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the Saviour and those who after they have sought him are mourning under peculiar sin or walking in peculiar darkness. Let us consider each of these cases and apply to them the consolations of the text.

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ral helplessness have not yet sought | whom he hath himself convinced of sin-to him also doth he open a way to his mercy-seat. True, he may not be able in words to make known his grief-true, his petitions may be rude in language and poor in knowledge, yet his very sighs his Maker understandeth-his very tears he will gather up and accept for the Redeemer's sake as though they were the richest of supplications-and when that Holy Spirit teacheth him to pray, he teacheth not the eloquence of human oratory, but he maketh intercession for him with groanings that cannot be uttered, and he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit-for even thus doth he make intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Be not then cast down because of thy new knowledge that thou hast sinned, neither be thou cast down because thou canst scarcely pray, but cast thyself upon thy Redeemer, and he will save thee, and he will comfort thee-and as thy GOD hath given thee new sorrow, will he give thee new joy. "For a little moment I hid my face from thee, but in great mercies will I gather thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer." But, oh! let not them trust in their God who still hanker after sin—faint they may be and weary, but let them look to it and repent, lest their pain here be only a type and a forerunner and anteparte of their pain hereafter.

even so

And first let us consider the case of those who are convinced of their own natural sin and helplessness, but who have not as yet sought their Saviour. In the system of operation upon the mind, which God hath ordained to bring back the wandering heart of man to the true fountain of its joy, the several steps follow not each other in regular and in certain order. In many instances, more particularly in the case of those with whom, whether from education or from other causes, great knowledge of the plan of salvation precedes a saving acquaintance with the Redeemer, there is frequently very little of distress. In all cases, it is true, one of the leading offices of the Spirit is to convince of sin, but in some he appears almost completely to blend this conviction of sin with a sense of the all-sufficiency of that sweet and rich atoning blood which was shed on Calvary. He no sooner inflicts a wound, than he appears to heal it. But in other instances -in many other instances-it is not so. Many suffer very great affliction exceedingly great affliction-from the sense of sin, before they are enabled to apply for help and consolation to their Redeemer. The depression-the distress occasioned by a sense of sin that merciful God from whom our way is not hid will assuredly heal. All our duty is in patience to wait on himto plead his own promises to plead the merits of his Son of which he loves to hear-and he will deliver us. And surely this task is easy. To wait on a GoD so gracious can be no difficult task. There may be to the proud a-but sin, though mortified, is not dedifficulty in approaching unto GOD. Them doth GOD resist; but to him

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But the consolations of the text belong also to those, who, after they have sought, after they have found, their Saviour, are mourning under peculiar sin, or walking in peculiar darkness. During his pilgrimage in this present world, far indeed is the believer from being free from sin. True, in his measure, he walks with GOD-true, he strives after conformity to his Saviour

stroyed. Ever and anon will it attack him, and obtain not unfrequently an

advantage over him. But in this does he especially differ from what he once was; that sin in which he once delighteth is now the source of his greatest grief. Nay, so sensitive is he-so acute has his conscience become, that the smallest transgression he deplores; nothing renders him so unhappy as to offend against his GOD; and GOD, too, if he sin in any degree wilfully, or without immediate repentance, will take away the light of his countenance from him, and cause him to walk in darkness and sorrow of spirit. And not unfrequently, in addition to inward trouble, he will thus visit him with outward affliction, and will leave him even to be harassed and tempted of the devil, till with holy David he exclaim, "Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore." And in this state he may expect to remain till his tribulation hath brought him to repentance-till he remember whence he hath fallen, and repent and do his first works. But then, the promise of the text applies to him. The Lord giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength." He afflicted only that he might comforthe wounded only that he might heal. Let the sorrowing and the penitent believer apply again now afresh to his Saviour as he did at the beginning. The blood which once washed away his sins, can remove them again. Once only was the blood shed, but not once only doth it cure-" He will not alway be chiding, neither keepeth he his anger for ever." Nor let the truly penitent believer fear that he hath sinned beyond the reach of mercy—that he hath crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. His GOD is still merciful"I cannot set thee as Admah," saith the Lord to repenting Israel," I cannot set thee as Admah, I cannot set hee as Zeboim." Like Sampson,

