of water, that her beloved would praise her and be delighted with her, that she may not be enquiring after her beloved.

But notwithstanding he is withdrawn for a season, she still describes him the chiefest among ten thousand, and all his beau ty is held up to view in every comparison that she can invent. This is my beloved and my friend, and may she sit under the shadow of the apple tree with great delight.

Oh that Christ would come into his garden, the church, and say,-Arise my love, my fair one and come away, for lo! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, and the time of the singing of birds is come and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.

PSALMS, CXIX, 126-127.

It is time for thee, Lord, to work, for they have made void thy law. Therefore I love thy commandments above gold, yea above fine gold.

The Psalmist could appreciate the love of God and his law above everything else, even gold or silver for that is what men value most, and will hazard their lives, and reputation, and even their souls for wealth; and when they are over anxious for the gold that perisheth, then ought we to make use of the language of the above Psalm. It is time for thee, Lord to work in our hearts and examine our motives, and see if we love the commandments of God above gold, yea, fine gold. When our minds are captivated with the things that perish, it is then we make void the law of God.

O God work like thyself, for thou art a wonder working God, it is time for thee to work or we never can be saved! May the Saints be quickened to love and keep thy law. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me, yet thy commandments are my delight.

I cried with my whole heart, hear me O Lord! I w ill keep thy statutes; again I cried unto thee, save me and I shall keep thy testimonies. It is no wonder the people of God are delighted with his law, for it is holy, just, and good. How can it be varied to make it better for us? O how love I thy law, it is my meditation day and night. It is full, it is complete, it is perfect, it is more to be preferred than rubies, yea than fine gold. I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for thy commandments. When we cry after a knowledge of the word, the spirit of God will direct us to a portion of the same, that will strengthen us, and comfort us. Thy word is very pure, therefore thy servant loveth it; for thy law is truth. My lips shall utter praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes. God is perfect and his laws are perfect also.

When the Lord shall work his people will tremble. Why? Because we have made void his law. Can we think he has forgotten what he hath said in regard to his law? Or that his wrath will always sleep? Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not thy statutes. The evil doers shall be cut off, they have plotted against the just. The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him, but the Lord will not leave him in his

hand

What care over them that love his law. He will not leave them in the hands of the wicked, but will never leave nor forsake those that keep and love thy testimonies. God is terrible in judgments and in power, how terrible art thou in thy works. Let the wicked perish at the presence of God, although Satan should rage and threaten to destroy, yet are the people of God safe. He will not suffer them to be harmed. Their salvation, and preservation, is not left entirely at the disposal of the creature, for we cannot save ourselves, nor keep ourselves without divine assistance. It is something beside a mere chance that Christ died. It is not an accident that the law was given, and when it is made void, the punishment will not be accidental or perhaps not at all, for the word is gone out and will not return void. Heaven and earth shall pass away but my word shall not pass away. But he that refuses and rebels shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. Thanks be to God that he has not left us to our own will, but has given us of his spirit to teach us the right way, and helps us to love and obey his commandments for they are life. To love God with all our hearts is more than whole

burnt offerings. Wait on the Lord and keep his way, and he shall exhalt thee to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off thou shalt see it. What a vast difference between the Saint and Sinner.

ON ISAIAH, LXI, 1.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek: he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound. To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn.

By this same spirit the prophet was made to see and foretell the coming of the Mesiah whose garments were dyed with red. He also discovered the condition of the Church that mourn, that they might be called Trees of Righteousness. The planting of the Lord that he might be glorified. When he shall come he shall build the old waste places, and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness and all kings thy glory. Say ye to the daughters of Zion,-Behold thy salvation cometh. And they shall call them Thy holy people, The redeemed of the Lord, and thou shalt be called Sought out. A City not forsaken.

Christ makes mention of the same Prophecy concerning himself, in Luxe iv-18, when he was in the Synagogue, he turned to the same place and read, and then declared that this day the Scripture was fulfilled in regard to himself, he had come to preach the gospel to the poor and the blind, and bring deliverance to the captives, and liberty to them that are bound.

What a glorious deliverance, when we were dead in trespasses

ins? Who can help making mention of his loving kind

ness. Sure they are my people, so he was their Soviour. Although he declared the day of vengeance, yet he will comfort all that mourn.

They shall be called a holy people or the redeemed of the Lord, and thou shalt be called, Sought out. A city not forsaken. Had he not special regard and care for his chosen people there could have been but one cry, and that would be,-Lost! Lost! inevitably lost!

But this was not the case; for they were astonished at his doctrine, for his word was with power. And they said,-Is not this Joseph's Son? He was a Nazarite and his custom was to read in the Synagogue on the Sabbath day, and how careful he was to turn to the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, &c. And when he closed the book and sat down, the eyes of all the congregation were fastened upon him. So great and powerful were his words, that the devils cried out, saying,-Thou art Christ the Son of God; and they desired to be let alone. The people rose up in order to thrust him out of the city, that they might cast him headlong down the brow of the hill. But he passed through the midst of them and went his way. How many are there who would wish him to depart out of their coasts, not willing to hear from his mouth his powerful doctrines. But it is hoped and believed there are some waiting still at his feet for instruction, and filled with the spirit, and calling him Abba Father. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparrel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Christ is the center of all our hopes and may we find fresh virtue in his blood. May we pause for a moment, and think what has been done for us. A living way has been opened for us. And is there not reason for deep humiliation of heart? Ought not we to be careful to give him our whole heart and affections. Take heed lest after ye have received the knowledge of the truth, ye wilfully sin, for God leaves nothing to our choice in matters of worship: we have nothing to do with the Iasraelitish worship under the law, but we are now the once purged worshippers, those alone being owned of God, not in the outer court, but in the temple itself.

ON HEBREWS, III, 12.

Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

This chapter commences by calling Christs' disciples holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling; and exhorts them to consider the great Apostle and High Priest of their profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, as was Moses in all his house. But Christ as a Son over his own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end.

The Holy Ghost saith,-To-day if ye hear his voice harden not your hearts, your fathers tempted me in the wilderness, wherefore I was grieved with this generation and said, they do always err in their hearts. So I swear in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest, then comes in the words above, -Take heed. But exhort one another daily, that ye be not hardened in sin. For some when they did hear provoked him.

But with whom was he grieved? And to whom swear he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

It becomes us to fear lest a promise being left to us, that any should come short of it, for if God spared not the natural branches, the Jews, we must be careful that he spare not us Gentiles.

Seeing then we have a great high priest that has passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. We should be careful how we profess a belief in Christ, and hold it fast; and let nothing turn our steady feet astray, but continue

I