God, my brethren, gives us the fullest perception of its value. Here we but partially realize in our human experience its effects in a spiritual sense, from the ruined condition of the moral nature, but sufficient in a temporal one to assure us of the infinite character of the compassion of God: not an hour of our lives, but we are constrained by its exercise upon us to acknowledge it. Would, brethren, that our souls were so influenced, by the power of God's Spirit striving within us, as to be by its action constrained to praise God in accents of grateful thanksgiving and praise for it, and so to walk before him as

on them that fear him from generation to generation." First, then, this mercy is in its essential nature and existence an attribute of God; and, besides, it is the most glorious amongst them all: its dispensation, at all times and under all circumstances, expresses the favour which he bears to those upon whom it falls, whether deserved by any creatures because of personal obedience, or given on some other account, as in the case of God's mercy towards us men, in acknowledging and receiving us into the adoption of sons, because of Christ's obedience on our behalf, or because of his righteousness, which becomes ours justifyingly and savingly through "the" dear children" with a single eye to his obedience of faith." " For," observes St. Paul, by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast" (Eph. ii. 8, 9).

glory, that his providence of mercy might be enlarged upon us, and we be thus made more meet continually to receive from him of the abundance of the riches of his grace. For, though, as I have already observed, this mercy, in its primary dispensation, only regards Christ, and his work wrought for us, when it makes us brethren with him, and heirs of the manifold gifts of God, yet, in its general exercise by God upon us in our probationary existence and career here, it depends upon the way in which we exercise the blessed privileges we possess, and the manner in which we fulfil the conditions which we as his believing people have accepted at his hands, and the obligations which these conditions have laid upon us; for only in a faithful discharge of these,

And here I am led, my brethren, to observe upon the free or voluntary nature of the exercise of this attribute of God. If we, as the creatures of God's hand, and as bearing the same though a modified intelligence with himself, were only enabled to reap that mercy in its highest or spiritual sense when we had fulfilled a condition, or a series of conditions which would establish a personal elaim on the ground of our deserving them, brethren, we should never obtain it; but, being left to the control of our own unruly wills, to the influence of our own corrupted hearts and our imperfect moral affections, we should" in obedience to faith," can we, or ought we, wander farther from the pale of God's favour, until, having followed the broad and convenient road along which the world hurries unconcernedly and in confused multitude to its end, we should at last find ourselves lost in the depths of the bottomless pit, and clothed upon with unutterable woes. No, my brethren, the dispensation of God's mercy is not a thing dependent in its highest sense upon man's merits as a prerequisite for his adoption into the sonship of God; but it results from the operation of his own ungoverned and allwise mind, which wills as it is pleased to will, and gives as it is pleased to give, and flows from that love which he bears towards us because of his covenant "which he sware unto our fathers, to Abraham, and his seed for ever."

But, beside the free and voluntary nature of this mercy of God, and the eternity of its conception by the Almighty mind, it is endless also in its exercise towards us who comply with the required condition: "His mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation," or, as it is more fully expressed in the original, unto the generations of generations." This feature in the mercy of

to expect that God will visit us in his mercy, or bless us with those gifts of grace which necessarily spring from it. And to this effect does Moses testify, when he relates the words which the Lord spake when he descended from Mount Sinai, after renewing the tables of law, saying: "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy unto thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children and upon the children's children unto the third and fourth generation."

To continually receive, my brethren, at God's hands the fruits of his compassion, we must ourselves continually bear the fruits of his Spirit; we must continually strive after a fuller and riper state of holiness and grace; we must give fuller scope to the action and motions of God's Spirit in our souls; and we must even thirst," as the panting hart for the water-brooks," with a still keener desire after the treasures of the invisible world." In the spiritual world, as in the natural, nothing is stationary; it either progresses or retro

grades. The soul, which is not growing more active in its holy motions, more vital in its spiritual feelings, more conformed in its nature to the soul of Christ, more closely allied to God, and more established in his favour, is, on the other hand, becoming more hardened and seared by sin, less influenced by divine injunctions and the strivings of the Spirit within, and more insensible to the voice that calls in mercy, and woos and invites in love, "charm it never so wisely," by giving a looser rein to the corrupt affections of the heart, and by conforming ourselves to the likeness of this world in all things, and, in so doing, departing further from God, from his mercy, his love, and his grace.

