Desire to avoid those books that hindered his mind from dwelling on better things.

Complaints of the hardness of his heart.

Desire to enjoy the peace which Christians did.

Discovery of the value of the soul; evidenced by the conviction that present sufferings were nothing in comparison with the salvation wrought out by their means.

Fear of the Lord.

Renunciation of all hope in himself.

Heartfelt faith in Christ as his only hope; expressed by casting himself at his feet, producing a comparative rest and peace to his soul.

Light to discover the natural darkness of his mind, and to give him a sense of his wants as well as of his sins.

He longed for a softened heart, more light, more faith, more assurance of his salvation.

Conviction of what was the true Gospel, in spite of the reproachful epithets of worldly people.

A value for prayer.

Spiritual enjoyment of prayer.

A value and love for the Scripture.

Delight in spiritual hymns.

A relish for spiritual things, and willingness to converse upon

them.

Free and candid communication of the state of his own soul.
A love for religious people.

Concern for the souls of others; manifested in his desire to warn his former companions-in his anxiety that others should read Michael Kemp for their benefit; and in his efforts that his mother should have every facility to read the Bible, by procuring a large print and spectacles for her.

A tenderness of conscience and dread of sins, shewn by his compunction for having spoken sharply or unkindly, for his wanderings in prayer, for intruding upon the holiness of the Sabbath. Frequent desire expressed to lead a new life in case of recovery. Resignation to God's will.

Gratitude for his mercies.

Belief in his providence, which evidently lessened his dependence upon man, and increased his sense of being in God's hand.

Humility; shewn in a sense of the condescension of God in permitting him to pray to him. A consciousness of being undeserving of his mercies. Contentment with the degree of grace vouchsafed to him, considering his total unworthiness. Thankfulness for the kindness of his fellow-creatures. A softened temper and great alteration in his manner to those about him.

Encreasing abhorrence of his past sins, and feeling them a heavy load on his heart, connected with such a faith in the atonement of Christ, as to give him composure in the prospect of death.

James' case proved the benefit of religious instruction in preparing the way for conversion. Having been shewn from the Scripture the way of salvation by Christ alone, and the holiness of life required from his followers, he never attempted to build his hopes on any thing in himself. Although he had been a very kind son and brother; and in many respects moral and amiable in his conduct; yet he never clung to a single thread of his own weaving, or made mention of any thing but his sins. The great work of removing dangerous errors from the mind being already done, the heart was more readily brought to obey its convictions at a season when the awful realities of an eternal world drew near to his mind, and the salvation of his soul was at stake. His former and latter state exhibited the difference between a natural and a spiritual faith; he believed in the understanding before his illness; but had no heartfelt desires, no feeling sense of need, no exercise of soul, no casting himself upon Christ as a sinner pleading for mercy; he had lived to himself instead of to God, followed his own will and ways, instead of seeking to be guided, taught, and influenced by the blessed Spirit; and he was therefore left to the power of his own corruptions and had no strength to resist temptation. But when once a real desire was awakened for salvation of his soul, then the spiritual work of faith began. The Lord, "who waiteth to be gracious," ran to meet the returning prodigal, and carried on the work of grace in his heart; revealing to him more and more his own sinful state, weaning his affections and inclinations from sin and the world, and planting in him a love to God and man; with other holy desires and feelings such as form the character of a child of God, and are a necessary meetness for the kingdom of heaven. Although these divine graces in him had only time to bud and not to blossom, and he left the world but a

babe in Christ, yet as a babe he would be acknowledged and received by his heavenly Father for Christ's sake; and have a place in his house, where there are many mansions, (John 14. 2.) some for babes, some for young men, and some for fathers in Christ: for "if a child, then an heir of God, through Christ." (Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 4. 7.)

SELECT PASSAGES.

If we would stand, Christ must be our foundation. If we would be safe; Christ must be our sanctuary. God is a great God, and therefore he will be sought; he is a good God, and therefore he will be found. To pray in the name of Christ, is to pray in the faith of his name: we may pray with the name of Christ in our mouths, and yet not in his name, unless we pray with the faith of Christ in our hearts.

It is not the knowing of truth, nor the hearing of truth, nor the commending of truth, nor the talking of truth, but the indwelling of truth in your soul, that will keep your judgment sound and your life holy.

