"O race of vipers, and the very scum

"Of sinful earth! who from the wrath to come "Has warn'd you, vilest of the vile, to flee? "Or brought your late, unhallow'd steps, to me? "Let righteous fruits t'adorn your lives appear, "And prove your proffer'd penitence sincere. "Think not to Heaven's high favour to aspire, "Boasting that faithful Abram was your sire! "God from these stones can raise a chosen race, "Worthy the Patriarch's name, which ye disgrace. "Lo, I baptize you in the mystic wave, ("Emblem of grace,) but vain my power to save. "Behold yon rising sun's rejoicing light "Dispersing all the shades of gloomy night: "Darkness and terror from the earth are fled, "And life and beauty smiling in their stead: "Wak'd by the influence of the glorious rays, "The joyous birds resound their grateful lays.

"Thus shall a Mightier you with fire baptize, "And on your souls the Sun of Life arise."Before that pure, and purifying ray, "Error, and sin, and guile shall flee away; "A holy life your future days shall grace,

"And your glad songs his saving love shall praise. "But the same fire, with dread, avenging power, "Shall hypocrites, with all their hopes, devour."

What was the quantity of Spirit necessary to believe, Mamma?

Your question is a very able one, my love; for the very same was put to the Lord himself by his disciples. The Spirit, my dear child, is compared to a seed; that is, when once received, God is in the heart. It does not appear suddenly in the conduct of man; for it is like seed, which takes some time to generate in the earth, and then to appear out of the earth, and then to flower and to bear fruit; but once planted, it is sure to appear in its proper season. It is a great comfort to Christians to know that this is the case, because it shows, that when once we are called by the saving of his Spirit, we are adopted, and shall never be lost; for having once redeemed us, so will he for ever preserve us. So this is the great advantage we have over Adam; he had not this preserving power of God in the Spirit of Christ.

Was this the answer that the Lord gave to his disciples, Mamma?

It was more explicit and beautiful, my love. Alluding to the progress of the seed once sown in the heart by the Spirit, Christ observed: "He that hath, to him shall be given." Alluding, my love, to faith, repentance, and works, which are the fruits of that which he hath. And he said, So is the kingdom of

God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear; after that, the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come." So you see, my love, it was Christ that sowed the seed in our hearts; it is he who cultivates it; and when it is ripe, then he takes us to himself: so that Christ will not lose the labour of his hand, no more than he who culti vates his land. Our beloved Lord continued his parable: "And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed which is sown in the earth, which is less than all the seeds that be in the earth; but when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."

How beautiful the comparison! For no sooner does the grace of God grow in the heart, than he who possesses it, becomes the father, the friend, and the succourer of the fatherless, the widow, and the destitute, under the shadow of his roof.

But, Mamma, trees sometimes perish. Can old trees bear fruit?

My dear child, the old tree perisheth; but before its dissolution, it may give off seed, and a new tree is produced. Our precious Lord beautifully illustrates this. It is mentioned, that there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, who came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. On which, Jesus replied, that except a man be born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. "How can a man be born again, when he is old," questiontioned the ruler;" can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, (alluding to baptism,) he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again. Light is come into the world," (our beloved Lord is called the light, the Spirit is light,) and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil: for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be

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reproved; but he that doeth truth cometh to the light. It means, my dear, Christ, being the light,the fountain, and the Spirit, that those who come to him will receive the Spirit of Truth, which is holiness: therefore, possessing the Holy Spirit, he is born again. He no longer lives in darkness, that is, in ignorance of God; but in the light, that is, the knowledge of God. No man would expose his thoughts to be scrutinized by the world; therefore he would avoid that light, unless he be a subject of Christ: then he earnestly seeks the light, and is ready to declare himself to the world, in the hopes by so doing he may bring others to Christ. So you perceive, my child, a Christian by principle, and a Christian by name, are as opposite to each other, as darkness is to light. The former bears all kind of reproachful names from the latter, because the former has received this new birth, and enters no longer into the giddy ways, midnight revels, folly, and vanities of a sinful world; but, by seeking God, is blessed, and is a blessing. The same dear friend who gave me the lines on the Morning in the Wilderness of Judea, sent me also the following descriptive of this subject.