those proverbial for their rigid observance of it; and, as to zeal for the faith of my ancestors, having given sufficient proof of that in the fact that I not only censured and denounced all who departed from or stood opposed to it, but drew my sword, and even shed blood in its defence, If, then (we may imagine the apostle saying) the plea of human merit could be admitted at all, who can deny that I have abundant grounds whereon to build up a fabric of self-righteousness; and that, if any one might presume to boast before God, I am that individual? So far from this, however, what is my course? In what light do I regard all these legal attainments, for which I stood so high in the world's estimation-for which I was once pointed at by my brethren as such a pattern of superior sanctity? I utterly discard and renounce them: I count them but loss, in comparison of that wondrous plan of redemption, chapter that certain false teachers of the Jewish religion had introduced themselves into the church at Philippi, and endeavoured to persuade the people to revive those rites and ceremonies of the former dispensation, which the apostle had taught them were for ever done away with by the gospel, to rest upon them for salvation, and to make their exact observance of them a ground of boasting before God. Against such deceivers St. Paul carefully warns them, and puts them on their guard: "Beware of dogs (for in such terms does he describe them, expressive of his utter abhorrence of the selfish and mercenary motives by which they were actuated); beware of evil workers; beware of the concision," of the circumcision, i. e.-of those who enforced it as essential to salvation. Circumcision, he proceeds to inform them, and, in fact, all those rites and observances which constituted the very essence of the Jewish law, were now superseded by that in-that perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, ward circumcision of the heart; by that deep clothed in which my deficiences shall be spirituality of mind and soul which it was the covered; and I, unworthy as I am, may not great object of the gospel to produce. only meet death with composure and conWe," says he, "are the circumcision (the fidence, but may stand unmoved by even the true circumcision, i. e.) which worship God in terrors of the judgment-day. This is the spirit." He next takes up the remaining great end which I have ever in view; this portion of the question, viz., the dangerous the object of my highest ambition, that by error that the most scrupulous observance of any means, whatever those appointed means these rites, even if they were observed to the may be, I may attain unto the resurrection very letter, could give them a ground of of the dead; that in the general resurrection glorying before God; for in the third verse, I may be raised up in glory, and be adwhich I have just referred to, he sums up his mitted into the perfect happiness in reserve description of the spiritual Israel, not merely for all the faithful people of God. Whatby stating that they worshipped God in ever, then, others may pretend to, I freely spirit; but he speaks of them further, as acknowledge that I do not reckon myself to those that had "no confidence in the flesh," have attained perfect holiness; but, fixing no leaning to their own merits, no dependence mine eyes upon it as the mark which I have on their own righteousness. And, to show in view, like the candidate in an earthly race, them how far this principle of self-dead to all minor considerations, I strive, renunciation ought to be carried, he brings and tax myself to the utmost: "I press tohimself forward as an example of one who wards the mark for the prize of the high with what might be deemed the highest pre-calling of God in Christ Jesus." Such seems tensions to self-sufficiency and spiritual pride, to be the purport of the passage before us— yet utterly disclaimed both. "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more"-brought up (as though he had said, (ver. 5-14) in the strictest conformity to the rules of the Jewish church; possessed of the choicest privileges of that highly favoured people; a true native Israelite, of the beloved tribe of Benjamin; beloved as one of those which in the days of idolatrous Jeroboam did not revolt with the rest, but continued firm in its allegiance to God; a Hebrew of the Hebrews; not a proselyte to the ancient faith, not a mere converted Gentile, but a Jew by lineal descent on both sides; as far as conformity to the law is concerned, a Pharisee, one of such its connexion with the preceding verses of the chapter. Here then, brethren, are disclosed to us some very important features of the true Christian's character, some leading marks and evidences of a life of grace. The Christian is ever disposed to entertain a very lowly estimate of his own spiritual attainments, of his own progress in virtue and holiness of life. Before he became through divine mercy changed in heart, and tho roughly given up to God, he entertained views and feelings the very reverse of these. He had then lofty conceptions of his own innate purity and goodness; and, provided he was not chargeable with open and notorious sin, he was perfectly self-satisfied: his con science never reproached him, never misgave him he might indeed, if the question was proposed to him, he might admit that he was not absolutely