crown is, which no man can take from us, even the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give to all those who love and cherish his appearing in their hearts, not only as a swift witness against sin and iniquity, but as the healer of the breaches which these have made, in separating between us and him, and consequently one from another; for what unity hath Christ with Belial? or what concord hath he that believeth with an infidel?

It is written, that "for the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart," and this must become our individual engagement and experience, if we are ever to know of the ministration of entrance into the kingdom of purity and peace, where nought that deceiveth, or maketh a lie, can ever be permitted to come; for it is through a going out into the maxims and manners, customs and spirit of the world around us, that we are alienated from the Truth, and brought into the formality of a pharisaical righteousness, which is but as a shadow to the substance, and can never advance us one step nearer to the kingdom of heaven, but will rather hinder our progress in that hidden and spiritual way which leadeth to the city of habitation, whose maker and builder the Lord alone is, "whose walls are salvation, and whose gates are praise." "The daughter of Zion is all glorious within, and her clothing is of wrought gold;" the Church of Christ is an inward and spiritual body, whose covering of love and good-will is perfected through suffering, such as was endured by its holy Head, through which he was made perfect, being touched with a feeling of our infirmities, that he might know how to succor them that are tempted.

If faith were in words, or outward demonstration, instead of a living experience, wrought in us through great suffering, it were comparatively an easy matter; but it is the gift of God, through great tribulation, as it is written, "I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction." It is no new thing for the Church and people of God to be tried with hardness of heart, and it will be no new thing to experience a deliverance, through the judgments, which, in mercy, have been permitted, for the softening of our hearts, in

order that the worship of God might be found therein, and we delivered from the captivity of idolatry, wherein the creatures and gifts of God have been exalted above him, making of his house, which is a house of prayer, a den of thieves, which have robbed him of his honor, and given it to men, causing us to say I am of Paul, or I am of Apollos, according to the estimation in which his creatures and servants have been held; which is infidelity, not only in those who have been willing to receive honor from men, but also in those who have unduly rendered it unto them. How, saith the Scriptures, can ye believe, if ye receive honor one of another? Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's; honor to whom honor, and tribute to whom tribute, are due.

Let the time past suffice wherein we have set up one, and set at nought another, preached in our own wills and wisdoms, and labored in our own strength; separated works from faith, or faith from works, not willing that our works should be the fruit of faith, which is the gift of God, rather than the deeds of law, by which no flesh shall be justified; wherein we have frustrated the grace of God in turning aside to lying vanities, thereby forsaking our own mercies, turning grace into lasciviousness, and standing as stumbling-blocks in the way of honest inquirers after truth, or into frowardness and austerity, to the hardening of offenders; all of which have been means of scattering and division, through the begetting and encouraging of a party spirit, which, as the abomination of desolation, has been standing in the holy place, whereon Moses was commanded to put off his shoes from off his feet, that he might go forth in the strength of the great I AM, declaring him as his authority, and trusting in his wisdom and support, through which he was made a leader and deliverer of his people, making intercession for them, rather preferring death than that they should be destroyed. And now that we, in these last days, have a spiritual Deliverer, who has suffered death for us, that we through him might have life, let us not frustrate the end thereof, through wantonness and rebellion, in forsaking his leadings and teachings; in turning aside from the law written in the heart, to the doctrines and teachings of men, who deny, either in word or

practice, the supremacy of the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

The inspiration of the love of God, which was breathed into the hearts of the prophets and apostles, will lead those who are prepared to receive it, to the same acknowledgment of his power and mercy, which they were moved to declare for the instruction, comfort, and confirmation of the household of faith, that through faith, and comfort of the Scriptures, we might have hope in him who is mighty to save and able to deliver, even to the uttermost, all those whose trust and confidence are in him alone, and not in anything that they of themselves can do, or in the unassisted labors of others; ascribing all power, wisdom, and mercy unto him, through whom alone salvation and deliverance ever have, and ever must, come; even the word that was in the beginning with God and was God, in whom was life, and the life was and is the light of men; by the receiving of which we are enabled to become the sons of God. But this is the condemnation, that men love darkness rather than light; the wisdom of the flesh, rather than the teachings of the Spirit; the witness of men, rather than the inward and immediate witness of Truth; while to them that are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, there is no condemnation, but the assurance of Divine acceptance and approval, their works being wrought in God, through a patient waiting upon, and a quiet hope in, him, who worketh in them, both to will and to do of his own good pleasure.

