text; and therefore our Lord said of him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile." He had laboured under considerable mistakes; but he loved retirement, and had been alone praying to be made wise unto salvation. He had little light, but he sought for more; he was open to advice and reproof; he complied with Philip's invitation, "Come and see" for thyself; and upon our Saviour's intimation, "When thou wast under the fig tree I saw thee," ," he exclaimed, "Thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel"-And upon this Jesus promised to show him "greater things than these."

There are some who are not equally prudent and kind. They are not tender of persons who cannot for the time go all their lengths. Yet were not they led into their present views step by step? Have they not been for years learning what they do not yet sufficiently understand? And do they wonder that others are not completely initiated in a few days or weeks? What a difference is there between the dawn and the day! and yet is not the one the beginning and the pledge of the other? And "the path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." And "then," says the prophet, "shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." If I see a man convinced of sin, humbled under a sense of his unworthiness, delivered from the spirit of the world, and seriously engaged in the use of the means of grace, let me not be harsh because he feels some doubts and difficulties from which others are now delivered: let me affectionately admonish him, as far as he has already attained, to walk by the same rule, and mind the same thing, assured that if in any thing else he be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto him in his own time, and way, and degree. Let me not engage him in angry disputes, or force upon him the deep things of God which he is unprepared to receive; but leave him for time, and observation, and experience to enlarge his views, and be willing to teach him as he is able to hear it. Paul gave strong meat to them that were of full age, and who by reason of use had their senses exercised to discern both good and evil: but he fed babes with milk-Some give babes strong meat, yea, and even the bones of controversy!

It is well for persons to try their ground, and to feel their own way; and he walketh surely that walketh uprightly; and he that doth his will shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God. Some of the most eminent characters that have adorned the Church attained their evangelical sentiments by degrees, and principally derived them from experience. The changes in nature are gradual; the seasons melt into each other; there are no disruptions. There also things are slower in their growth in proportion to their value. The oak, the king of the forest, does not shoot up all at once like nettles and reeds. The mushroom is the vegetation of a nightWe are not fond of mushroom-converts. We have never been

taught by the result to admire those who instantly become so wise, alkative, disputatious, and decisive. Their knowledge gets dangerously in advance, while its companions and guardians, experience and practice, are left so far behind. The knowledge they boast of VOL. II.

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is like the head of a rickety child, too large for the other parts of the body; it is the effect not of strength, but of weakness and disease; and by destroying proportion, is not a beauty, but a deformity. Whatever be the defects of him that doeth truth, he may be known by this-If he has not the light, "he cometh to the light."

NOVEMBER 24.-"He that doeth truth COMETH TO THE LIGHT, that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God."-John iii. 21.

WHAT is his BUSINESS?

"He cometh to the light." He is not averse to it. He is not afraid of it. Why should he wish to shun it? It is for the thief, the murderer, the adulterer, to feel the morning as the shadow of death; not the man who is honestly going forth to his work and to labour until the evening. "If," says the man that is upright in the way-" if I am not right, I wish, above all things, to be right, and to be led into all truth. Hide nothing from me. Where my soul and eternity are concerned I dread delusion. I cannot bear uncertainty. Let me come to the light. And how does he this? He does it five ways.

He comes to the light by self-inspection. There are cases in which he will more solemnly and expressly examine himself: such as the close of the year; and when he is approaching the table of the Lord; and when under those events, which are called by the sacred writers trials, because they are intended to show us what manner of spirit we are of. But he will be habitually a self-observer, and will look not only at his actions, but especially at his motives and the state of his heart.

He comes to the light by attention to the Scriptures. To their decisions, and counsels, and reproofs, he endeavours to lay himself fairly open. And instead of turning away from those parts which more particularly bear upon his own office and condition, towards them he will look more frequently and fully. "Am I a parent? Am I a member of a church? Am I poor? Am I prosperous? Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ?”

He comes to the light by hearing the word preached. The minister is to take forth the precious from the vile; to discriminate characters, to divide the word of truth, and to give to every hearer his appropriate encouragement or censure. And he that doeth truth will receive his words with meekness. He will not try to bribe the prophet, or desire him to prophesy smooth things. He will not be offended because the preacher is faithful; but will say to him, as Eli did to Samuel, who had received a message from God concerning him, "What is the thing that the Lord hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee." Such a man is likely to apply too much to himself rather than too little. And this will commonly be the case with regard to those things which are said to unmask hypocrites, and to exclude the usurpers of religious privileges. It is not easy, says Bishop Hall, to beat out the dogs without making the children cry.

He cometh to the light by religious intercourse. "They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward." And whom

can they better consult, than those who know the way, not from maps and books only, but from having, and some of them a long time, travelled in it themselves. They feel an interest in such inquiries, and will be sure to sympathize with them; and will be able to solve many a doubt, and remove many a fear. They can speak from their own experience. And blessed be God there are few neighbourhoods now in which such helpers as these are not to be found-and the Lord add to his people, how many soever they be, a hundred-fold!

Above all, he doth this by prayer; humble, and earnest, and persevering prayer, for divine teaching. This is indeed coming to the light; it is coming to the fountain of light, coming to "the Father of lights," from whom every good and every perfect gift descends. He will convince us that the way of man is not in himself, and that no means, however good in themselves, can render needless his own agency. But none teacheth like him. He can make the very deaf to hear, and the blind to see. Under the influence of his direction, the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein. Happy they who are brought to his feet, and are crying from the heart, "Lead me in thy truth, and guide me; for thou art the God of my salvation, on Thee do I wait all the day." "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." They will not, they cannot seek him in vain. He has said, and the Scripture cannot be broken, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." "If ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him ?"

