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with oatmeal, partly with cheese, meat, and some other things; to lay this sack across the back of one of the horses, and to throw the bridle over his neck, and to follow the horse, and let him go where he might be directed by Him who knows the conditions of all his people. This I did in faith, assuring myself that it would be directed where it was most needed; for I ordered the servant to follow the horse wherever he might go, and wherever he should stop, to give the sack and its contents to the people at whose house it would stop; and till Alexander told us of it, I did not know where it was directed, or who had received it; only the servant who returned late, told me the horse stopped at a poor cottage about thirty miles from Dornock."

Reader, art thou in distress? Fear not, if you have God for your friend in Christ; he will most assuredly relieve. you in his own time and manner; he has never made those who trusted in him ashamed. I was young, and now I am old, yet I never saw the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.

83, Westbourne-street, Pimlico.

W. MD.

THE BELIEVER AND THE UNBELIEVER. God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned; but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil, John iii. 17-19.

The law was given that the offence might abound, that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world become guilty before God. The law shows us what sinners we are, condemns us for sin, and binds us over to answer for it before God. But God sent his Son to save those whom the law condemned; and to open their mouths in prayer and praise at his throne. Jesus came on purpose to save; he was sent by his Father to do so; and to save sinners of every age, clime, and colour. He came to deliver us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us, Gal. iii. 13; to be a sin offering for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. v. 21; to reconcile us to God by his death, Rom. v. 10; to redeem us from all iniquity, Titus ii. 14; to put away our sins by the sacrifice of himself, Heb. ix. 26; to bring us to God, 1 Pet. iii. 18, that we might live together with

him, 1 Thess. v. 10. The Saviour had high authority, the kindest and the greatest store of blessings; and he came to employ all for the everlasting salvation of poor sinners.

He that believeth on Jesus is not condemned: he was by the law; but he is justified by the gospel. He has embraced the Saviour as God's remedy for sin and guilt; he has had personal dealings with Jesus about the salvation of his soul; and he has given up himself to the Lord, not only to be delivered from punishment, but to be used to his glory. Now the sentence recorded against him is repealed, a title to eternal life is given, and an interest in all covenant blessings is secured. He shall not be condemned, for Jesus is his powerful Advocate; the Holy Spirit is his Teacher and Guide; and Jehovah looks upon him, and treats him as a beloved child. He is reconciled to God, and at peace with God. The light that has come into the world he has received; and foreseeing the evil, has hidden in the Rock of ages, and found safety. To him there is no condemnation, for he is in Christ Jesus; and he walks not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

But he that believeth not is condemned already. He may assent to the truth of the word; but if he has not yielded up his heart to God, he is an unbeliever still; and will be found in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. He loves the darkness, and prefers it to the light. He is willing to remain ignorant of the true character of God, his righteous law, and glorious gospel; he feels no great interest in the good news of Christ, as coming to save sinners; he slights the gospel, which is the best and kindest message God ever sent to fallen, ruined man. He loves the darkness of error, and prefers it to the light of Divine truth. He loves the darkness of sin, and prefers it to the light of holiness. He loves the darkness of unbelief, and prefers it to the light of faith. He prefers the work and ways of the prince of darkness, to the work and ways of the Lord of glory. Oh, how awful is this! and yet how common! Sinner, how have you been acting while in health? Did you seek the Lord? Did you take the light of his word to examine your own heart, your own way, and what was likely to be your end? Or did you prefer labour, profit, ease, pleasure, and sin, to the concerns of the soul and eternity? If so, you are condemned already: you have not to ask, "Shall I ɔe condemned ?" You are condemned.

Who condemns such a sinner? God, the God of love. The God who is good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. The great and dreadful God. The God who keepeth mercy for thousands, but who will by no means clear the guilty. God who rather than condemn, would give his own Son to suffer, bleed, and die. Yes, sinner, God condemns thee; not only by his law, but by his gospel also. What does God condemn such a sinner for? For slighting, rejecting, and crucifying his Son. If Jesus Christ

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is the Son of God, he ought to be believed, loved, and adored: if he is not, the Jews were right in putting him to death as a blasphemer, for saying he was so. Every sinner, therefore, who refuses to admit the claims, bow at the throne, and receive the word of the Lord Jesus Christ, becomes a party to the crime committed by the Jews in crucifying the Son of God. They virtually say, Away with him, away with him." They trample his blood under their feet, and acquiesce with the Jews in the justice of putting him to death. O sinner, how canst thou appear before God, charged as thou art with the death of his only begotten and beloved Son? If you prefer darkness to light, you prefer the conduct of Judas to that of John; and Barabbas to the Lord Jesus. This is the crowning charge-the greatest crime that can possibly be charged against a sinner.

