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v. 6, 7, 8, As I believe the church in the present day to be in a similar state to that of the Laodiceans, I shall endeavour, and may the Holy Spirit enable me to point out some of the signs of a sleepy and backsliding state.

The first is, when a church undervalues the truth. O brethren, truth is precious, contend earnestly for it. Buy it, but never sell it. Prov. xxiii. 23. Hold it fast, and let no man take your crown; for when a church once departs from the pure truths of the sacred volume, there is no telling how far it may run into error. Be it remembered, the God of truth will not dwell with that people who depreciate the blessed truths of the everlasting gospel; therefore, prosperity must not be expected by such a people, in such a case. Is not this one great reason why so many of our churches are in such a barren state? We have reason to adopt the language of the once mourning prophet, " truth is fallen in our streets, and equity cannot enter;" see Isa. lix. 14. Is truth departed from our churches ? Oh! that my brethren in the ministry might be enabled to go out after it, as David went out in pursuit of the ark, and bring it back in their public ministrations to Zion's sacred enclosures. Satan deals with the church as Delilah dealt with Sampson; he lulls her asleep, and then endeavours to rob her of her white hair of sacred truth. May the Lord make us wakeful, watchful, and prayerful.

The second sign is, when a church declines its social meetings for prayer; we are exhorted, "not to forsake the assembling ourselves together, as the manner of some is," Heb. x. 25. When private, family, and social prayer is neglected, it may be expected that the result will be painful; Satan may make inroads, contentions may arise, the minister's mind may be grieved; it may be that some brother or sister, not being carried in the arms of prayer to the throne of grace, may be left to fall into sin; let us, therefore, "watch and pray that we enter not into temptation." Meet together and pour out your hearts before the Lord: pray for your minister, for each other, for the promotion of truth, and for the establishment of the Redeemer's cause. Should these lines meet the eyes of any of my brethren or sisters who have cast off fear, and restrained prayer before God, let them consider that as a sign of a sleepy and backsliding state.

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The third sign of a state of morbid drowsiness, is when contentions prevail. There are but few churches, the members of which are of one mind in minor points; while they live by faith, and enjoy a life of communion with God in the person of Christ, non-essentials are not thought so much of. But let them lose their spiritual enjoyments, and fall asleep in the arms of a bewitching world, closet prayer will be neglected, the ordinances of God's house slighted, a soulrefreshing gospel ministry will lose its savour; they are become like the barren heath: practical preaching does not suit them; no, it comes too close; by their conduct they cry, a little more sleep, and a little more slumber.". Hence they begin to quarrel with their

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minister, because he does not preach their feelings, nor proclaim their favourite hypothesis; if their brethren reprove them, they do not receive it kindly: yea, such persons are sunk into a worldly spirit, and lie beneath the treacherous calm of carnal security. Our Lord compares such to salt that has lost its savour, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. Matt. v. 13.

The fourth omen of a state of lethargy, is when christians become light and trifling in their conversation. Look back, brethren, to some of the visits you have made to your friends. Alas! alas! have not the hours been passed away in conversation, which has neither been to the glory of God, nor profit of your souls? The apostle exhorted the believers to whom he wrote, to "let their speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man," Col. iv. 6. Again, when christians imbibe the spirit, and follow the maxims of the world, it is evident they are not in a prosperous state. See Rom. xii. 1, 2. Besides, when we lie grovelling in the dust of this world, we live beneath our privileges. It is further evident, that christians are asleep when they are unconcerned about their own state, and that of their brethren. The state above described is bad when felt, but worse when not.

Secondly. I proceed to notice what is implied by knocking.

1. It shows that Jehovah loves his church by far too well to let her remain asleep in the arms of carnal security. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." I am not in your hearts; no, the world is there, some secret lust is indulged, and I and my word are disregarded. Look at this, professor, and see if it does not suit thy case. "Behold,” a note of attention is used, as though he would say, look at, and consider it well, as a matter of great importance.' Knocking, indicates a regard for, and divine attention paid to the church by its illustrious head. First, he knocks by the ministry of his word; that is, he sends his servants to reprove his church for her folly; hence we hear the prophet saying, "Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city," &c. Isa. lii. 1. But all ministerial knocks will prove inadequate to rouse the church from her slumbers, unless rendered successful by the Holy Spirit. Hear the church saying, "I sleep, but my heart awaketh; it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled." O what endearing and soul-captivating language! One would think that it roused her from her sleep, and fired her soul with love; but, alas! alas! how cold her affections, and how indifferent her answer: "I have put off my coat, (that is, my coat of flaming zeal, and christian conversation) how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, (that is, I have washed them in the river of carnal ease, and laid aside the duties of religion) how shall I defile them?" By this her supine behaviour, she indicated as much as though she could not leave her carnal pleasures, and rise to open to her Lord. See Sol. Song v. 2, 3.

Thus you see, the mere letter of the word is not sufficient to break the rocky heart. It is said in one of the prophecies, "I have hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth; but they, like men, have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me," Hosea vi. 5-7. Still those mercy knocks are repeated; "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light," Eph. v. 14.

2. He knocks by his Spirit. The Holy Spirit possesses divine power; consequently, when the word is sent home by him, it comes with power to the heart. What a forcible argument he has used by the mouth of his servant. "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand; let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the whole armour of light," Rom. xiii. 11, 12. When the Holy Spirit begins to revive his work, he disturbs the sleeper, quickens the barren soul, puts a cry into the heart, "Lord, save, or I perish;" yea, he takes the soul out of the horrible pit of miry clay, and sets it on the Rock of Ages, and the mount of watchfulness; makes it spiritually-minded, revives his own graces, and gives life and peace. The quickening graces of the Spirit are as much needed to carry on, as to begin the good work. Well, blessed be God, the promise is gone forth, "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thy offspring," Isa. xliv. 3.

