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fires? Remember that though Jefus Chrift at first rebuked the woman of Canaan, who cried after him; yet afterwards he granted her all the afked*. Remember alfo the parable of the unjust judge and the importunate widow †. Jefus has a compaffionate heart. You have no reafon to doubt his willingness to help you. In fo doing, you dishonour him, and diftrefs yourself. Therefore wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord.

IMLAH.

ON HEARING THE WORD.

WE are and

E live in a day when there are many preachers and much preaching: But the fruits which appear in the converfion of finners, and the zeal and holiness of faints, bear no proportion to their labour and expense. Is there not a caufe? And is not that cause affigned by the Apostle? See Heb. iv. 2. The word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

As to thofe minifters who prefer the moral philofophy of pagans to the glorious Gospel of the Son of God; or who dwell upon the politics of the day rather than the danger of finners; it is no wonder if they are not made ufeful. It is, not to be expected that any very beneficial effects or bleffed confequences fhould follow upon their miniftry. It is the Gospel alone which is made the power of God to men's falvation. But where ministers are fet upon the salvation of fouls, labour diligently in the study and in the pulpit, preaching in season and out of season, 'tis matter of wonder and grief, that fo few reap lafting benefit from their affiduous labours. But furely, in fome meafure, it may be accounted for, and I apprehend upon the following grounds:

1. Many hear the word faithfully difpenfed, who yet (as the Apostle obferves) do not mix faith with that word; nor are at all concerned fo to do. Moft men verge to deistical principles, though they may not be profeffed deifts, 2 Thef. ii. 11. If a report be ever fo good, a man will never receive either pleasure or benefit from it, while he does not believe it.

2dly. Many hear it who never exercise prayer concerning it. To pray with fervour is to harrow in the feed.

Matt, xv. 21, &c.

t Luke, xviii. 1, &c.

Prayer is the breath of a new-born foul. Where no prayer is practifed, no benefit is received. Serious reader, if you would reap advantage from the word of God, be constant and ardent in this duty.

3dly. Many hear who do not walk confiftently with the word they hear. The Lord makes this special and pointed inquiry, "Do not my words DO GOOD to him that WALKETH UPRIGHTLY?" Mic. ii. 7. Moft affuredly they do, as many upright Chriftians can atteft with heart-felt pleasure. Reader, has God's bleffed word ever done you any substantial good? If not, fearch out the cause without delay. Sin indulged (of whatever nature that fin may be) will always prove an impediment in the way of a profitable attention to the word of God. What flow poifon is to the body, that fecret fin is to the foul. Oh then, ferious reader, I befeech you, as you love your foul, and wish for falvation, mortify fin with infinite diligence. Go not about the arduous task in your own ftrength. Inbred fin is too ftrong to be fubdued by human power. Look to the Holy Spirit, implore the gracious aids of that all-fufficient helper, and you shall perform the work fuccefsfully.

4thly. Many are irreverent and carelefs under the word. Inftances are too numerous, and many too ridiculous to name. I never knew an irreverent hearer to make any confiderable progress either in knowledge or holiness. See the gamefter at his cards, the artist in defign, and the phyfician with his patient, and learn from them thought and attention in hearing the word of God.

5thly. Some cherish a latent prejudice either against the minifter or a fellow member of the religious community to which they belong. This prejudice always operates against faving benefit by the word when it is heard under fuch circumflances; and the higher it rifes the more powerfully it operates. Inftances of fuch prejudice, and the fad effects thereof, are to be met with in almost every congregation. It is "a jaundiced medium which difcolours every objectIt blackens the best intention and misinterprets the kindest conduct." The inconfiftencies of fuch perfons are glaring to a degree; their objections are frivolous and wavering; their conduct ungenerous and unmanly; their converfation is always tinclured with diftant reflections upon the object of their difpleafure; their very prayers are full of invectives. Such perfons are a pain to the minifter, a grief to the church, a difcredit to religion, and a mifery to themselves. Chriftian reader, confider the force of thefe remarks, and be upon your guard against taking up a prejudice against your minifter or fellow members in the church,

6thly. Many who hear the word either forget or neglect it. See Heb. v. 12. Jam. i. 25. To repeat the leading parts of a difcourfe after hearing it, is certainly an excellent method to retain the word. Confidering the vast importance of the things we hear delivered from the pulpit, we ought to give the more earneft heed, left, at any time, the bleffed word fhould steal imperceptibly from the memory and the heart. Read, hear, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft the word of God, and you fhall find it prove light to your understanding, and comfort to your heart in every time of need.

7thly. Many indulge fuch a degree of worldly care as proves a confiderable injury to their fouls; Luke, viii. 14What weeds and thorns prove among the wheat, if fuffered to grow, that worldly finful cares prove in regard to the good feed of God's word. Oh! guard against inordinate

cares.

8thly. Many there are who murmur at God's difpenfations when they ought to mourn over their own depravity and finfulness. The former is an obstacle, and hinders benefit by the word; the latter is a good preparative, and difpofes the foul to receive benefit and comfort from the word. "Bleffed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted."