Brethren, this latter is a sad condition for a soul that is immortal to exist in: better, far better would it have been for any, in such a case, had they never been born, since the displeasure of God now intimates (unless we speedily repent) his displeasure for ever, and therefore the misery of this mortal life, the misery which fills that dark abode where lost souls abide, shut out from the presence of God's face for ever:

text is "fear." "His mercy," observes the virgin in her song, "is on them that fear him from generation to generation;" and this condition we shall now proceed to consider.

The fear of the Lord possesses a twofold character. The first is a filial fear wrought in the heart of all God's children by the operation of the Spirit given to them, and which partakes of the nature of an holy affection. The second is that intense dread which the wicked experience when they contemplate God as clothed in his attribute of justice, and dealing in judgment to every man according to the deeds done in the body. Such a fear as this results either from the expectation of punishment in some sort at his hands, or from the hopeless despair of his pardon and forgiveness; but such a fear as this the child of God feels not, knows not: renewed in the spirit of his mind, he looks upon Christ as his brother, upon God as his Father reconciled-as his friend, who will, at all times and under all circumstances, act a friend's part unfailingly, who will never leave, nor forsake, though the world may, but will sustain Truly, my beloved brethren, when we re- and succour him in all his adversities, and view our own lives, and contrast them with help him effectually in every time of need the general character of God's dealings to- and distress. No, my brethren; to the true wards us; when we reflect upon the character Christian "the fear of the Lord is the beof the world, its sinfulness and God's for- ginning of wisdom;" such a fear as begets bearance, its provocations and God's long-in us an earnest and anxious desire to forsake suffering, its ingratitude and yet God's bounty, truly must we be constrained to exclaim in the words of the holy psalmist, "Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea, our God is merciful :" And, if such is the Lord in his dealings towards us, what, I ask, my brethren, should be the character of our actions in relation to him, if he is merciful to spare us when we trespass against him by breaking continually those laws which he has laid down to direct and guide us, when he at the same time is all-powerful to destroy, and justified in the destruction of the sinner on such an account? Should we not "lay aside all hardness of heart, all contempt of his word," all love for that which he hates, all desire for that which he forbids, and, with hearts pierced by the amazing extent of his compassion, turn in penitence and selfreproach to so loving a God, even as the pardoned child turns in humility and confidence to the parent who has nourished it as his own life? for God, my brethren, is a parent to us in more enlarged relations than our natural ones, and shall be conditionally such an one, and we perhaps shall know them

no more.

II. But, in the second place, the condition of God's mercy specified in the words of our

sin, and the ways of sin. It is "the beginning of wisdom," because true wisdom consists in a knowledge of our hearts, of our true condition before God, in a knowledge of what we are, and of what we ought to be; so that, knowing our state, we may contrast it with that standard of moral perfection which God's word supplies, and thus be urged to strive after the attainment of "the fulness of the measure" which forms "the stature of Christ.”

This, my brethren, is the result which a filial fear of the Lord produces: it begets, I repeat, in the Christian a dread of sin, not only because it tends to his own destruction, but because it is displeasing and dishonouring to God, whom the true Christian loves before all the world beside; and hence by such a fear he is urged to watchfulness and vigilance continually. He knows that "his heart is deceitful," nay, deceitful "above all things," and he fears lest, if he slumbered, it should betray him into the snares of the evil one. He knows that around him on every side the art of the great deceiver has multiplied innumerable temptations, and decked them with the most fascinating charms to allure; but he fears to touch even with his finger the object that dazzles the eye and ex

cites the heart, lest by so doing his soul should be polluted by the unclean thing.

This filial and godly fear excites also in the true Christian a deep and sanctified reverence for God and his service: in all his goings he regards the Lord as present, in all his doings the power of the Lord helping and assisting; to his prayers and his cries the ear of the Lord opened, and in his downsitting and his uprising the eye of the Lord upon him, "spying out all his ways." And when, my brethren, we realize in the fear of the Lord--which we might and ought to feel -these perceptions of God's attributes and God's greatness and majesty, then may we conclude that true wisdom dwells within us, and exercises a sanctified control over the motions of the soul; and from such a state of grace shall we, under her guidance, go on from stage to stage in the spiritual course until the last stage of perfection shall be reached in eternal glory; for from heaven true wisdom comes, and to heaven she directs all the children of God, who, influenced by the fear of the Lord, acknowledge in obedience her authority, and follow the path of truth and holiness along which she directs; that pleasant path, on which "peace unspeakable" dwells, and where angels minister the consolations of God to the pilgrim as he journeys Zionward.

