able at this day, that I think it were great indiscreetness for me to spare any speech that were likely to prevail. Nay, I would to God my life could win them the preaching of the Gospel. Our sickness is at the heart-it must not be dallied with-either present remedy or undoubted perdition.'

"In tears and with a trembling hand-Penry discloses the 'scars of spiritual misery' by which the fair form of his native land was so sadly disfigured. Thousands of our people'-he says, 'know Jesus Christ to be neither God nor man-priest nor prophet-almost never heard of him-O desolate and forlorn condition! Preaching itself, in many parts, is quite unknown. In some places, a sermon is read once in three months. Superstition of the most drivelling nature, alone keeps the mass of the population from a blank and cheerless atheism.

·

"This mournful condition of the people the Evangelical patriot traces mainly to non-residence, and unpreaching ministers-ignorant of the native language, and altogether unacquainted with the truths of the Gospel. Penry expresses his strong conviction, that for these complicated and deeply rooted evils, no remedy can be found in any political expedient. A conscience,' he says, must be wrought in the people; without this, their social regeneration is an impossibility. The Gospel alone, he contends, can meet the exigency-the Gospel preached in the mother tongue, and by men who have felt its power." These few words are enough to shew the character of the man of whom we have much more to say.

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN; THE BALM IN GILEAD,

(From "Asleep in Jesus," by S. Adams. Aylott & Co.) "THE harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt, I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?" (Jeremiah vii. 20-22.

Well might the prophet continue his prophecy, and say, "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people." The people of God were then in a very sad condition; with them the harvest was truly past, the summer ended, the balm

and the Physician wanting, and the wound in a most dangerous condition. But we shall find, that though they may be cast away, it is not for ever; for saith God, "A small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee." When the summer is ended, man looks for the ingathering of his labours-he expects to reap the corn which he not long since laboured to place in the ground. So God, after death, or at the end of the summer, will require us to give an account of the deeds done in the body.

The balm here, I take to mean the gospel, and the Physician, Christ. From whence comes this great Physician? "Behold," saith the prophet," the bright and morning star,"-not the bright and evening star, but the bright and morning star-not the sign of future night, but the omen of a future day-this is the great Physician in his infancy, for, as he lay in his mother's arms at Bethlehem "the wise men from the East saw the star and rejoiced"-they felt its healing influences. We will hear what the prophet says again, "Behold the day spring from on high hath visited us"-this is the great Physician in his childhood. We shall find him now arguing with the doctors at Jerusalem, hearing and asking them questions. What is said in Malachi ?-"To you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings"-now we see Christ in his manhood. We have traced him from his infancy. We have seen him first as a star, then as the day-spring, and, last of all, as the Sun, whose light eclipses all light. We must now follow him to that day when the Sun seemed ashamed to show its light, but rolled himself in dark clouds; the earth shook and trembled exceedingly, to see the Son of God suspended between the heaven and the earth; the rocks rent in sunder; the veil of the Holy of Holies was torn in twain; and Jesus, with a loud voice, as if carrying the echo of the earthquake back, exclaimed, "IT IS FINISHED!" Jesus died! And so this sun of ours set behind the scarlet clouds, and its ruddy beams were fast declining, which, like the blood of bullocks and rams, all ceased, when Christ our Mediator died. The shadows of evening draw on. We see a few pious persons engaged in wrapping up the body of the Saviour, and carefully placed it in a tomb. Here they left him. The moon was rising behind them, and, like the gospel, sent in its refulgent light through the earth, which will shine through the darkness of this world, till that morning without a cloud, when we shall rise to "meet the Lord in the air." We

will now look at the Church as seeking this great Physician, when she says, "By night on my bed, I sought him whom my soul loveth?" I sought him, but I found him not." This does not discourage her. She rises from her couch, and goes about the city-asks the watchman, saying, "Saw ye him who my Lord loveth?" It was but a little that she passed from them that she found him who her soul loved. She would not let him go, but held him till he blessed her. Like Jacob, she said. "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.' What a cure to the wound to have the blessing of Christ. It is balm to the wounded, given by this great Physician. How different the Church of Christ uses this balm, when compared to the church of Babylon, as written in Jer. li. 8, 9; "Take her balm for her pain, if so be she may be healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed: forsake her." What an awful annunciation! Who can imagine anything more dreadful than to be forsaken of God? To read over this chapter in Jeremiah, we see the curse God has pronounced on her for her conduct. He will make her a "desolation without an inhabitant; a dwelling-place for dragons; till a millstone shall be hanged about her, and she be cast headlong into the bottomless pit." Thus will end the mother of harlots: her place will no more be known, save with the devil and his angels. On account of her abominations, the earth shall b renewed by fire-refitted for Christ and his chosen people-his redeemed race-those who have come out of great tribulation and persecution, to spend a happy eternity with him.

