simple and easy, that they have only to be named, in order to be well done? Does faith require to be studied; but patience come by instinct? Do sacramental feelings depend upon looking at sacramental principles; and temper, contentment, and self-government, need no rallying nor regulating, by bringing them" to the law and the testimony?'

I readily and gladly allow, that the ordinary duties of both life and godliness are very plain. She that runs may read. But, then, she must read, if she would run well: and one reading is not enough. Paul saw clearly from the first moment of his conversion, that contentment would be essential, in order to doing or enduring well what he had to go through: but it was not until twenty-seven years afterwards, that he ventured to say, "I have learned-in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content." He did not, of course, require all this interval of time to

U

learn the lesson. He exercised much contentment and self-denial too, from the very moment of his entering publicly into the service of Christ; but all these years did elapse before he fully mastered the lesson; and even then, he said of his contentment, and every thing else that was good about him, "I am not yet perfect!" "I follow after!" was his maxim and his practice, in reference to all grace and godliness, twenty years after he had taken lessons on both in "the third heavens."

I will neither graft too much upon this example, nor enforce it beyond your sphere and cirYou have not to act the same part

cumstances.

as Paul. The same spirit, however, is necessary,

if

you would do well, even in your more ordinary duties. You too must be humble enough to learn to do well," and patient enough to "follow after" whatever duty or grace you do not excel in at once.

This is a maxim of vital importance, in the case of every religious habit and temper, which

you when they find that they do not succeed, at once and easily, in overcoming a wrong habit or temper, succumb to it; and then try to persuade themselves, that it is their besetting sin, which, as it " easily" besets them, can never be conquered. This conclusion they draw from the fact, that every one fails in something. Now this is the fact. It does not, however, follow, that you must continue to fail at that point where, hitherto, you have been most defective. Why; the very pain and shame it occasions in your own mind, show that you have only to help your conscience by some new lessons in the School of Christ, in order to be more than a conqueror by his blood, over the chief enemy of your peace.

find difficult to maintain. Many persons,

No. IX.

DEVELOPMENTS BY THE SPIRIT.

THE first harvest of the fruits of the earth was not sown it was created. "God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth and it was so. The earth brought forth grass, herb, and tree." But it never did so again, without sowing. As this was the first unsown harvest, so it was the last. Never since has God said to the earth," Bring forth," but in connexion with sowing. Once, and once only, He gave "seed to the sower, and bread to the eater," from plants which sprung as spontaneously from the earth, as light shone out of darkness, at His own

command. Man then reaped what he had not sown: but ever since, his harvests have been the fruit of seed and the effect of sowing. This connexion between sowing and reaping, no man ever thinks of setting aside, or of finding fault with. It involves labour, and patience, and expense; but these, however grudged, are universally and uniformly given, from age to age. No man ever dreams of harvest, apart from "seed-time." And yet, every man knows and believes too, that God could produce another Paradisaic harvest, by merely saying again, "Let the earth bring forth." He, who at first "made every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew," Gen. ii. 5, could easily do so again.

"Earth would obey her Maker's voice,

And yield a rich increase,"

now, as then, were He to repeat the original command. No one doubts this at all; but no