They who have tasted how precious the Lord is in his promises, will rejoice in his commandments; and it is as much their desire to serve him, as it is their happiness to be saved by him.

That is the truest and noblest freedom, to be freed from the servitude of sin.

The Gospel alone brings light to the mind, peace to the conscience, purity to the affections, and rectitude to the life.

It is observable that three things are called precious in Scripture, with an emphasis. The blood of Christ, is called precious blood. (1 Peter 1. 19.) The promises are called precious promises. (2 Peter 1. 4.) And the faith of God's elect is called precious faith. (2 Peter 1. 1.)

A true Christian is moved by fear, more by hope, most by love. None teacheth like God. 1. So plainly and clearly. 2. So condescendingly to the condition and capacity of those with whom he hath to do. 3. So patiently and meekly. 4. So constantly and

continually he teacheth, and he is always teaching.. 5. So truly and unerringly. 6. So authoritatively. 7. So effectually.

Conscience is God's preacher in the heart-a thousand witnesses for or against a man-a heaven or hell on earth-a great friend or a great enemy.

We should not anticipate evils by our apprehensions and fears; they come fast enough: nor retain their affecting memory to embitter our lives, when the mercy of God has removed them.

As torrents are dried up in the heat of summer, when there is the most need of them, so all comforts fail in extremity, that are not derived from the fountain of life.

R.

There is no term more misapplied than the name of Christian, and nothing can be more different from its true meaning than the general acceptation of the word; many who would be much offended if they were not called Christians, consider being denominated saints a term of reproach, and yet they are the same in the Scriptural signification.

Of a great many that seem to come to Christ, it may be said ́ that they are not come to him, because they have not left themselves.-Leighton.

The heart of man is Satan's work-shop, where he forges all his instruments of mischief.

There are no two things more apparent in the Scriptures than the desire of God to bless mankind, and the resistance on the part of man to be blessed.

Jacob considered not all the honours and riches Joseph's two sons were heirs to; he thought it their highest honour, that the name of their father's God be named on them: "The God which hath fed me all my life long unto this day." But O! is it not too often a little more wealth, a little more honour, a little more respect from the world, that professing Christian parents desire to leave their children; instead of leading them to Jesus as the portion of their souls, and being satisfied to commit them unto him, saying, "The angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads." "Behold, I die, but God shall be with you."

REMARKS ON JOHN Xx. 23.

"Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."

The ministers of the church of Rome found on this and on other similar passages of Holy Writ, a claim to the power of forgiving sins. When, indeed they are accused of this, they will deny it, and will endeavour to explain away their arrogant assertions. But it is a fact, that they teach their people to conceive of them as possessing this power, and their people do entertain this opinion, and do look to them to exercise this power; and do submit to their penances and unscriptural impositions, under this fallacious hope: aye, and do pay them too, for administering to them this indulgence. This power, say they, was given to St. Peter, and therefore the Pope as the successor of St. Peter, possesses it. This power too, say they, was given to the church, and therefore they, as constituting the church, possess it. But when did St. Peter ever exercise this power? Did he, when he first preached to the Jews? When under great agony of mind, they cried, men and brethren, what shall we do? did he say, I, “ I Peter forgive you"? No: he assumed no such power to himself; but said, repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins. Did he arrogate to himself any such power, when by the preaching of the Gospel he opened the kingdom of heaven to the Gentiles? No: when they would have yielded to him divine honours, he forbad them, and instead of saying, I forgive you, he referred Cornelius and his company to the Lord Jesus Christ as the only source of hope and peace; saying, 'to him give all the prophets witness, that, through his name, whosoever be lieveth in him shall receive the remission of sins.' When our blessed Lord himself forgave sins, the surrounding Jews, conceiving of him as a mere man, accused him of blasphemy. And their accusation was just if he was not God; for who can forgive sins but God only? All the authority vested in the apostles, was to declare the character of those of whom God would accept or reject in the day of judgment. Their authority was not personal but official, and it accorded exactly with the authority of the priests under the law, when they were called upon to judge respecting lepers; there were given marks, whereby they were to try every case that came before them; where those marks were found, they pronounced the person