A Goodly Heritage

I have read of a painter, who being warmly re- prehended by a cardinal for putting too much red in the faces of St. Paul and St. Peter, answered, ' It is to shew how much they blush at the conduct of many, who style themselves their successors.*— Were Abraham, the father of the faithful, now on earth, how would he disclaim all relation to many who call themselves his offspring ! Though there was less grace discovered to the saints of old ; yet there was more grace discovered by them. They knew little, and did much^ we know much, and do little.

Temporary professors are like hedge-hogs, which have two holes -, one to the north, and another to the south : when the south wind fans them, they turn to the north j and when the north wind chills them, they turn to the south. Thus they lose their activity, to preserve their security. — That was a beggarly saying, which fell from a prince's lips, — ' I will sail no farther in the cause of Christ, than while I can preserve my retreat with safety to land.' Man is a short-sighted creature ; he is afraid to follow too far upon the heels of truth, lest it should lead him into danger. Weak grace may do for God, but it must be strong grace that will die for God. A true Christian will lay down his lusts at the command of Christ j and his life, for the cause of Christ. The more a tree of righteousness is sha- ken by the wind, the more it is rooted in the groun(l. What, art thou a member of Christ, and afraid to be a martyr for Christ? If those be blessed who die

That was a Christian expression of one of the martyrs to his persecutors : " You take a life from me that I cannot keep, and bestow a life upon me that I cannot lose which is, as if you should rob me of counters, and furnish me with gold." He that is assured of a life that has no end, need not care how soon this life shall end.

Though the name of the author of Psal. cxxxvii. be not recorded yet his generous disposition should ever be admired. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ; if I do not prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy. Good old Eli mourned more for the loss of religion, than for the loss of his relations. His heart was bro- ken before his neck. If the church be lost. Chris- tians cannot be saved if the church be saved. Christians cannot be lost.

If the mountains overflow with moisture, the valleys are the richer : but if the head be full of ill humours, the whole body is the worse. Happy are those persons, whom God will use as besoms, to sweep out the dust from his temple ; or who shall tug at an oar, in the boat where Christ and his church are embarked.

Sin in the soul, is like Jonah in the ship it turns the smoothest water into a troubled ocean. We must mourn for sin on earth, or burn for sin in hell. It is the coldness of our hearts, which kindles the fire of God's anger. They shall look upon him whom they have pierced, and mourn for him, as one that mourneth for his only son; and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bit- terness for his first born. — Christians! the nails that pierced his hands, should now pierce your hearts : you should now be deeply wounded with godly sorrow, for having so deeply wounded him with your deadly sins. It should grieve your spirits, to remember how much you have grieved his Spirit.

"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns!"   Revelation 19:6 The book of the Revelation, being chiefly prophetical, will not perhaps be fully understood, until the final accomplishment of the events shall draw near, and throw a stronger light upon the whole book. But, while the learned commentators have been hitherto divided and perplexed in their attempts to illustrate many parts of it, there are other parts well adapted for the instruction and refreshment of plain Christians; particularly those passages in which the scenery and images seemed designed to give us some representation of the   happiness and worship of the heavenly state . Thus a plain unlettered believer, when reading with attention the fourth and fifth chapters, though he cannot give a reason why there are 24 elders, why there are 4 living creatures, and why the number of their wings is neither more nor less than six; yet, from the whole description of the Lamb upon the throne, the songs of

The Messiah's Dominion. A psalm of David. 1 The L ORD  said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. 2 The L ORD  shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people  shall be  willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4 The L ORD  hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou  art  a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek. Some have called this psalm  David's creed,  almost all the articles of the Christian faith being found in it the title calls it  David's psalm,  for in the believing foresight of the Messiah he both praised God and solaced himself, much more may we, in singing it, to whom that is fulfilled, and therefore more clearly revealed, which is here foretold. Glorious things are here spoken of Christ, and such as oblige us to consider how great he is. I. That he is David's Lord.

CHRIST SHALL RULE IN THE MIDST OF HIS ENEMIES Psalm 110:2.  The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion:  rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.             This psalm is prophetical of Christ's exaltation and the success of this gospel and glory of his kingdom, that was consequent on his death and resurrection. When Christ arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, then did God say to him, as in the 1st verse, "Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool." As those words are applied in Acts 2:32, etc., "This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool."             When Christ