faultless and perfect. of his adored Redeemer himself. And in the fulness of his heart's love to such a Redeemer, he will labour to fulfil the command. For this end he will not only avail himself of all the appointed means of grace, the rites and ordinances of the church; but frequent and earnest will be his secret prayers, and deep and intensely fervent will be his pleadings and outpourings to God in private for that aid which he only can bestow, for a full measure of the influence of the Holy Ghost, the sanctifier of the hearts of the faithful, without which he will feel he cannot take a single step in his holy course; without which he can have neither the will nor the power to proceed. And O to what an arduous task will he find that he has thus committed himself, to declare and wage war with that rebel and traitor within-his own corrupt heart! What an enterprise is this! what difficulties and discouragements, unthought of before, will meet him as he advances! what severe and bitter struggles will he have to encounter between inclination and duty! what frequent failures! what proofs to him that the sins of his heart, like the enemies of the children of Israel on their progress to Canaan, cannot be expelled all at once; but must be rooted out "by little and little"! what obstinate resistance will his passions hold out to him! how long it will be ere his besetting sin or sins can be brought even into comparative subjection! And, what is more discouraging still, when, after a long season of struggling in faith and prayer, he fondly imagines, he lays the flattering unction to his soul that he has well-nigh gained the ascendancy and the victory over them, how apt will they be to take him by surprise; to break forth once more, yes, for a time almost as fiercely and actively as ever, until he is almost led to despair of success, and to exclaim with St. Paul," O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" But yet he had no such sense of his imperfections as could cause him a moment's uneasiness, much less induce him to strive and labour for their correction. And, my brethren, why was this? It was because he measured himself by the world's standard alone. And this, which regulates only the outward demeanour, which enjoins only the bare semblance of integrity and virtue, he found he could easily come up to. This satisfied him, and kept his mind at rest. But, now, having been awakened to a serious concern for the welfare of his soul; having now, out of pure gratitude for the pardoning mercy which he has freely received, a sincere and unqualified desire to approve himself to God, to become day by day more conformed to his image, he walks by another rule; he weighs himself in other balances. God's pure and holy law is now the touchstone to which he betakes himself. And alarming indeed are the discoveries which that law unfolds to him. Humiliating indeed is the picture which it presents of himself. It requires holiness, perfect holiness in thought, word, and deed. It demands perfect unsinning obedience from first to last. It takes cognizance of the slightest tendency of the heart towards evil of the very earliest risings of iniquity in the soul. Its stern and unpitying language is, "Cursed is every man that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them." And, again: "The soul that sianeth-no matter in how slight a degree-the soul that sinneth it shall die." No plea of weakness, of inability to comply with its unbending exactness will be entertained, no excuses will be allowed. Now, such a rigid, searching law as this, no man living ever did, no man living ever will, be able to act up to. If he could, then the mode of salvation laid down My brethren, let any one, let even the in the gospel would doubtless have been far best and holiest of men examine, and sit different to what it is. Then he would not in severe judgment upon himself at the close need the justifying merits of the Redeemer; of each day; let him call to mind what he he would possess sufficient merit of his own; has done, what he has omitted, what tempers then he might be saved by his own inherent he has (peradventure) been betrayed into, righteousness. But, although he cannot reach what evil desires, what worldly and unthis lofty standard of holiness, he will deem sanctified wishes and thoughts, instead of himself bound (bound by every motive that being repelled at once, and sternly refused adcan operate upon a grateful heart, by love to mittance there, have found their way into, that Being, who is unto him "wisdom and and lodged for a time in the chambers of his righteousness, sanctification and redemption'), heart-let him, I say, call to mind all this, he will deem himself bound to aim after the and he will find how much he has reason to nearest possible approximation to it. "Be be humbled before God for "ten thousand ye perfect, even as your Father in heaven is shortcomings"; how much he has to deplore; perfect," is, he will remember, the admonition what need he has to come day by day to "the blood of sprinkling," that he may be washed further he pursues his investigations and from his defilements, and each day begin his researches the more he is overawed at the course afresh. Yes; and more than this: reflection, what mysteries there are which he even after years of faith and devotedness to shall never be able to unravel, what