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through thy folly, thou hast become weak; but pray with Sampson to the Lord, and he will strengthen thee, that thy latter end may be better than thy beginning. Thou art fearfultrust in him and thy fear shall be turned into love; or if thou still fearest, thy fear shall only be lest again thou grieve that Holy Spirit; thy fear shall not be the terror of a slave, but the loving solicitude of a son; and fear not even thus, so much as to be painful to thee, but trust singly to him, and he will lead thee by the hand, and guide thee, and if still thou walkest weeping, there shall be more sweetness in thy tears than in the world's joy. Oh, then, be not sad, but trust in thy God. Alarm not thyself with the examples of others stronger than thou, who have fallen to rise no more, or who have risen grievously wounded and grievously debilitated. They looked not simply to their God. The youths shall faint and be weary, the young men shall utterly fall, but they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.

By temporal sorrows, too, he may sorely grieve thee, but much more mayest thou trust him in them. "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the GoD of my salvation." Trust him, then, in all thy sorrows, lean in confidence upon his protection, and he will keep thee; and, finally, after giving thee to taste the joys of his presence here below, he will take thee to dwell with him-to be like him whom thou hast here loved-to see him whom unseen thou didst adore. and, with holy John, to lean on thy Saviour's bosom, a disciple whom Jesus loveth.

A Sermon

DELIVERED BY THE REV. ROBERT HALL,

AT BROADMEAD CHAPEL, BRISTOL, 1828.

Colossians, iii. 2.—“Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth.”

cupies with regard to this earth, but this is the language that has pervaded all nations, and is incorporated in the New Testament as well in the Old Testament; so that heaven, the seat of the Divine Majesty, is ever represented in local habitation as that which is above. When John speaks of the superiority of Christ to himself, he says, "He that cometh from above, is above all he that is of the earth is earthy, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all." There it is plain, that to be from heaven, and to be from above, are equivalent expressions.

In this epistle the Apostle had been taking pains to eradicate certain prejudices which had been implanted by various Jewish professors in the church of Corinth, teaching them to lay great stress upon certain services of a ceremonial nature which had been done away with by the Gospel, and thereby bringing them back to the beggarly elements of this world, and estranging them from the glorious realities of Divine truth and consolation found in Christianity. In the chapter which precedes the words of the text, he had told them the things on which they had set their affections were things of a ceremonial nature, and consequently, of transitory moment in the church of GOD, which had been supplanted and superseded by the advent of Christ, who was the substance of the law, and who terminated by his death all the ceremonialism of that shadowy dispensation. "If then ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God." Instead of going back to the rites of an abrogated worship, he invites them to Christianity-deep place in our affections-by culto direct their prospects towards futurity-to elevate their eyes to the celestial world-to meditate upon the glories there awaiting them; and then adds, "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."

By" things above," we are evidently to understand, the things of the heavenly world. Heaven is, by the universal consent of all mankind, considered as above. This is not only to be considered as to the position it oc

When we are commanded "to set. our affections on things above,” it intimates the same thing that is expressed by the foregoing precept. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of GOD." In the former passage he exhorts us to seek these things; in this he points our attention to the manner in which they are to be sought. They are to be sought by giving to them a

tivating familiarity with them-by making them much and habitually the subject of our thoughts. It is by these means only that we can pursue our eternal interest to advantage. If they have not a deep and abiding place in our hearts, in our affections, in our memories, in our attentions and purposes, it is in vain for us to be professing to seek these things. They must have their seat in the heart or they will never make our conduct

worthy of the Gospel, or effect the great end of our heavenly calling.

piety, his language is, "Rejoice always; and, again, I say unto you, rejoice."

