churches, and the crime of making their children to pass through the fire. (Jer. 7, 11.)

The true evangelical faith looks upon, and has respect to, the doctrine, ceremonies, commands, prohibitions, and unblamable examples of Christ alone, and strives to conform thereto with all its powers even as fire in its nature can produce nothing but combustion and flame; the sun, nothing but light and heat; the water causes moisture, and a good tree brings good fruit, after its natural properties; and thus evangelical faith produces true evangelical fruit, (again I say,) and that after its true, good, evangelical nature; Yea, even as an honest, virtuous bride, by virtue, and the nature of natural .love, is ever ready to hear and follow the voice of her bridegroom; and from a sincere, pious disposition, favor and love which she has for, and towards him, will ever so conduct herself, before her most faithful friend and beloved husband, whom she respects and loves with all her heart, for his sake voluntarily endures wha: ever may befall her; even also it is with a sincere, regenerated believer, who has been joined to Christ, by grace through faith; he has become one with Christ through this ardent love, that he is ever prepared, in his love and will, to endure all things for Jesus's holy name's sake, in evil as well as in good report. Eager to endure all things that may befall him at any time, be it joy or tribulation, satiation or hunger, refreshing or thirst, honor or dishonor, in good or bad report, in prison or at liberty, in exile or at home, an easy or a hard life, death or life. Such a soul partakes of her bridegroom's nature and disposition, is pious in heart and thought; true in words and well seasoned; all her ways are righteousness, devoutness; wise as the serpent, as harmless as the dove; a genuinely pious disposition, fidelity, zeal, peace, fervent prayer, an unblamable conduct, a sincere, pure, brotherly love, and a voluntary obedience to Christ and his holy word; for, I say, the righteous live by faith, (Heb. 2; Rom. 1; Gal. 3; Heb. 10) as we shall be shown plainly by the grace of God, by the following examples, recorded in the holy scriptures.

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OF NOAH'S FAITH.

The holy scriptures testify concerning Noah, the son of Lamech, that he found grace before the Lord, because he was a righteous, godly man, unwavering and perfect in his generation (Gen. 6). Peter calls him a preacher of righteousness, (2 Pet. 2.) High and glorious is the testimony, which is given in the scriptures concerning this man.

When all the world was depraved before God, and the face of all the earth was full of wickedness, the sons of God looked upon the daughters of men that they were fair, they took them wives of all whom they choose, and would not suffer themselves to be reproved by the spirit of God; then spake the Lord I will yet give them the space of a hundred and twenty years; he also gave Noah a command, that he should make a ship or ark, by which he and his house might be saved from the coming flood, for God the Lord, was about to destroy the whole world with water. Noah believed the Lord's word with all his heart, and kept it in his mind, as if he saw it before him with his eyes. He commenced building as he had been commanded, for he believed with his whole heart, that the threatened punishment would come. And when the appointed year was completed, and the disobedient wicked world repented not, the Lord's word must be accomplished. Noah went into the ark with all clean and unclean creatures as the Lord commanded him. On the same day he entered the ark the foundation of the great deep, and the firmament of heaven were opened, and it rained forty days and forty nights till all the high mountains upon the face of the whole earth, were covered fifteen cubits high with water, and all creatures upon the earth that had in them the breath of life, as men, birds, beasts and worms were destroyed. Noah and his family together with the animals which were with him in the ark, were preserved in the ark by the power and grace of the Almighty, in whom Noah trusted with all his heart. (1 Pet. 3.)

Through faith (saith Paul) Noah honored God, and prepared the ark for the salvation of his house, according to the divine

command which were not yet seen, through which he condemned the world, and became an inheriter of the righteousness which is by faith: (Heb. 11.)

Oh! lovely example, O glorious pattern of a sure and firm faith. For, as he believed his God, so was he upright and unwavering. He believed the threatened punishment firmly, as if he saw it before his eyes, and therefore he labored so many years, and, through the eternal spirit of Christ, he warned the unbelieving, disobedient spirits, or men led captive by sin, to repent and reform. He feared his Lord's word and doubted not that it would happen as the Lord hath spoken. He well knew that the Lord's word was powerful, as the prophet said: O Lord, by speaking didst thou in the beginning address the creation: Let there be heaven and earth-thy word is an all powerful work. (2 Ezra. 6.)

And when he had preached and built forty, eighty or a hundred years, (the scriptures do not say how long he built and taught,) he did not become weak in faith by long delay, for he well knew that the punishment of God would come upon the impenitent and unconverted, and that he, and his would be preserved through the mercy and grace of him who promised for he is the God of truth, and no lie is found in him. (Tit. 1; Heb. 6.)

