nature, in the sight of God nothing but earth and ashes full of misery and wretchedness, by nature corrupt, the very enemy of God, a vessel prepared unto all dishonour, ignominy, shame, and perdition, contemned through sin, and shamed before all creatures; and yet now, with all these dishonours, by faith, he saith, the King of glory is his glory, and that the conqueror of all dishonour is his shield and buckler.

"On the other part, who can think or speak anything thankful to such a King of glory, and most mighty conqueror, that abhors not, by mercy, to be the honour and glory of so vile, sinful, and wretched a thing as man is? whose eyes see no filth in penitent sinners, whose presence refuses not the company of the sick and miserable, whose strength comforts the weak, whose mercy rejoices the comfortless, whose life expels death, whose health banishes sickness, whose love vanquishes hatred, whose immortality gives everlasting life, and who crowns us with endless pity and compassion in perpetual joys (Psalm ciii).

"Thus the Psalmist, after he had perceived the almighty God in Himself gloriously to be void of all troubles, dolours, and other adversities, and that He had also gloriously conquered the captains of all adversities, hell, death, Satan, and sin; he challenged by faith, and craved by God's promise, to be partaker of God's glory in this point. And, doubtless, he that can feel in his heart that God is his glory, shall take no dishonour nor shame by all the works of the devil, sin, or the world."-Hooper.

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ASSURANCE.

"Assurance of faith: "

HEBREWS X, 22.

"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day: 2 TIMOTHY 1, 12.

"In the covenant which God from all eternity entered into with His dear Son (Titus i, 2), there were a number given to Christ, to be His purchased possession (John xvii, 6). In behalf of these the Saviour stipulated, not only to redeem them by His blood, but also to keep them by His grace (John xvii, 12); and the Father also engaged, not only never to depart from them, but to secure them from ever finally departing from Him (Jer. xxxii, 40). Provision was made. for them, that they should have everything that pertained to life and godliness;' and the promises which assured these things to them, were made irrevocable (2 Cor. i, 20); so that their consolation might be made abundant (Heb. vi, 17, 18), and their salvation sure (Rom. iv, 16). On this covenant the Christian lays hold (Isa. lxiv, 4—6), and in an assured dependance on it he may say, 'I am confident of this very thing, that He who hath begun a good work in me will perform it until the day of Christ' (Phil. i, 6); and that nothing shall ever 'separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Rom. viii. 35-39). In this covenant David felt his security (2 Sam. xxiii, 5); and in this may

every believer trust, with humble, but unshaken confidence (2 Tim. i, 12; and iv, 8, 18)."-Simeon.

"Therefore I believe that we shall, every one, be preserved and kept, in Him, and for Him, according to His own Word. I dare boldly say, with our everlasting Saviour, Jesus Christ, that all the elect shall be preserved and kept for ever and ever. So then, none of them shall be damned at any time. They who say that any of them may be lost for ever, do as much as in them lieth to make (i.e. to represent) Christ unable to preserve and keep them; denying the power of Christ in so saying for He saith, He loveth His unto the end; which love remaineth and shall never be extinguished or put out; and is not as the love of man, which is sometimes angry, and sometimes pleased. God, at no time, is so displeased with any of His elect, to the end that He will deprive them of the purchased possession, which He hath laid up in store for them in Christ before, and were elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Christ which Lamb was killed from the beginning, according to God's Divine will and providence. Christ was ordained to die in the flesh; and all was for our sins. Christ was ordained in this respect, that the Father, seeing the fall of Adam, for that purpose only He ordained Christ, to the end that He might preserve a remnant of the posterity of Adam, even as it pleased His godly wisdom."-Toplady.

"It is peculiarly in the view of the glory of Christ in His approaches to us, and abiding with us, that we are made partakers of evangelical peace, consolation, joy, and assurance. These are a part of the royal train of His graces, of the reward wherewith he is accompanied: His reward is with Him. Wherever He is graciously present with any, these things are never wanting in a due measure and degree, unless

it be by their own fault or for their trial. In these things does He give the Church of His loves (Cant. vii, 12). For, 'if any man [saith He] loveth me, I will love him, and manifest myself to him' (John xiv, 21). 'Yea, I and the Father will come unto him, and make our abode with him' (verse 23), and that so as to 'sup with him' (Rev. iii, 20), which on His part can be only by our beholding the glory of Christ by faith (1 Pet. i, 9, 10). Let that glory be rightly stated as before laid down; the glory of His Person, His office, His condescension, exaltation, love, and grace; let faith be fixed in a view and contemplation of it, mix itself with it, as represented in the glass of the Gospel, meditate upon it, embrace it, and virtue will proceed from Christ, communicating spiritual supernatural refreshment and joy to our souls. Yea, in ordinary cases, it is impossible that believers should have a real prospect of this glory at any time, but that it will in some measure affect their hearts with a sense of His love, which is the spring of all consolation in them. In the exercise of faith on the discoveries of the glory of Christ made to us in the Gospel, no man shall ever totally want such intimation of His love, yea, such effusions of it in His heart, as shall be a living spring of those spiritual refreshments (John iv, 14; Rom. v, 5). When, therefore, we lose these things as to a sense of them in our souls, it is evident that the Lord Christ is withdrawn, and that we do not behold His glory." -Owen.

"Make your calling sure,' and by that your election: for that being done, this follows of itself. We are not to pry immediately into the decree, but to read it in the performance. Though the mariner see not the pole-star, yet the needle of the compass which points to it tells him which way he sails : thus, the heart which is touched with the loadstone of Divine love, trembling with godly fear, and yet still looking towards God by fixed believing, points at the love of election, and

tells the soul that its course is heavenward, towards the haven of eternal rest. He that loves, may be sure that he was loved first; and he that chooses God for his delight and portion, may conclude confidently that God hath chosen him to be one of those that shall enjoy Him and be happy in Him for ever; for that our love and electing of Him is but the return and repercussion of the beams of His love shining upon us."-Abp. Leighton.

"There is much the same difference between election and effectual calling, as between a private manuscript and a printed book. In election, God, as it were, wrote, and entered us in His heavenly register, but it is still kept by Him, and none know the contents but Himself; whereas, in effectual calling, God, as it were, prints off a sheet of the book of life, and publishes it, and makes it known to the soul."-Gurnal.

"Do I find in my heart a willingness to be with Him, as well here in His Word, ways, promises, directions, comforts; yea, in His reproaches and persecutions, as hereafter in His glory? Is it the greatest business of my life, to make myself more like Him, to walk as He also walked, to be as He was in this world, to purify myself as He is pure? Hath the terror of His wrath persuaded me, or shaken my soul out of its carnal security, and made me look about for a refuge from the wrath to come, and esteem more beautiful than the morning light the feet of those who bring glad tidings of deliverance and peace? Hath His Gospel a virtue to new form my nature and life daily unto His heavenly image? Is it an engrafted Word which mingleth with my conscience, and hideth itself in my heart, actuating, determining, moderating, and over-ruling it to its own way? Do I rejoice in Christ's light, walking as a child of light, living as an heir of light, going on like the sun unto the perfect day, labouring