all these things? Retrace in your memory the Lord's dealings with you from the time you have known Him, and your conduct towards Him. What kindness, what goodness, what forbearance, what long-suffering on His part! What ingratitude, what distrust, what impatience, what provocation on your part! How small is the progress which you have made in holiness, compared with the means and opportunities which you have enjoyed! How dull have you been in understanding the truths and directions of Scripture how slow in obeying them! When brought through your own folly or sin into circumstances of difficulty and danger, how prone have you been to quarrel with those very means, which the Lord's wisdom and mercy have devised for your deliverance! How often have you wandered from the fold, and but for the care of the Good Shepherd, would have perished for ever! See in this review of your Conduct the utter depravity of the natural heart, its alienation from God, its insensibility to spiritual things. "Look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged."

From this view of the Persons described in the text, and of the Exhortation addressed to them, I shall now proceed to make a prâctical application of the subject.

My Christian brethren, "ye that follow

after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord, look unto the rock whence ye were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye were digged."- Reflect on your deep apostacy from God; on the corruption of your na ture; on the hardness of your heart, as illus trated in your original Conversion to God, and in your subsequent Conduct towards Him and say, What Lessons do these Reflections teach?

Do they not inculcate Humility, and Selfabasement? Can you think seriously on these things, and not find your pride to be mortified and subdued? Call to mind that you were once in a state of hopeless misery, covered with guilt and exposed to ruin; but at the same time so blind that you saw not, that you suspected not your danger. But in this state the Lord freely made Himself

known to you. He found you, when you sought Him not. You had done nothing to merit his favour, but much to provoke his wrath. Yet he had pity on you. He "brought you by a way that you knew not of. He led you in paths that you had not known. He made darkness light before you, and crooked things straight. These things He did unto you-and has not since forsaken you." Notwithstanding your many provocations, He has not been weary of doing you good. Notwithstanding your negligences, and mistakes,

and infirmities, He has not discarded you from his service. He still bears with you; employs you; accepts you; treats you with kindness; regards you with favour, and designs your happiness. Can you think on all this unmerited mercy; on all this undeserved, spontaneous loving-kindness to you, and not be filled with the deepest shame and humiliation of heart? Are you not ready to exclaim with Holy Job, "Behold I am vile: what shall I answer Thee? I will lay my hand upon my mouth." "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

Do not the same Reflections inculcate also and promote the Graces of Patience, Contentment, and Resignation? Was such indeed originally your lost condition? Was such your state by nature and by practice? Have you partaken so much mercy? Have you been delivered, freely "without money, and without price" from so much misery? Have you even now so much ingratitude remaining in your heart? Are you oftentimes so rebellious, and at all times so unprofitable? Do you however still experience so much kindness, and daily receive so many blessings? Is this the case? And can you complain, and murmur, if in some respects your inclinations are crossed, and your desires unsatisfied? Surely murmuring and discontent be. come not you; you, who participate in so

many unmerited gifts. "Look unto the Rock whence you were hewn." Had it not been for the Lord's mercy, instead of being now a living stone in his spiritual building, you would still have been a part of that natural Rock, an unshapen mass of sin and unbelief. And after such distinguishing kindness can you object to the place which He has thought fit to assign to you in his edifice? Can you complain because He has not allotted to you a more elevated, a more conspicuous, or a more honourable station? "Look unto the pit, whence you were digged:" that pit, "in which there is no water;" and out of which the Lord has brought you by the blood of His covenant. Look at that pit of darkness and corruption. Compare it with the light, and life, and liberty, which you now enjoy; with the privileges vouchsafed to you, with the glory set before you : and after this review, after this comparison, can you feel dissatisfied with your lot? Surely you must rather exclaim with the Apostle, "I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content:" or with pious Eli, "It is the Lord; let Him do what seemeth Him good."

These Reflections teach also another lesson. They strongly inculcate the Necessity of a continual dependence on divine grace to work in you both to will and to do. Think

on your original condition; on the state of sin and death, in which you were plunged, and in which you would still have continued to be plunged, had not the Spirit of God quickened you, and put into you spiritual life; had He not taken away the heart of stone and given to you a heart of flesh; an humble, a tender, and an obedient heart. Think, I say, on these things; and see how entirely you stand in need of the same spirit, to maintain the life which He first imparted. Without His quickening power you would to this day have been dead in trespasses and sins. Without his preventing grace you are at this day unable to think or to do any thing that is good. He, who first inspired you with holy desires, must still inspire you with them. He who first taught you to pray in the Spirit, must still teach you to pray in it. He who first enabled you to bring forth spiritual fruit, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, must still enable you. Pray then for His help. Depend upon His grace. Undertake nothing in your own strength. Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. So shall you be more than conquerors through Him that loveth you.

These Reflections have also a tendency to produce Hope and Encouragement. Perhaps you may at times be harassed with distressing