heavenly Father, from under the eye of thy earthly parents and relatives, yet art thou in our hearts to die and live, being of the family royal of heaven, children of the Most High, elect, redeemed, quickened, sanctified, justified, adopted, and made new creatures in, for, and by him that liveth for ever and ever.

I doubt not, that we shall live in glory with our most glorious Lord, Husband, and precious Saviour, for ever. My daily prayer for thee, as a juvenile disciple of the divine prophet of Israel, is, that you may be abundantly blest with the sweet smiles of the King of kings, and Lord of lords; nothing teaches so effectually as experience of his love and grace. Much disappointment and dismay befal us in our christian journey, arising from our forming an incorrect judgment of the way in which infinite wisdom has purposed to lead the chosen seed. If, when the Lord first brings us into spiritual life, by a new birth unto righteousness, we began to reckon, as blessed Paul did, on losses, crosses, sufferings, and afflictions for Christ's sake, forming the portion of our indulgent heavenly Father's will, we should be less affected with the difficulties of the way to glory.

There is a moral, but not a radical difference in fallen man; all are on a level, as polluted by sin in the Adam-fall transgression; but in some its influence is restrained, as in thyself; whilst in others, it is seen to break forth in all its hellish fury, and heinous forms. Let not my dear young friend vaunt; therefore, will all the saved be eternally debtors to everlasting electing love, and sovereign free unmerited grace. What teaches so effectually as experience? yet friendly admonitions are often beneficial to the young of God's family.

The good Lord give us a teachable frame of mind, a tender conscience, clear judgment, a praying soul, and an heart sound in the faith. Those who know not, feel not, consequently, desire not, the complex beauties and attracting delights of our infinitely glorious King Emmanuel; think the religion of our thrice precious Jesus a gloomy melancholy subject. These be sensual, having not the Spirit; but ye, beloved, (says holy Jude) building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, (and Oh remember that a sigh, a groan, a wishful look from the heart is prayer) keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life."

Deem not that a christian's life consists only of joy, comfort, and pleasure in this world; for nothing is more plainly revealed in the blessed word of God than that the path of a real believer must be through much tribulation. "In the world ye shall have tribulation." Look not for smooth seas and cloudless skies; you will be disappointed. When fiery trials come on, eye the compass; ply the throne; ponder the path of your feet; plead against wind, wave, and tide, Jehovah's unconditional promises, and mark well the "I wills," and "they shalls." This, by the Spirit's power and witness, will keep firm your rigging, strengthen your mast, cause you to hoist

pump

the top-sail of a good hope-I mean, heaven-born, heaven-bound expectation; mettle your keel, undergird the vessel, guide the helm, and secure the rudder-bands; prevent springing a leak, or launching the long-boat; steady the crew on board; guard your passage against pirates; help mightily to spread and fill your main sheets; keep the vessel's face to the wind; prevent her from reeling, pitching, or foundering; yea, if she gain water never so fast, and the chain be shivered, so that scarcely a plank's afloat will bring her up again, Ps. xlvi. 3. lxix. 1, 2. with Job xxviii. 11. and Acts xxvii. throughout. Of this, the royal Psalmist personating our great Redeemer, sang sweetly, Ps. xviii. 16. "He sent from above, he took me, (me, here is personal experience) he drew me out (did not leave me to sink and perish; O no, he drew me out) of many waters," that is, great waters that come in even to the soul. Does my dear young friend ask what these deep mighty waters are? I answer; sin, death, God's just wrath against all ungodliness, error, and heresy, and all false doctrine, temptation, darkness, enmity, persecutions, lust, pride, evil surmisings, tribulations, fiery darts of Satan; with all the powers of darkness on our corruptions, polluting, distressing, and terrifying the mind; add to these, sickness, bereavements, divine chastisements, sorrow, leanness of soul, hardness of heart, perverseness of will, carnality of mind, together with all that impatience, fretfulness, peevishness, producing darkness, confusion, and unbelief. Here we might enumerate a thousand texts to prove in the past experience of God's saints now in glory. But I know thou art conversant with the blessed book of Jehovah the Spirit's records, wherein, by his precious unction, we have confort and good hope, to learn the need of patience, that after we have done and suffered the will of the Lord, we may inherit all things in and with our ever-living and transcendantly glorious Jesus. All the waters of this world gender to death; it is Christ alone can give the water of eternal life, John iv. 10.; for he only hath it in redundancy to bestow freely to his poor thirsty children, Isa. lv. 1-6. John vii. 37, 38.

