thoughts of what Christ suffered for him and such hell-deserving sinners, from the cradle to the

cross.

...Further, this sorrow is not a trifling or momentary thing. Regeneration begins it: death only ends it. Daily sins require a daily sorrow. A body of sin and death, is a daily cross. Imperfection in Christian graces, short comings in duty, relapses to sin, which would be fatal, but for the renewals, revivals, and revisitations of the Holy Spirit, these give a Christian continual sorrow, from which he is only relieved by frequent approaches to that cross, where Christ agonized and bled for his sins, and bore both the sins and sorrows of all his chosen. Now whilst a Christian sorrows thus, even Christ declares the world shall rejoice. And so it is, as facts prove every day. But it has its reward; it has it now; and eternity itself will rather take away what it now has, than give it more. But how will this end? Will things remain so for ever?. If we Christians be thus now, and had no better hope beyond the grave, we should be of all men most miserable. But blessed be God we have. Christ hath given us it, in his own words: "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy." Now joy in some measure is a Christian's lot here below. But joy in perfection, consummation and eternity, is reserved for the immediate presence and full fruition of God. Everlasting joy is in contrast witch all the temptations, trials, losses, crosses of this mor

tal state. Christ in his man-nature partook of all the sorrows of mankind; yea, he drunk the cup to the very dregs, And if this is the case, shall we refuse to taste of the same; nay rather, we should stay by our Lord, through good report and evil report, esteeming it an honor to partake of his sorrow, that so we may partake of eternal joy. And let it be recollected also, that however intense a Christian's sufferings may be, they bear no comparison to the sufferings of our Lord. Who of us could bear to be blindfolded and buffetted like our Lord? who of us could bear to be tortured with a piercing crown of thorns, like our Lord? Who of us could have sustamed that dreadful, agony and bloody sweat in the garden; which was so intense, that even Christ in his human nature, needed the support of an angel from his heavenly Father? The apostle Paul calling us to "Consider him that en"dured such contradiction of sinners against him"self;" adds, "Ye have not resisted unto blood, "striving against sin," Heb. xii. 3, 4. But Christ surely resisted unto blood, the devil and all his works, striving against sin, and conquering it for all his chosen. Now through the riches of his grace, our sorrow, who truly believe upon him, shall end in eternal joy. "Our light affliction, (says "St. Paul), which is but for a moment, worketh " for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight "of glory," 2 Cor. iv. 17. And this our affliction worketh, not, our saisation meritoriously; (for Christ's sufferings are alone satisfactory for his people) but efficiently, as a blessed mean in the hand of God of accomplishing his designs. Sanctified affliction, hath with it all the accompaniments of the Spirit of God; as a deep sense of unworthiness, and of hell-deserving as a reward of transgression, faith on Christ, beholding him sustaining the curse of the law in our stead, love to God for sending his Son, dependance on the Spirit to help us through the furnace for Christ's sake, and prayer to God under the influence of the Spirit, that our affliction, however long, tedious, painful, galling to the flesh, or oppressive to the man of sin remain• ing within us, may end in God's due time, to the glory of his name, and the refining of our own souls: now of such Christ saith, "They shall walk " with me in white, for they are worthy," Rev. iii. 4. And again, " These are they which follow "the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth," Rev. xiv. 4. And again, "God shall wipe away all tears from "their eyes: and there shall be no more death, " neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be

any more pain," Rev. xxi. 4. And again, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that "they may have right to the tree of life, and may "enter in through the gates into the city," Rev. xxii. 14.

22d. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst wlhither thou wouldst, but when thou art old, thou shalt

stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldst not. Thus spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. John xxi. 18, 19.

The speaker of these words is that divine and adorable personage, whose words while here below, I have endeavoured through this Essay, to comment upon, according to the little light given unto me. During a life of unparalleled sorrows and sufferings, which he had voluntarily undertaken in consequence of an eternal covenant, made by his own consent, with the Father and the divine Spirit in the settlements of eternal and sovereign grace; and which he undertook for that precious remnant whom God had elected and ordained to eternal life; during such a life, Christ spake as never man spake. Yet his words were not esteemed and received faithfully by all. Divine truth was his darling theme: while he revealed the grace and glory of his eternal Father, to all whom he loved.

Many rejected him: and why? Because he pourtrayed the depraved nature of man in its blackest colours. Yet this was not all: as he declared that he came not to condemn the world, but that the world through him should be saved: so the gospel was his topic, and whilst he came to fulfill the law, he shewed, how unable man was to fulfill the law, that man might be led to look to him as the law-fulfiller, in the stead of his people.

The person here spoken to by our Lord, claims also our attention. It is Peter; a zealous, a warm and. faithful friend of our Lord. Yet who once (oh the frailties, yea horrible sins of God's chosen, 'when under the suspensions of his Spirit), who once denied his Lord, and with bitter oaths and curses repeated the same; yet restored from this fall, by a gracious healing look from his Lord. Behold him sorrow over his fall: whilst the Spirit of God raised him from that fall into which he was plunged, and renewed his weeping heart to more joy in, love to, and boldness in the cause of his beloved Lord.

Yet as this man had fallen, his faith must be tried, and his love be questioned in a way which nothing but faith and love could approve. " Simon son of "Jonas, (says Christ) lovest thou me more than "these?" hard question this, for one who had denied his master with oaths and curses. "He saith " unto him, Yea Lord, thou knowest that I love "thee, He saith to him again the second time, "Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith "unto him, Yea Lord."

But thrice Peter had denied his Lord with oaths and curses; thrice must he be questioned, as to his present love; " He saith unto him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter " was grieved because he said unto the third time, "lovest thou me?" Oh the shortness and imper