spirits; the glorified, and the condemned; and there are but two divisions of men on earth,

they that serve God, and they that serve him not." The service of God is perfect freedom, -freedom-not from the attacks of Satan, but from his deception; freedom—not from the holiness of the law, but from its condemnation; freedom of access to a throne of grace, of entrance into the kingdom of glory; "him that offereth me praise (saith the Lord) honoureth me;" therefore the liberty of a child of God is the liberty of love; the highest privilege of a finite being, is that of love to the Infinite Author of his existence. We may mingle with those who assemble to keep holyday, we may repeat a form of sound words, and join in the ceremonies and ordinances of devotion; yet all this amounts to no more than the homage of the mind; not the worship and praise of the heart: many wish to propitiate justice by atonement and extenuation, and on such principles we may outvie each other, calculating our progress of success by the alarms of conscience, and accounting the deficiency supplied, as we bring materials to liquidate the date; from whence arises

that language which the LORD has so strongly reprobated, "stand by thyself, I am holier than thou;" it is in effect saying, I have done more to justify myself, and to entitle me to the divine acceptance, than others with whom I stand on an equal footing as to guilt! "These are a smoke in my nostrils, a fire that burneth all the day.”—Is. lxv. 5. How descriptive of a nauseous and suffocating incense, from which the Lord turns aside! Thousands are thus instigated by the pride of nature," to offer the sacrifice of fools," and not until the hour of their regeneration do they, nor is it possible that they should, apprehend the insult offered to the Majesty of heaven; and when brought under the outpouring of spiritual baptism, all constrained selfish worship appears in its nature deformity; every prayer is then drenched in repentance, condemned alike with every act of transgression; while the channel of our tears must be washed from inherent pollution, by the blood of the "Lamb of God!" May I say that grace, as an act of Jehovah, is manifested in two component parts? "The free favour of God (or grace) is evidenced to

sinners in teaching them progressively of their guilt and guiltiness, as fallen creatures; and in proportion to their acquirement of this solemn lesson, they grow into the knowledge and revelation of Jesus Christ, as the Saviour of all who put their trust in him: "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me," here is Christ's proclamation of peace; "and whosoever cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out;" here is Christ's warrant given for our confidence in him.

The reconciliation of man to God is barred by unbelief, springing up from the rank soil of an evil heart; this desperate condition is the state of every soul born into this world; and if the bolts which secure his prison are not forced back, and the chain knocked away, he lives hardened in iniquity, and dies confirmed in enmity against God and holiness. To set the prisoner free, to still the accusing voice of conscience, and to plant love, where only hatred grew, is the work of no human or angelic power, but the sole and entire office of God the Holy Ghost, ordained from everlasting, eternal in its duration, and supernatural in all its influences. Our Lord does not say ye may, or

ye can, but "ye must be born again." Jesus does not refer us to any means by the use of which this mercy is to be obtained; nor to any merit within us, from whence it will emanate; but he simply makes an important assertion, the verity of which is proved by the regeneration of every sinner brought into a life of grace, and received into a life of glory.

The observances of religion have no efficacy, whereby to procure spiritual blessedness; yet in denying that means of grace aid us in our attainment of salvation, we should be anxious to preserve them in their right position; we find they have a scriptural assignment; these things accompany salvation, they are assimilated with the health of our souls; they are the lattices and windows, through whose medium the Lord appoints an interview with his people. It is not the ministry, but the gospel it declares, which has an awakening power. "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."-Rom. x. 17. The preacher and his auditors are assembled under the secret purposes of Jehovah, and in conformity to his revealed will. "Grace is an attribute of God, one creature may be used as an instrument to

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convey the agency of that attribute to another; but it is not inherent in him, nor is it in his power to use it when, or how, or where he pleases."—Searle's Essays.

Seasons of prayer, profitable reading, suitable scriptures, repentance for sin, joy in believing ; these frames and gifts are all providentially appropriated; we give them too much in calculating the grace of God by their testimony, and we give them too little in not joining their witness to our salvation.

The Holy Spirit announces to us his own sign, whereby we discern our acceptance in the beloved, " knowing brethren, beloved, your election of God; for our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in much assurance."-1 Thess. i. 4, 5. Fearfulness is no scriptural token; rather it is the work of Satan, craftily winning upon the old nature, to impede the dominion of the new. In such devices, resisted in the name of the Lord, every step of the path of grace is contested unto death. When the adversary finds that an offensive weapon is valiantly encountered, he will prepare a snare; if unbelief does not cloud our comfort, presumption may inflate