tion. His perverted appetite may roam from creature to creature; but good is to be found in none. The law of his nature is, that for him good is only to be found in God. And to this come all the obligations of the divine authority, and all the provisions of the divine benevolence. What is it to take the Lord for our God, but with all our heart to submit to him, and with all our soul to choose him? It is the wonderful greatness of man that, being made in the divine image, and therefore capable of communion with God, nothing but that communion can supply the wants of his nature, satisfy his desires, and fill up his measureless wishes to their utmost

extent.

Now as the mere contemplation of water, even were it connected with the knowledge of the precise mode in which it quenches thirst, of what it is in itself, and of the manner in which it acts on our material system, would be altogether insufficient, we must drink it, it must be present with us, and used by us in the appointed way; so is it as to the true and highest Good of the soul. It is not enough that we know God, even the true God; nay, it is not enough that we desire him, and seek after him. We must be brought to spiritual communion with him, consciously enjoy his favour, and rejoice in his manifested presence. We must taste and see that the Lord is good. The promise must be fulfilled which so distinctly asserts a mutual presence and fellowship: "I will come in and sup with him, and he with me." Indwelling God, God making his abode in us, loved, and lovingly obeyed, is the supreme good of man.

And in the Psalm to which we have referred, a Psalm never surpassed for the exquisite beauty of its poetry, and which teaches us the highest philosophy, that which alone deserves the name; these are the subjects on which the sweet singer of Israel descants. And let his language be thoughtfully marked, with the distinct recollection of the full significance of the analogies which it comprises." * “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is." And it is not to a merely metaphysical abstraction, as to a First Cause, or even to God, merely considered as exhibiting his wonderful power, wisdom, skill, and goodness, in universal nature, that the Psalmist refers; but to God making himself known in connexion with atonement and spiritual manifestation,-God in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, and bestowing "that Holy Spirit of promise.” "To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary." And this good, as he had sought, so he had found. His inmost soul was satisfied and filled with joy, while speech was employed to give expression to adoring love. "Because thy loving-kindness is better than life," (life is but the capacity of blessedness: the loving-kindness of God constitutes the blessedness, and without it the wretchedness will be proportionate to what might have been the felicity; and such will be the wretchedness when the soul wakes up in hell, utterly and everlastingly severed from all objects of diversion and temporary gratification,) "my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My

* The reader is referred to Hymn 437 of the Wesleyan large Hymn-Book, and requested, while the subject is fresh before him, seriously to peruse it. It is one of the choicest pieces of Wesleyan poetry. The versification is admirable. With compactness and strength, a flowing smoothness is conjoined, expressing not only the truths, but the beauties, of the original. It is David speaking in English. Even Brady and Tate rise out of their usual heaviness, when they come to this psalm; and Sternhold and Hopkins write poetry.

soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips."

Let all passages of the same class be examined, and, through them all, the same fact will be found to be implied,-the goodness and favour of God, personally manifested and consciously enjoyed. This is particularly the case in what might almost be termed the parallel passage, as recorded by John, iv. 10, 13, 14. Here is the gift of God, and that gift bestowed in living water. And what that is, the same Evangelist tells us in the seventh chapter.* "This spake he of the Spirit, which they who believe on him should receive." Very significantly he said, pointing to the water of the well, but evidently referring to merely earthly good: "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water, springing up into everlasting life." No longer dependent on earthly supplies, nor labouring to "hew out for himself cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water," the well is in him; the supply is internal, ever present, ever flowing, ever satisfying. Paul and Silas, in the dungeon at midnight, after the scourging, with their feet fast in the stocks, sang praises unto God. Their soul was satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and therefore did their mouth praise him with joyful lips. And this was their ordinary privilege as Christian believers. Such was the promise: "In this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wine on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wine on the lees well-refined." And such the most gracious invitation, in which love expostulates with the erring: "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness."

Thus, that which is naturally expressed by the text, (namely, that the

* It deserves notice, and will, at the same time, show the advantage of the collation of Scripture declarations, that our Lord speaks of the gift of the Spirit, as being not only a well within us, but the source of spiritual influence upon others. "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." David had before connected the two. "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us. Here is the gift of God, personally enjoyed, and the well within us. He then adds what is substantially the same as the forth-flowing of living water: "That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations." A century ago, God revived his work. Men were called, not to forms and doctrines, but to personal penitence, faith, and salvation. Most earnestly was their attention directed to "the gift of God," and multitudes believed, and rejoiced that they had the well within them. The revival of religion was especially connected with revived attention to the great work of the Spirit. And the scripturally-marked effect soon appeared. The living waters flowed forth. They who had prayed that God would be merciful to them, and bless them, and cause his face to 'shine on them, soon began earnestly to labour that God's way might be known upon earth, his saving health among all nations. The revival which gave prominency and due honour to the work of the Spirit, became the means of that great Missionary revival, in the wonderful power and extent of which (when, since the days of the Apostles, was anything like it known ?) the churches now rejoice. Yes; we now well know what that scripture meaneth: "Let the people praise thee, O God, yea, let all the people praise thee. Then shall the earth yield her increase, and God, even our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him." Are all these merely casual coincidences?