If the word of God, faithfully preached, does not profit the foul, nothing elfe will. That bleffed word is, in the hand and under the direction of the Spirit, the grand inftrument of conviction, comfort, and edification to the fouls of men. If the word of God, heard in a uniform conftant way, does not profit a man (as, it is to be feared, is the cafe with many,) it certainly does him injury. See 2 Cor. ii. 16. John, xii. 48.

Christian reader, poffibly you wish to know, by fome indubitable marks, when the word preached is really made profitable. It is fo when the hearer finds it à seasonable word-a word suited to his cafe and circumftances-when he finds it a searching word, trying him both by the law and by the Gospel; revealing the fecrets of his heart, and the truth of his state; "Thou art the man"—when he finds it an humbling word, laying him very low in his own eyes, as the chief of finners and the leaft of all faints-a quickening word, ftirring him up, upon all occafions, to act for God with vigour and intenfe application; "Thy word hath quickened me"-a sanctifying word, purifying his heart, and regulating his life according to the will of God. When the word of God is profitable to a man, it operates upon his heart as fire operates upon metals, feparating the drofs,

and purifying the intrinfic ore. Is not my word as fire?

saith the Lord.

Once more, if the word is profitable to a man, it proves a comforting word; it breathes a reviving gale upon the fainting mind; it applies the balm of confolation to the troubled breaft; it fooths, at once, the forrows of the heart, and enables a tried and afflicted believer always to triumph in Jefus Chrift. As our afflictions abound so our consolations abound also.

That the word of God, faithfully preached, may do you effential good, I befeech you regard the following direc

tions:

1. Attend it diligently. Let not any and every little matter prove an hindrance. Suffer not your place, at the house of God, to be empty, to the grief of your minister and fellow-members, except when fome call in providence will fully justify your abfence. Guard against luxury and

floth.

2. Believe it stedfastly. Stedfaftly, but not implicity without thought and examination. Endeavour to mix appropriating faith with the precious word of divine truth.

3. Pray over it earnestly. Only God can make the word ufeful to falvation. The more prayer is practifed, the more benefit will be obtained by the word..

4. Apply it faithfully. Not to others, but to yourself. Never put the word from you, but labour to improve it, by making the best and most profitable ufe of it. Reader, I am tenderly concerned for thy good,―for thy foul's prof perity and welfare: Attend to thefe friendly hints I befeech you. And may the word of grace, in hearing and reading it prove the power of God to your everlasting falvation. T. H.

A REMARKABLE DREAM.

BOUT five years ago, which was three years before the

A Golpel was left preached in Bakewell, a certain wonthe

had the following dream, which in the event appears remarkable. She thought she was walking up the hill above the town, near to the barn that is now our Meeting-house, when on a fudden, the clouds gathered darkness, and a dreadful ftorm of thunder and lightning came on. She looked back on the town, and the tempeft feemed still more horrible, for the blacknefs of darknefs feemed to overfpread it. Terrif

ed with this dreadful scene, she thought fhe met an acquaintance with a small quantity of flax under his arm, fpinning as he paffed a long, to whom the faid, calling him by his name, "Surely the day of judgment is come; fee what darkness hangs over the town." He feemed but little concerned, and only faid, "My thread is almoft fpun."-The man was then in health, but died in a fhort time after. She went on till fhe came oppofite the door of the barn, and thought a strange man came out of it, and perceiving her concern, offered her the New Teftament, faying, " Take, read, and pray over this, and it will teach you the way of falvation." Immediately she thought the clouds difperfed and the darkness difappeared, and all was calm again--This dream made no impreffion, except upon her memory; and for fome time after the place was firft opened for worship there, the feemed determined never to attend, but, on the contrary, perfecuted thofe who did; till on a certain day fhe was entreated to go once, merely out of curiofity. Soon after fhe was feated, the minister rofe up in the pulpit, and proved to be the perfon fhe had dreamed of; the remembrance of which, together with the subject treated upon, touched her to the very heart, and drew floods of tears from her eyes. From this time the fpirit of God feemed to work powerfully upon her foul; a renovating change took place in all her powers, and having gone through much perfecution, fhe ftill appears a striking monument of faving mercy. Such is the power of Almighty grace!

THE DIGNITY OF NATURE IN THE ARTICLE OF DEATH.

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T has been frequently obferved, that however men may cry up the dignity of human nature, and dispute against the doctrine of fovereign grace, in the hour of health and profperity, fuch principles will not do to die with. The following examples, amongst many others that might be alledged, afford a proof of the juftness of this obfervation.

A few years ago there lived in the county of Effex, one Dr. P, a phyfician, who imbibed the Socinian system. His chief concern in matters of religion appeared to be to degrade the character and dignity of Chrift. Such was his contempt of him, that he feldom fpake of him in converfation under any other name than that of the Carpenter's Son. At length he was feized with an affliction which terminated in

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