fore my bowels are troubled for him: I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord." In like manner God speaking to his church by the prophet Isaiah declares that his anger was but for a moment and he would still remember them. "For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment: but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer," Isa. 54--6 11. Sinners in their natural condition are as dead men, they are dead in tresspasses and sin---"Their understandings are darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts"---such is their condi tion until the spirit of life enters into them and makes them spiritually alive, at which time they are united to Christ by a true and saving faith. And when the people of God are lying in darkness and deprived of the light of his countenance, they are as it were dead---like the church of Sardis they have a "name to live, but are dead"---their graces not being in exercise. Thus it was with the children of Israel during the time that Hosea prophecied---they were dead to a life of holiness---for they were insensible of their miserable condition as sinners; instead of trusting in the Lord, they trusted to an arm of flesh--"When Ephraim saw his richness and Judah saw his wounds" &c. For these things the Lord would punish them by leaving them for a time to themselves--"I will go and return to my place" &c.

Hence, they would have to wait some time for his interposition--and so must all they who depart from him: but if they repent and turn unto the Lord with all their heart and cry mightily unto him, then will he turn again unto them, and that speedily, and leave a blessing behind---"after two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight." This language is thought to be prophetic of the resurrection of Christ on the third day, with whom as her surety, the whole church virtually arose from the dead, to live unto God; with him the hopes of all believers revived: his power arisen quickens their souls when dead in sin; and his resurrection was the earnest of the resurrection of their bodies unto everlasting life.

Sinners being raised up from their spiritual deadness, their wretched condition as sinners, lost and undone, shall be made spiritually alive, old things will have passed away, and all things will have become new. They "henceforth live not unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again" "They shall live in his sight." Are preserved by his favor, live nnder his special care, and

in the exercise of fearing and honoring him---as was the case with the apostle Paul. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." The spiritual life which the Christian lives, consists in his being instated in the favor of God, quickened by his spirit, andconformed to his image, in consequence whereof he by supernatural influence lives on God's fulness and grace, and enjoys fellowship with him; but when he shall have bid a final adieu to this vale of tears, and this mortal shall have put on immortality---then hall he ever be with the Lord; he shall be ever contemplating the glory of that God at whose right hand are pleasures evermore.

"Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord" &c.

It is characteristic of the true Christian that being made sensible of his condition as a sinner, and brought to know and experience the love of Christ which passeth knowledge---he is disposed to follow on to know him,”---he earnestly desires to know more of the character and perfections of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, his interest in, and the way by which he may serve him most acceptably. The Christian's spiritual growth is compared to vegetation;---there is first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. Also to a child which in order to arrive at a mature age, and the full stature of a man, must pass through the prior stages of infancy & youth.--"Grow in grace," says the apostle, & "in the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." It appears then from these considerations that the christian if he be in a flourishing condition, or a christian at all, must be daily and hourly progressing in holiness and in the fear of God; and hereby we have a good criterion by which to judge of our state, and to learn our standing before God. Are we making rapid strides in holiness? becoming more and more detached from the world, less conformed to it and more conformed to Christ and his holy image? Are our thoughts more fixed upon heavenly. objects and less upon earthly? Then, have we reason to conclude that we are growing christians, and that we are "following on to know the Lord." But on the contrary, if we are resting short of a saving knowledge of Christ---are satisfied with any attainments which we may have already made in the divine life, having no desire to know more of Christ, and of our condition as sinners in the sight of God; then have we good reason to fear that all is not right with us, and that we are standing upon slippery ground. Our Lord Jesus Christ taught whilst on earth, that "by their fruits should men be known." By this

shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye love one another"--love is a test of discipleship---is the fulfilling of the law."Do men gather grapes off thorns or figs off thistles" &c. We are assured that all things shall work together for good to them that love God, who are the called according to his purpose; none shall fail or need be discouraged "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

The prophet assures us that if we "follow on to know the Lord," then shall we assuredly know--- we shall obtain a saving and experimental knowledge of the true God, his character and perfections, and a comforting knowledge of our own pardon and acceptance. And when we express an earnest wish to learn and to know the truth as it is in Jesus, God is at all times ready and willing to assist us, and communicate instruction, yea and to do more than we ask. He promises to give us a heart to understand, so that we shall be "able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fullness of God."

"His going forth is prepared as the morning."

