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well as good report; this love leads | cerely commend it to others :them to obey. No duties will be knowing it contains the way of omitted, no expreffions of regard life, and treasures, which are wantneglected. Continually in all ed by all his fellow-men, he says, their actions will they have refpe& Oh, come and fee how good the Lord unto its righteous commandments. is. He earneftly defires and enThe ftudy of it is fweet and enter- deavors that his children, his taining; and they fear not boldly friends and neighbors, fhould beto announce their determination, come acquainted with it. If, for by the affiftance of divine grace, a time, he forgets it or cannot atto keep his flatutes always, even to tend to it, how grievous is the the end. fcene? it seems to him as though the greatest beauty was withdrawn, and there were charms in nothing befide. He cannot bear to part with it.

Like a true friend, the Chriftian fees an unspeakable pleasure in the word. 'Tis agreeable to his foul. Are young minds delighted with hiftory, with difcoveries in the arts, with pieces of elegant compofition and refined poetry? How much more is the Chriftian delighted with the word? New and affecting fcenes daily rife to his attentive mind. The beauty of confistence and harmony is feen in the whole. The hiftory of divine love the glorious plan of redemption and of the effectual grace of God to the rebellious, are more delightful to him than language can exprefs.

The cause of this high eftima. tion-this strong attachment and delight is of a peculiar nature; the very great purity of the word. David faw and felt this to be the cafe; and there are thousands who can accord with him.-'Tis not because it threatens them who injure us, or those with whom we are at variance. Nor is it because it promifes good to us. Indeed it is valuable on this account; but the purity of the way in which it promifes or threatens is the principal inducement.-And if we examine the word we shall find,

It exhibits a most pure and Spotlefs character of the great Jehovah. While it difcovers him to be the

Experienced Chriftians tell us that in all the fcenes of joy thro' which they have paffed for fifty or fixty years, none have been found equal to thofe which arife from the word. Thefe joys leave no fling behind, and are the fore-all-fufficient, the almighty and tafte of greater and everlafting pleasures at the right hand of God.

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uncreated fovereign of all, it dif covers that his purity, his freedom from fin and all unrighteousness is commenfurate with his infinity. It fhews this of him in all his crea ting, governing and redeeming works, each of which is an extenfive field and each is filled with his purity.

It likewife difcovers a pure law which admits of no fin or impiety whatever-that requires truth in the inward parts and love unfeigned. The commandment is pure-it re

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demns and difapproves of that worft of evils as the word of God. The denunciations against it are enough to make the flouteft hearts tremble.

Further, it exhibits many precious human characters. The

quires love. All the Chriftian is required to do is an expreffion, of love; nothing is required arbitrarily, but all as the path of love. This love refpects God, our fellow creatures and ourselves ; and it refpects them in proportion to their importance in the fcale of being, characters of Jefus as man-of What requirement can be purer Abraham, Mofes, Noah, Daniel than to love the Lord our God and Job-of Ifaiah, Paul and all with all our heart and our neigh the apoftles, are delightful because bor as ourselves? Difinterefted of the degrees of purity which affection, and denying ourselves for the greater good of others is appear in them. Upon reading the fpirit of it. No partial, felf-fied mind of a Chriftian is ftruck their respective hiftories, the puri

ifh or contracted affections are allowed.

Further, it makes known a pure Heaven for the upright, and in this way engages the heart and yields ineffable fatisfaction. Christians

may know that when they depart out of this world, they are going to a place where fin can never enter; and where they may be forever delighted in the pureft employ

ments which immortals can be engaged in where nothing enters that defileth or maketh a lie.

Befides, it holds up a fyftem of pure do&rines. The doctrines collected by human reafon from the light of nature, have all been mixed with great impurity, both in their nature and effect. But thefe tend to one point, to humble the creature and exalt God. The purity of the plan of redemption

with that exemplary benevolence, weanednefs from the world, and every thing truly laudable and pure that appears in them. As he is delighted to hear of fuch characters, an account where he cannot

be impofed upon engages his love and confidence. The purity of the character recommended and rich and entertaining beyond any to be fought, alfo renders the word

other book.