depths God, let him pause, and review the ground there are which he can never fathom, what which he has passed over, and see what pro- boundless regions lie beyond, which the lagress he has made. The work of sanctification bours of the longest life will not suffice to may all this time have really gone on. A explore. Hence, he learns the most useful great and very wondrous change may have of all lessons-that of his own ignorance. passed over him. His tempers, his pride, He gains the most useful of all knowledgeand the worldliness of his spirit-all these the knowledge how little he either does, or may perceptibly have given place to higher can, know. And the effect of all this is to and better feelings; and the whole tone of his leave him really humbled in his own estimalife and conversation may have become really ion. So, too, it is with the child of God. and visibly more spiritual and heavenly. But The further he advances, the more he is conyet let him look into what none but God and vinced what heights of holiness there are himself can look into his own heart I mean which he has not, and never can, ascend to --and he will see how immeasurably deficient in this world. Added to which, the Holy he is even yet; how far (taking God's holy Spirit, who is continually pouring forth fresh book as his guide), how very far removed he light into the souls of good men, as they prostill is from what he ought to be! His love ceed in their heavenward career, gives him, to Christ, how cold! his faith in, and sense gradually, clearer views of the purity and of gratitude to him, how feeble! his prayers, holiness of the divine nature, as contrasted how languid at times! his mind and affec- with his own exceeding sinfulness. And tions, how prone even yet, if not carefully from this contrast, from the thought of the watched over, to lead him back to the world, vast interval between himself and the great and to decline and wander far from God! Jehovah, he must needs shrink with the In short, how much of sin, that deadly plague deepest emotions of awe and self-abasement. and leprosy of the heart, remains unsubdued! While, then, he rejoices to believe that he is Let, I say, the best and most devoted among really growing in grace, he will be ready to men, the most advanced and experienced exclaim with the prophet Isaiah, when to him Christian that ever breathed (under the in- a similar disclosure was vouchsafed, "Woe fluence of that true spiritual discernment, is me! for I am undone; for I am a man of that quick-sightedness to his own errors and unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the imperfections which divine grace alone can King, the Lord of hosts"; or, at least, the impart to the eye of the soul), view himself in confession of St. Paul in the chapter before this light, subject himself to this test, and he us will burst from his lips and his heart: will find no cause for boasting: he will see "I count not myself to have apprehended"enough to humble him in the dust, and to keep I am far from being " already perfect." him humble. "God, I thank thee that I But we may observe from the text that am not as other men," will never mingle this feeling of self-dissatisfaction will lead, itself with his devotions. He will rather, in not to apathy and indolence, but invariably to his addresses to heaven, plead not the accept- greater earnestness in the work, to an intense ance of his righteousness, but the forgiveness anxiety to make further advances in the divine of his unrighteousness. He will rather, with life. Under the influence of these feelings it the contrite publican, not dare to raise his was that the apostle was impelled to "press eyes to heaven, but will exclaim from his in-forward." To show us the true nature of most soul, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" And this keen sense of his own deficiencies will increase, and grow deeper, as he grows in grace. In fact, the Christian's feelings under these circumstances may be deemed strictly analogous to those of the zealous votary of human philosophy and science; and the two cases may mutually illustrate and throw light upon each other. The latter, in the incipient stages of his progress, is easily elated and puffed up by the thought of the knowledge which he has gained, and the discoveries which he has made. But the Christian zeal and earnestness, he here compares himself to one of the candidates for a prize in the Olympic contests-the public games-so justly celebrated among those to whom this Epistle was addressed: "forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things that are before." Thus, too, must it be with every one who would obtain the happiness of heaven. He must not loiter. He must not allow the world, and the things of the world, to draw off his attention from this great object of pursuit; this "one thing needful." No. With his eye steadily fixed upon the mark which he aims at, and the golden prize which he hopes to win, he must be comparatively indifferent-comparatively dead-to all other objects. Forgetting those things that are behind, losing sight of the allurements of the world and the flesh, he must have only one hope and one wish, viz., to press forward, and to come off victorious. And, brethren, how is he to do this? Who is to nerve him for the work? who to supply him with the courage and strength and persevering firmness which he needs for this end? What is to revive him if, as at times must needs be the case, his spirit faints, and he becomes disheartened and downcast ?