This holy and precious love will never lead any to deny the supremacy of the living and ever-abiding word of God, by placing it in a subordinate position, but rather to desire its exaltation above all that is written concerning it, which is but as the shadow to the substance, or the representation to the reality; wholly unable, of itself, to convey one spark of life to the soul that is dead in trespasses and sins, which can be raised from its sunken position through that power alone by which the world was made, and Lazarus raised from the dead. Is not then the endeavor to exalt the letter above the Spirit, or word of God, the evidence and work of idolatry or infidelity? for who, that believes in, and endeavors to follow, the true and living

witness for God, can allow anything to be exalted above this, in their hearts; above the Spirit of Christ, which is in us, except we be reprobates; through whom the apostle declared he could do all things, and that if his Spirit is not in us, we are none of his. Wherefore let us seek to know, for ourselves, that we are his, through the living and working of his Spirit, in and through us, to the perfecting of our love, that we may be delivered from the bondage of fear, under which many pass their whole lifetime, through the apprehension and dread of death, which is the Christian's release from trouble, toil, and sorrow.

Let us strive to be faithful in practice, as well as sound in doctrine, that our fruits may be the evidence of our faith in God, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, whom to know is life eternal. But to deny the Son is to deny the Father who sent him; for, said our blessed Redeemer, "If ye had known the Father, ye had known me also, for I and the Father are one.” But nevertheless there are some who deny the Son, in both word and practice, and yet claim to be the friends and followers of Christ, whom they esteem the son of Joseph, rather than the only begotten Son of God, who was with him in the beginning, and by whom all things were created; who is the living word, which took flesh and dwelt on earth among men, suffered for our transgressions, and was bruised for our iniquities, the just for the unjust, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, as our mediator and intercessor with him, through whom alone we can obtain access to the throne of grace. Denying the efficacy and merit of Christ's sufferings, such as those expect to be saved by their own merits, as though, by the deeds of the law, the flesh could be justified, contrary to the plain testimony of Holy Writ, wherein it is declared that "by grace are ye saved, through faith, yet not of yourselves: it is the gift of God."

As it is only by a co-operation with the Spirit of Christ, that we can experience the benefit of his sufferings for us, being made partakers thereof through the opposition and persecution of the enemy, let us not be turned aside from the tribulated and narrow way, in which his companions have ever walked, by any of the various winds of doctrine, by which the enemy is

seeking to desolate the earth, and destroy our hope of heaven; but rather sanctify the Lord of hosts in our hearts, that he may give us the victory over all that is opposing the coming of his kingdom, which he is seeking to set up and establish there, to the glory of his name, which is worthy to be exalted over all. Let us seek, through a faithful abiding in Christ, to the denial of self in all its appearances, to keep fast hold of the anchor of hope, which is both sure and steadfast, and not like that of the hypocrite, which shall perish; let us forsake all the ostentation and pride, pomp and show, all looseness of conduct, and levity and lightness in conversation, which are the marks of a worldly spirit; offering our bodies a sacrifice unto God; putting away all our ornaments, and everything that is offensive to him, that he may know what to do with us; that he may bring us together into the one body, of which Christ is the head, wherein we shall know of partaking of the communion of saints; of that cup of blessing which Christ giveth to his faithful disciples, even the communion of the Holy Spirit, by which the soul is refreshed and renewed unto God.

When shall we be permitted to behold again the general sacrifice of worldly riches and greatness which was once witnessed among the friends of Christ, for the Truth's sake, giving unto God the first fruits of all our increase, serving him in our bodies and in our spirits, which are his? When shall we see again a valiant band of Gospel laborers sent forth into the field, which is now white unto harvest? When we are permitted to see the former, we may look for the latter. When the crowns of earthly riches and wisdom are brought to the feet of Jesus, we may look for the prevalence of Gospel love, which inspired the hearts of his friends and followers, in days that are past. When the disciple shall cease to be greater than his Lord, and the servant than his master; when these, through humility, are brought to see and, in practice, to acknowledge the necessity of suffering and sacrifice for the Truth's sake, then may we hope to see the restoration of that unity and peace, in which there would be known a more general travail of spirit for the arising of Divine life, and to witness the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon sons and daughters, for the edification of the body