His honour is engaged in our de-ship. God has established the ministry of his word, and has made attendance on that ministry conducive to the comfort of his people. He has, in every age of the church, raised up men, to whom he has given gifts and grace to become pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. The seventh portion of our time is graciously appointed for the services of God's house, in addition to which most ministers preach once in the

fence; his faithfulness is pledged 'for our relief; his heart is interested in our success: hence we may give our fears to the wind, for if the Lord be for us, not all the hosts of hell shall be able to prevail against us. Nothing is more calculated to dishearten the adversary, than frequent and fervent prayer. The feeblest christian, in the attitude of an humble suppliant at the throne of grace, presents a spectacle at which Satan trembles and despairs; for he well knows that if the resources of Omnipotence are en-week, and social prayer-meetings listed on our side, the result is no longer problematical.

are now generally established in our churches. These will all be attended by the diligent christian as often as his circumstances will

Various are the motives which might be urged as reasons why we should attend to this import-admit. The nature of religion is ant exhortation; but these are to provoke one another unto love sufficiently obvious not to re- and good works; not forsaking the quire a distinct enumeration. assembling of ourselves together, Suffice it to remark, that if we as the manner of some is, but exyield to the infernal suggestions horting one another. By means of Satan, the consequences will of the public assemblies of the be most awful and distressing: churches, the visible and scrip our peace of mind will be anni-tural profession of Christ's name hilated; our christian profession is exhibited and kept up in the completely tarnished; our eternal world. Such assemblies are desafety fearfully endangered. If signed to promote mutual love we have any regard to the appro- among christians, and to establish bation of the Almighty, the ho- their faith; to increase their nour of the Redeemer, the ap-knowledge of divine things; and plause of angels, the good of so-to beget and maintain spirituality ciety, our present happiness, and our everlasting welfare, we shall steadfastly "resist the Devil, that he may flee from us."

H.

ON CHRISTIAN DILIGENCE.
PART II..

(Continued from Page 194.)

III. Diligence in reading the Scripture, and in seeking the Lord by prayer, will always be attended by care to improve public opportunities of divine wor

of mind. It cannot be surprising to hear persons complain of darkness as to their future prospects, who but seldom attend these means: à contrary state of feeling, with the same conduct, would afford strong suspicions of a deceived heart. Negligence in the ways of God must be followed by barrenness of soul, with doubts, fears, and awful apprehensions of the divine displeasure. To profit by the gospel we must be constant in our attendance on its ministry, and not be satisfied with hearing one

weigh their orthodoxy by his own unerring balance. These unsatisfied persons, by their vagrancy, escape the taxes and dues of Christ's kingdom, and leave the gospel to provide for itself, and its ministers to live on the air. Having no vine nor fig-tree of their own, they subsist, if in

sermon in the week, on the Lord'sday, after having eaten a good dinner, when the powers of the mind are dull, and the attention undetermined. We must earnestly pray for the divine blessing to accompany his word with power to our hearts, and consider that every service is inseparably connected with eternity. The dili-deed they subsist at all, by pluckgent christian, by walking in the ing at those of others. Such ordinances and statutes of the conduct is highly dishonourable Lord blameless, sheds the lustre to the christian name, and opof christianity all around him; posed to the progress of religion men see his good works, and glo- in the soul; and in proportion rify his Father who is in heaven. as any good man approximates He is an example, and not a towards it, he will experience it cause of stumbling, to them who to be like the touch of the torask the way to Zion with their pedo to all his best feelings. faces thitherward. He is a living epistle, known and read of all men, and not like an old milestone, which, though it keeps its standing, would tell for nothing in another situation. Having been admitted into the church of God by the expressive ordinance of christian baptism, he will regularly attend to the Lord's-Supper, not suffering either the real, or the supposed misconduct of a fellow-member, to prevent him from filling up his place; nor will he indulge the working of envy, and the corroding of malice, towards his brethren, on account of their imperfections, but will exercise pity, tenderness, and love towards them on every occasion. Planted in the house of the Lord, he will flourish in the courts of our God: he will bring forth fruit in old age, and will be fat and flourishing. This man will be the direct opposite, as to stedfastness of character and ornamentality of life, to the gospel vagrant, who wanders about from one place of worship to another, to satisfy his criminal curiosity, to exercise his penetrating powers on the sentiments and talents of different preachers, and to