--what but the strength of divine grace? Of himself, he can do nothing. If he relies on his own unassisted powers, he must fail; but divine grace is ail-sufficient. Through Christ he can do all things. No one ever yet trusted in him, and was disappointed. Depending upon Jesus, he is sure to succeed, sure to reach the mark, sure to gain the prize of his high calling. Here, then, my brethren, you have set before you the course which you are to pursue, the manner in which you are to pursue it, and the glorious results to which it will lead you. It is, as you have seen, an arduous course. It requires much and painful exertion. It must be engaged in with extreme earnestness; for all the zeal and energy of your souls must be embarked in the prosecution of it. But remember, for your comfort, it leads to a glorious "recompence of reward"; a reward which shall more than repay you for all your toils and labours. It leads to a crown of surpassing brightness, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled," and that "fadeth not away." Pray, then, to Almighty God that, with such promises of divine aid by the way, and such blessedness in store for you at the end, you may not, any of you, seem to fall short of it." There is one other remark, however, which I must make, or rather repeat, before I conclude, viz., that all this earnest preparation, this pressing forward, here spoken of, does not constitute your title, in a meritorious point of view, to the blessedness of heaven. No: as I have warned you times without number, your only title to heaven is the sacrifice and imputed merits of Christ Jesus our Lord. By faith in him alone it is that we are justified and saved. This is the grand distinguishing doctrine of the gospel, this the great touchstone of sound scriptural truth, as opposed to dangerous error. But let me remind you, on the other hand, that there must be a fitness and a meetness for heaven, as well as a title to it. It is the former-your fitness for it-which is referred to in the passage before us. Glory and happiness, I need scarcely inform you, will be the portion of all who are admitted there. But there will be different degrees of happiness, and a higher state of glory awarded to some than to others; and this in exact proportion to the proficiency they attained, while upon earth, in sanctification of heart and life. Perfect, indeed, that work of sanctification can never be, in this world. But, my brethren, as you love your Saviour, and wish to glorify him upon earth, and to occupy the nearest possible place to him in heaven, be satisfied, I conjure you, with nothing less than the highest measure of holiness, the nearest approach to perfection, which the grace vouchsafed, and the means and opportunities allotted to you, shall enable you to arrive at. Set this before you as your mark, and earnestly and resolutely press forward to it. And though thankful to be admitted into heaven at all, although unworthy of the lowest mansion in that world of light, he who bade you to the heavenly banquet shall say, when he cometh in to see the guests, "Friend, go up higher. Great has been thy love to me, shown before men; great, in proportion, thy reward shall be; and highly shalt thou be loved and honoured in the presence of my Father and the holy angels". May this, brethren, be our happy portion! And may every such revolving period as that on which, by divine mercy, we have so lately been permitted to enter, find us growing in virtue and in grace; pressing forward more actively and courageously than ever; that so we may attain the end of our faith, we may finish our course with joy, and be welcomed into our eternal rest! Amen. FLOWERS FROM THE GARDEN OF THE REV. JOHN PRESTON, D.D.* apprehension, an acute reasoner, active in good, "He was a man of an exact judgment and quick choice in his notions; one who made it his chief aim to promote the cause of Christ and the good of the church. .... He was honoured of God to be an instrument of much good, whereunto he had called unto. As he had a short race to run, so he an advantage by those eminent places he was made speed, and did much in a little time" (R. Sibbs). His preaching and labours were exceedingly great; and, in answer to those who urged him to spare himself, he used to say that "our life, like iron, would consume with rust, as much without as with employment: seven years in the life of some Chaplain in ordinary to king James I.; master of Lincoln's Inn. Died anno 1628, aged 41 years. Emmanuel college, Cambridge; and sometime preacher of fore, proceeding from lust, it must needs be sinful. nor men were as much as seventy in others; therefore, the question is not so much, how long I have lived, as how I have lived? .... God allows a proper time for his servants to do their work in." Truly did God enable him to do a great deal of work in the short time measured out to him; and, as his biographer, Middleton, observes, "in point of service to his day and generation, to die an 'old' Give us this day our daily bread"; that, is, as man' at the age of forty-one." A few hours before his death, asking what day it was, and being told it was the Lord's-day, "A fit day," said he, "to be sacrificed cn. I have accompanied saints on earth: now I shall accompany angels in heaven. My dissolution is at hand. Let me go to my home, and to Jesus Christ, who hath bought me with his precious blood." Soon, a cold sweat having come on, he observed, "It is the messenger of death." And just before he died, be added, "I feel death coming to my heart: my pain shall now be quickly turned into joy." His Treatise of the Saints' Infirmities" is accounted his masterpiece. 