lies in promoting the interest of his gracious kingdom: they mistake exceedingly who think that believers may have an interest separate from Christ's, or an interest which has no immediate connection with his manifestative glory: no, my friends, as Christians you can have none, whatever you may have as men in common with others. If ever you pursue profit or pleasure where his interest is not concerned, expect to meet, at one time or other, a lion in your way, and an adder in your path: if you consult his interest, you will be sure to find your account in it; for he will take care of yours, whilst you are endeavouring to pursue that which is obviously to his honour and glory.

On the other hand, his interest as man and Mediator lies in securing the real advantage of his church and people, against all the attacks of hell and sin, of foes without, or lusts within. The reason of this is evident, because the church as such, is his fulness, and his glory. What would an head be, if ever so perfect, without a body? or a sun, if ever so radiant of itself, without beams? what would a bridegroom be without a spouse? or indeed the Lamb without a wife? In short, nothing can be to the Redeemer's honour, which is not for his church's good in its several members; nothing can be for the good of the church in general, or of individuals in particular, which is not for his honour. If so, I infer

(3.) That here is a ground laid for the certain safety, and undoubted perseverance of every believer in the blessed Jesus.

If it is for the glory of Christ that believers should persevere, they certainly shall, for he will not give his glory to the Devil, that head of all Antichrists. A loving husband will never suffer his beloved consort to despair in prison for debt, whilst it is both his interest and inclination to deliver her. What should we think of such a brutal, unfeeling husband as a member of society, who would let the wife of his choice perish in a jail, rather than redeem her from the cruelty of her creditor, notwithstanding he had it in the power of his hand to set her at liberty? we should certainly hold him as an execration, and the pest of society who could act so insensibly to his relation. But our adorable Bridegroom has given the utmost demonstration of his love, in laying down his life for his people, when in a state of enmity against him; and will therefore not leave them to perish when sin has actually become their burden. As thy Husband, O believer, he is the guide of thy youth, the defence of thy person, through all the vicissitudes of life, and in death itself; for thou hast his word for his being with thee for ever, having said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. Thy marriage with the Son of God insures thee safety in, and a comfortable issue from death, a welcome admission into the splendid society above, where clothed with gold of Ophir, thou shalt stand at his right-hand

and behold the excellency of his beauties, for thy very death is precious in his sight.

(4.) Many special privileges arise for the present from this desirable alliance, of which the following is a specimen.---You become dependant upon him for all things: from him you derive the food and nourishment of your immortal spirits; only Jesus hath the hidden manna in store to impart, and what he has is become thine own. On him is thy dependence for clothing and ornament for thy whole person, both for ordinary and extraordinary occasions; the fruits of righteousness which adorn thee before men, are of the operation of his Spirit; and the robe of state in which thou appearest at court, proceeds from his perfect and complete obedience. As your Husband and Lord, you are dependant on him for wisdom to direct your steps in the difficult mazes of this wilderness state; he is given as a leader, and to him you are directed to apply for direction: if any man lack wisdom, let him ask it of God (in Christ) who giveth liberally and upbraideth not (our ignorance.) Moreover, as the betrothed of his affection, you have the nearest access unto his private affairs, for he does not keep the door of his lips from her that lieth in his bosom, but openeth the secret of his ancient kindness, and sheweth the plenitude and stability of his gracious covenant unto her.

(5.) Behold the dignity to which ye have attained, O believers! dignity far transcending the station of angels! Your Maker, the Lord of Hosts, is your husband. To what degree of nearness are you brought! to be nearer is not possible. Thy Maker is thy husband; bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh,' Eph. v. 30. How much, my brethren, are you indebted to free and sovereign grace! See a wretched infant nursed up in the hospitable bosom of everlasting love, dandled on the knee of providence, and married to the King of kings, and Lord of lords. See a condemned criminal freely pardoned, taken into favour, made a courtier of the King of universal nature, and sitting on the bench with the Judge of all worlds, and own salvation by grace alone! But then let this

(6.) Be our concluding remark. If it is only by the grace of God that we are what we are, under what obligations are we to seek his honour in all we do or say? He calls us away, 'Hearken, ⚫ O daughter, incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, ' and all thy father's house, so shall the King greatly desire thy 'beauty.' In return for love so vast, for condescension so unspeakable, be ye his; he is your Lord, and worship ye him; let his will be your only law. It behoves the spouse to submit to the mild government of an husband who loves her so entirely : Sarah owned no lord but Abraham; the spouse no beloved but the fairest among the sons of men; own ye no authority besides that of your own wedded Lord.

Let it be your pleasure to serve him, for he took delight in saving you, though at the expence of his own precious life; and he loves cheerful obedience and willing submission; if therefore you would honour him, do all things without murmuring, make the peace and prosperity of his house the principal study of your lives; let the language of your conduct, as well as of your lips, be peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces.' Whilst there is a possibility of saying without doing, cautions of this sort can never be unseasonable.

His interest is your interest, his cause your own; as well may the interest of man and wife be divided, as that of Jesus and his church in its individual members. It is altogether vain to set up a personal, or family interest, as separate from that of Christ in his church. It was Ephraim's great sin that his heart was divided, and the fruit he brought forth was to himself. Where God has the person, he will have his heart; where he has the heart, he will also have the hand: ye are not your own, ye have nothing that can be called your own; therefore let Jesus be glorified with what he hath dearly purchased. Let nothing tempt you abroad from his house; dwell in his land, and verily ye shall be fed. If a famine should come upon Canaan, let it not drive you into Egypt as it did Abraham; he had like to have suffered fatally by his conduct, if God had not mercifully preserved Sarah whilst in the house of Pharaoh. Bad as the church at any time may seem to be, it is the land of promise, and therefore ought to be preferred to Egypt. If Dinah's curiosity had not prompted her to visit the daughters of the land, her virgin purity had not been invaded her example is a suitable warning to all to guard against vain curiosity. Abraham's rebuke in the loss of Sarah should teach us to wait with patient diligence in the house of prayer, even when under the greatest discouragements, for the set time to favour, when God shall again send rain upon the earth, and himself become as the dew unto his Israel.

:

END OF BOAZ AND RUTH.

SOCINIANISM

BROUGHT TO THE TEST:

OR

JESUS CHRIST

PROVED TO BE EITHER THE ADORABLE GOD,

OR

A NOTORIOUS IMPOSTOR;

IN

TWENTY LETTERS

ΤΟ

THE REVEREND DOCTOR PRIESTLEY:

IN WHICH IT APPEARS,

That if Jesus Christ is not a Divine Person the Mohammedan is, in all respects, preferable to the Christian Religion, and the Koran a better Book than the Bible.

If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him. 1 KINGS Xviii. 21.

SU