•

garded, namely, doing the business of the voyage: every bucket is employed with respect to that.

Many have puzzled themselves about the origin of evil; I observe there is evil, and that there is a way to escape it, and with this I begin and end.

Consecrated things under the law were first sprinkled with blood, and then anointed with oil, and thenceforward were no more common. Thus under the Gospel, every Christian has been a common vessel for profane purposes; but, when sprinkled and anointed, he becomes separated and consecrated to God.

I would not give a straw for that assurance, which sin will not damp. If David had come from his adultery, and had talked of his assurance at that time, I should have despised his speech.

A spirit of adoption is the spirit of a child; he may disoblige his father, yet he is not afraid of being turned out of doors. The union is not dissolved, though the communion is. He is not well with his father, therefore must be unhappy, as their interests are inseparable.

We often seek to apply cordials when the patient is not prepared for them, and it is the patient's advantage, that he cannot take a medicine when prematurely offered. When a man comes to me, and says, "I am quite happy," I am not sorry to find him come again with some fears. I never saw a work stand well without a check. "I only want," says one," to be sure of being safe, and then I will go on." No; perhaps, then you will go off.

For an old Christian to say to a young one, "Stand in my evidence," is like a man, who has with difficulty climbed by a ladder or scaffolding to the top of the house, and cries to one at the bottom," This is the place for a prospect-come up at a step."

""

A Christian, like a miser, will ask the price of his pleasures: the miser has no objection to go to Brighton, but always asks what it will cost? The miser, indeed, has this advantage, that he is always in the same frame.

A Christian in the world is like a man, who has had a long intimacy with one, whom at length he finds out was the murderer of a kind father; the intimacy, after this, will surely be broken.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." A man may live in a deep mine in

Hungary, never having seen the light of the sun; he may have received accounts of prospects, and by the help of a candle, may have examined a few engravings of them; but let him be brought out of the mine, and set on the mountain, what a difference appears!

In our fallen state, we are a sort of solecism in the universe; other animals are faithful to their instincts, lambs do not wish to swim, nor fish to feed in a meadow: if the sun were a rational creature he would delight to shine, otherwise he ought to be extinguished.

Candour will always allow much for inexperience. I have been thirty years forming my own views, and in the course of this time some of my hills have been sinking, and some of my vallies have risen; but how unreasonable would it be to expect all this should take place in another person, and that in the course of a year or two.

Candour forbids us to estimate a character from its accidental blots. Yet it is thus that David, and others, have been treated.

Apollos met with two candid people in the church; they neither ran away because he was legal, nor were carried away because he was eloquent.

There is the analogy of faith; it is a master key, which not only opens particular doors, but carries you through the whole house; but an attachment to a rigid system is dangerous. Luther once turned out the epistle of St. James, because it disturbed his system. Dr. Owen will be ashamed of his wisdom and clearness, five minutes after he has been in Heaven. I shall preach, perhaps, very usefully upon two opposite texts, while kept apart; but if I attempt nicely to reconcile them, it is ten to one if I don't begin to bungle.

I can conceive a living man without an arm or a leg, but not without a head or a heart; so there are some truths essential to vital religion, and which all awakened souls are taught.

Apostasy, in all its branches, takes its rise from atheism. "I have set the Lord always before me," &c. The doctrine of omniprescence is universally allowed.

We are surprised at the fall of a famous professor, but, in the sight of God, the man was gone before; it is only we that have now first discovered it. "He, that despiseth small things, shall fall by little and little."

There are critical times of danger. After great ser vices, honours, and consolations, we should stand upon

garded, namely, doing the business of the voyage: every bucket is employed with respect to that.

Many have puzzled themselves about the origin of evil; I observe there is evil, and that there is a way to escape it, and with this I begin and end.

Consecrated things under the law were first sprinkled with blood, and then anointed with oil, and thenceforward were no more common. Thus under the Gospel, every Christian has been a common vessel for profane purposes; but, when sprinkled and anointed, he becomes separated and consecrated to God.

I would not give a straw for that assurance, which sin will not damp. If David had come from his adultery, and had talked of his assurance at that time, I should have despised his speech.

A spirit of adoption is the spirit of a child; he may disoblige his father, yet he is not afraid of being turned out of doors. The union is not dissolved, though the communion is. He is not well with his father, therefore must be unhappy, as their interests are inseparable.