IV. Christian diligence is unallied with an anxious solicitude about the things of this world. Consequences the most lamentable have arisen from an eager desire to accumulate wealth. If this be felt, though but in a small measure, it should be checked by deliberately considering these consequences; and by recollecting that man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. If the love of money is allowed to rule in the heart, it becomes the source of many evils. Some christians have suffered great loss in spiritual blessings by coveting things more great, or more elegant, than those which they already possessed. It has generated the desire of money, and this has led into conduct which has embittered their future days, beclouded their old age, and rendered the thoughts of death distressing to them. "Ye cannot serve God and mammon." There is nothing more dangerous to our souls than unscriptural anxiety about the things of time. The sacred writings abound in cautions and warnings against it, and exhibit alarming instances of its baneful

many shillings. The children of this world are, in their generation, wiser than the children of light. In the choice, and in the pursuit of their object, they are often emphatically assiduous, subordinating every thing to their gainful purposes. Their plans are often deeply laid, and executed with promptitude and effect; while they who are professedly seeking a crown of glory, are the subjects of much coldness and indifference towards it. If saints would learn lessons of wisdom from their conduct, and pursue the things of eternity as singly, as vigorously, and as constantly as they do those of time, it would greatly tend to the prosperity of their souls. To guard against the influence of worldly things, we must be earnest in prayer for spirituality of mind; we must seriously contemplate the vanity of all created good; and we must remember the example of him, who, though Lord of the universe, for our sakes became a man of sor rows and acquainted with grief, and had not where to lay his head. The danger of being earthly minded is not however confined to those who prosper in the world; the poor man may be equally as much encumbered with perishing things as the rich, and be as far from religious diligence. Whether we are rich or poor, God alone must be the object of our supreme delight and affection.

effects: yet all these are insufficient to cure the dreadful malady; our natures still cleave to the world. When earthly goods increase, it is like sailing the voyage of life with the wind and tide in our favour; and we are apt to mistake the delight we have in ourselves, and the interest we find in our property, for gratitude to God, to wrap ourselves about with our property, as with a warm garment in a winter's day, and to make it "" our strong city." The enemy of our souls, and the deceitfulness of our own hearts, will allow us to support the exterior of religion, and even to talk much of its excellency, while we make it subservient to our carnal desires. Nevertheless, though the form of religion be well supported, and we frequently speak of its charms, the sweet meditations upon God and divine subjects which we formerly enjoyed, will be exchanged for schemes how to accomplish our saving purposes. Diligence in religion, and constant watchfulness over their principles, should be maintained by those christians, whose circumstances in the world are prosperous. If the love of God decrease in their souls, they will not think their necessities fewer, because their means of supplying them are more numerous; but they will still cry, Give, give; and they will probably imagine themselves less able to support the cause of God now, than they were when they had but little more than the necessaries of life. Accumulation of property often acts by the rule of reverse; the more we have, the more we want. Enriched as it respects our worldly goods, we may be impoverished in our souls, V. Notwithstanding the dan and may become more afraid of ger arising to the christian from expenditure when we are worth the world, religious diligence thousands of pounds, than we fully accords with a proper atwere when we were not worth so | tention to its concerns.

He is jealous of his own glory, and will suffer no rival in the breasts of his people. His language is, "My son, give me thy heart;" and he must have the whole: a part of it he will not accept.

rest of a labouring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much. Happy soul! envy not the rich and the great; thy lot, though mean and obscure, is preferable to theirs. Thy heart and thy

to get and to keep; thy hands are free from the miser's gripe; and thy conscience is not defiled with guilty stains to spoil thy sleep! Rest in peace, and rise with the dawn; bow thy knees to the Father of mercies, and then, in the strength of the Lord, go again to thy employ. The blessing of God maketh thee rich, and addeth no sorrow therewith.

