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prophetic strain, he foretels should attend particular persons, or tribes. I have been reading them though I admire them all, I was at a loss which to speak from, till the blessing of Benjamin fixed my attention, not only as sweet, but instructing. The beloved of the Lord shalt dwell in safety, by him: and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, he shall dwell between his shoulders. This is a blessing indeed, if we look only to the literal interpretation of the words, and a literal commentator can go no further; he must confine them to Benjamin; and will tell us, that this scripture was fulfilled at the building of the Temple. The Temple was built upon two hills, one in the tribe of Benjamin, the other in the tribe of Judah; the Temple being built there, and Benjamin being placed near it, then Benjamin dwells in safety by the Lord, by having his lot cast near the Temple. How often, 'alás! is it the case, I am sure it is very often the case in London, the nearer the church the further from God; but some make good use of it, and are glad to get near the church, that they may be nearer God. The temple being placed between two hills, so Benjamin, as it were, dwells between God's shoulders: so far a literal commentator can go, here he stops; a spiritual commentator, and a spiritual reader, go further; O, says he, this is true, but at the same time this is not the whole truth; and I am persuaded, when a person is helped by the Spirit to read the scriptures, the declarations that are made, and those particular promises, the true believer applies with great propriety to himself; and therefore I think I may venture to aver, that the blessing which Moses here pronounces upon him in the name of the Lord, belongs to God's people

in all ages whatever; God, in his infinite mercy, grant that this blessing may descend upon us and ours, that it may descend to your latest posterity.

Observe how wonderfully the persons, to whom the blessing is given, are characterized of Benjamin it is said, the beloved of the Lord: the beloved of the Lord, pray who are they? Why, the men that the scriptures always speak of, whose constant uniform character is, they love God in all ages. It is not said, the Presbyterians shall dwell in safety; Moses never heard of a Presbyterian in his life; he never heard of the name: nor is it said the Independents shall dwell in safety; he never heard of that word: nor is it said the Papists shall dwell in safety; he never heard of Papists, nor of the Pope: nor is it said that the Church of England shall dwell in safety, no: neither is it said that the Methodists shall dwell in safety, though I trust there are a great many good people among these mongrels of the church; but it is spoken of all the people of God; God help us all to apply it to ourselves.

Here is a dispute between the Arminians and the Calvinists: ask an Arminian what is meant by the beloved of the Lord; O, say they, they that are for general redemption, the beloved of the Lord signifies, all the men that were ever born into the world: that is a good broad bridge to take them in; but broad bridges are not always the strongest bridges in the world. The Arminians will assert it that Judas was as much beloved of God as Peter, or any other of the apostles; and those that are not Arminians, but are what you call Quakers, (and there are a good many,

lieve, among them who have better hearts than heads,) they say, that we are all alike, that we all

come into the world with a seed of grace, and shall be happy according to the improvement of that grace; hence they talk nothing of a Christ without but within: happy they that experience a Christ within! God's mercy is sure, and over all his works; and in one sense, our Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour of all men, that is, of all sorts of men; even the wicked are beholden to Jesus Christ, whom they despise, for every worldly comfort they enjoy; in this sense we should learn to love as our Lord, we are told, loved the young man when he saw he had been a harmless and good liver: but we must go more to what we call Calvinism, what I call spiritual truth. The love which Jesus Christ bore for the young man, quitediffered from that love with which he loved Martha, Mary, and their brother; there was a cargo for you! three in one family; God grant it may be your happy lot and mine! two sisters and one brother, three to entertain Jesus Christ, all in a peculiar manner beloved of the Lord. It is not said of Benjamin, they shall, that is, they that love the Lord, they shall dwell in safety, no; it would not be so strong to them, as to say, the be loved of the Lord: for God knows our love is not worth a shilling; all the faith of God's people; says bishop Hall, is but meer infidelity; and all the love of the people of God if but mere hatred, compared with God's love, or that which his law justly requires; therefore it is said, beloved of the Lord, and that because if ever we love God, he first loved us, which is what Moses's very expression means; as streams flow from the fountain, so they shall return to it. Hence the apostle says, Knowing your election, brethren, beloved of God. I know very well the Mysticks talk of loving God

with a love for himself only, without any respect to the creature at all; that is, we must love God without any regard at all for what God has done for us; nay, some go so far as to say, that if we do not so love God, we are not converted, though we have as much grace as we can have; that we do not love God properly till we love him for what he is, not what he has done for us: I verily believe, the angels do not love God in that manner; and we cannot love God till we are made partakers of a divine nature, and have eyes given us to see his glory.

The grand enquiry then is, How shall I know that I am one of the beloved of the Lord? The natural man never minds the love of God; he flatters himself he loves God naturally, that the love of God is a plant that grows in nature's garden; but a spiritual person does not so. What does the king take notice of me? does the king look pleasant upon me in a drawing-room? am I called to wait upon him? am I beloved of this, and that, and the other person? if I am, let God go, 1 care not; if I have but the love of this and that courtier, I care not whether God loves me or no this will not do for an awakened soul; and therefore the grand enquiry, and one proof of a person's being awakened is, how shall I know whether God loves me or not? why try; I am -persuaded of it, that we may as well know that. God loves us, and we love God, as we may know that the sun shines at noon-day; how shall I know it but by the effects of this love, by the fruits of it? That great man, Dr. Watts, who was called the sweet singer of Israel, says, 66 we should go •, first to the grammar-school of faith and repentance, before we go to the university of predestination:"

whereas the devil would have them go first to the university, to examine whether they were elected or rejected, or no: they should do as a good woman once did, when Satan tempted her, and wanted to distress her, that there were but few to be saved; she said, if there were but two to be saved, she would strive to be one of them. Surely I am beloved of the Lord, if my natural enmity against the Lord is slain. How do I know I love a person? how can you prove that you love me? Why, say you, I hated you the other day: how many people met I with the other day, that could a few weeks ago have pulled me out of Tottenham-court, but God has overcome their hearts. The person now confesses his former enmity, and when that enmity is removed, and you are reconciled to them, cannot you know that you love them? and if God has removed that enmity to Christ out of your hearts, surely you are one of the beloved of the Lord.

We are the beloved of the Lord, if we are brought to abhor and renounce that which stands between us and the Lord; I mean, our cursed self-righteousness. Can I prove that I have renounced my own duties, that I am sick of my duties as well as my sins; none but the beloved of the Lord see this: an enemy to the Lord may have this in his head, but it is only a friend of the Lord that has this in his heart: a talkative professor can speak of it; you may teach, perhaps, a parrot to pray, but it is odds to talk like a parrot and experience like a christian. Now I have renounced my own righteousness, and been helped to trust to Christ's, to believe on the Son of God, let Satan, say what he will, I am sure I am the beloved of the Lord, for none but those that