ceived the "faithful and true sayings of God," he possesses certain knowledge whereby he is enabled to "judge" with a firmness and decision which looks like presumption to those who know not the grounds of his confidence. "Prove all things, hold fast that which is good." "The spiritual man judgeth all things."

And in order that there might be a recognized source of such knowledge for the Church, in its own peculiar dispensation, preeminence was given to the Apostolic office;-He set in the Church FIRST, Apostles. They only WRITE as legislators to the Church, and even when visions and revelations were the daily portion of a united Church, they had authority to direct the exercise of the immediate gifts of the Spirit ;-"Let the prophets speak by two or at most by three." "If there be no interpreter let him keep silence." "If any man be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I WRITE unto you are the commandments of the Lord." And without entering into the question as to the limitation of the Apostles' number, it is sufficient practically to remember, that he who is an Apostle must have "the signs of an Apostle."

Whilst, therefore, we unequivocally say that the flesh profiteth nothing, and ascribe all that is blessed in effect, to the ministry of the Holy Spirit, let us not forget the instruments whereby He is pleased to fulfil His work. When first He bringeth into peace, it is by the message which God hath sent respecting His Son; for it is written, "Faith cometh by the report, and the report by the word (or saying) of God;" and again, "It pleased God by the

foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." He loveth to multiply the number of instrumental agents, for so the effects of blessing are more widely spread, and the Giver, the instrument, and he who receives, can rejoice together.

CHAPTER XXIV.

PRACTICAL TRUTH.

Among those who may be convinced of the importance of the errors taught in the preceding extracts, there will be need of a jealous watchfulness, lest, from an exclusive regard to doctrine, they should be led in any way to evade the force of the testimonies which many of the early Friends stedfastly bore against the practical corruptions of the professing Church. Doctrines, howsoever true, cannot constitute a Church of Christ. It consists of living members, even those of whom it is written, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a peculiar people;" and doctrines only answer the intended end so far as they practically separate the children of the kingdom from the children of the world.

He who believes that through the blood of the Lord Jesus he is placed in the position of a forgiven child, before his heavenly Father, and that he is hereby privileged to use the mammon of unrighteousness in such a way as for

its use to be remembered in that world where even a cup of cold water shall by no means lose its reward;-such a one will feel little satisfaction in wasting his substance in the present gratifications of selfishness, according to the habits of the world; for he will be trading for the world to come: and they, who feel the blessedness of the mercy without judgment which they have found in the cross of Jesus, will feel little disposed to question that the precepts of the Sermon on the Mount are intended to lead them to the manifestation of the same fulness of meekness and condescending mercy which they have had exhibited towards themselves. And they, who truly and experimentally know that the flesh profiteth nothing, will shrink from the contamination of every system which tends to invest the world with the garments of the Church, to put the praises and prayers of believers into the mouth of an ungodly world, and to clothe carnal and unenlightened men with the authority of ministers of Christ.

The testimony of the early Friends against the idle fashions of the world-against war; and the apostasy-i. e. the departure of the professing church from the simple principles of the New Testament, was grounded in truth: and if we exercise a less rigid judgment than Barclay upon such evils as are detailed in his remarks on the state of the professing church, (Prop. x, sec. 5, &c.) we must not expect to carry with us the blessing of the Lord.

Yet whilst I gladly acknowledge whatever is shewn to be morally in accordance with the precepts of Christ, yet I would again repeat, that the Holy Spirit is not only a Spirit of holiness but a Spirit of truth: and these things

cannot be separated. How little any moral precepts can effect, when separated from the truth of the gospel, is shown by the utter failure of the principles of the Friends in delivering from mercantile, political, and I would add literary worldliness; for he who can find delight in the writings of any one who writes not as a servant of Christ Jesus, is as much in the world, as if he were absorbed in its openly ungodly pleasures. The children of wrath are marked as gratifying not only the pleasures of the flesh, but also the pleasures of the MIND.

CHAPTER XXV.

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ON PRESERVATION.

"Such an increase and stability in the truth may in this life be attained, from which there cannot be a total apostasy." (Barclay, Prop. ix.)

REMARKS.

Where is such a sentiment to be found in the scriptures? Where is the believer ever represented except as one whose blessing is to rest like a little child upon the guidance of its parent's hand, allowed to shun the responsibility of living independently upon its own resources?

Whenever the stability of the saints has been really put to the trial, they have been found to fail, even in those very graces for which they were most remarkable.

G

Abraham was remarkable for his faith; in this he was tried, and his faith failed in the matter of Sarah.

Moses was the meekest of men; yet intemperate anger was the very sin for which he was punished.

Job was distinguished for his patience; yet he was tempted to curse the day of his birth,

Peter was remarkable for his affectionate attachment to our Lord; yet he denied Him with an oath in the hour of His affliction. Surely these things are not written in vain; they are, to a believer who knows the plague of his own heart, a living exemplification of the necessity of being kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation," if any are to be saved at all.

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necessary

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We cannot read the epistles to the Ephesians and Colossians, without plainly seeing that there is a Church whom the Lord will surely present unto Himself in glory. There may be false professors-in every visible church there doubtless are many; and therefore to every visible church such a warning as this is suitable and "Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left of entering into His rest any of you should seem to come short of it." There may be many who tremble like Felix, or who have the spirit of prophecy like Saul, or who know the powers of the world to come like Balaam, when he saw the future goodliness of the tents of Jacob and the tabernacles of Israel, and said, "Let my last end be like his;" but there are also some who are "born of God," (1 John, v, 1.) and where is the scripture that saith that he that is born of God can ever fall away? On the contrary, it is written, "My sheep shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand."-" Whom He justified, them He also glorified.”