whom also they have access by faith unto this grace wherein they stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Rom. 5, 12.); and not only so, but they glory also in tribulations; knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience experience; and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. (Verses 3, 4, 5.) Therefore they rejoice, inasmuch as they are partakers of Christ's sufferings (1 Pet. 4, 13); for

8. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Verse 10.

O precious promise to all the suffering children of God! for what should they desire more than the kingdom of God, to be with Christ and behold his glory which he had before the foundation of the world, and to sing with apostles and prophets, with angels and seraphim, the song of redeeming love, the everlasting hallelujah unto God and the Lamb in the new Jerusalem, where there is no need of the sun, nor of the moon, nor of any star, but the glory of God enlighteneth it. Rev. 21, 23. O, should not this strengthen them in time

of their tribulation! Should it not constrain them to exclaim, "What shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, angels or principalities, or any other creature? O no! nothing, nothing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Rom. 8. For blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven; for so they persecuted the prophets which were before you. Verse 11. This is the consolation which is held out to such persons; for which reason they possess their souls in patience, knowing that God will bring their works unto judg ment; wherefore they commit all things unto him who will judge righteously, and reward every man according to his deeds.

Now Christ may well say to all persons, who, being peace-makers, are sanctified in God, Ye are the salt of the earth, yea, the costly spice which possesses the power of preserving the wide sinful u and world; for had God found but ten righteous men in Sodom and Gomorrah and

the adjacent cities, he would have spared all those places for the ten's sake. Gen. 18.

Had not the children of God, in the first age of the world, become carnal-minded, uniting themselves with the posterity of Cain, God had never destroyed the world; but since the salt had lost its savor, wherewith could God season it? It was thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Even so in this age of the gospel; as long as this salt retains its savor, so long will the world stand; but when Christ shall find no more faith, when love shall wax cold, when it shall come to pass as at the time of Noah, when all flesh took their own way; and as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they married and were given in marriage, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded, they committed all kinds of Sodomitish abominations, (Luke 17) which exist at this time to so alarming an extent; then shall Christ appear in glory with his saints, and be admired in all them that believe, and in flaming fire shall take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction

from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power. 2 Thess. chap. 1.

II.

Wherefore, beloved man, awake and learn from the above mirror whether thou hast experienced this humility and sorrow of heart. If thou hast not had this experience, but remainest in thy natural state, although thou hast been baptized and art a professor of this or that religion, it will not profit thee the least; for thou art yet in thy uncleanness, and unto them that are defiled is nothing pure, but even their mind and conscience is defiled, being abomina-. ble and unto every good work reprobate. Tit. 1, 15. 16. For so long as thou remainest in thy original impurity or in the old creature, and sufferest not thyself to be brought by the salutary chastisement of grace unto a life of godliness, separated from the world and founded in humility of spirit, all thy reading, praying, singing, going to church, all thy imagined religious exercises, almsgiving, and such like things, are but sin, inasmuch as they constitute nothing more than an appearance of righteousness, for which thou shalt receive a more severe condemnatiou, as Christ said to the pharisees, Wo unto you, scribes and

pharisees, hypocrites; for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful without, but are within full of dead men's bones; for a pretence ye make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive the greater condemnation. Matt, 23.

My dear reader, if thou imaginest that thou hast experienced this humility of spirit, and suffered tribulation for thy sins, examine thyself well, notwithstanding, whether thou hast attained unto a true meekness, and by means of it possessest the earth and hungerest and thirstest aright after the righteousness of God; or whether thou dost not yet remain in bondage; whether the earth does not exercise its authority over thee; whether thou dost not love the creatures more than God, namely, houses and land, gold and silver, wife and children, friends and relations, &c. nay, even thyself. If it is the case that thou lovest these things more than thy Saviour, taking more delight in them than in him, and having thy thoughts more occupied with them than with thy Jesus; then thou hast no part with him, thou dost not hunger and thirst as thou oughtest after righteousness; for a man who has attained humility of spirit, gives up all; all these tempo