God in Christ, is an ocean fulness of love, a fountain of living waters; it is Jesus, the good physician, that can alone sanctify the mind, and reconcile his redeemed to the tribulations of this life, see Rom. v. 1 to 1. It never was in the mind of uncreated wisdom, that created intellect, either angelic or human, should be happy in and from themselves; therefore, all Zion's happiness can only arise out of union to, and communion with Jehovah Jesus. He only is a soul-satisfying portion. In Christ is all the soul needs, yes, in our ever blest Emmanuel are all divine glories and beauties, (Isa. iv.) to feed, delight, comfort, yea, ravish and support the heart, mind, and spirit of all elect angels and men. When we are taught and brought to know him by the kind drawings of his and our covenant Father, in the power of God the Spirit, we feel that he is in us and for us durable riches and righteousness. Hence we hold and enjoy true satisfaction in and from Him. Therefore, my dear young friend, in the true

knowledge of Christ consists one chief thing in our most holy faith, John vii. 3. they that are most acquainted with the lasting benefits of the mercy-seat, delight most in the smiles, approbation, and soulcomforting presence of their adored Ishi: yes, these savour much of his odoriferous ointments; these know that his love is better than wine, Cant. i. 2, 3. Nothing so invigorates our faith, warms the heart, meekens the spirit, tranquillizes the mind, and keeps the conscience peaceful, as communion and fellowship with our loving Saviour. At such times and seasons, all the powers of the new man are on the alert; faith and affection, peace and joy possess the spirit, and move in delightful concert, calling up every grace to admire, love, praise, obey, and with heaven-born pleasure to adore King Emmanuel's matchless beauty, complex majesty, infinite goodness, and unequalled condescension, Gen. xviii. with Gen. xxii. 24, to the end. Luke xxiv. 32, &c.

Would you live to good purpose to his glory, who to accomplish his work of redemption and everlasting salvation laid by his glory, became a man of sorrows and acquainted with griefs :- would you live happy, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of him who alone can guide, guard, save, and comfort thee, let his dear bosom, his word, ordinances, ministers, his throne of grace, and his life-giving presence be your daily retreat, and your constant delight. Beware of false prophets, empty, light, frothy professors; who in words appear to honour our Lord, but in works deny him. Seek not many acquaintances, beware of the flatterer: watch the hand of the blessed God, acknowledge his righteous sovereignty in all thy ways, and he will direct thy steps, Psalm xxxvii. to the end. To read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest this, will be thy safe-guard, thy advance-guard, and thy rereward. It is the King's convoy-the beggar's warrant to ask a guide, and directory to pious youth. This, I say then, mind not high things; look to, trust in the meek and lowly Jesus, then, shall your delight be in the Almighty. "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh." Remember, that all thy mili-* tant days thou wilt more or less have to groan, feeling by sad, yet profitable experience, that the world, Satan, and all that is of flesh lusteth (mark, it lusteth) against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." Obey the latter, resist the former; they are two opposites, as fire and water, life and death, holiness and sin. "These are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do, (though the will is present) the things that ye would;" yet the desire is something good, for which our praise is due; " for it is God that worketh in us, both to will and also to do of his own good pleasure." If ye be then led by the Spirit, ye shall in very deed feel that ye are not under the law, but under the dominion of sweet constraining love and grace: read Gal. v. 16. to the end. Compare Rom. vi. you will/ find it good in the life and obedience of faith, "that whatsoever thy hand and heart findeth to do, to do it with all thy might.' Never consult carnal reason; take the wholesome counsel of holy VOL. X.-No. 118.]

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James, i. 5, 6. We know that wisdom here, is first Christ.-2. The revelations of Christ to our heart by the Spirit, without which we know nothing savingly of his eternal Majesty.-3. To be made wise unto salvation; "this is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." This suits me well, as the chief. The most blessed living in this world, is to bring our Almighty Adonai into all; enjoy him as our Ishi in all, to put him forth as such in and before all our conversations, to hang upon this our husband for all, then we do glorify him above all: this is to participate bliss, which carries the mind above all the fading things of this world. May the good Lord cause us to grow more abundantly into a practical knowledge of himself; to meditate on and contemplate his blissful person, work, fulness, precious blood shedding, righteousness, intercession, wisdom, love, faithfulness, and grace. This will bear up the spirit against Jordan's chilling streams, be a sure antidote against the king of terrors, and wonderfully prepare the soul for a change of worlds.