It contains the purest maxims of morality. It extends its information to all conditions, fituations and relations of life. It directs to fuch ways of thinking and acting, as can never allow the evils of pride, jealoufy, prejudice, or the feeds of difcord, confufion or war. Were its maxims followed, how pure would fociety be? Mankind would live together as a "band of brothers," and the nations learn war no more.-This time alfo it

of the divine fovereignty-and of falvation by free grace, in a way abounding to the praife of the glory of God, and the ev-foretels. The promises of the Milerlafting fecurity of fallible crea- lennium, and a flate of purity for a tures, is a powerful inducement to thousand years, are published in the ardent love. word. Amid the conflicts of the prefent ftate there is much fin and unhappinefs. There will be a time of peace. Righteousness shall

This word condemns all fin -it tolerates no iniquity even in thought-it never admits fins of infirmity-They are all unequivo-be built up, and all the upright shall cally condemned. No language fo forcibly and univerfally conVOL. IV. No. 11.

glory. Then holinefs to the Lord fhall be written upon every heart Ggg

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This word alfo exhibits a way to purify the heart of man. A fountain is fet open for Judah and the inhabitants of Jerufalem, for fin and for uncleannefs. By it men may be purified from their guilt, their blindness, unbelief, dominion of fin, and finally from the existence of it in the foul. Means and ways to cleanse the heart and to purify it unto perfection are made known. In a word, it contains the only true religion. It difcovers the only way in which God can appear glorious in his holinefs, while finners are faved. It discovers the true nature of moral obligation; fhews us what we are and what we ought to be, and enjoins a religion fuitable for fuch crea

tures as men are.

When all these things are bro't into view by the divine word, it muft appear that its purity is very great, and there is fufficient reafon for all the love and attachment which the fervants of God feel towards it.

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In the foregoing obfervations A

we have a mark of the true Chriftian. The question then may arife, Do we thus efteem the word of God? Is it a moft precious and delightful volume? Do we read it, defire it, and cleave to it as fomething better than life? And does this attachment arise from its very great purity? The pure in heart underftand it; to them it is an in. comparable book. Let confcience remind the reader whether these are his feelings.

How deplorable is the cafe of thofe countries which are not favored with this precious word! Christians, extend your views and fee the wretched confequences, both of a temporal and moral kind, which follow the want of

ALANSON.

Sandlified Afflictions. POSTATE man is born

unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. This is the language of infpiration, and it is the language of experience. While God is daily conferring favors upon us, he is at the fame time bearing conftant teftimony againft our fins, by giving to us the cup of forrow. Difappointed hopes, loffes, pains and natural death, must be endured by man. While roses are scattered by the fide of his path through life, these roses are found to grow on thorns. The prefent ftate is every way fuited to be a state of difappointment and trial to man.

It ought to be our conftant endeavor to derive benefit from our afflictions. If they be fanctified to us, as they are to all God's

ed with the fame abfurd confequences. If any part of the creation could govern itself, that part might fet up a claim in oppofition to the defigns of Jehovah, and defeat his purposes, in giving birth to creatures. Some contend that

people, we shall be enabled to fay | vine government, would be attendwith the Pfalmift, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy ftatutes. This pious man found his troubles operating for his fpiritual and everlafting good. He was excited by them to learn God's ftatutes, or to study and obey his revealed will. Divine truth became fweeter than honey to his tafte. His love to God's character, law, government and grace, was increased, and he was engaged to run the way of his commandments with the greater delight.

It is the defign of the prefent effay to inquire when it can be faid that our afflictions or trials, work for our good, or when they are fanctified to us? This fubject is interefting to all who are in this vale of tears; and must engage the ferious attention of all who love God. The humble and the patient children of forrow, are prepared to receive instruction on a fubject which conftantly occupies their thoughts, and furnishes matter for daily felf-examination.

The fubject is very copious; and nothing more will be attempted in this effay than to collect and bring into view fome of the principal evidences of fanctified afflictions.

