my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me," John, xiv. 21; “He that followeth me, shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life," John, viii. 12; "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me," Luke, ix. 23; "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven," Matt. vii. 21. For, assuredly, as said his beloved disciple, "He that keepeth [Christ's] commandments dwelleth in Him, and He in him," 1 John, iii. 24.

It is lamentable to think, how much is lost by professing Christians, and how much is gained by the enemy of souls, when they suffer themselves to be "carried about by divers and strange doctrines," or at least unduly detained amidst fields of speculation, and "striving about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers," of the readers, and of the speakers also. Indeed, even "good doctrine," "sound doctrine," essential doctrine, that which is "according to godliness," as it can only be given forth under the express direction of our ever-living Oracle, Highpriest, and holy Head, the Minister of the sanctuary, so must it be received in entire subjection, with full resignation to his good-will and pleasure, who condescends to work mightily and effectually in those that believe, yet oftentimes obscurely, and to man's judgment weakly, yea foolishly. In spiritual, as in temporal things, 66 a little that a righteous man hath, is better than the riches of many wicked;" for, in this respect, it is most true, that "the blessing of the Lord" is that which "maketh rich." So, a little shedding forth of light and of truth from Him, whose doctrine drops as the rain, and distils as the dew, "who open

eth, and none can shut," and who delights to satisfy the longing soul, and to fill the hungry soul with goodness, when received into ground rightly prepared to appropriate it, "into an honest and good heart," has a most strengthening efficacy there, to the building up of such believers in their most holy faith. It was a heinous sin in Israel of old, that they slighted or loathed the manna which the Lord had provided for them; and one, on the other hand, reverently prays, "Feed me with food convenient for me." Surely, as his reasonable creatures, his redeemed people, even "these all, wait upon Him," he will "give them their meat in due season;" for he feedeth his flock and causeth them to lie down in green pastures, and cannot be wanting to "bless the provision of Zion." But, now as ever, the rich and the full are sent empty away from the banquet of our King; indeed, these come prepared only to loathe the honeycomb: and, whatever may be their dreams of satisfaction and comfort in the use of means, who are contriving and choosing for themselves, who would cater and carve according to their own apprehensions in religious matters, such, when really awakened to see themselves as they are and where they are, will ever find leanness and emptiness the portion of the immortal part, they inherit the wind, they shall be even "filled with their own devices." How sickly, how superficial, how unstable is their state! tossed about by every wind of doctrine, readily "beguiled with enticing words," with great swelling words, the words which man's wisdom teacheth, and which the itching ear stretches forth after; but the Truth, the pearl of great price, is almost thrown away upon them, as upon the swine, they receive it only to abuse, to misapprehend, to pervert it.

The Christian path is a plain path,-blessed be His

name who is the Captain of salvation, the Leader and Commander of his spiritual Israel; he hath opened and cast up the way for them, through his obedience unto suffering, unto death, he hath consecrated it by his own example, and hath graciously offered to guide us by his Spirit into all Truth. It was his own declaration, "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself;" that is, "he shall have adequate evidence of my doctrine;" and again, he declared, "My sheep hear my voice," "and I am known of mine." These were, however, to become as little children, to receive the kingdom of God as a little child, as new-born babes; for unto such, these things were to be revealed, but not to any others. Our Wonderful Counsellor required no explicit creed of his disciples, nor even cleared up to their understandings his divine Truth, further than he saw needful for their present growth, further than they were able to receive and to bear it, Mark, iv. 33, and John, xvi. 12. And though his apostle Paul wrote some things "hard to be understood," (designed, it may be, to confound the wisdom of the wise, and calculated to try even the faith of God's elect,) yet himself testifies, that he had fed his hearers "with milk, and not with meat," because they were not able as yet to bear it. Our Lord accepted, and he still accepts, the meek and contrite spirit, the soul that is simply made willing to come unto him, to learn of him, and to obey him :-his anointing teacheth them "of all things," 1 John, ii. 27.

Undoubtedly, there are times, corrupt and unstable times, when the precious privileges and hopes of the gospel are more than usually called in question, when every one that has bought the Truth, according to his measure and station, according also to the circumstances

in which he may be placed, is more especially called upon to stand fast in the faith, to hold fast that they have received, and even, as occasion calls, "earnestly to contend for" this faith which was 66 'once," and is yet "delivered to the saints." The early Christians were quickly introduced to the duty of giving a reason for the hope that was in them; it was their lot to be "disputing daily," and reasoning much, not only with open gainsayers, but with feigned friends, with false brethren and false teachers, with such as were "of their own selves," who had either "crept in unawares" to a profession of Christianity, or had gone out from that they once had possession of; these having "turned from the holy commandment delivered unto them," sought privily to bring in various forms of damnable heresy, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them, according to the strong delusions under which Satan had bound them. But did the primitive believers, and such of them especially who were in some sort "stewards of the mysteries of God," tamely and blindly yield to such deceivers? Though they followed peace with all men, and pursued it, did they at all compromise, or by any means surrender, any portion of that which was committed to them to keep unalloyed and inviolate? Does not the apostle Paul declare to us his own line of conduct and that of his fellow-labourers, with the ground of it, in these forcible words?

-“To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you," Gal. ii. 5. And did he not, on that occasion, even hazard his own character in the eyes of others, by seeming to incur the imputation of rash and contumacious procedure, when he withstood Peter to the face, and that before those who with him seemed to be pillars in the church, rather than countenance or crouch

to palpable dissembling and want of uprightness? In such a case, did Paul act in a manner at all inconsistent with his own counsel to Timothy, where he writes, "The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves: if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth?" Those who can discriminate, will surely say, he did not.

In like manner, in our day, both among the first who went under the denomination of "Quakers," as in more recent times, occasions have arisen again and again for religious controversy, wherein silence, however desirable, would have been blameable. Very much the same line of warfare, of explanation, of defence, and of rejoinder, has been repeatedly called forth. Sometimes, indeed, the necessity has been urgent, (as in ancient periods of the church, when many have been "the unruly, vain talkers and deceivers," "who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not,") that the mouths of such should be stopped; and then, in the government of the church, the advice to Titus seems requisite, to "rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith." Many have been the honourable champions raised up, qualified, and also preserved in this description of arduous service, who had to wrestle "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." These were doubtless adequately accoutred by "the Captain of the Lord's host" with the whole armour of God; "the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left," whereby they were enabled to withstand in the evil day, to quench in good degree the fiery darts of the wicked, to clear the