66 CROSSES. "Take heed that you account not those things crosses, which indeed are no crosses. Want was no cross to Paul, nor yet imprisonment; for in 'the one he abounded,' in the other he sung.' It is advantage unto us many times to have outward blessings taken from us. It is advantage to us to have blood taken away in a pleurisy: it is good sometimes to lop trees, that so they may bring forth more fruit: so it is good many times for us to have crosses for to humble us, and to bring us nearer to God. Yet ye may sorrow for the loss of these things, and take it as a cross, if ye can say this from your heart, that ye are not afflicted because you are made poor, because your wealth is taken from you, but because it is God's pleasure to take it from you, either for the abuse of it, or to punish you for some other one. So, if that ye be cast into some sickness, ye may not grieve for it as a cross merely, as it is a sickness, but as you conceive the hand of God in it, laying it on you as a punishment for your sin." "GRACES "Are to the soul as health is to the body-the more and greater they are, the more comfort they administer." 66 COVETOUSNESS. "Man's life stands not in abundant excess (Luke xii. 13-15). Though ye have never so much wealth, yet ye shall not live the longer for it: your life consists not in it; no more doth your comfort; for they will but please the sight of your eyes, they will not make you more happy than you are seek not, therefore, superfluity; for your life consists not in abundance. He is but a fool that thinks that these things will make him happy, that these will make him rich. All that are not rich in God' are poor; and, if they think themselves rich and happy in these things, they are fools. Secondly, the desire of superfluity is sinful, because that it proceeds from an evil root: the fruit cannot be good that proceeds from an evil and bitter root; but this desire proceeds from such a root-that is, from lust: it comes Bot from God's Spirit, which biddeth every man to be content with food and raiment." from nature, which seeks not superfluities. There much as is necessary for us, and no more; therefore we may not desire it. The seeking of more than is necessary doth hinder us, and not further us: a shoe that is too big doth hinder a traveller, as well as one that is too little. Fourthly, covetousness is dangerous; for it doth choke the word, and drown men in perdition; therefore it is Agar's prayer, 'Give me neither poverty nor riches: feed me with food convenient for me, lest I be full and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?' Fulness and excess are always dangerous: full tables cause surfeits full cups make a strong brain giddy. The strongest saints have become shaken with prosperity and excess-as David, Hezekiah, Solomon: they sinned by reason of excess in outward things. It is dangerous to be rich: therefore David's counsel, 'If riches increase, set not your heart upon them.' For, if a man be rich, it is a thousand to one but that he trusteth in his riches; and it is impossible that he who trusteth in his riches should enter into heaven.' "Lastly, to desire superfluity must needs be the contrary: If we have food and raiment, sinful, because we have an express command to let us therewith be content' (1 Tim. vi. 8). This is the bound that God hath set us: we must not go beyond it. If it were lawful for any man to kings. But: "He shall not multiply horses nor desire to have abundance, then it were lawful for wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren' (Deut. xvii. 17). God hath set us down limits and bounds how far we should go; therefore, to pass beyond them is sinful. But we do pass beyond them when we desire superfluity; therefore the desire of superfluity is sinful. “But may not a man use his calling to increase his wealth? I answer, that the end of men's callings is not to gather riches: if men make this their end, it is a wrong end; for the end of ou callings is to serve God and man. The ground of which is this: every man is a member of the commonwealth; every man hath some gifts or other which must not lie idle; every man bath some talents, and must use them to his Master's advantage; and how can that be, except ye do good to men? Every one is a servant to Christ, and must do God's work: every one is Christ's servant, and must be diligent to serve Christ, and do good to men. .... If riches come in by our callings, that is the wages, not the end of our calling; for it looks only to God: we must not make gain the end of our calling: there are too many that make gain their godliness and the end of their professions. "The method that God useth to enrich men is this: he bids us first 'seek the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof, and then all these things shall be administered unto us,' as wages: Nor yet we must look to our duty, and let God alone to provide and pay us our wages. He that takes a |