this union is love." Faith which works by love. Faith gives the Lord a residence in the heart. "That Christ may dwell in your heart by faith," Eph. iii. 7. Love gives Him a residence in the affections: "He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him," and the effect of union is communion. Verse 2: The apostle's affection for the Thessalonians, and remembrance of them before the Lord. Verse 3: "In all labour there is profit." He that gathereth by labour shall increase. Here we have the work of faith, in which all the Lord's people are engaged more or less. Faith believes, love embraces, hope expects, and patience waits for. Verse 4: "Knowing," &c.—whether he meant his knowledge or theirs is no matter, he was perfectly satisfied that God had begun the good work in them, as in Phil. 1.; he had no doubt about it, and many of them knew it for themselves. If they were not elected, the word would never have come with power. The proof that it had was, they had become followers of the apostles and of Christ. Said he, I shall not attempt to prove the truth of election; it is no part of a minister's mission to prove the truth of the scriptures, or of the Doctrines; the Holy Ghost cannot lie, it is His word and that is enough. It is the minister's business to unfold the truths by the power of the Spirit.

First, then, to speak of the origin of election, which is God's everlasting love: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated,"before the children were born, or had done any good or evil, Rom. ix. 11, 12, 13. Connected with this is sanctification of the Spirit, which is an internal work. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience, and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, 1 Peter i. 2. And in another scripture it says, and "belief of the truth." So here are four things, sanctification, faith, obedience, and sprinkling of the blood: the end is the salvation of the soul. "Our Gospel,"-not yea and nay, he had not received it of man, but he had it by revelation, Gal. i. 12, 13, 16. Christ was revealed in him, and Him he preached, Christ crucified; Christ the wisdom of God, which is called the gospel, 1 Cor. i. 17, 18. He preached peace by Jesus Christ; His death and resurrection were the Alpha of Paul's gospel. Man sinned, death follows. Christ from all eternity espoused the persons and cause of His church, to deliver her from sin and death, which He accomplished in the fulness of time, when He took her nature, Heb. ii. 14, and was made a curse, Gal. iii. 12. The prophet saw Him thus: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, travelling in the greatness of His strength ?" He saw Him coming forth from eternity to redeem His church, Micah v. 2. Another prophet saw Him making an end of sin, and finishing transgression, Daniel ix. 24, and Himself declared "It is finished!" His obedience unto death is the justifying righteousness of every believer. "Deliver him from going down into the pit, I have found a ransom for him." Paul had received all with power,—no marvel he dwelt so much upon it. "He died for our sins, and was raised again for our justification." "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death." His resurrection was a prelude and pledge of ours: "With My dead body shall they arise.' Paul shows the new and living way, and that we have a merciful and faithful High Priest, Who is passed into the heavens; thereby encourages to full assurance of faith, Heb. x, 20, 22, and to come boldly to the throne of grace to

obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need, Heb. iv. 16. This is Paul's gospel, "Christ's obedience, death, resurrection, ascension," and the Holy Ghost sent to testify of it in the conscience of the Lord's people.

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A few things which accompany the reception of it, by which to test ourselves, and our election. First. The gospel does not come to us in word only. Some fought against it, some approved and sanctioned, “but never received it." It is one thing to hear with approbation, another with application. Light is one thing which it brings. Nature is dark and blind; there is a secret mine in the word which it cannot get at; it receives the letter, but not the marrow and fulness; but God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, 2 Cor. iv. 6. But to some this gospel is hid; the god of this world blinding their minds. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost; and those in whose hearts it hath shined, if they cannot say much more, can say with the blind man, "One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see." And see what? "Woe is me! for I am undone." Were you not always so? Yes, but now I see it. And perhaps you are ready to say, 'Why is light given to one whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in? why is light given to him who is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul?" Can this come by the gospel? It is by the law is the knowledge of sin, but light is from the gospel, without which we can know nothing of the law." The gospel is the glass in which we see our condemnation by the law. Life is another thing given, without which light is of no use. On the day of Pentecost, Peter was preaching, and they were pricked in the heart. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Thus feeling is given to the benumbed part, the conscience; God's word searches, and it pierces too, and only blood can heal the wound. "I wound, and I heal; I kill, and I make alive;" I shut up the man, and I bring him forth, &c. The gospel in power shows where and what you are before it brings comfort. The law worketh wrath, and Satan taking advantage stirs up all abominations "in the heart." The law condemns for it, the poor soul strives, struggles, vows, &c., but all in vain. The gospel in power will bring down from all these carnal weapons. He brought down their heart with labour and sorrow; they fell down and there was none to help. They fall down because they have no strength to stand,-law curses, justice pursues, conscience witnesses against them; there is none to help. That is a very striking expression. This is bringing down with hard labour, like Samson labouring in the prison, and blind too. So these are blind to the way of peace; but slay them not, bring them down by Thy power. Some are a shorter, and some a longer time, but all must be brought down, all must come to be a wreck. Cannot finish the subject; must speak of further power in the more pleasing part,-joy in the Holy Ghost, &c., next Sabbath morning.