"The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble." The nations of the earth lay long in darkness and without the knowledge of the true God; but in due time the "Sun of righteousness arose with healing in his beams,” so that the "nations which which sat in darkness saw great light, and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up." By our Lord and his apostles the gospel was preached to most of the nations of the earth, and many were brought from darkness to light and from the power of sin and Satan unto God. Yet the majority of the Jewish nation rejected it, and in effect said that they would not have the man Christ Jesus to reign over them; and hence they were given up to blindness of mind, hardness of heart and searedness of conscience; and to this day the veil still remains upon their heart, in reading the law: they still reject the gospel and him who first published it. Notwithstanding we are assured from the word of God that there is yet mercy in store for this rebellious people---that the day is coming when this veil shall be removed from their hearts, and there shall be a general turning unto the Lord---"And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the

hills; and all nations shall flow into it" &c. Isai, 2. 2, 3. Behold the days come saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah &c. Jer. 31-31. "In those days and in that time saith the Lord, the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall go and seek the Lord their God, they shall ask the way to Zion, &c. Jer. 50. 4, 5.

As sure as the sun-rise follows the dawn---so we may with as much certainty be assured that Christ will come to effect the redemption of his church, His coming likewise to save and comfort every true penitent is gradual and certain, from the first sense of guilt, to the completion of his salvation in heavenly felicity. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light:" let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God." The sinner in his natural state is full of darkness--his eyes being blinded by the god of this world; but of his desperate and deplorable condition he is ignorant, totally ignorant and insensible until the spirit of God opens the eyes of his understanding, when he has a clear discovery of his wretched and perishing condition. In this situation he looks about for some one to lead---he knows not what course to steer; but God when he commences a good work, will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus. Upon such the "Sun of righteousness shall shine with healing in his beams, he shall go forth and grow up as calves of the stall." Then shall his light break forth as the morning, and his health spring forth speedily; and his righteousness shall go forth before him, and the glo. ry of the Lord shall be his rereward. Then shall his light arise in obscurity and his darkness be as the noon-day; and the Lord shall guide him continually, and satisfy his soul in drought, and make fat his bones, and he shall be like a well watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not."

Such shall be the coming forth of the Sun of Righteousness: His light is irresistable, wherever it appears it dispels the gloom which sin casts over the fair face of creation: although its beginning may be small, yet will its latter end greatly increase---like the stone cut out of the mountain without hands, it will become a great mountain and fill the earth, see also Isa. 30. 26.

When the seed of Divine grace is sown in the heart of man, it is not left to grow at its leisure, nor to become the sport of every passing breeze, nor become the prey of malicious foes. God will carefully nourish and cherish it with the rain and dews of heaven, and cause

to bring forth and bud; and he shall come unto us as the rain. The Lord when he would denounce evil upon his church and people, threatens to withhold the rain, dew and enriching showers of heaven from them, Isa. 5. 6. So when he would manifest his rich grace he represents it as descending upon them, like the enriching showers of heaven; for whatsoever is very refreshing, nourishing, delightful, and tending to make persons useful in good works, as important instructions, outward blessings, and the word and ordinances of Jesus Christ and his spirit, are likened to rain and blessed showers. Hence speaks Ezk: 34. 26. As the pious Jews earnestly looked forward to the time when the Lord Jesus would appear in person to do away sin by the sacrifice of himself, so every saved sinner when brought to a knowledge of his condition whilst out of Christ---looks to him as his only hope and only refuge---such is his confidence that he relies on him as his only savior and all-powerful physician; and hence coming to him, he casts himself upon his care, sits humbly at his feet to receive instruction in the way of duty; and when the sinner is in this humble frame, and possesses this teachable disposition---the instructions of Christ will prove as water to the thristy soul, his doctrine will drop as the rain, and distil as the dew, as the small rain on the tender herb, and as showers upon the grass, in the discoveries of his favor and love to him, and in the distribution of the blessings of his grace.

As the rain falling upon the earth causeth it to bring forth and bud bountifully---so through Christ, showers of blessing descend upon this world, which giveth seed to the sower and bread to the eater; and under this plentiful watering of the divine spirit they shall grow and flourish. Saith God, "I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon." The blessings of Divine grace are suited to the most diversified wants of all true believers; we are assured that the "lions may lack and suffer hunger but they that truly seek the Lord shall not want any good thing---"all things are yours" &c. Paul. Besides the showers of blessings enjoyed on earth, there are blessings in reserve in another world as we are informed by prophets and apostles, of which the christian can form no adequate conception---"For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee what he