And now, my beloved brethren, in conclusion permit me to apply to ourselves the previous consideration in which we have engaged; for, after all, to act faithfully with ourselves, we must deal faithfully and impartially with our own souls, and not merely in an abstract manner with truths concerning it or its destiny; and there would little good result from my bringing the subjects of the mercy" and "fear of the Lord" before you, unless by doing so you were induced to question yourselves as to whether you enjoyed the one or felt the other.

Are you then, my beloved brethren, in such a state of grace as to feel with a certain assurance that God's mercy is now your portion, and enriching you day by day with the abundance of its fruits? and, in this possession, are you content to regard all things as nothing in comparison with it? And does your heart beat and swell with the motions of a grateful joy, that God has been pleased to give you the blessed assurance of his love and regard for you? the assurance of his mercy, in having called you out of darkness but into light, out of death but into life, even into Christ your righteousness, and hath redeemed you from the evil ground of rebellion, to the obedience of dear children? And is "the fear of the Lord" a principle ingrafted in your

souls, ever fulfilling its work by keeping you in a state of filial obedience and unceasing watchfulness, giving you a fuller perception of God's character, and inspiring you with a fuller and livelier sense of his majesty and power? Brethren, if with you the interest of the soul is the chiefest concern, as it is the highest, you will, in your duty to it, examine it with an impartial scrutiny, and thus, day by day, seek to have it purified from the gross pollutions and defilements of sin, and present it as a gift to Christ, as a treasure for him to guard and keep unto that day when he shall present it spotless before the throne of his Father, saying, "Behold, here is one of the lambs of my fold: it hath eaten of the bread of life at my hands: it strayed not from the green pastures in which I placed it to feed; but it ate of the wholesome food which the dew of thy Spirit caused to spring forth and become rich with nourishment; and, when it was thirsty, it drank also at 'the still waters of comfort; and, now that the winter is come, take it, Father, to thy bosom, for my sake, as a beloved one in heaven for ever."

My beloved brethren, would you desire to be presented by the hand of the Saviour as a lamb to God, and to dwell safe housed in the fold of heaven for ever? O cherish then, I beseech you, "a filial fear of the Lord." Love him with all your hearts: serve him in faithfulness, and walk before him in uprightness: study his pleasure in all the actions of your lives. Aim continually at a higher standard of spiritual perfection: let nothing less than " the mind which was in Christ Jesus" be your desire. Fling aside with a Christian disdain all the trumperies of the world. The world, brethren, is a hollow and a heartless thing; and that which the world most delights in is as hollow and heartless as itself. act, my brethren, as if you really believed yourselves to be indeed immortal, and as if you felt that a nobler and a more exalted subject than the world should engage the renewed minds of the saints of God, even the subject of the spiritual destiny of the soul, and the glory of an eternal God.

But

At first he felt, at his advanced period of life, that it would be far more advisable, and consonant with his love of retirement and of the pursuits of science, for him to avoid mixing himself up with the political movement, though he applauded it, and augured a prosperous issue from it for the welfare of his unhappy country. Well would it have been for Bailly had he listened to the desires of Acting upon this request, the assembly deputed his own peaceful inclinations, and resisted the ex- eighty-eight of their body, amongst whom was hortations and intreaties of his philosophical Bailly, to proceed to Paris, to communicate to associates and friends: his end might then have "such authorities" or committees as they might been peaceful within his pleasant retreat of Chail-find there, the happy reconciliation which had lot, instead of his laying down his head upon the scaffold amid the execrations of that people he had desired to benefit; though he had unhappily

