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his living devotions may be "a savour of lif" He studies hardto bring forth, as a well-instructed scribe," a well-instructed scribe," "things new, as well as old:" for he detests the sin of" serving God with that which cost him nought." But, knowing the insufliciency of means, he gives himself more entirely to prayer for the blessing than any of those who, under pretence of trusting to the Spirit of God, never study at all. In prayer, his delightful and exalted devotions remind us of God's High Priest, pouring sweet incense on burning coals. One part of the Sabbath he always expounds some book of Scripture to the people. In preaching, he speaks with the simplicity of one who studies to make things plain to the miad, and with the fervour of him who longs to communicate to others his own devout and ardent feelings. He faithfully discri minates the different characters of his hearers, and treats the ap plications as the most important part of his sermons. He frcquently attends private meetings for prayer and religious conference, that by his presence they may be well managed and well attended. The charge of the great. Shepherd ever sounds in his ears, "Feed my lambs." Oh! if you were to see him amidst the children, while catechizing, or preaching to them, how would your hearts melt to see the tender pastor gather these lambs in his bosom, and feed them with the sincere milk of the word! He considers church-discipline as an ordinance which Christ has instituted for salvation; so that he attends to it as the execu❤ tion of the laws of Zion's King. There lies on the desk, in his study, a complete list of his flock, with this motto: Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. Hence he pays his constant pastoral visits to every house. Each family feels their minister to be their acquaintance and friend. But his saying is, " Whoever is neglected, the sick must be visited; for then, as Job says, God maketh the heart soft,' and I must seek to make on it divine impressions." Yet, with all this attention to his own charge, he is a cosmopolite; and other churches, nay the whole world, is the better for his la bours. The death of such a pastor, who shall describe? There was found among his papers a farewell-address to his flock, which being read at the close of his funeral sermon, produced such an effect, that, like Samson, he did more execution at his death than even in his life.

ON SOBRIETY.

SOBRIETY is both the ornament and the defence of a Christian. It is requisite in every situation, and in every enterprize; indeed, nothing can be done well without it. The want of Sobriety is seen and felt by multitudes every day. Without Sobriety, a man is exposed to the tossing of the merciless waves, destitute of an anchor. Sobriety is a security against the banefal influence of turbulent passions; it is self-possession, it is zelf-de

fence. It is necessary on all occasions: when we read, when we hear, when we pray, when we converse, when we form schemes, when we pursue them, when we prosper, when we fail. Sobriety is necessary for all descriptions of character; it is necessary for the young, and for the old; for the rich, and for the poor; for the wise, and for the illiterate; all need to be sober." The necessity of Sobriety is obvious.

1. In our enquiries after truth, as opposed to presumption.

One of the greatest gratifications of a rational being is connected with a discovery of truth. How pleasing is the exercise, by comparing, examining, and adjusting, to bring forth a truth that lay concealed from a more transient and superficial glance; and every new discovery stimulates to make fresh attempts. Stupid minds are total strangers to the mental pleasure and delight which a diligent enquirer after truth enjoys. But, alas! in this imperfect state, every laudable exercise must necessarily have its bounds. After all our discoveries, what an infinite variety of subjects remain involved in inexplicable mystery; and yet, vain man is ever prone to break over the bounds which Jehovah hath set to his enquiries. The mind of man is capable of being stretched only to a certain degree; and where we find our powers fail, it becomes us to be sober. The want of sobriety hath led many to scepticism; desirous of knowing every thing, they have not enjoyed the knowledge of any thing.

2. Sobriety is necessary in our pursuit of this world, as op-. posed to covetousness.

It is one of the greatest acquisitions (as to this life), to be able to make a proper estimate of the quantity of earthly things that is necessary for a man. If a man's desires were regulated by his real necessities, they would not be stretched any thing like so far as the desires of the generality of mankind are; "Having food and raiment," he would" be therewith content."-" Man wants but little, nor that little long." But most men are deceived by false opinions; they suffer their desires to drive them on the dangerous ocean, and they are drowned in perdition and destruction; for the love of money is the root of all evil." When covetousness conquers a man, it wastes his time, frets his soul, binds generosity in chains; it blinds his eyes to the sight, and stops his ears to the cries of misery. Sobriety is desire regulated ; a sober man can bear disappointments, his mind is delivered from anxious cares; he is preserved from a thousand evils to which covetousness naturally leads.

B. Sobriety is necessary in the use and estimate of the things of this world, as opposed to excess.

This is the opposite extreme. Some men let loose their hearts in the pursuit of this life; others deluge their souls in excess and abuse of the things of the world. Man is allowed the use of earthly good things; but an abuse of them is prohibited. "Use the world as not abusing it; for the fashion of this world passeth away." Mankind are in danger of excess; to prevent which,

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sobriety is necessary. Few men properly estimate the world; they value themselves by their earthly possessions, and hence they overrate themselves. If a wise man weighs another, he puts not a mite of his earthly property into the scale; he weighs the man, and not his riches. It is the fool's balance that makes money of any importance in determining the value of any man. True piety alone is valuable, and that only is of importance in constituting a justly admired character.