3. He knocks by his providence. Sometimes he courts his children by his smiles; yet they, like Ephraim, go on frowardly in the way of their hearts, until filled with their own ways: when to wean them from the world, and bring them to himself, he chastises them for their folly. But, mark; his chastisements are not dipped in the curse; no-they are sent in love: see ver. 19. "As many as I love I rebuke; be zealous, therefore, and repent." When by his alarming providence, he knocks at the door, it is to rouse the attention-deliver from the world-and to lead his own to seek happiness from him alone. Those knocks are corrections for folly. "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my jugdments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with a rod, and their iniquity with stripes." But still his loving-kindness remains the same: as a tender Father he uses the rod to bring their erring footsteps back to his forsaken way; which, when sanctified by the Spirit, has its desired effect. He will knock loudly when he comes to judgment; when the midnight cry will be made, behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him." May our lamps be filled with sacred oil, our light shining, our souls in waiting posture, like those that look for their Lord; that we may enter in, and feast on the heart-ravishing beauties of the all-glorious and adorable Jesus.

Thirdly. The promise annexed.

"If any man hear my voice,"

in the ministry of the word-by my Spirit-and in my providence. That is, if any man hear it, not with the outward ear merely, but with the circumcised ear of the heart, and receive it with meekness and fear, through the Spirit. "And open the door;" that is, express and manifest a readiness to receive Christ-to abandon the world-to part with every idol for his sake, and to bring forth every lust and slay it before him. Yea, it is the going forth of the soul's desire after him and his salvation; as the church expresses it, “with my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early," Isa. xxvi. 9. The soul reclaimed from its sinful wanderings, seeks the Lord, and pants after communion with him. "I will come into him," that is, I will enter his heart, bind up every wound, dry up every tear, and turn his prayer to praise. 5 And sup with him, and he with me;" by Christ supping with his people is meant, his feeding them with his own flesh and blood, while they by faith receive the blessings of his grace, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Or it may imply, that believers while they sit at the table, enjoy communion with their glorious Lord. And when the days of their toil are ended, they shall sit down with patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and all the elect family of God in their Father's kingdom, where there will be rest without labour, joy without sorrow, communion without annoy, light without darkness, peace without trouble, holiness without sin; for "the Lord God will be their everlasting light, and the days of their mourning will be ended." A COUNTRY MINISTER.

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June, 1831.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

LETTER FROM MR.

My very dear Brother,

TO A CHRISTIAN FRIEND.

In a grace relation rising above all the little interruptions of this time-state, because standing in a precious Christ secure, ready to be revealed at all the sacredly-destined moments that shall be for his glory, and the everlasting interest of our favoured souls. Ah, my ever dear friend, methinks I am the greatest monument to the honour of a faithful covenant God, who hath said, that "whom he loves, he loves unto the end;" and will not suffer any thing to break in upon that union which is in himself, and like himself eternal; and I find the more I draw and receive from this great source, the more it is given me to apprehend the vast stores treasured up, and I sing with the poet :

"Jesu's fulness,

Can't be plunder'd, can't decay.”

Well may we say with the church of old, "his name is as ointment poured forth;" and Oh, the delightful odour of this ointment!

But I almost forgot I took up my pen to inform you, that if the Lord will, and the day is fine, we will do ourselves the pleasure to come and see you on Friday next.

Your's, in our all-lovely Jesus,

September 13

M. P.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

A PASSAGE OF SCRIPTURE FOR ELUCIDATION. WILL you allow me, Mr. Editor, through your excellent Magazine, to propose a passage of scripture to your correspondents for elucidation ? It is recorded in Matt. v. 25. 66 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.'

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If any of your able correspondents will give his thoughts of the same, they will be read with pleasure, as your periodical publication has always been, by one who remains,

Your's, very cordially,

Sept. 12, 1831.

A COUNTRY MINISTER.

(For the Spiritual Magazine.)

SALVATION.

"O'er heaven's gate, a motto stands engrav'd;
'Let sin alone be damned, but sinner sav'd:'

And o'er the portal of hell's dark dismal cave,
Jesus, the purchase of his blood will have!'"

INCALCULABLE are the blessings Jehovah hath bestowed upon his church, in having given unto her a revelation which developes his high purposes concerning her ;-a revelation, which not only depicts her base original, as being "altogether born in sin," but likewise solves the mysterious problem, why the stupendous work of creation should have been so soon subverted from its primeval glory, and plunged into wretchedness, confusion, and misery; by unfolding to the eye of faith the paramount object Jehovah had in view, even the manifestation of his own most glorious perfections, and the eternal felicity of the "election of grace." This is the declared will and revealed purpose of the Most High, who "giveth not account of his matters;" therefore, farther than this we have no warrant to prosecute our research; for, "who by searching can find out God," or discover the designs of the Almighty? The insatiable thirst of unsanctified reason after novelty, and its unceasing efforts to discover causes and effects, may, by philosophizing and speculating on matters purely spiritual and unrevealed, attempt the perilous navigation, and impiously "rush where angels dare not tread," and perish in the attempt!

In the great and momentous subject of human salvation, the spiritual mind cannot fail to discover a fulness that challenges the

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