Must beg you to excuse the poor way in which I have fulfilled your request, and accept the will for the deed. Did not enjoy the sermon as I did the one last Sabbath, though trust I had some profit, and also since in writing the above.

Cannot stay to enlarge, but must just say the verse you mention in Psalm xlv. is a very precious one to me. We know it means forget what you inherited in the first Adam, to enjoy what you possess in the Second, &c. And the Lord may use it in different ways for individual cases, as

He does many other portions. Must conclude very abruptly, or this cannot go to post. With much love in Jesus, believe me very affectionately,

RUTH.

LETTER BY THE LATE MR. THORPE SMITH.
Sewstern, March 5, 1858.

Dear Sir,

It is a true report which you have heard, respecting my being employed in preaching to lost sinners the unsearchable riches of Christ. After many rods, temptations, and afflictions of various kinds, the Lord has broken down my stubborn will; and, being stronger than I, has prevailed, and compelled me to go and work in His vineyard. Dark, intricate, and trying has been the way through which He has led me, to teach me lessons I never thought of learning; leading me in paths I never, for a moment, dreamt of walking in! His way is in the sea, His path in great waters, and footsteps oft unknown; and in these things He giveth not account of any of His matters. I am engaged until the 21st, if not the 28th of this month, and, if I do come, it must be in April; unless I find I could get to you for the last Sabbath in this month, and the first in the next. Respecting this matter, I shall probably be able to give you a decided answer in course of a week or ten days. I have had the pleasure (many years ago) of hearing, and associating with, your late dear pastor, S. Turner; who is now employed in casting his crown before the throne, singing worthy the Lamb. If you can bear with a poor trembler, I have no objection to pay you a visit, if the Master of Assemblies will come, stand in the midst and teach, bless the sacrifice, and bid the guests. Though every day (more or less) fearing my preaching will soon be at an end: yet I desire to spend, and to be spent, in the service of Jesus; that name which is like ointment poured forth to a wounded spirit. So called, long before His birth, "that He might save His people from their sins." Not from their indwelling; not from their daily plague; not from their captivating power: but from their reign and dominion. Ask the Master about me and for me. I would ever be spoken for to the King, by all those who are privileged to gain His ear. The Lord bless you, and keep you, and give you peace; together with all who desire an interest in Jesus, knowing they must perish without it. Present my christian love to all so taught, and believe me to remain,

To Mr. J. Hay.

Yours to serve in the cause of truth,

THORPE SMITH.

Pure Gold from Puritan and other Mines.

EFFECTUAL PRAYER.

And here is an example set forth unto us, patiently to wait upon the Lord in the time of trouble, to be instant in prayer, and never to let our hands fall, or turn our eyes from the Lord; but constantly to persevere in sure hope and expectation of His gracious deliverance, and of His helping hand to be present with us in our necessity: whereof our Saviour Christ also warneth us in the Gospel, of the woman and the unrighteous judge,

who although he neither feared God nor man, yet because this woman For never ceased to call upon him, he was compelled to hear her cause. if the worst man be not yet so wicked, but he may be overcome with constant and continual prayer, what shall we not hope to obtain at God's hand, which willingly offereth Himself to hear our prayers, and also commandeth us to pray; yea, and is more ready to grant our petitions than we are to ask? For in that He deferreth His help, He doth it, not because He will not hear us, but to exercise and stir up our faith, and to teach us that the ways whereby He can and doth deliver us are so manifold and miraculous, that we are never able to conceive them. Therefore let us think that the thing which we ask is not denied, but deferred, and assure ourselves that we are not neglected because of this delay. "The patient abiding of the afflicted," saith David in another Psalm, "shall not perish;" yea the Lord will not lose the glory of His name, which David in the same Psalm attributeth unto Him, namely, that He is a helper in time convenient.