4. Sobriety is necessary in trials and afflictions, as opposed to impatience.

Christians are taught to expect tribulation in this life; and when trials are experienced, there is great need of sobriety. Afflictions are "not joyous, but grievous." Often the reason of them is hid from our sight; and, under painful events, it is found no easy thing to endure without murmuring and impatience. Job wanted sobriety when he said, "Let the day perish wherein I was born." Jonah wanted sobriety, when he said, "I do well to be angry, even unto death." Christians, are you tried and greatly afflicted?- remember, that all your afflictions are the immediate appointment of God. You have deserved infinitely more than you suffer; and "why should a living man coniplain?" Be not rash to censure and condemn the conduct of the Almighty as cruel; there is a "needs-be" for all you are called to endure. Sobriety, under trials, cools and calins the mind, and leads a man to exercise his reason; it leads the Christian to exercise his faith, and prevents murmuring and impatience, which so much dishonours God.

5. Sobriety is necessary in forming our judgment of others, as opposed to censoriousness.

The judgments of most men are warped by prejudice; and hence the reputation of numbers is cruelly wounded. Sobriety will lead to form a charitable opinion of those who may differ from us; it will make every justifiable allowance for education, circumstance, capacity, &c. Christianity is a generous system. Charity hopeth all things." The Christian Religion assimilates to God, and "God is love." An illiberal, censorious spirit bears no kind of analogy to the native spirit of Christianity. A snarling cur, a stinging reptile, a censorious bigot, how unlike the mind that was in Christ Jesus! "Be ye merciful, even as your Father who is in Heaven is merciful."

6. Sobriety is necessary in speaking of one's self, as opposed to egotism.

A Christian should carefully avoid whatever has the appearance of vainglorying and self-adulation. Self-flattery is the worst kind of flattery; nothing is more hateful than to hear any one sounding his own trumpet in praise of himself. There are some persons who can enjoy no conversation in which themselves are not often introduced as important characters. Sobriety eorrects this evil; a sober man thinks meanly of himself, and of

his attainments; he is not forward to speak of himself; and if he happens to hear himself commended by others, he discovers the blush of modesty, and is glad when his qualities are excluded from the conversation.

How much, then, should Christians labour to cultivate sobriety! Many motives might be urged upon them to this efercise. 1. The general language of Scripture. 2. Their profession as Christians. 3. The example of Jesus Christ. What contempt of the world! what patience and resignation under trials! what candour and benevolence, what self-denial, and what unfeigned humility marked the character of Jesus! The dignity of a Christian consists in conformity to Christ. 4. The near approach of death and judgment is urged by an Apostle as a powerful motive to sobriety. "The day of the Lord is at hand; be sober."—"Yet a little while and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness!"-"Be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." ZAIR.

ON THE SIN AND FOLLY OF

SEEKING SALVATION BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW.

For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. Rom. iv, 14.

A LATE venerable minister of the gospel hath well observed, That the substance of divine revelation is reducible to two points: 1st, What the law demands of those who would establish their own righteousness for justification before God; and, 2dly, What the gospel reveals to those who are divinely convinced that they have no merit of their own to bring before the Lord. And as it is for want of properly distinguishing those important points, that the false confidence of legal professors is too much encouraged, and the hearts of others depressed, who ought to take the comforts of the gospel, no apology can be necessary for attempting a few plain thoughts upon the subject, with a view to prove that it is equally sinful and absurd for the fallen sons of Adam to seek salvation by their imperfect obedience of that divine law, which, from the spi rituality of its nature, the extent of its requirements, and its righteous inflexibility, can only condemn them in the sight of an holy God; and this will appear, if the following considerations are duly regarded.

1. To seek salvation by the deeds of the law, is, in effect, to subvert the very nature and design of salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ, and to rob God of his glory: for, it is not by works of righteousness which we have done, but by grace that sinners

SEEKING SALVATION BY THE LAW.

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are saved; and that not of themselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast." Where is boasting then? It is excluded:by what law of works?nay, but by the law of faith."

2. On the ground of justification by works, the whole mediatorial work of Jesus, and the agency of the Holy Ghost, would be superseded altogether; hence the Apostle says, “I do not frustrate the grace of God; for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." The whole need not a physician, but them that are sick;" and experience proves, that Jesus is usually the last resource of a perishing sinner.

3. The doctrine of justification by works, necessarily involves this absurdity in it, That there are as many justifying righteousnesses, as there are justified persons; whereas the justifying righteousness of the church of God is one and the same. It is, as the Apostle in this chapter clearly shews, "righteousness without works" (i. e. a righteousness which human merit, either in whole or in part, has no share either in providing or procuring); it is like the seamless garment which the Saviour wore, 66 Woven from the top throughout +;" nor must one single thread of human merit ever come into its composition. Attend, my dear reader, to the testimony of Scripture on this point: "In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." -"Surely, shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness and strength.""This is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.". "For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

4. The fallacy of legal doctrines is obvious from their tendency, which is, to flatter the pride and feed the vanity of the carnal heart; whilst, on the contrary, divine grace, flowing freely to sinners through the blood and righteousness of God our Saviour, always humbles the subject of it in the dust, and leaves him nothing to glory in but the Lord; and in proportion as the glories of Immanuel strike their eyes, they sink deeper into self-abasement. Hence, when the father of the faithful approaches the throne of his covenant God, this is his language: "Let not God be angry, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes." Such an one cries, "I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant." In the view of God's immaculate perfections, Job exclaims, "Behold I am vile!" and the seraphic Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips!" Paul, the laborious suffering witness for Jesus, in the face of bonds, imprisonments, and death, attests, "By the grace of God I am what I am;" and, in this acknowledgment, the whole of God's chosen, regenerated, sanctified, and glorified church, with one heart and

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