Spirit of God does himself assure the justified believer of his pardon and adoption; that he creates in the heart, when he says, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," a sense of God's paternal love, causing us to cry, "Abba, Father," and producing filial confidence and affection,) is seen to be in perfect, we ought to say, necessary, harmony, both with the general analogy of faith, and with the teaching of the law and the testimony.

It has been said, that the doctrine tends to foster spiritual pride. This is completely a mistake. Its true and ever-powerful tendency is entirely in the opposite direction. Gifts influence according to the character of the recipient, just as the operation of physical causes is modified by the substance on which they operate. The flake of snow, falling on the frozen expanse of the Polar circle, still remains snow; falling on the surface of the ocean, it dissolves into the waters, of which it becomes a part; falling on the burning coals of the fiery furnace, it instantly is dissipated into vapour. External gifts will thus vary in their effects, by reason of internal disposition. Accession of property may make a man benevolent, or avaricious, or proud. Now if spiritual gifts could be viewed as bestowed on persons of essentially different character, their influence might be regarded as correspondingly diversified. But this is not the case. The Holy Spirit, in the present instance, is only given where true repentance and lively faith have been exercised. The evil of sin has been clearly seen, its bitterness deeply felt; salvation from its guilt, its dominion, its pollution, has been most earnestly desired and sought. Salvation itself is seen to be God's gift, given in a way which illustriously displays the divine glory and majesty, and especially the glory of divine love. To the soul considered as in this state, (and to no other soul can the blessing be imparted,) the manifestation of pardoning mercy, the sense of paternal love, at once produces that love to God, which, in its own nature, is connected with genuine and deep humility. He who is thus brought out of the horrible pit and miry clay, has, indeed, a new song put into his mouth; but it is not one of self-exultation. It is praise and glory to God; that is, the joyous expression of gratitude in praise, and of humility and devotion in the entire ascription of glory to God.

That persons may fancy they have the Spirit's witness who have it not, is as true as that they may also fancy they have the Spirit's work who have it not. Perhaps there is nothing in the whole range of religion which has not thus been imitated. The humility, the self-denial and mortification, the zeal, the joy, the practice, of true Christianity, have all, in different persons, furnished occasion for self-delusion. But no imitation is ever complete, either in that which is imitated, or in its connexions. And that want of completeness furnishes at once the means of detecting the self-deceiver, and of endeavouring to make him acquainted with himself, and with the real truth of the case.

But it does not therefore follow, that he who is really right must be uncertain and doubtful. He is conscious of a whole proceeding, still in progress; conscious of his heartfelt conviction of sin, his hatred of it, his humiliation on account of it, his desire of salvation, his renunciation of self-dependence, his coming to Christ, and his trust in him. He is con*cious that he is really awake. He was awake when he felt heavy laden and weary through the grievous and intolerable burden of sin, when he prayed mightily for deliverance, and when the burden was removed, and he received from Christ rest to his soul. The case is utterly unlike that of the man who just professes some one branch of inward or outward religion.

His profession is connected with obvious contradictions: others see them, and can point them out, and but that self-delusion and conscientious selfexamination can never co-exist, he might perceive them himself. But because a man may fancy that some sleeping vision is reality, is the direct consciousness of the man who is awake, and who knows that he is awake, to be placed in the same category? rightness, as far as his case goes, he he makes his profession to them. rightness, also, continued in the opened, and thus joy itself is augmented.

He feels that he is right; and of that presents the evidence to others, when And as he advances, he perceives that results, and another source of joy is

