THE HUMAN HEART.

The Heart on which the laws of God are written, is in a more advanced stage of the new life than the former; not that it is more enlightened, or more holy, or more devoted, but faith and the other fruits of the Spirit are called into vigorous exercise, in contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints, and in bearing testimony to Truth in opposition to popular errors.

The Apostles of our Lord exhibited the higher grade of this matured stage of the new Life.

With what patience did they endure opposition and wrong with what magnanimity did they follow their Lord without the camp, bearing His reproach! With what zeal did they prosecute the glorious object they had in view, even the work which He gave them to do, in His Name, and for His glory! How disinterested were their works of faith! their labours of love!

We are, says Paul, "troubled on every side, yet not disheartened; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding, an eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen." Hear how the man who hath the Law of God written on his heart speaks: "After that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated as you know, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much opposition. For our exhortation was not of deceit, or of uncleanness, or of guile; but as we were permitted of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who trieth our hearts.

engraven:

Sin and Satin find no entrance into

this Temple of love & peace!

Outward storms

cannot shake its foundation for its graces the wook of ages.

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"Neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know; nor a cloak of covetousness, God is witness. Nor of man sought we glory, neither of you nor of others, when we might have taken authority as the Apostles of Christ; but we were tender among you even as a nurse cherisheth her children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear to us. For ye remember, brethren, what labour and travail,—for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you,—we preached unto you the Gospel of God. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, and justly, and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. And ye know how we exhorted every one of you as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his Kingdom and glory."

Blessed, says our Lord, are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely FOR MY SAKE. Rejoice and be exceeding glad; on their part he is evil spoken of but on your part he is glorified.”

Let no one say, I am too young to reflect the light which the Sun of Righteousness sheds abroad over my heart and all its affections and desires. Remember the young Samuel, who while yet a child ministered to the LORD in a linen ephod, the outward emblem of “the righteousness of saints." Our Lord was well pleased with the hosannahs of the children, on a memorable occasion when he said to His disciples, "Have ye never read, that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings God hath perfected his praise ?" There is that in the character of children which our Lord ex

ceedingly loved and valued, and without which no man shall see His kingdom. He referred to their simplicity, their artless sincerity, their perfect openness and candour, their implicit confidence, their want of prejudice, their distrust of their own wisdom or power, their absence of hypocrisy, and their docility and purity, when He said,

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Except ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall in no-wise enter the kingdom of God."