A Goodly Heritage

There was no breath in them.* — Ezek. xxxyti. 8. This scene has two aspects (it contains an event and a troth) : the prophetical, which specially points to Israel's restoration in the latter day ; the spiritual, pointing to the case of individual souls, or churches, or congregations. There are four stages presented to us : (1) The bone -heaps in the valley, 'very dry;' (2) The gathering and reconstruction of these bones ; (3) The clothing with flesh, sinews, and skin ; (4) The infusion of breath, or life. It is through the last of these that the living man is constituted; and without it there is but the picture or statue of a man. The 'breath' is manifestly the 'life,' communicated by the Spirit of life. This life may have different stages ; but wherever it is, there is a true and complete man. The disciples had life before our Lord breathed on them, but then they obtained more. They had life before Pentecost, but then they obtained more. It was life that

"And O that all had taken this method ! for then there had been fewer apostacies. The religion of the land, and zeal for the land's engagements, are come to nothing but a supine, loathsome, and hateful formality; and there cannot be zeal, liveliness, and rightness, where people meet with persecution, and want heart-renovation. My soul trembles to think how little of regeneration there is amongst the ministers and professors of Scotland. O the ministers of Scotland, how have they betrayed Christ's interest and beguiled souls ! ' They have not entered in themselves, and them that were entering in, they hindered.' Tiiey have sold the things of Christ and liberties of His Church for a short and cursed quiet to themselves, which is now near an end ; and they are more one and at peace with God's enemies, after they have done all their mischiefs, nor than they were at first when they had but put hand to them. And I much fear, that though there were but one minister

When the time of his death drew near (which was in the month of August 1631), through age and infirmity he was mostly confined to his chamber, where he was frequently visited by his friends and acquaintances; and being on a certain time asked by one of them, How matters stood betwixt God and his soul? He made this return, "When I was young, I was diligent, and lived by faith on the Son of God; but now I am old, and am not able to do so much, yet he condescends to feed me with lumps of sense." And that morning before he was removed, his sickness being mostly a weakness through age, he came to breakfast and having as usual eaten an egg, he said to his daughters "I think I am yet hungry, ye may bring me another egg." But instantly thereafter, falling into deep meditation, and after having mused a little he said, "Hold, daughter, my Master calls me." With these words his sight failed him; and called for his family bible, but finding his sight had failed him, h