When is such a sinner condemned? Now, under the reign of mercy, in the land of hope, before the judgment of the great day. He has rejected God's remedy, he has despised the Saviour's blood, he has resisted the Holy Ghost; he has chosen death in preference to life.

What is such a sinner condemned to? He is condemned to be punished with sorer punishment than the heathen-than those who died under the law; to punishment, in comparison with which the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah is tolerable. To everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. With whom is such a sinner condemned to suffer? He is to suffer with hypocrites, apostates, liars, swearers, harlots, whoremongers, and with the devil and his angels. Oh, what fearful, disgraceful, and miserable company!

The gospel slighted or rejected, becomes the savour of death unto death; it increases the sinner's condemnation, and leaves him without hope or help. It renders his condemnation most just, fearful, and eternal. Who can object to the condemnation of a man who has refused a pardon, and joined in degrading and attempting the life of the Son of God, who out of mere love died to obtain it? There are many who hear of Christ, and talk of Christ, to whom we may say, as Paul to the Galatians," Christ shall profit you nothing." For as bread profits not, unless it be received; so Christ, who is called the bread of life, must be received by faith, or we are none the better for hearing of him. Yea, we are the worse; for it is better not to know the way of righteousness, than knowing, to refuse to walk in it. You may feel it easy; but God says, "Woe to them that are at ease in Zion !" Amos vi. 1. And he will reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished, 2 Pet. ii. 9. God may delay to execute the sentence, but he will not falsify his word; the wrath is only postponed; it is increasing, it will be terrible.

But yet there is hope, and hope for thee. The Lord, consider

ing all thy sins, says, "Yet now return unto me." He will receive you graciously, he will yet pardon and accept, and glorify his rich and free grace in thee. Therefore do not despair, do not despond; but say, "I will look unto the Lord." David tells us of some who did so, and the effect: "I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles," Psa. xxxiv. 4—6.

J. S.

SHORT AND EASY METHOD WITH DEISTS. A MINISTER Who attended a Tract meeting in the West of England, strongly urged the friends present to support the cause, he having himself been personally benefited by one of the Society's publications. He stated that when a young man he was long the subject of doubt as to the divinity of the Holy Scriptures. He thought on God, on his moral attributes, and was anxious to find out his perfections without the aid of that glorious revelation which he had given of himself; but he altogether failed. "While in this state," said the minister, "I gazed on the stars above, fixed my thoughts on the blazing sun, looked with deep interest on the beauties of the flower-garden. In these things I discovered the wisdom and the power of God, but all the works of creation were silent on his moral attributes." While he was in this unhappy and sceptical state," Leslie's Short and Easy Method with Deists," came in his way. The perusal of this tract produced a deep conviction on his mind of the Divine inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, and he became a believer of the truth as it is in Jesus. He was afterwards led by the providence of God, into the Christian ministry, and continues to proclaim the way of salvation through the atonement of a Divine Mediator. Well may we sing of God's holy book:

This is the judge that ends the strife,

Where wit and reason fail;

Our guide to everlasting life,

Through all this gloomy vale.

THE SOCIALIST BECOME A SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHER. "IN distributing tracts to-day," says a town missionary in Manchester, a woman gave me the following account of

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her son. He attended the Socialists for some time, and ultimately became a member of that society. So much was he interested in reading their pernicious tracts, that he would sit up through the night to do it, and would not think of reading anything else. But the Lord has been pleased to open his eyes, and turn him from darkness to light, and this was principally through reading the tracts 'Edward; or, Almost an Owenite:' and Jared; or, Quite an Owenite.' He is now a Sunday-school teacher, upholding that which he endeavoured formerly to pull down."

THE TWO JEWELS.

I HAVE before me two stones. They are perfectly alike in colour; they are of the same water, clear, pure, and clean yet there is a marked difference between them, as to their lustre and brilliancy. One has a dazzling brightness; while the other is dull, so that the eye passes over it, and derives no pleasure from the sight. What can be the reason of such a difference? It is this; the one is cut only in a few facets, the other has ten times as many. These facets are produced by a very violent operation; it is requisite to cut, to smooth, and to polish. Had these stones been endued with life, so as to have been capable of feeling what they underwent, the one which has received eighty facets would have thought itself very unhappy, and would have envied the fate of the other, which, having received but eight, had undergone but a tenth part of its sufferings. Nevertheless, the operation being over, it is done for ever; the difference between the two stones always remains strongly marked: that which has suffered but little is entirely eclipsed by the other, which alone is held in estimation, and attracts attention. May not this serve to explain the saying of our Saviour:-"Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted?" Blessed, whether we contemplate them apart, or in comparison with those who have not passed through so many trials. J. F. Oberlin.

TEMPTATION.

“THAT ye enter not into temptation." The words seem to say very pointedly:-Beware of the beginning of the