ceding evening, of M. de Flesselles had left the fall upon him, he was sentenced to "suffer on the municipality of Paris without a head, Bailly was esplanade between the Champ de Mars and river immediately elected, by acclamation, to succeed Seine;" and it was also ordered that a red flag, that unfortunate provost, with the higher title of which he had used on that occasion, "should be mayor of Paris." It was on this occasion that dragged in the dirt behind the cart" which should Lafayette was also appointed commander-in-chief convey him to the place of execution, "and then of the national guards. "Bailly was then con- be burned before his face. His journey to the disducted by the conquerors of the Bastile to the tant part of Paris appointed for his execution ocdifferent quarters of Paris, to be presented as their cupied nearly two hours; and he was hooted and mayor," and was saluted with many honours; insulted" by the mob "all the way. When he against which, with many tears, he protested, as reached the spot where the guillotine had been set being totally unworthy of such distinctions, and up for him, the people insisted that the earth—that incapable of bearing the great public burden ground which had witnessed so many liberty which his fellow-citizens had put upon him." fetes-should not be contaminated by the blood of And well might he protest against his appoint- so vile a criminal; and, as the people were sovement, for he quickly discovered that he had no reign to do what they chose, they stopped the power to counteract the lawless audacity of the death-cart, took the scaffolding of the guillotine Paris rabble; neither had he the means of checking to pieces, and began to erect it in another place, the outrages they were daily committing, or any in a ditch or hollow on the bank of the Seine, outauthority to punish them for their crimes. Mur-side of the Champ de Mars, and beyond the espladers were hourly committed in the public streets: nade. All these operations, which passed under whosoever fell under the suspicion of the mob, as the eyes of Bailly, occupied a considerable time, being either a priest or an aristocrat, was forthwith forming a novelty in torture. At last the broad seized upon, and, without the semblance of a trial, blade of the guillotine hung suspended just where hurried to the first lamp-post, and there hanged. the populace wished it; and Bailly, descending The guillotine had not yet commenced its work of into the hollow, saw the red flag burned before slaughter this was to be an after improvement him, and then, mounting the scaffold, died.” for human destruction in the progress of crime. Such is constantly the reward of those who set In vain did Bailly and the municipality issue their out with the intention of ameliorating their race proclamations, forbidding the people to take the upon other principles than those of religion. Nolaw into their own hands, by executing whomso- thing can raise mankind from the depths of inever they thought fit, at a moment's notice, upon famy into which sin has plunged them, but those the lamp-posts: in vain did they "urge that by holy lessons which the word of God imparts; and these excesses they were only serving the enemies to give power to the many, without accompanying of the revolution, who could not fail to contem-it with this choicest of treasures, is to place a weaplate with pleasure such frightful disasters, which pon in their hands with which they will eventually must render the revolution hateful, and confound destroy every constitution of society, no less than licentiousness with the liberty" they were desirous themselves. Their souls are famishing for the bread of securing. Bailly had assisted in creating the of life; but it is to give them a stone instead of it, calamity, but had not the power to check or coun- to impart to them, as Bailly and others of his teract it; and he must pay the penalty his rash-friends did, a knowledge that is only powerful ness could not fail eventually to draw down upon for evil, and only productive of crime, of anarchy, and confusion.

him.

For two years, however, he managed to retain some measure of his popularity, and continued to hold the office to which the popular voice had elected him. But at length, in January, 1791, this popularity vanished in a day. Bailly, with Lafayette, had effected the dispersion of an infuriated mob, who had congregated in the Champs de Mars, by commanding the national guards to fire upon them, and by this day's work signed, the one his own death warrant, and the other a proscription for an indefinite period. Disgusted with all around him, and convinced that what little power he had ever possessed to reduce the people to submission had entirely passed away, Bailly retired from his office; not, however, to seek seclusion, but to involve himself more deeply in plots which eventually were to recoil upon himself. At length, in November, 1793, he was accused of having" used all the means in his power to favour the flight of the royal family to Varennes, of having been a tyrant all his life," and a man of infamous conduct; "but the head and front of his offence was his conduct in 1791, when the national guards had fired upon the people in the Champ de Mars," which had never been either forgotten or forgiven. As a proof that this was deemed his greatest crime, and for which vengeance should

"IT IS ALL FOR THE BEST"*.

X.

IN a mining district in England, near the place of my nativity, a gang of reprobates, as miners too generally are, were employed in the works at the bottom of a deep shaft. One of their number different from that of his wicked comrades. He was, however, a character of a description very was of a very religious turn of mind, rather an enthusiast, but as uneducated, though not quite so ignorant, as the rest. He was blessed with a very contented disposition, partly owing to the influences of religion, and partly ascribable to the natural temperament of his mind. Although he had sometimes hard work to find "bread to eat and raiment to put on" for himself and his large family-for he had a wife and six or seven children, with nothing to depend upon but his own daily labour-yet he was happy and thankful. Nay, even when, from sickness, or from some of those numberless accidents to which miners are so peculiarly liable, he was unable to work, he never

From "Memoirs of a Missionary in Canada." London

Murray, 1846. A very interesting little volume.