We often seek to apply cordials when the patient is not prepared for them, and it is the patient's advantage, that he cannot take a medicine when prematurely offered. When a man comes to me, and says, "I am quite happy," I am not sorry to find him come again with some fears. I never saw a work stand well without a check. "I only want," says one, "to be sure of being safe, and then I will go on." No; perhaps, then you will go off.

For an old Christian to say to a young one, "Stand in my evidence," is like a man, who has with difficulty climbed by a ladder or scaffolding to the top of the house, and cries to one at the bottom, "This is the place for a prospect-come up at a step."

A Christian, like a miser, will ask the price of his pleasures: the miser has no objection to go to Brighton, but always asks what it will cost? The miser, indeed, has this advantage, that he is always in the same frame.

A Christian in the world is like a man, who has had a long intimacy with one, whom at length he finds out was the murderer of a kind father; the intimacy, after this, will surely be broken.

"Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." A man may live in a deep mine in

Hungary, never having seen the light of the sun; he may have received accounts of prospects, and by the help of a candle, may have examined a few engravings of them; but let him be brought out of the mine, and set on the mountain, what a difference appears!

In our fallen state, we are a sort of solecism in the universe; other animals are faithful to their instincts, lambs do not wish to swim, nor fish to feed in a meadow: if the sun were a rational creature he would delight to shine, otherwise he ought to be extinguished.

Candour will always allow much for inexperience. I have been thirty years forming my own views, and in the course of this time some of my hills have been sinking, and some of my vallies have risen; but how unreasonable would it be to expect all this should take place in another person, and that in the course of a year or two.

Candour forbids us to estimate a character from its accidental blots. Yet it is thus that David, and others, have been treated.

Apollos met with two candid people in the church; they neither ran away because he was legal, nor were carried away because he was eloquent.

There is the analogy of faith; it is a master key, which not only opens particular doors, but carries you through the whole house; but an attachment to a rigid system is dangerous. Luther once turned out the epistle of St. James, because it disturbed his system. Dr. Owen will be ashamed of his wisdom and clearness, five minutes after he has been in Heaven. I shall preach, perhaps, very usefully upon two opposite texts, while kept apart; but if I attempt nicely to reconcile them, it is ten to one if I don't begin to bungle.

I can conceive a living man without an arm or a leg, but not without a head or heart; so there are some truths essential to vital religion, and which all awakened souls are taught.

Apostasy, in all its branches, takes its rise from atheism. "I have set the Lord always before me," &c. The doctrine of omniprescence is universally allowed.

We are surprised at the fall of a famous professor, but, in the sight of God, the man was gone before; it is only we that have now first discovered it. "He, that despiseth small things, shall fall by little and little."

There are critical times of danger. After great services, honours, and consolations, we should stand upon

our guard. Noah, Lot, David, Solomon, fell in these circumstances. Satan is a footpad: a footpad will not attack a man in going to the bank, but in returning with his pocket full of money.

A Christian is like a young nobleman, who, on going to receive his estate, is at first enchanted with its prospects; this in a course of time may wear off, but a sense of the value of the estate grows daily.

When we first enter into the divine life, we propose to grow rich; God's plan is to make us feel poor.

Good men have need to take heed of building upon groundless impressions. Mr. Whitfield had a son, which he imagined was born to be a very extraordinary man : but the son soon died, and the father was cured of his mistake.

I remember, in going to undertake the care of a congregation, I was reading, as I walked in a green lane, Fear not Paul, I have much people in this city." But I soon afterwards was disappointed in finding that Paul was not John, and that Corinth was not Warwick.

Christ has taken our nature in Heaven to represent us; and has left us on Earth, with his nature, to represent him.

Worldly men will be true to their principles; and if we were as true to ours, the visits between the two parties would be short and seldom.

A Christian in the world is like a man transacting his affairs in the rain. He will not suddenly leave his client, because it rains; but the moment the business is done, he is off: as it is said in the Acts, " Being let go, they went to their own company."

""

When a man is joined to Christ, Christ says to him, as it was once said to the Levite, "Let all thy wants lie upon me, only abide not in the street."

God's word is certainly a restraint; but it is such a restraint as the irons, which prevent children from getting into the fire.

The Scriptures are so full, that every case may be found in them. A rake went into a church, and tried to decoy a girl by saying, "Why do you attend to such stuff as these Scriptures?" " Because," said she, "they tell me, that in the last days there shall come such scoffers as you.'

999

God deals with us as we do with our children: he first speaks, then gives a gentle stroke, at last a blow.

The religion of a sinner stands on two pillars;