I. Our afflictions promote our beft good, when we acknowledge and adore the hand of God in bringing them upon us.

God is the univerfal Creator. All creatures and events both in the natural and in the moral world, muft be, and forever remain under his government. If creatures could hold their existence of themfelves, they would become independent of God, and might control his defigns.

To fuppofe any part of the creation to be freed from the di

God maintains a general provi dence but not aparticularone, over the works of his hand; and reprefent it as beneath the notice of the infinite mind, to regard the minute parts of the creation. But let fuch perfons confider that a general providence implies the government of all the particular things of which it is compofed, and that all parts of the divine plan are connected, and therefore a denial of a particular providence, goes to a denial, that God governs the world. There is a connection be tween the opening of a flower and the rife of a nation, and the di rection of a mote and the fall of an empire, which is difcerned by the divine mind. Though fuch knowledge is too high for us, it is not too high for the mind of Jehovah, and heightens the idea of his infinite greatness; when weconfider himas governing all creatures and events, both great and small, we may difcover fomething of that glory, which demands our admiration and praise.

It is abundantly revealed in the holy fcriptures, that the evils which men endure, are inflicted by divine Providence. Amos iii. 6. "Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it ?" Lam. iii. 38. "Out of the mouth of the Most High, proceedeth not evil and good?" It is unneceffary to spend time in proving a doctrine which is found on almoft every page of the infpired volume. If it were a fact, that our troubles were the fruit of accident or

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chance, or blind fate, we must be inconfolable under them. But we are certain, that "Affliction cometh not forth of the duft, neither doth trouble fpring out of the ground."

We may be rationally convinced that the evils which we endure, proceed from the hand of God; and yet we may practically refufe to acknowledge and adore his agency. There is a wide difference, in the prefent cafe, between acKnowledging and murmuring, and acknowledging and adoring. The former conduct, characterises the wicked, the latter characterifes the righteous. What a vaft dif

ference was there between the ac

knowledgment which Pharaoh paid to Jehovah, from that which was paid by Mofes ? Pharaoh was compelled to acknowledge the hand of Jehovah in bringing the plagues upon Egypt, but while he made this confeffion, his heart rofe up against the church of Ifrael and their God. Mofes acknowledged the divine hand in bringing judgments upon the Egyptians and the Ifraelites, and at the fame time he adored or reverenced him who was revealing his wrath against the difobedient. The devils acknowledge the exiftence of the only living and true God; but in the moment of the confeffion they tremble with horror, and are filled with enmity and pain. All the godly have a pleafing belief in the divine government, in the most trying feafons, and rejoice, in a higher or lower degree, in the dominion of infinite wisdom and love. They fee the hand which is ftretched out in a way of correction as well as in a way of mercy.

As David was fleeing before his fon Abfalom, Shimei came

forth and curfed him. He caft ftones and dirt at David and allhis army. Abishai one of David's generals faid unto the king, "why should this dead dog curfe my lord the king. Let me go over I pray thee, and take off his head. And the king faid, what have I to do with you, ye fons of Zeruiah? fo let him curfe, because the Lord hath faid unto him, curse David. Who then shall say, why haft thou done fo?" (2 Sam. xvi. 9, 10.)

When Job's fubftance and children were taken from him in one day, he faid, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bleffed be the name of the Lord."

(Job i. 21.) The Apostle faith in Heb. xii. 9, " Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence, fhall we not much rath. er be in fubjection to the Father of Spirits and live?" From these inftances, with many more which might be adduced, it is evident that pious men acknowledge and adore the divine hand, in laying the load upon them. If when we are afflicted, we eventually find our minds driven further from God, and a cheerful acknowledgement of his chaftifing hand, we have juft caufe to be alarmed with ourfelves. But let us not conclude in a moment when we fiift enter into the furnace of affliction, that God hath forfaken us, because we have not that lively fenfe of his perfection and his providence which we may have had heretofore. If we find within ourselves, that amidst all the tumult and darknefs of our minds, we have a fixed determination to truft in God though he flay us, we shall find fome encouragement to hope that hereafter light will break in upon

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