THE SAFE WAY TO HEAVEN.

WHEN Jacob was on his journey to Padan-Aram, when he came to lie down at night, he had but an hard pillow. Indeed many times it is hardest with the outward man, when it is best with the inward man. He had a stone for his pillow, but a cordial for his soul: a ladder that reached from heaven to earth.

This ladder hath six glorious rounds, that make a believer to ascend up to the enjoyment of God, his birth, his life and doctrine, his death and resurrection, his ascension and intercession. Christ is that ladder that reacheth from heaven to earth; the saint's salvation is begun, carried on, and finished in, and through, and by him; he is the author and finisher of our faith, we are elected in him.

Eph. i. 1. Christ is principium et caput electionis, he is the first elect, in whom, and for whom all others are elected. God elected Christ to be head of the body, all the members chosen in him, he is made all to the believing soul, from first to last, he "is made of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption." 1. Cor. i. 30.

It was a figurative discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose deity and humanity was set forth by this ladder.

This ladder may be considered, either 1, Literally, and so it is represented to Jacob, the providence of God, who, though he dwells in heaven, extends his care and government to the earth, and particu larly makes use of the angels as ministering spirits for the good of his people; and these angels do not appear idle or standing still, but always in motion, either ascending to God to receive his commands, or descending to earth for the execution of them; which was a most seasonable vision for Jacob in his sad and sorrowful condition; that though he was forsaken and persecuted by men, and forced to fly away secretly for fear of his life, yet he neither was nor should be neglected or forsaken of God in his whole journey. Or, Mystically, and so it represents Jesus Christ; by whom heaven and earth are united, who is called the way to heaven, which this ladder was, who as the head of angels, is perpetually sending them forth, either to God, or from God, to minister to the heirs of salvation.

"And he dreamed a dream, and behold, a ladder set upon earth, and the top of it reached up to heaven, and behold the angels of God ascending and descending." Gen. xxviii. 11. And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night. It is best tarrying, though night, when Christ is present; because the sun was set. When outward comforts go down, and Christ arises, it is a blessed change. "And he took of the stones of the place, and put them for his pillow." It is a blessed lodging where Christ is. "And lay down in that place to sleep." Well may a soul sleep quiet when Christ is present with him." And he dreamed a dream, and behold a ladder set upon earth, and the top of it reached to heaven." This must be Jesus Christ figuratively.

For First, His protection was ready, though this was but a dream, God did visit his people in dreams of old, before Christ was manifest in the flesh. Jesus Christ, whose humanity was set forth, who humbled himself to the death of the cross, he came from heaven to

earth, he was truly God, truly man. "And behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it." Still there are always ministering spirits about the heirs of salvation, still they kept the rounds of the ladder; they are ready to serve God, if they are sent a thousand miles, yea, millions of miles, to the saints, showing still only, that a soul in Christ hath protection, and guardian angels to attend upon him, he hath the chariots of God to accompany him. Psalm lxviii. 17. O believer, what are you Christ's? And have you so many angels waiting on you daily? Where is your thankfulness, where is your heart-love to God? Psalm xxxiv. "The angel of the Lord encamps round about those that fear him." Have you angels waiting and attending on you? Angels ascending and decending for your good? You are in a safe condition. Believing souls, have you not found this ladder many times, when you have been in trouble, and under desertion? Have you not found your hearts hard, your comforts dead, you souls cast down? Have you not found Jesus Christ the ladder, by which you have ascended up to the Father? Hath he not brought you out of that wilderness condition ?

Whosoever thou art that fearest the Lord, be of good courage, take thou no care, neither be faint-hearted, nor make any doubt of the angel's walking, watching, and protection, for most certainly they are about, and by thee, and do carry thee upon their hands. But how, or in what manner, take thou no care; God saith it, therefore it must be sure and certain.

Although now a-days they appear not visibly, nor afford such outward help, yet are these heavenly messengers employed for the safeguard and benefit of the saints. As embroidered cherubims invironed the tabernacle, so do those heavenly soldiers guard God's true tabernacle, the church.

The Fulness and the Freeness of Gospel Grace.

Ir is the glory of a man to pass by an offence, Prov. xix. 11, i. e., it is a manifestation of a property which is an honour to him to be known to have. If it be thus an honour to pass by an offence simply, then the greater the offence is, and the more the offences are which he passeth by, the greater must the glory needs be; because it is a manifestation of such a quality in greater strength and vigour. So it must