The Lord God warned the pious Noah, and said: The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is full of violence, and behold, I will destroy it with the earth. (Gen. 6.) So also hath he through his own blessed son, through his holy prophets and apostles, with his word of truth, warned us and said: If you repent not, be not born of God, believe not in Christ, walk not in his commandments, reform not your wicked lives, but serve strange gods, be haughty, proud, ambitious, lustful, blood-thirsty, malicious, unjust, idle, earthly, fleshy, and devilish, you shall die in your sins, (1 John 7) and shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven, (John 3) shall be condemned, (Mark 16) shall be cast into the fiery pool (Rev. 21) must inherit eternal wo and pain, with all the accursed, and with devils, (Matt, 15; 2 Thes. 1) and have no part nor communion in the kingdom of Christ, to all eternity. (1 Cor. 6.)

My readers, if we, with the upright and godly Noah, take heed to the warnings of Christ and his holy spirit and believe with the whole heart-believe God's word-to be true and immutable that the threatened punishment will come in its time,

even though it be delayed a thousand years. I advise that every one watch, for all who die in their sins, receive their punishment, for, the time of grace is then expired. We should undoubtedly threaten the impenitent and unconverted with sore wrath, which will be eternal in its duration. We should fear and tremble from our inmost souls, and pray our God for grace. We should clothe ourselves in sackcloth and mourning garments. We should truly repent, reform the wicked life, follow after righteousness, (1 Pet. 3) and with our new and spiritual Noah, Christ Jesus, enter into the new and spiritual ark, which is his church; and that we be careful at all times, which is his church; that the fearful flood of the coming wrath of God, overtake us not, with all unbelievers and impenitent, who know neither God nor Christ, neither spirit nor word, as it happened to the old world, (Gen. 7, 8) yea, we should watch and wait from the heart upon the coming of the Lord, and give heed to the time of grace, preserve our wedding gar ment, and have oil in our lamps, we should see that our house be not cast down, and we with the unelad guest, be cast forth from the Lord's wedding, into utter darkness (Matt. 22) and abide eternally out of doors.

But if we believe not the threatening punishment wrath and judgment of the Lord, and have little regard to the commands of the scriptures, and say with the mockers: Where is the promise of his coming? all things abide as they were from the beginning, since the fathers fell asleep, (2 Pet. 2) it will, I fear, happen with us as it did with the unbelievers and disobedient who were overtaken with sudden destruction in the time of Noah and Lot, (Gen. 7, 8, 19) as one may plainly see and read concerning the coming of the Lord in Mathew 24, and Luke17,

Again, if we believe not, neither regard the threatened judgment and wrath of the Lord, it will follow that we will lead a profligate life-do all that our wicked flesh desires, eat, drink, build, sow, reap and marry without any fear or care, and will avaricously hoard up gold, silver, and say haughtily in our heart there is peace and joy, till swift destruction shall overtake us, (2 Thes. 2) Let every one look well and watch. The mes senger, with his peremptory summons is already at the door, who will say "Render an account" thou mayest continue steward no longer. (Luke 16.) But could we with the righteous, unwavering and pious Noah, believe the coming eternal wrath, and the promises through Christ, to all true children of

God, we would, undoubtedly, not be found so inattentive, drowsy and polluted, but would, with full earnestness, without delay, rise from our abominable sin and grievous errors, and would shun wickedness as we would a hungry roaring Lion or a blood-thirsty enemy, we should also watch with open eyes, lest the master of the house overtake us when we sleep and regard him not. And that he may not give our portion and lot, among the hypocrites, let us not strike our fellow servants, and eat and drink with the gormandizer. (Matt. 24.) Concerning this watching, read (Matt. 24, 25; Mark 13; Luke 12: 1 Thes. 5; 1 Pet. 3; Rev. 3.)

ABRAHAM'S FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.

Abraham the high-renowned patriarch, who had not his equal in honor, as Sirach writes. (Sirach 24.) For he believed God and trusted upon his word with the whole heart, and thus manifested obedience and power as the result of his faith, for as the Lord commanded him and said: "Get thee out of thine own country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house into a land that I will shew thee, and I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee, and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. (Gen. 12.) And when he heard the command, he believed his God and consulted not the ease of his body nor his natural reason, but renounced both, and did not strive nor dispute with God, in whom he trusted and by whose. command he went forth; he did not desire to know before hand into what land he should go. He believed his God with his whole heart, he was obedient and went forth at that hour, together with his wife not knowing where he should go. He reposed firmly and surely upon the promise of God, who, would not deceive nor betray him, for he well knew that he was a God who was true and firm in all his words and that