having found first within ourselves salvation and eternal life, we shall then profit others also, producing from that treasure of Christ within us, all the goodness of spiritual discourses, and declaring heavenly mysteries. For so it pleaseth the good will of the Father, that he should dwell with every one that believeth. "He that loveth me," saith Christ," shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." And again, "We will come unto him, I and my Father, and make our abode with him." Thus did the infinite kindness of the Father's will. Thus was the inconceivable love of Christ pleased. And thus did the unspeakable goodness of the Spirit promise. Glory be to the tender mercies of the Holy Trinity, which surpass all expression!

He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.-1 Cor. i. 31.

WE should glory neither in temporal nor spiritual possessions. We have no good in which we may boast for its own sake.

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Every good gift, and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." And as God is the author of all our blessings, so he should have the glory of them all.

1. Have you abundant and excellent means of grace? Have you ministers and holy ordinances, and Christian communion in the purest order? Glory in them as God's mercies and helps to higher things: but not as your felicity, or certain evidence of it. For many are first in these respects, that will be last in respect of life eternal. The greatest fall is from the highest mercies and many that had the chieftest place in the church, will have the sorest place in hell. Abominable Sodom will escape better than many hearers of the gospel. But glory in this, that you have the spirit of the gospel, and that Christ within you that is preached in the gospel.

2. Have you much understanding in the doctrine of the gospel? and are you eminent teachers of it to others? Glory in it as an opportunity of serving the Lord, and of doing and getting good; but not as a certain evidence of a good estate. For many shall say, "Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name?"

whom Christ will not own, because they were "workers of iniquity." And "he that knoweth his Master's will, and doth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes." But if your love and obedience be answerable to your knowledge, glory rather in that.

3. Have you done many works of mercy to others? Have you given all you have to the poor? Have you converted many souls? Are you public mercies to the place where you live? Give God the glory of so great a mercy. But take heed of giving the glory to yourselves. And take not the outward works alone so much as for certain evidences of your happiness.

4. Have you extraordinary experiences of mercy, and extraordinary feelings of comfort in yourselves? Rejoice in them as God's mercy; and give him the glory. But remember that these are no certain evidences of your safe condition. Many have been wonderfully saved from death, that will not be saved from hell. And many large comforts have ended in eternal sorrows.

5. Have you a living faith, and a soul abounding in the love of God, and emptied of self in Christian humility, and exercised in holy walkings, and conflicts for Christ, and looking with hope to the joy that is set before you? What then shall I say to you? Glory in this blessed work of grace; this image of Christ; this heavenly nature and conversation; and this foretaste and earnest of everlasting life. But sure I need not bid you give not your very graces the glory due to Christ. For this were to prohibit you a contradiction. It is the nature of them all to carry you to Christ, and to cause you to deny yourselves. You can not exercise these graces, but you must do it. Do I need to desire you that you make not your own faith the matter of that righteousness which must answer the law, when faith itself is a receiving of another for our righteousness? Or need I advise you that you trust not in your love and evangelical obedience as a satisfaction to God's justice, or the matter of that righteousness which must answer the law; when that love and obedience are nothing else but a love to him, and an obedience to him that hath satisfied for us, and is become our righteousness? Do I need to persuade the humble as far as they are humble, not to be proud of their own graces and works? or the selfdenying not to glory in themselves? The nature of the new

creature, and the anointing that is in you, doth effectually teach you all these things; and you have already learned them.

"But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that, according as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord." And believe this; as carnal glorying is childish, against our own reason and daily experience, and will shortly make all that used it ashamed; so the spiritual glorying of the mortified believer is also rational and manly, and will never make him ashamed, but end in the perfect endless glory. Fix then your resolutions with the mortified apostle: "God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified to me, and I unto the world."

Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?—Heb. i. 14.

Are they not? It is not a doubtful question, but the strongest way of affirmation; nothing is surer than that they are.

