corruptions that often arise within us, nor of the pride,
selfishness, and unholiness, that attaches to almost every
thing we put our hands to; then, how blessed to find
God Himself directing us to a perfectly holy obedience
in Another, and so graciously assuring our hearts, that
His obedience is reckoned as ours,-" Abraham be-
lieved God, and it was counted unto Him for righteous-
ness." "Now it was not written for His sake alone,
that it was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on Him that raised up
Jesus our Lord from the dead; who was delivered for
our offences, and was raised again for our justification."
Oh! let us seek to renounce every thought of doing
any thing to recommend ourselves to God; but rather
let it be our joy to behold the fulness of the riches of
the grace of God, the exceeding suitableness of His
salvation, and the exhaustless resources of peace and
consolation His love presents to us in the cross of His
dear Son. Here let us abide, that with grateful appre-
hensions of His perfect love towards us, we may be
constrained to be imitators of Him, who unceasingly,
and unreservedly consecrated Himself to God.
we are not our own, but are "bought with a price;"
therefore let us "glorify God" in our "body,"
and in our "spirit, which are God's."

I'm not my own, but Thine, O God!
Bought with Immanuel's precious blood;
Then why should I not always be

Well pleased with all that pleaseth Thee ?

For

Thy perfect love and changeless mind,
The promise and the oath combin'd,
Demand that I should ever be

Well pleased with all that pleaseth Thee.

Since Jesus as my surety stood,

And still works "all things" for my good,
I ought to walk submissively,

Well pleased with all that pleaseth Thee.

What carnal thoughts and self-repose,
This heart of mine doth oft disclose,
But, ah! there's One who said for me,
"Well pleased with all that pleaseth Thee."

Help me obediently to run,

And always say, "Thy will be done;"

Thine, Thine alone, I'd love to be,

Well pleased with all that pleaseth Thee.

GRACE. Believing the grace of God to us, produces grace in us," We love Him, because He first loved us." 1 John iv. 19. The grace of God that brought salvation to us, is our only source and ground of peace, communion and strength. To lose sight of grace, or God for us, and to endeavour to derive consolation from any thing in ourselves, will make us either selfrighteous or desponding. "It is a good thing that the heart be established with grace." Heb. xiii. 9.

THE SURE WORD OF PROPHECY.

"We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place." 2 Peter i. 19.

Is the study of the prophetic Scriptures essential? is a question often proposed in the present day. If by such an interrogation is meant, Can I not be saved without it? We reply, "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. ii. 8, 9. Many other Scriptures also prove the blessed doctrine, that by Christ "all that believe are justified from all things." Acts xiii. 39. The thought of any thing being essential to salvation, besides faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, proves His finished work to be undervalued in the soul, and as a consequence shakes the foundation of the believer's peace.

But if it be asked, Is being spiritually instructed in prophetic Scripture essential to my walking so as to please God? We reply, 1st. It will be found, on tracing our Lord's recorded ministry, that prophecy formed a considerable portion of His teaching, and that He also

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said, "if a man love Me, he will keep My words." John xiv. 23. 2ndly. The Holy Ghost, the Comforter, has been given to guide us "into ALL TRUTH," to shew us THINGS TO COME," John xvi. 13, and to bring "all things" to our REMEMBRANCE, whatsoever Jesus has said. John xiv. 26. 3rdly. The testimony of the prophets, was not only "the sufferings of Christ," but also "THE GLORY THAT SHOULD FOLLOW." 1 Peter i. 11. 4thly. ALL SCRIPTURE is profitable, 2 Tim. iii. 16; and the passage before us declares, that prophecy is like unto a "light that shineth in a dark place," whereunto we do well that we take heed.

It is the "sure word of prophecy," that the Holy Ghost by Peter, so commends to us here. It is not a prophetic scheme, that has had its origin in the human imagination, nor a system that the plodding philosopher may have moulded by a mixture of truth and fiction; neither is it a consolidation of the opinions of learned, nor even of godly men. The word "sure," could not legitimately be attached to such ambiguous sources. But to plain and obvious statements of the word of God relating to the future, we can, with unquestionable accuracy, associate the divine title, "sure word of prophecy."

It is sure, because it is the record of Him who said, "heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away," Matt. xxiv. 35; and when we obtain our information from this unfailing authority, we have the testimony of our consciences, that it is the "sure word of

prophecy." We may experience that our Divine Guide teaches us only "here a little, and there a little," "line upon line,"-nevertheless, the unalterable word of the Lord being the ground of our faith and instruction, to us it will be "sure;" and according to the proportion of faith we mix with it, shall we be enabled to hold it fast, with a firm and unshaken confidence. After all, the most diligent in the study of prophecy, when taught at the feet of the Great Prophet, will have to acknowledge, that they hold but a few links of the chain of God's unbroken and eternal purposes. "We know in part, and we prophesy in part," and "see through a glass darkly," will be our confession, till "that which is perfect is come." But what we have received is "sure." Should such have to experience, like the prophet Jeremiah, that all around are unanimously crying peace! peace! while the divinely written page of prophecy proclaims only sorrow and judgment; they, like him, will be unmoved by the finger of scorn, or the persecutor's iron grasp, because they hold the "sure word of prophecy." Or, as in Ahab's day, when the united testimony of four hundred false prophets under royal patronage was believed, while the solitary man of God who proclaimed the truth, was the subject of mockery and contempt; like him, they will be steadfast, because they utter the "sure word of prophecy."

The great object of the enemy is to blind souls; and he often seeks to effect this by making the world appear in a better condition than it really is. Satan likes to help