acter is kept up throughout, not only in the description of their conduct, but of its consequences and final issue. Instead of be hand, saith the Lord, ye shall lie down in sorrow." of God's countenance; and especially, to guard against the idea of his having any, even the smallest degree of spiritual light or that his exercises are affecting justified, they are condemnby any kind of special or super-ed-instead of being blessed, natural divine agency-but that they are accursed, and instead of they are his own-congenial with being received to glory, they his corrupt nature the proper, will be crushed down to hell, and genuine fruits of his own carnal made the miserable monuments heart. They kindle a fire, not of God's eternal vengeance. God. They receive no spiritu" This shall ye receive of mine al light from him. They compass themselves about with sparks. "Walk in the light of your fire." This is directly opposite to that of walking in the light ofGod's countenance. As opposite as darkness to light, or the nature of the sinner to the nature of God. The fire which they have kindled, signifies their own fancied goodness, and inherent moral virtue, together with the sufficiency of their own natural reason and understanding. This is blown up by their blind imaginations and wicked desires. At this fire they warm themselves, and derive their supplies of direction and strength. Walking in the light of their own fire, means their practising in conformity with their own polluted consciences, misguided reasons, and corrupt inclinations. The sparks with which they compass themselves, are emitted from the fire they have enkindled, and in the lightnance, and the teachings of his of which they walk, and are of Spirit. This is the nature of the same nature. These are light, to discover real objects, their good works which flow and not to conceal them. "All from hearts of pride, and oppo- things that are reproved, are sition to God. With these they made manifest by the light: for compass themselves on every whatsoever doth make manifest, side. They lay them thick a- is round them, to guard their consciences from the conviction of truth, and the painful sensations of guilt. The contrast of char-15, 14.) Here the impenitent Such is the character, state and end of all self-righteous persons, and self-deceived hypocrites; and I have dwelt the longer upon it, as it is an entire contrast to the character in contemplation. Opposites viewed in connection, set off each other to better advantage, and in a clearer point of light. This is the end proposed. Let us now attend to the counterpart, and draw the opposite picture, by this rule, that whatever is essentially contrary and disagreeing to the character expressed by walking in the light of their own fire, essentially belongs to that character expressed by walking in the light of God's countenance. And we are led to see, that all those things which lie hidden, and undiscovered to the impenitent heart, are brought to view by the light of God's counte light. Wherefore he saith awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give the light." (Eph. v. struction, teaches, and enforces these things as divine truth. In our former number, it was shewn that God is a sun, and Christ the light of the world-that Christians from their relation and moral likeness to him, are also called the light of the world that the word of God is light, and his commandment a lamp; and his Gospel is, in the most eminent sense, light, the most glorious light that ever shone upon our dark and benighted world. And they all join to manifest these things and estab sinner is represented as both asleep and dead, and he must awake and arise from the dead before he can receive that light .which Christ gives. It is not the sleeping nor the dead who can see. Destitute of spiritual life, they are ignorant of their own hearts, blind to their true characters, to the character of God, and the Saviour, and hence, elated with pride, they build high towering hopes upon the sandy foundation of their own righteousness and strength. But the true believer hath not so learned Christ, nor himself.-lish them as divinely true. The Truth discovers error. The Apostle Paul saith, “I was alive light of God's countenance doth without the law once;" that is, not conceal men's corruptions he walked in the light of his own and wickedness, but brings their fire, and compassed himself with most secret abominations to view the sparks of his own kindling.— as in open day light, and shews "But when the commandment the sinner to himself as a lost, came sin revived, and I died." guilty, helpless, and hell deserv- Here was a final end of all his ing creature. Saith the Psalm- legal hopes, and pharisaical ist, "Thou hast set our iniqui- righteousness. He saw himself ties before thee, our secret sins utterly lost, ruined and helpless in the light of thy countenance." and that nothing short of the righ A view of God ever gives us an teousness of Christ, and the arm humbling sense of curselves.- of God's free sovereign mercy The soul that is spiritually en- could save him. This is the lightened, will freely own him- glorious end and design of the self wholly in the wrong, and gospel, to exalt God, and humble God altogether right. He will man, that no flesh should glory voluntarily acknowledge his na- in his presence. To this truth, ture to be total enmity against all who walk in the light of God that he never rendered God's countenance will cheerany true obedience to his lawfully subscribe. This has been that in him, naturally dwelleth the creed of the Godly in all no good thing that he can make | no atonement for the smallest of his past sins--can offer no justifying righteousness to Godthat he is absolutely dependent on free sovereign mercy, thro' the merits of Christ, and has no other foundation to pray for mercy, or hope for salvation. Every thing called spiritual light, and affording spiritual in ages. And I am bold to say, that there is not a real Christian on earth, but what in the right understanding of these doctrines, will freely and joyfully acknowledge them, the words of eternal life. They, whom God justifies, do ever condemn themselves, and in the same degree as we enjoy the light of God's countenance, we shall be in the light of God's countenance, see things in their true light. He sees and acknowledges the infinite holiness of the divine character, law and government. He is made acquainted with the pride and pollution of his own heart, and the vile filled with self loathing and ab'horrence. These were the humbling views of Job, in the clear manifestations of God's glory and gracious presence. "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dustness and guilt of his own charand ashes." So the Prophet Habakkuk, "When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself." And the Apostle Paul: This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accepta'tion, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.” 