of the Jews could be settled, he had both a contest with the perverseness of his people, and the malice of his enemies. And his own Son must bleed and die, before the church of the Gentiles could be fixed. Men delight in that which cost them much pains and a great price -God hath been at too much pains, and Christ at too great a price, to have small delight in the church. Will he then let wild beasts break the hedge, and tread down the fruit of it? Shall not all things be ordered to the good of that which is the object of the greatest delight in the world?-Charnock.

THE POWER OF GRACE.

Seeds of grace, though mixed with a mass of corruption, cannot be overcome by it; as gold cannot be altered in its nature by the dross, or transformed into the nature of the rubbish in which it lies. Grace is surely weakest at the first infusion, when it is newly landed in the heart from heaven, when the devil and the wickedness of man's nature have taken the alarm, and drawn together all the armies of hell to hinder its progress; yet though it be thus in so weak a condition, indisposed to make a stout resistance, having got but little footing in the heart, and a man's own inclinations not

well reconciled to it, nor his evil apprehensions and notions fully exterminated, and the predominant corruptions that held the empire before, having received but their first wound, and being much unmortified, and grace also as yet but in a strange soil, not naturalized at all; yet is grace then so strong, that all the legions of hell cannot totally worst it: though it be like a grain of mustard-seed newly sown, yet it springs up into a mighty tree; for as the weakness of God is stronger than men, so is the weakness of grace stronger than sin in the · event and issue. The meanest grace is above the highest intellectual parts, as the smile of a sunbeam is more powerful to chase away the grim and sour darkness of the night, than the sparkling of a diamond. According to the degrees of its growth, its effects are wonderful; as a small spark, by a breath of wind growing into a flame, may fire and consume a spacious and stately building.—Charnock.

THE BIBLE AND THE BIBLE ONLY.

The Bible, I say, the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants. Whatsoever else they believe besides it, and the plain, irrefragable, indubitable consequences of it, well may they hold it as a matter of opinion; but as matter of faith and

religion, neither can they with coherence to their own grounds believe it themselves, nor require the belief of it of others, without most high and most schismatical presumption. I, for my part, after a long and (as I verily believe and hope) impartial search of the true way to eternal happiness, do profess plainly that I cannot find any rest for the sole of my foot, but upon this rock only. I see plainly, and with mine own eyes, that there are popes against popes, councils against councils, some fathers against others, the same fathers against themselves, a consent of fathers of one age against a consent of fathers of another age, the church of one age against the church of another age. Traditive interpretations of Scripture are pretended, but there are few or none to be found; no tradition but only of Scripture can derive itself from the fountain, but may be plainly proved either to have been brought in in such an age after Christ, or that in such an age it was not in. In a word, there is no sufficient certainty but of Scripture only, for any considering man to build upon. This therefore, and this only, I have reason to believe; this I will profess, according to this I will live, and for this, if there be occasion, I will not unwillingly, but even gladly lose my life, though

I should be sorry that Christians should take it from me. Propose me anything out of this book, and require whether I believe or no, and, seem it never so incomprehensible to human reason, I will subscribe it with hand and heart, as knowing no demonstration can be stronger than this-God hath said so, therefore it is true.-Chillingworth.

THE GRACE OF CHARITY.

Charity, or love, is a virtue which never goes alone, and is busied in solitary places, being reserved and excluded from the society and communion of other graces; but it is that which seasons, gives life and efficacy to, all the rest; without which, if it were possible for me to enjoy all the graces that the bountiful hand of God ever showered upon a reasonable creature, yet, if St. Paul speaks truth, I should be nothing worth it is that which fulfils all the commandments. This is evident to all that shall but slightly, and in haste, read over 1 Cor. 13th chap., beginning with verse 4, and so onwards; where we may behold almost all the virtues that can be named, enwrapt in one virtue of charity and love, according to the several acts thereof, changed and transformed into so many several

graces: it "suffereth long," and so it is longanimity (forbearance); it "is kind," and so it is courtesy; it "vaunteth not itself," and so it is modesty; it is not puffed up," and so it is humility; it "is not easily provoked," and so it is lenity; it "thinketh no evil," and so it is simplicity; it "rejoiceth in the truth," and so it is verity; it "beareth all things," and so it is fortitude; it "believeth all things," and so it is faith; it "hopeth all things," and so it is confidence; it endureth all things," and so it is patience; it "never faileth," and so it is perseverance. Chillingworth.

JUSTIFICATION.

Every heart that opens sincerely and evangelically to Christ, opens to him in deep humility and sense of its emptiness and unworthiness : all self-righteousness is given up as dung and dross. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Here is the true way of justification; when the imputed righteousness of Christ comes, all self-righteousness vanishes before it. By "him that worketh not," understand not an idle, lazy believer, that takes no care of the duties of obedience; no, an idle faith can never be a saving faith. But the