LUTHER On Psalm cxxiii. 2.

GRACE NOT TO BE JUDGED BY PROVIDENCE.

'Tis no argument that God is not with us, when storms or whirlwinds are up; whether with respect to nations and churches or particular persons. Do not think God is gone because there is a storm. Read Ps. xviii. 6, 7, 8.; xxiii. 4.; xci. 15.; Isa. xliii. 2, 3.; and you shall find that in the worst appearances the Lord is present. The prophet speaks, it expressly, Nahum. i. 3.; "The Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet." When or where 'tis dark or troublesome, the Lord is there, and there He is most; that's the prophet's meaning also, when he saith, "The clouds are the dust of His feet." By clouds we may understand, not so much the clouds of the air as cloudy providences; these are round about Him, while judgment and justice, yea, while mercy and goodness are the habitation of His throne; and these clouds may be called the dust of His feet, in a figure. We know when travellers pass often, their feet make a dust; now it shows that the Lord doth act much in the clouds, that is in dark providences, because 'tis said, they are "the dust of His feet," as if He moved so much and so long in them, that He raised a dust with His motion. Do not think the Lord is gone, when whirlwinds and storms, that is, outward troubles, come. The Lord answers out of the whirlwind, as often as He answers us by "terrible things in righteousness," and thus He often answers us, Ps. lxv. 5.

From CARYL, on Job xxxviii. 1. in 1666.

FAITH AND POSSESSION.

Faith in God's promises may be compared to a bank note. Full and felt possession of the blessings promised, is like ready cash. The man who has bank notes to any given value, looks upon himself as possessed of so much money, though, in reality, it is only so much paper. faith is as satisfied, and rests with as great complacency, in the promises of Jehovah, as if it had all the blessings of grace and glory in hand. In faith's estimation, God's note is current coin.

TOPLADY.

Thus

ESSAYS ON HART'S HYMNS.-XXXII.

Corruptions.

HE Scriptural basis on which this composition of the great experimental poet is framed, and the Scriptural manner in which it is worked out, form an admirable model for the way in which the subject should always be treated both in the pulpit and by the pen, and, we may add, also in the conversation of the people of God. The work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart is invariably attended with the knowledge of its foul corruptions; and the knowledge of its corruptions is ever accompanied by the revelation of Christ and the riches of His Grace. To be ignorant of and ignore the presence and power of heart corruptions is to be ignorant of self; and to be ignorant of self is to be like the whole who have no need of the earthly or Heavenly physician. It therefore displays but slight acquaintanceship with the effects of the Fall to treat corruptions as a trifling matter, and it shews but little knowledge of the merit of the blood, and the extent and power of the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be dwelling wholly or principally upon them, after His Gospel has been heard and received, by faith, as "the power of God unto salvation."

The portion of Holy Writ upon which Mr. Hart builds the superstructure of this profitable hymn-if we may call it a hymn-is as follows: "And the Lord thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee. But the Lord thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction until they be destroyed." Deut. vii. 22, 23. There can be little doubt among any spiritually-taught persons that Mr. Hart does not put any forced construction upon the passage in his interpretation of it; but simply gives us the spiritual instruction intended to be conveyed by the Holy Inspirer of the literal truth. It will be seen that He in a few words leads the reader to a comprehensive remembrance of the covenant promise of Jehovah to give the land of Canaan to the Seed of Abraham. That He said He would do this, notwithstanding the mighty power of the various nations, or tribes, that originally peopled it,—"the Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." Gen. xv. 19-21. That the hope of Israel was alone to be in the omnipotence and faithfulness of their covenant God for the accomplishment of the promise given respecting this. That His people were not to be dismayed therefore at the strength and numbers of their opponents, but were to rely wholly on their God. That the work of overcoming and dispossessing their foes would not be