And what can I say more to thee, my honest friend, but pray God the Father to draw thee daily to his co-equal Son for all; intreat God the Spirit to reveal to thee all; seal thy interest in and to all; and our sweet Jesus to open to thee all his infinite worth, dazzling glory, suitability above and beyond all. That you may be constantly and delightfully charmed with all, always make him thy soul's all and in all: and when thy pulse shall cease to beat, eternally enjoy all that he is and hath, for them that love his appearing; then you will for ever have done with all that in this life doth now or ever may grieve thy mind; yes, then will all sorrow and sighing be for ever done away, and Jehovah our kind Father wipe away all tears from off all faces, and we shall eternally be with all the ransomed of him that is above all God blest for evermore. So prays, your's, to love and serve in him, though the least of all, the vilest of all, but by grace saved from all sin, death, and condemnation, by and freely of him, who is the sure foundation and chief corner-stone of all Zion's eternal safety, bliss, and glory.

Birmingham, Dec. 1833.

W. W.

ORIGINAL LETTER FROM SAMUEL EYLES PIERCE.

My dear Friend,

No. VII.

A LITTLE time since your sister called at the place where I preach, with a request that I would write to you. I should have thought you needed not this, because you have heard all I have to say, and all I possibly can say concerning our most adorable Lord Jesus. When I so express myself, it is not as though I fully comprehended him in the glories of his person, the immensity of his love, in the perfection of his righteousness and sacrifice, in his fulness and allsufficiency, no: nor will this be the case with me, nor any of the

saints, no, not in the state of glory. I only want to know Christ as he is, and stands related to me in the state of grace, and as he is my present Saviour, and as his salvation is my present glory, ornament, and defence. I want to know him as he is exactly suited to my present cases and necessities, and so as to live on him accordingly. This is to live Christ; and in this living Christ, I bring honour and glory to him, and hereby I increase in my estimation of his person. My valuation of his love, my dependence on his finished salvation, my triumph in his blood and righteousness, so as to look unto and trust in the same with unshaken confidence, nothing doubting, but that the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God over all blessed for ever, will be my God and guide even unto death, over and beyond it. He will never leave me, no, nor never forsake me; he, as the Lord my God, will be the strength of my salvation; he will cover my head in the day of battle. It is a good thing to profess no more of Christ than we know and believe of him. It is also a real blessing when we receive our knowledge of Christ and salvation from the scriptures of truth, for otherwise we have only the notions of others; let them be ever so true, they are not to be depended on. Whereas if we receive our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ into our minds from the record and testimony which God hath given of the same from the gospel, and by the light and teaching of the Holy Ghost, this will abide with us for ever. We shall then be stable and immoveable in the truth as it is in Jesus, and abound in our admiration of his personal love to us, and salvation of us by his obedience unto death, even the death of the cross. May the Lord Jesus Christ be ever your object, your subject, your centre, your all. May you live ever in your mind your thoughts of him what you know of him. May you be bringing him into your own case continually, for in so doing you will be living Christ, you will have an increasing knowledge of Jesus in a way of personal communion with him, and this will constitute you a practical believer, and this is to be a real christian; and thus you will adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

I hope you will retain this in your heart for ever, that the putting away of sin by the sacrifice of Christ, is the one grand subject of the everlasting gospel; and also that the true knowledge and right apprehension of the same is the only foundation for our enjoyment of peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. It is well to be acquainted with the covenant transactions of the Three in Jehovah; that the Father engaged our Christ as the surety of the people: that this is the very original of the gospel, "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." It was upon the footing of this eternal covenant between the Father and the Son, Christ immediately appeared on the fall, and made known himself as the seed of the woman who would bruise the serpent's head. It was on the footing of the same suretyship engagements he expressed himself thus, "Lo, I come; I delight to do thy will, O my God; yea, thy law is within my heart." It was in close and perfect