But let us in considering these words, with a view to our present benefit, endeavour to show what there is in the things of which the apostle speaks to excite and demand the exercise of our affections, and induce us supremely to set them on the things that are above, that is, on the objects of the heavenly world.

In the First place, we ought to set our affections on things above, because those things are in themselves transWhatever is excendently excellent. cellent is on that account entitled to our regard; in proportion to its excellence, as reasonable creatures, ought to attach a value to it, and if capable of being enjoyed by us, ought to engage our pursuit. The things of the heavenly world are transcendently excellent-they are beyond any com

we

There are those who would explode all affection in religion; and although this is not the proper passage from which the contrary may be evinced, yet, at the same time, it is abundantly evident that nothing is more erroneous than such a conception. If we banish affection from religion, we banish all that is substantial, and elevating, and consolatory in it, and leave nothing but the shadow. It is in this alone the good of religion can be enjoyed. The mere thinking and intellectual part of man is not capable of being in a state of enjoyment. It is only in proportion to the affections tending to, or recoiling from, certain objects, that we are capable of enjoying them. He who knows our frame has addressed our affections, our fears, our hopes He has addressed these in his sacred word, and it is presumptuous in us to be wiser than the wisdom which dic-parison with the highest form of earthly tated the Holy Scriptures. And if we look at the joy of the most eminent men, we find it lay in the affections, the peace and joy of believing, the peace that passeth all understanding. The apostle Paul and Silas, when they sang in the prison and praised GOD, their feet made fast in the stocks, evinced their religion by their affections. It was religion that filled them with the highest degree of joy in the midst of their sufferings; and when the same apostle would enjoin on Christians the cultivation of practical

good. We may be assured of this from their being heavenly things; for "heaven is God's throne, and the earth his footstool." Heaven is the scene of the Divine manifestation in its brightest form. Earth is not entirely destitute of his presence; yet it is not the immediate scene of his presence, it is a part of his empire distantly illumined by that sun which he has caused to shine on the just and the unjust, but in no part illumined by his immediate presence.

(To be continued.)

London: Published for the Proprietors, by T. GRIFFITHS, Wellington Street, Strand ;

and Sold by all Booksellers in Town and Country.

Printed by Lowndes and White, Crane Court, Fleet Street.

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Isaiah, xl. 1.—“ Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your GOD."

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THIS chapter begins, if one may so speak of it, one of the most interesting sermons in the word of God. It is the Gospel sound—it is full of the Gospel throughout-it is the Gospel to the very end of the prophecy. It begins with the proclamation of Christ, "Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our GOD. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill made low and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. O, Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountains: O, Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength: lift it up, be not afraid say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God," And being the proclamation of the coming Saviour, no wonder it is full of comfort. "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare, her appointed time, is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins." In which passage you

VOL. II.

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will perceive that not only is comfort proclaimed, but it is thrice asserted : "Comfort ye, comfort ye-speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem." As if the ministers of the Gospel were addressed and reminded that they may be too much afraid of proclaiming comfort-that there is much more in the heart of GOD to proclaim comfort than there is in their hearts-that they need to be reminded that it is in the very heart of God to speak comfort to his people. And it is also worthy of our observation, and our admiration too, that the place where comfort was to be proclaimed was Jerusalem—the bloody city-the guilty city-the murderous city-according to God's great grace," that where sin hath abounded, his grace shall much more abound.”

May he lead us by his Holy Spirit to-day, guide us to those things that may be profitable, keep us from things trifling, things speculative, and direct us to things holy, searching, spiritual, and edifying for Christ's sake.

The first point to which I would desire your consideration is, THE SPEAKER

then remark, THE PERSONS ADDRESSED-then, THE ADDRESS Or ex

HORTATION ITSELF.

THE SPEAKER is GOD himself.

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