by the light of his holy gospel, we may see all things necessary to be known, believed, or done, in order to eternal life, as plainly as we can see the most visible objects at noonday.-BEVERIDge.

He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The sun is the first cause under God, not only of light, but also of all the life that is in any creature upon earth, without which nothing could live, no, not so much as a vegetable, much less an animal; for that which we call life, wherewith such creatures as have organs fitted for it, are actuated and quickened, so as to be said properly to live, all depends upon the heat and influence of the sun. Should the sun once cease to be, or to influence the world, all living creatures would immediately expire and die. So is Christ, the Sun of righteousness, the fountain of all spiritual life. "With thee," saith David, "is the fountain of life, in thy light shall we see light," Ps. xxxvi. 9; where we see that light and life in this sense also go together-they both proceed from the same fountain, "the Sun of righteousness;" who therefore saith, "I am the light of the world, he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." That light which hath life always proceeding from it, and accompanying it; so that he is both life and light itself. "I am," saith he, "the way, the truth, and the life," John xiv. 6. And our life, as the apostle calls him, Col. iii. 4. Even the life of all

that believe in him. "The life that I now live in the flesh," saith the same Apostle, "I live by the faith of the Son of God," Gal. ii. 20. And therefore, he who believeth, and so hath the Son, he hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life.

Ye shall die in your sins.-" As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that he should turn from his way and live." And elsewhere he assures us, that he would "have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” And therefore, if we believe what God saith, nay, if we believe what he hath sworn, we must needs acknowledge that it is his will and pleasure, that as many as are called should be all chosen and saved. And indeed, if he had no mind that we should come when we are called to him, why should he call us to come? Why hath he given us his word, his ministers, his ordinances, and all to invite and oblige us to repent and turn to him, if after all, he was resolved not to accept of us, nay would not have us come at all? Far be it from us that we should ever have such hard and unworthy thoughts of the great Creator and Governor of the world, especially considering that he hath told us the contrary, as plainly as it was possible for him to express his mind to us. I do not deny but that, according to the apostle, "known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world," Acts xv. 18; and there are several pas

sages in Scripture which intimate unto us God's eternal election of all that are truly pious to live with him for ever. But it is not for us to be so bold and impudent as to pry into the secrets of God, nor so curious as to search into his eternal and incomprehensible decrees; but we must still remember the words of Moses, "That secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us, that we may do all the words of this law," Deut. xxix. 29. Whatsoever is necessary for us to believe or do, in order to our eternal salvation, is clearly revealed to us in the holy Scriptures, and therefore what we there read belongs unto us to know, neither are we to look auy further than to his revealed will. But God in the Scriptures doth plainly tell us, not only in the places before quoted, but elsewhere, that he is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."-BEVERIDGE.

Let us take heed; for mercy is like a rainbow, which God set in the clouds to remember mankind; it shines here as long as it is not hindered; but we must never look for it after it is night, and it shines not in the other world. If we refuse mercy here, we shall have justice to eternity. TAYLOR.

He that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him. -It was fit that our wise Creator should give us a law, and that law was both useful and pleasant to those who would carefully observe it; but

when once violated, there would ne cessarily arise a fatal enmity between the law and transgressors, an enmity which would continually become progressive and gather new strength in the progress; but as for our obstinacy what is it more than to kick against the pricks? The law is inviolably safe in its own sanctity, dignity, and im mortality; but we, by striving against it, what we do gain but iniquity, disgrace, and death? So that if there were no umpire to interpose, there would be no hope but that the whole human kind should perish. But that blessed and efficacious intercessor came from on high; and certainly he was himself a Divine person, who could compose such a controversy, and who joining by an indissoluble union hist infinitely better, with our miserable and mortal nature, did so, by a most wonderful method, render to the law all its accuracy of obedience, and to us, though guilty, impunity. And having thus made peace, that concord might afterwards continue and prevail, he animates all that partake of this blessed peace, by his own new, pure and Divine Spirit, that they might not only be engaged sincerely to endeavour diligently to observe the sacred precepts of the law, but might love them, and cordially embrace them; and, on the other hand, he hath tempered the severity of the law, towards all those that are received into favour, that their diligent, pious, and affectionate observance of the law, though not entirely complete, should by our indulgent Father be most graciously accepted, even as if it were perfect; and so the honour of the

Divine Legislator is secured among men, and his peace descends upon them, and this is what our text observes, "there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared."LEIGHTON.

HYMN.

How blest thy creature is, O God,
When with a single eye
He views the lustre of thy Word
The day-spring from on high.

Through all the storms that veil the skies,
And frown on earthly things,
He sees the Sun of Righteousness
With healing in his wings.