Idleness is no part of christianity. Adam in a state of innocence was to dress and keep the garden of Eden. Work is still appointed for all his posterity, and their comfort and usefulness depend much on their pro-head are not filled with schemes perly attending to that work. If Satan finds men idle, he has the greater opportunity to try the force of his temptations upon them. The divine precept is, "Be diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." The active christian will have his hands filled with the duties of his station; and thus, like the builders on the walls of Jerusalem, his work will proceed with safety and success. The man who saunters away his time, as though he came into the world only to eat and drink and sleep; to gaze away life, and then to lie down in the grave; is a dead weight on the wheels of society. The present and the future worlds ought both to occupy our regard; our time should be divided between their claims according to their nature and importance. The godly tradesman who pursues his business from morning to evening, with intervals of ease scarcely sufficient for the support of nature, may enjoy much of the power of religion on his mind. The pious husbandman, while he follows the plough, or performs any part of his rural occupation, may observe with pleasure the works of his heavenly Father, and meditate with rapture on his sublime perfections. When the shadows of the evening are stretched out, this man retires to his peaceful cottage with thankfulness to God for his distinguishing grace towards him, and, fearless of nightly depredators, who go in quest of what he does not possess, commits himself to the care of heaven, and proves that the

Finally: Whatever be the situation of the diligent christian, he will be desirous to conduct himself according to the will of God. He may err through ig. norance, but he will not do any thing which he knows to be wrong. A sense of obligation to God inclines him to promote his glory. Instead of living to himself, he will live unto him who died for him and rose again. He feels indebted to matchless grace, and the benevolence of his heart expands to the whole family of man. Missionary societies, Bible societies, and Sunday schools, are things which he cordially approves. He does not say to the cause of God, Be thou warmed and be thou filled, notwithstanding he gives it nothing; nor are his gifts such as bear no proportion to his circumstances; one pound where he ought to give ten; or half-a-crown where he ought to give a pound. His donations to assist in the diffusion of divine knowledge are not accompanied with those cool, cautious, calculating feelings, which mark those of the covetous and niggardly. They will give something to save their credit among men; but their countenance and

gate any erroneous sentiment, it is necessary to state facts, in order to counteract the mistake and remove the impression. Such an error has been committed in a work recently published, viz. Orme's Life of Dr. John Owen, p. 90.

"There were in it [the army]" (says Mr. Orme)" Presbyterians and Independents, properly so called, and under the latter designation a crowd of anomalous fanatics who took refuge in the general name and respectable character of the congregational body. There were Baptists and fifth monarchy men, Seekers and Antinomians, Levellers and Ranters,

All monstrous, all prodigious things.""

manner in doing it, seem to say, that what they give is a bit cut from their beloved idol. The diligent christian identifies himself with the cause of God, makes it his own, and is willing to bear its expenses to the full of what he has given him. He cleaves to the people of God, as those with whom he has an inseparable connection; he embarks himself in the same vessel; and the language of his heart to them is like that of Ruth to Naomi, "Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following thee; for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God." Thus giving all diligence, he adds to his faith, virtue, (or fortitude;) and to virAs my intention is to vindicate tue, knowledge; and to know- the Baptists from this, it is hoped, ledge, temperance; and to tem- unintentional aspersion, I object perance, patience; and to pa- seriously to their being consider tience, godliness; and to godli-ed as a part of the Independents, ness, brotherly kindness; and to inasmuch as they were a distinct brotherly kindness, charity. And denomination from them, and when death shall call him hence, had been recognized as such for an entrance shall be ministered unto him abundantly into the I still more object to their being many years before that period. everlasting kingdom of our Lord classed with "Seekers, Antinoand Saviour Jesus Christ. mians, Levellers, and Ranters;" Reader, how does thy charac-though I doubt not there were ter agree with that of the diligent christian? Let me entreat thee to retire, and examine thy own heart. In a little time thy life will close, and then it will not signify to thee what thou hast been, if thou hast not been a christian; and thou oughtest not to conclude thyself a christian, unless thou art a diligent one.

many such who were considered as belonging to them, as well as to the Independents. In order, yond all dispute, and to prove however, to put this matter bethe respectability of the Baptists who were in the army, I will make an extract from a letter of Captain Richard Deane, written about the year 1670 to Dr. Barlow, Bishop of Lincoln, preserved in Ivimey's History of the English Baptists, vol. i. pp. 293–296.

"In the year 1649 the Baptists greatly increased in the country, and their opinions did likewise spread themselves into some regiments of horse and foot in the army; and in 1650 and