The history of the church is not only too much a history of its external forms and proceedings; but it is, in point of fact, a history of the advancing developement of the predicted apostasy of the latter days, the substitution of the form, for the power, of godliness, and, at length, the extensive denial of the power. Very early do we find in church writers proofs that they had begun to identify the visible and organized church of professors, with the spiritual church of God's sanctified elect. Baptism was taken for regeneration, and the reception of the Lord's supper, for the true spiritual eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ. But though externalism thus increased, and spirituality declined, so that in what may be called the public church, fearful evidences of growing deterioration became more and more manifest; yet there is no doubt but that in the background, little noticed by men, there were always those who groaned in secret over a backsliding church. We have every now and then, even among the more public writers, spiritual statements that prove the existence of spiritual men. And they spoke on this subject, though few of their sayings have been transmitted to us. We have seen what Bernard said; and his writings, strange an incongruity as they are, yet contain numerous allusions to evangelical and spiritual truth, and passages which imply his views of the great cause of personal comfort. So Bede. And we may just advert to a single passage in Augustin, the more valuable, because not referring, like the other two, directly to the subject: "Who will give to me to rest in thee? Who will give to me that thou mayest come into my heart, and inebriate it, that I may forget my evils, and embrace thee, my one good? Tell me, by thy mercies, O Lord my God, what thou art to me. Say to my soul, 'I am thy salvation.' So speak that I may hear. Behold, before thee, O Lord, are the ears of my heart: open them, and say to my soul, 'I am thy salvation.' I will run after this voice, and will take hold of thee. Hide not thy face from me."* It was when Luther was in his convent-cell, groaning in the anguish of his soul, that the old Monk came to him, whose name has not been handed down, and opened to him the

way of peace. Not the bare doctrine of justification made Luther a

Reformer; but that sense of its infinite importance which sprang from the peace and joy of the experience of justification. The old Monk comes from conventual retirement. In all ages, doubtless, there have been such, and among them is the true succession of the church to be found. He told

Dic

* Quis mihi dabit acquiescere in te? Quis mihi dabit ut venias in cor meum, et inebries illud, ut obliviscar mala mea, et unum bonum meum amplectar, te? mihi per miserationes tuas, Domine Deus meus, quid sis mihi. Dic animæ meæ, Salus tua ego sum. Sic dic ut audiam. Ecce aures cordis mei ante te, Domine: aperi eas, et dic animo meo, Salus tua ego sum. Curram post vocem hanc, et apprehendam le. Noli abscondere a me faciem tuam.-Confess., lib. i., cap. v.,

sect. 1.

Luther of what Bernard had said, and, by God's blessing, the fire was kindled. Little more than a century ago, the attention of an English Clergyman was, by a few poor, but pious, Germans, directed to this subject. He examined the Scriptures, ascertained the truth, sought and found the personal experience of it, and immediately went forth and preached it to others. Such was the true beginning of the great Wesleyan revival. While Mr. Wesley laboured only as Jeremy Taylor and Mr. Law taught, little was effected. The work began when he called men to faith in Christ, and happiness through a consciously-enjoyed pardon. God himself bore testimony to the word of his grace.

That where this great blessing is not faithfully preached, there will be little clear experience of it, accords with the usual rules of the divine proceedings. God puts honour on his truth. The congregation scarcely ever rises above the pulpit. God is merciful, and will give his peace to them who seek him through Christ, though, for want of sufficient instruction, they ask not all for which they might ask, and for which it were far better for them to ask. But because the truth has been overlooked, the blessing will be comparatively limited and obscured. It is so in other instances. The whole will of God must be preached, that the whole will of God may be clearly and extensively enjoyed.

Let it, therefore, still be preached by us. As at the beginning, from the days of our fathers, God gives testimony to the word of his grace. They that ask, receive; and what they receive is seen in delightful combination with all the elements of Christian character. By the old, and the young; by the rich, and the poor; by the healthy, and by the sick and dying; by enlightened Englishmen, and by recently taught Africans and New-Zealanders; one testimony is given forth, the testimony of lip, and the testimony of life. And what triumphs it gives to the chambers of mortality! Yes; here is its test. It is a solemn thing to die. We may dispute about doctrine; but when we realize our dying hour, we want to hear God saying to our soul, and so saying that we may hear, "I am thy salvation." Nothing short of this can satisfy us then, if we are truly alive to our state. Let all who have received the spirit of bondage unto fear, press onwards, in earnest prayer, to the liberty to which they are called. With Jacob let them wrestle, and say, "I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me." Let them strive to look only to Christ. Not at any good there may be in them, lest they be disposed to trust in it. Not at their sins, except so far as to loathe them, lest they despair. Let them pray, looking unto Jesus, cherishing expectation, labouring to rest in him, only and truly; and He whom they seek shall speedily come to them and bless them.

To those who happily experience this sacred testimony of adopting love, two advices may be briefly given, which they must expand and apply for themselves. 1. Let them be careful not to grieve the Spirit of God, either by omitting right, or indulging wrong. Let them show that they love God, by keeping his commandments. 2. That they may preserve the testimony of adoption, adoption itself must be preserved. And for this, they must live by faith in Christ. By faith they first received it, and by faith they must still retain it. To keep up their peace and joy, the habitual reference of their soul must be to the blood of sprinkling. "I live," said the Apostle, "by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." E. T.