The soul, a dreary province once
Of Satan's dark domain,
Feels a new empire form'd within,
And owns a heavenly reign.

Shine ever, Lord, upon my heart,
And grace on me bestow,
Till in full light of perfect day
I all thy glory know.

were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?

34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, 'Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

35 And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the son abideth ever.

36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

37 I know that ye are Abraham's seed; but 'ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.

38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

39 They answered and said unto him, 'Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them,

41 Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

42 Jesus said unto them, "If God were your Father, ye would

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not 'well that thou art a Samaritan,

and "hast a devil?

49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour

51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, * If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. 'Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

53 Art thou greater than our Father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

54 Jesus answered, "If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: "it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:

:

55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.

56 Your father Abraham Prejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?

58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, 'I am.

59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the

temple, ، going through the
midst of them, and so passed by.

m Rom. vi. 14, 18, 22; & viii. 2. Jam. i. 25; & ii. 12.
-n Lev. xxv. 42. Mat. iii. 39.-o Rom. vi. 16, 20. 2 Pet.
ii. 19.p Gal iv. 30.-g Rom. viii. 2. Gal. v. 1 -- ch.
vii. 19.
24-4 Mat. iii. 9. ver. 33. Rom. ii. 28; & ix. 7.

ver. 40-8 ch. iii. 32; & v. 19, 50; & xiv. 10.

Gal. ii. 7, 29.—x ver. 37.-y ver. 26.-2 Is. Ixiii. 16; &

Ixiv. 8. Mal. i. 6 —a I John v. 1.-b ch. xvi. 26: & xvii.
8, 25-c ch. v. 43; & vii, 28, 29.-d ch. vii. 17.-e Mat.
xiii. 38. 1 John iii. 8.-ƒ Jude vi.-g ch. x. 26, 27. 1
John iv. 6.-h ch. vii. 20: & x. 20. ver. 52.-i ch. v.
41; & vii. 18.-k ch. v. 24 ; & xi. 26.- Zech. i. 5.
xi. 13.—m ch. v. 31.-n ch. v. 41 ; & xvi. 14; & xvii. 1.
Acts iii. 13.-0 ch. vii. 28, 29.-p Luke x. 24.-q Heb. xi.
13.- Ex, iii 14. Is. xliii. 13. cb. xvii. 5, 24. Col. i.
17. Rev. i. 8.-s ch. x. 31, 39; & xi. 8.- Luke iv. 30.

Heb.

READER.-Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Who-
soever committeth sin is the servant of
sin.-If we regard our woful fall,
which was the consequence of sin,
we are all degenerate; we have all
fallen from the highest honour into
the greatest disgrace, and the deep-
est gulf of all sorts of misery; we
have given away our liberty and
greatest dignity, in exchange for the
most shameful and most deplorable
bondage; instead of the sons of God,
we are become the slaves of Satan;
and if we now want to know to what
family we belong, the apostle will
tell us,
"That we are children of
wrath, and sons of disobedience."-
LEIGHTON.

If the Son therefore shall make you
free, ye shall be free indeed.-As we
are naturally subject to the vile
drudgery of sin, so we are con-
demned to the proper wages of
sin," which the apostle tells us
is " death," according to the just
sentence of the law. But our Lord
Jesus Christ was anointed for this
purpose, "to set us free;" both to
work and to publish liberty, to
"proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to

them that are bound." Is. lxi. 1.
Having paid our complete ransom,
he sends his word as the message,
and his Spirit to perform it effect-
ually, to set us free, to let us know
it, and to bring us out of prison.
He was bound and scourged, as a
slave or malefactor, to purchase us
this liberty; threfore ought it to be
our special care, first to have part in
it, and then to be like it, and “ stand
fast in it," in all points.

But that we deceive not ourselves,
as too many do who have no portion
in this liberty, we ought to know
that it is not to inordinate walking
and licentiousness, as our liberty,
that we are called, but from them,
as our thraldom; we are not called
from obedience, but to it.-LEIGH-

TON.

When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh
of his own: for he is a liar, and the
father of it.-One great title which
the Most High is pleased to give
himself, and by which he is pleased
to reveal himself to us, is the God
of truth: so that I shall be so much
the liker to the God of truth, by
how much I am the more constant
to the truth of God. And, the fur-
ther I deviate from this, the nearer
I approach to the nature of the
devil, who is the father of lies, (John
viii. 44,) and liars too. And hence
it is, that of all the sins the men of
fashion are guilty of, they can least
endure to be charged with lying.
To give a man the lie,
or to say, You
lie, is looked upon as the greatest
affront that can be put upon them.
And why so? But only because
this sin of lying makes them so like