All. Not one of that heavenly company excepted. The highest angel thinks it no disparagement to serve a soul for whom Christ died; well may they all stoop to serve them when they see Christ their Lord hath stooped, even to death, to save them. They are all of them

Ministering spirits. Public officers, to whom their tutelage is committed: To them it belongs to attend, serve, protect, and relieve them. The greatest barons and peers in the kingdoms of this world, think it not below them to wait upon the heir apparent to the crown, in his minority; and no less dignity is stamped by God upon the souls of men whom he calls

Heirs of salvation. And in some respects nearer to Christ than themselves are; on this account it is, that the angels delight to serve them. Christ's little ones upon earth have their angels, which always behold the face of God in heaven, and therefore saith our Lord, "Take heed you despise not one of these little ones;" they are greater persons than you are aware of. Nor is it enough that one angel is appointed to wait upon all, or many of them, but many angels, even a whole host of them, are some

times sent to attend upon one of them. As Jacob was going on his way, the angels of God met him; and when he saw them he said, "This is God's host."

The same two offices which belong to a nurse to whom the father commits his child, belong also to the angels in heaven, with respect to the children of God, viz., to keep them tenderly whilst they are abroad, and bring them home to their Father's house at last. And how clearly doth all this evince and demonstrate the dignity and value of souls? Was it an argument of the grandeur and magnificence of King Solomon, that he had two hundred men with targets, and three hundred men with shields of beaten gold for his ordinary guard every day? And is it not a mark of far greater dignity than ever Solomon had in all his glory, to have hosts of angels attending us? In comparison of one of this guard, Solomon himself was but a worm in all his magnificence.

แ "And is there care in heaven? and is there love
In heavenly spirits to these creatures base,
That may compassion of their evils move?
There is: else much more wretched were the case
Of men than beasts; but, O, th' exceeding grace
Of Highest God that loves his creatures so,
And all his works of mercy doth embrace,
That blessed angels he sends to and fro,
To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe!

"How oft do they their silver bowers leave,
To come to succor us, that succor want!
How do they with golden pinions cleave
The yielding skies, like flying pursuivant,
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!

They for us fight, they watch and duly ward,

And their bright squadrons round about us plant;

And all for love and nothing for reward;

O why should Heavenly God to men have such regard!"

Casting all your care upon him, for he careth for you.-1 Peter v. 7.

AMONG other spiritual secrets, this is one, and a prime one, the combination of lowliness and boldness, humble confidence:

this is the true temper of a child of God towards his great and good Father; nor can any have it, but they who are indeed his children, and have within them that spirit of adoption which he sends into their hearts.

And these two the apostle here joins together: Humble yourselves under the hand of God, and yet cast your care on him : upon that same hand under which you ought to humble yourselves, must you withal cast over all your care; for he careth for you.

1. In the exercise of this confidence in God, we must first see to it, that our desires and cares be brought into a due compass. All childish, vain, needless cares are to be discharged, and, as being unfit to cast on thy God, are to be quite cast out of thy heart. Entertain no care at all but such as thou mayest put into God's hands, and make his on thy behalf; such as he will take off thy hand, and undertake for thee.

All needful lawful care, and that only, will he receive. So then, rid thyself quite of all that thou canst not take this course with, and then, without scruple, take confidently this course with all the rest. Seek a well-regulated, sober spirit. In the things of this life, be content with food and raiment; not delicacies, but food; not ornament, but raiment; and conclude, that what thy Father carves for thee is best for thee, the fittest measure, for he knows it and loves thee wisely. This course our Saviour would have thee take, Matt. vi. 31; first, to cut off superfluous care, then to turn over on thy God the care of what is necessary. He will look to that, thou hast him engaged; and he can and will give thee beyond that, if he sees fit.

And as for the issue and success of thy way, let not that trouble thee at all: that is the care he would have thee wholly disburden thyself of, and lay entirely upon him. Do not vex thyself with thinking, how will this and that be, what if this and the other fall out. That is his part wholly, and if thou meddle with it, thou at once displeased him, and disquietest thyself. This sin carries the punishment of it close tied to it. If thou wilt be struggling with that which belongs not to thee, and poising at that burden that is not thine, what wonder, yea, I may say, what pity if thou fall under it? Art thou not well served? Is it not just, that if thou wilt do for thyself, and bear for thyself, what thy Lord calls for to bear for thee, thou shouldst feel the weight of it at thy cost?