other select portion of the Bible, and reading it in the original text without note or comment, I translate, paraphrase, and expound the whole, committing it to writing as I proceed; and when I have finished the Gospel or Epistle, I refer to commentators for the pur pose of seeing in what particulars I differ, and, after due consideration, amend my own opinions. This I find an effectual method of compelling my attention to the sacred text; and whilst I am continually led to perceive a beautiful harmony and connexion in passages wherein I had not noticed it before, I hope I may not be thought presumptuous, if, together with your correspondent D. R. I sometimes persist in differing in opinion from eminent divines. I have been thus particular, because, as I have met with individuals who have experienced the same obstacles to study which I have mentioned, they may be induced to try the method I have also described for preventing the inconvenience; and I feel persuaded, that every person who will thus paraphrase and interpret for himself (whether he read the Hebrew, Greek, or English text), and when he comes to difficult passages will ponder them for a day or two before he gives them up, satisfying himself with a slow progress, and always reading and studying in a spirit of prayer;-I say I feel persuaded, that he will find the plan attended with especial benefits, even though he may not always arrive at a complete understanding of his subject, And a further motive for being particular in this respect is, that it forms my apology for replying to D. R. I have lately been through the Epistle to the Romans in this way; and though I am far from supposing that my view of the passage in question must be correct, yet, as it too frequently happens, that those who might give more satisfactory expositions are, from one reason or other, prevented from writing, so it may prove the case in this instance; and I am unwilling that the matter should altogether drop. |