have seen wonderful things to-day! Wonderful in themselves, and wonderful in their efficacy to compose our spirits, and to make us willing to suffer on. be God for his unspeakable gift!

Blessed

Having written thus far, I made a digression to the Jews' synagogue. Though born and bred in London, was never there before. On my return I may say, Blessed be God, not only for the gift of his Son, but for the gift of his Spirit! What a gross darkness overwhelms that unhappy people! With the holy Scriptures in their hands, how utterly are they ignorant of their true meaning! And what multitudes of professed Christians, who can pity or sinile at their supersticions, are equally though differently mistaken! Hence we have another argument for thankful submission. Supposing our life could have passed without a single trial, yet if we had lived and died ignorant of God and of ourselves, our happiness, preferable to that of the most afflicted, would have been but like the poor marks of distinction paid to a state criminal of rank who is attended to the place of execution with a parade not allowed to the vulgar, but must undergo the same punishment when he comes thither. How trivial is such a pre-eminence! What do all past pleasures and advantages now avail the worldling who died this morning? What is the believer, who died this morning, the worse now for the trials which he met with in his path to glory? Quite the reverse: he now sees that they were directed and adjusted to promote and secure his progress, and to shield him from still greater evils, to which he was otherwise exposed. Let us abide by the conclusion, which our judgment assures us he now makes. It will appear as plain and self-evident to us likewise, when we shall be called to take possession of our lot in the inheritance of the saints in light.

If you have lately been in conflict with the enemy, I

hope this will find you praising the Lord for a new vic-. tory.If under bodily indisposition, I hope his gracious hands have already brought you health and cure, accompanied with a farther discovery of the abundance peace and truth.

of

I am, Madamı,

Your affectionate,

OMICRON.

Thoughts on the Government of the Tongue.

THERE is, perhaps, no one test or proof of the reality of a work of grace upon the heart, more simple, clear, and infallible, than the general tenor of our language and conversation; for our Lord's aphorism is of certain and universal application, that "out of "the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." To the same purpose the apostle James proposes to all, who make profession of the Gospel, a searching criterion of their sincerity, when he says, "If any man "among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his " tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's re"ligion is vain." This passage should not be thought a hard saying, for it stands in the Bible; but, because it stands in the Bible, and forms a part of the rule by which the characters and states of all men will be finally determined, there is reason to fear that it will be found a hard saying at last, by too many who name the name of Christ. A few thoughts upon this important subject can never be unseasonable.

It is not the restraint of the heart, the apostle requires. He knew, that though it be our duty to watch against the first rising motions of evil within, and to be

humbled for them, it is not in our power wholly to prevent them; but he supposes that the grace of God in a true believer will check the evils of the heart, and prevent them from breaking out by the tongue.

Nor is the restraint of the tongue to be taken so strictly, as if a believer was never liable to speak un. advisedly. Job and Jeremiah cursed the day of their birth; and Peter not only denied his Lord, but denied him with oaths and execrations. I allow it possible that the best of men, in an unguarded hour, and through the pressure of some sudden and violent temptation or provocation, may occasionally act or speak unsuitably to their habitual character. But I think the apostlemust mean thus much at least, that when grace is in the heart, it will so regulate and controul the tongue, that it shall not customarily offend; and that without some evidence of such a regulation, we are not bound to acknowledge any man to be a Christian, however splendid his profession may be in other respects. Nay, I think we may farther say of this test, what the magicians of Egypt acknowledged upon another occasion,

this is the finger of God !" This is, perhaps, the only outward mark of a believer, which the hypocrite cannot imitate. In many things he may seem to be religious; in some, perhaps, he may appear to go beyond the real Christian; but because his heart is naught, he cannot bridle his tongue.

The man who seems, and who desires to be thought religious, may have many qualifications to support his claim, which may be valuable and commendable in themselves, and yet are of no avail to the possessor if he bridleth not his tongue. He may have much reli-' gious knowledge, I mean of such knowledge as may be acquired in the use of ordinary means. He may have a warm zeal, and may contend earnestly, (in his way) for the faith once delivered to the saints. H

may be able to talk well on spiritual subjects, to pray with freedom and fervency; yea, he may be a preacher, and acquit himself to the satisfaction of sincere Christians: or, he may be a fair trader, a good neighbour, a kind master, an affectionate husband or parent, be free from gross vices, and attend constantly upon the ordinances. Will not such a man seem to himself, and probably be esteemed by others, to be religious? yet if, with all these good properties, he does not bridle his tongue, he may be said to want the one thing needful. He deceiveth his own heart; his religion is vain.

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But what are we to understand by bridling the tongue? The expression, I think, will be sufficiently explained by considering how the grace of God will necessarily influence and govern the tongues of those who partake of it, in what they say when they are led to speak of God, of themselves, and of or to their fellow-creature. Having seen a glimpse of the holiness and majesty, the glory and the grace, of the great God with whom they have to do, their hearts are impressed with reverence, and therefore there is a sobriety and decorum in their language. They cannot speak lightly of him, or of his ways. One would suppose that no person, who even but seems to be religious, can directly and expressly profane his name. But there is a careless manner of speaking of the great God which is very disgusting and very suspicious. So likewise the hearts of believers teach their mouths to speak honorably of God under all their afflictions and crosses, acknowledging the wisdom and the mercy of his dispensations; and if an impatient word escapes them, it grieves and humbles them, as quite unbecoming their situation as his creatures, and especially as sinful crea tures, who have always reason to acknowledge, that it is of the Lord's mercy they are not wholly consumed.

- When they speak of themselves, their tongues are bridled, and restrained from boasting. They speak as becomes poor unworthy creatures, because they feel themselves to be such. In what they say, either of their comforts or of their sorrows, sincerity dictates a simplicity which cannot be easily counterfeited; while they, whose tongues are not thus bridled, often betray themselves by an affectation and want of savour, even when they are lamenting their sinfulness, and the vileness of their hearts.

In what they say of or to others, the tongues of believers are bridled by a heart-felt regard to truth, love, and purity. It is grievous to see how nearly and readily some professors of religion will venture upon the borders of a lie; either to defend their own conduct, to avoid some inconvenience, to procure a supposed advantage, or sometimes merely to imbellish a story. Admitting the possibility of a sincere person being surprised into the declaration of an untruth, yet where instances of this kind are frequent, I hardly know a fouler blot in profession, or which can give a more just warrant to fear that such professors know nothing aright either of God or themselves. The Lord is a God of truth; and he teaches his servants to hate and abhor lying, and to speak the truth from their hearts. I may add likewise, with regard to promises and bargains, that though the law of the land requires, on many occasions, oaths and bonds to secure their performance, that person, whose word may not be safely depended upon without either bond or oath, scarcely deserves the name of a Christian.

Where grace is in the heart, the tongue will be likewise bridled by the law of love. If we love our neighbour, can we lightly report evil of him, magnify his failings, or use provoking or insulting language? Love thinketh no evil, but beareth, hopeth, and en