NOVEMBER 25.-"He that doeth truth cometh to the light, THAT HIS DEEDS MAY BE MADE MANIFEST, THAT THEY ARE WROUGHT IN GOD."-John iii. 21. WHAT is his AIM?

"That his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

The aim is personal: "His deeds." There are some who live much abroad, and are eager to pry into the affairs and condition of others, and it extends even to their religious concerns. But we are commanded to commune with our own hearts." When our Lord had foretold the duty and destiny of Peter, Peter should have instantly prayed, "Lord, prepare me for all thy will;" but instead of this he asks concerning John, "Lord, and what shall this man do?" But our Saviour, far from encouraging such curiosity, said, "What if I will that he tarry till I come? What is that to thee? Follow thou me." Many, it is to be feared, in reading and hearing, think more of others than of themselves; but we should endeavour to bring home the subject, whatever it be, to our own souls-"Am I neglecting this duty? Do I stand exposed to this threatening? Am I the heir of this promise? Have I any part or lot in this matter? Is my heart right in the sight of God?" This is the case with the man that "doeth truth and cometh to the light."

The aim is practical: that "his deeds"-Not his opinions and

sentiments only or principally. They are indeed of importance, and he will be concerned to have them in accordance with the Scripture: but if a man does not in his inquiry go beyond the determination of the orthodoxy of his creed he forgets that the devils also believe and tremble. He forgets that faith without works is dead, being alone. "Can faith save him?"-Yes; but not such faith: and this was the meaning of the Apostle. The faith that saves, as he observes, shows itself by its works. It works by love; it purifies the heart; it overcometh the world. Real believers stand, walk, live by faith. We therefore must look after the influences and effects of the truth as it is in Jesus: we must remark our deeds, our actions, conduct, course of life. If we know these things, happy are we if we do them-By this our state and character are to be evinced : "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."

The aim is important: "That his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." That is, whether they are the mere produce of nature, or the genuine effects of Divine grace. Here it is admitted as a prínciple that the religion of a Christian is not self-derived, but springs from a Divine source. How can it be otherwise? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? The stream cannot rise higher than the fountain: no effect can exceed its cause in any thing. That which is of the flesh is flesh but that which is spiritual must be of the Spirit. Accordingly God has promised to put his Spirit within his people: and to this every thing good, either possessed or done by them, is ascribed-They are his workmanship-This people, says he, have I formed for myself, they shall shew forth my praise.

And behold the grand point to decide. It would indeed be absurd to press some of you to determine this thing. It is obvious already that your deeds are not wrought in God. You can feel no uncertainty in your minds concerning it. You must be sure that your disregard of private prayer, your neglect of family worship, your violations of the Sabbath, your intemperance, pride, covetousness, and revenge, cannot come from the Spirit of him that calleth you. But some persons make pretensions to piety who would do well to inquire whether there is any thing in their religion that requires or bespeaks a Divine agency. For surely they may have a form of knowledge, or a form of godliness, they may come to his house and honour him with their lips, they may pray without desire, and sing without praise, without having the Spirit of the living God dwelling in them. Are we not only convinced, but converted? Not only reformed, but renovated? Not only excited in our passions, but transformed by the renewing of the mind? Have we not only another heart, but a new one? Do we differ not only from others, but from our former selves? Do we worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh? Do we bear any of the unerring features of the household of faith? Do we feel like them? Are our joys, and sorrows, and hopes, and fears, the same with theirs who are led by the Spirit of God and are the sons of God? Are we running with them in the race that is set before us? and fighting with them the good fight of faith?

How much depends upon the decision! It involves the glory of God. For we cannot praise him for doing what we think he has not done, or conferring what we think he has not conferred. We may bless him for the exercise of his patience, and for favouring us with space for repentance, and the means of grace; but this is not the glowing gratitude of the man who can say, "Thou hast wrought all our works in us." It also must affect our own comfort; according to the words of the Apostle; "Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another." The joy does not arise from the consciousness of his being the author of the work, but the subject of it: it is his own work," not as it is wrought by him, but in him. And how delightful, how animating must the persuasion of this Divine reality prove! And what may we not expect from the experience of it! "Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who hath also given unto us the earnest of the Spirit."

The decision is not more important than it is possible. We are commanded to seek it. We are provided with all the means and assistances essential to the attainment. The very anxiety to determine is a token for good; and is here made by our Lord himself to characterize the subject: "He that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

NOVEMBER 26.-" I shall be satisfied."-Psalm xvii. 15.

We

THE Lord's people are not strangers to satisfaction now. read of their being satisfied early with his favour; satisfied with his goodness; abundantly satisfied with the fatness of his house. But this is true only in degree: that is, they are satisfied, compared with what others feel, and with what they themselves once felt. They have found the supreme good, and they desire nothing beyond itBut they desire more of it-They long to know their Lord and Saviour more clearly, to resemble him more fully, to enjoy him more entirely. David therefore speaks of his satisfaction as future; and not only mentions the source of it; "I will behold thy face in righteousness;" but fixes the period: "I shall be satisfied, when I awake with thy likeness."

Here we see, shall I say—the insatiable ambition religion inspires. What an enlargedness of views and feelings do the subjects of Divine grace experience! so that they not only pass by, as beneath their attention, what mortals idolize, but soar beyond all that God himself has done for them here, content with nothing short of his full vision and likeness in heaven; keeping on the wing, and continuing all manner of search, till they reach a rest and a prize so distant and so infinite! And we have witnessed this grandeur and elevation of soul, even in the humblest walks of pious life. The rude mechanic, and the illiterate ploughman, though incapable of constructing the poetry, have felt all the sentiment of the poet