66 acter, with corresponding exercises of his affections. And by being thus happily prepared to receive the salvation of Christ, he becomes sweetly conformed to the methods of divine grace, as they are revealed in the glorious dispensation of the gospel. 2. They who walk in the light of God's countenance, do enjoy sweet peace, calmness and serenity of mind. This is peculiar to them. They only have true peace; and this necessarily arises from right apprehensions of the truth, and right exercises of heart towards God's character, government and grace. As to the wicked, who walk, by the light of their own fire, which is the same as total dakness, and whose hearts are unreconciled to God and his ways-opposed to his character and govern An anecdote related by Mr. Rutherford, is in point, and in the plain stile of that day manifests the true christian spirit, in a distinguishing point of view. David Dixon, was an eminently pious Scotch divine, who flourished in the days of the high church persecution in Scotland, and through life was a laborious and successful minister of Christ. The good man lay upon his death bed, and being asked by a religious friend who was mak-ment, his law and his gospeling him a parting visit, what was the present state of his mind, and his feelings and exercises in a view of the eternal world-by your faithfulness in the cause of Christ, we trust you have laid a foundation for great comfort in a dying hour: he replied in these memorable words-I have gathered up all my works both good and bad, and thrown them down together in a heap before the Lord, and have run away from them all to Christ, and in him I find sweet rest and peace. Thus doth the soul who walks embittered with remorse. Their VOL. V. No. 1. they have no true peace or comfort, and it is naturally, absolute. ly, and forever impossible that they should have. All their attempts to climb up some other way to Heaven are vain and fruitless. They are actually op posing the only methods, and the eternal purposes of God's grace, resisting the arm of omnipotence, and as briars and thorns or stubble fully dry, they are setting themselves in battle array against the devouring flames. Their sensual pleasures are low and grovelling; and C. ful, glorious-all his ways judg ment and truth-his Providence kind and gracious, and all his government infinitely wise and good. His mind is enlarged, and he no longer thinks and acts upon the small, narrow scale of the seifish contracted mind. He embraces and contemplates in a general view, the eternal pian of divine grace, and by faith considers every creature, and every event, as being in their va rious ways designed to subserve the great and important end God hath in view in the creation and government of the world. In this view he considers every thing to be right, and wishes for no alteration, or that any thing should be in any respect different from what it is. And what fort of the soul possessed of And we But the blessed soul who is humbled and conformed to God, and walks in the light of his countenance, is delivered from this thraldom and wretchedness, this miserable state of vassalage and slavery to his corruptions and lusts. In an hearty sub-can disturb the peace and commission to God, there is true peace-by humbling himself he is exalted by giving all up, he enjoys all, and by dying to himself, he lives to God. The light of God's countenance not only shews him to himself, but shews him the glory of God, with a transforming energy upon his scul. It not only discovers to him his spiritual weakness and wants, his sickness and wounds, his wretchedness and guilt; but also his fullness and strength, his remedy and cure, his happiness and salvation, and sweetly applies these precious benefits to his soul, in the pardon of sin, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost. In Christ he discovers an infinite fulness of all that he wants. Here is just such a Saviour as he needs, and just such a happiness as he desires. In him he enjoys sweet peace. Reconciled to God, he ap-nance." pears altogether right-his character infinitely amiable, beauti Such was the benediction with which Aaron and his sons were directed to bless the children of Israel (Numbers v. 24.) "The Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace." And in Psalm xxi. 6. “Thou hast made him most blessed forever-thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy counte A contrast to this we find in the 30th Psalm, "thou didst hide thy face, and I was the light of nature, it must be allowed, that they are abundant then, there is a God, who is pos sessed of every natural and mor. al perfection, it can be clearly proved that he has a right to govern the world, and that all troubled." What is meant by the hidings of God's face, and the withdrawment of the lightly proved by the scriptures. If, of his countenance, and what darkness and distress immediately fill the mind, the children of God, and they only truly know. This the Psalmist experienced, and sensibly express-moral beings are accountable to ed in the 42d. Psalm, and at the him. same time reproves himself for his dejection and stirs himself up to exercise hope and trust in God. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquicted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance." ASAPH. (To be continued.) On accountability to God. COME who admit the exist ling to believe that he is a moral governor. It is more consonant to their feelings, to suppose, that he is a Being supremely happy in the contemplation of his own perfections, but totally unconcerned about the affairs of this world. i rom such a God, they would have nothing to fear. They might safely be as regardless of him and his perfections and attributes, as he is of them. But such a God as this, is a being of their own imagination and not such an one, as reason and revelation declare him to be, who created the heavens and the earth. The same arguments, which prove the existence of a God, prove also his natural perfections. If any be disposed to believe, that his moral perfections are not demonstrable from By right, as it is here used, is to be understood, just claim. It is said, that a man has a right to govern his children. If it be asked, whence is the origin of this right, aside from what is said in revelation upon the subject? The reply is, that it is fit and suitable that he should govern them, and that they should be obedient to him. It is manifest ly for the good of children, that they should be in subjection to their parents. It is true, that in some extraordinary cases, a child is not under obligation to be deranged in mind, the obli- A pa God has a right to the world, because it is his property. He created it out of nothing, and therefore, it is his own and at |