HE E that faith, I know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, is a Liar, and the Truth is not in him, 1 John ii. 4. Let us distrust that Knowledge which is not accompanied with good Works, and that Faith which our Life contradicts.-Whatever Knowledge we think we have of God, we do not know him as a Chriftian ought, when we live not according to that which he has commanded us. The Life of the Head is the Rule of the Life of the Members. The carnal Life of a Child of Adam in a Member of Jefus Chrift is monftrous. To fpeak like one of the Children of God, and to live in Sin, is a very great Delusion. May God put an immediate Stop to this Delufion in all.

Th'Effect muft from theCaufe proceed, The stedfast Ground on which it stands, And thy dear genuine Children prove, The Truth of folid Love.

In Truth, Reality, and Deed,
Obedience is but actual Love.
Obedience to our Lord's Commands,
This, only this can prove

By Works our loving Faith we fhow

Our Senfe of Sin forgiv'n,
And, walking in his Steps, we go

After our Head to Heaven.

HE
E that hateth his Brother, is in Darkness, and walketh in
Darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that
Darkness hath blinded his Eyes, 1 John ii. 11.

Here are three dreadful Truths concerning the Hatred of our Neighbour. 1. It is a State of Darkness and of Sin. 2. A Source of Errors and of new Sins, and a Leaven which corrupts the whole Mafs of Actions. 3. A Blindness which hinders us from knowing that we are blind, and from being fenfible of the Falls to which this Blindness continually expofes us; which makes us judge wrong of every Thing, and which fhuts our Eyes, against all the Good which is in others.

For Evil may I Good return,
Kindnefs for bitter Hatred fhew,
With pious Grief fincerely mourn
The Fall of my relentless Foe,

His Faults with tendereft Love conceal,
His fhining Qualities commend,
And cordial Confolation feel,
In Hope that Hope was in his End.

I Write unto you, little Children, because ye have known the Father. I write unto you, Fathers, becaufe ye have known him that is from the Beginning. I write unto you, young Men, because ye are strong, and the Word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked One, 1 John iï. 13, 14.

A Child, who leaves his God, leaves the best of Fathers; his Hand is neflary to every one of us; if he abandon us, what can we expect but to fall into deadly Sins, into inevitable Error, and to become the Prey of the Lion, which goeth about feeking whom he may devour. Young Perfons being more exposed to the Temptations of the World, have need of a greater Vigilance and Application of the Word of God. The more Graces, Light, and Perfection they have received from God, the more ought they to dread the Snares of the Devil and of the World, and the more ought they to pray to be established, rooted, and fettled in the Faith.

O give me Faith, and Faith's Increafe,
Finish the Work begun in me,
Preferve my Soul in perfect Peace,
That ftays and waits and hangs on Thee
X

4

O let thy gracious Spirit guide,

And bring me to the promis'd Land, Where Righteoufnefs and Peace refide, And all fubmit to Love's Command.

LOVE not the World, neither the Things that are in the World. If any Man love the World, the Love of the Father is not in him, 1 John ii. 15.

If there is any Thing more dreadful than these Words, it is to fee how few reflect upon them, how few are moved by them. Who dares fay he loves not the World? To whom dare we fay, that he loves not God? And yet Truth itself affures us, that these two Loves are inconfiftent. By how much our Hearts are emptied of the one, by fo much they will be filled with the other. Blind and fenfelefs is he, whoever prefers the World, which paffes away, and carries along with it those who are fond of it, before God, who renders them who love him eternally happy.

To-morrow, Lord, is thine,

Lodg'd in thy Sov'reign Hand,
And if its Sun arife and fhine,
It shines by thy Command.

The present Moment flies,

And bears our Life away,
O make thy Servants truly wife
That they may live to day.

W

Hofoever hateth his Brother is a Murderer: and ye know that no Murderer hath eternal Life abiding in Him, 1 John iii. 15.

Whoever hates his Neighbour commits two Murders at one and the fame Time; he takes away from himself the Life of Grace and the Hope of eternal Life; and he has already killed that Perfon in his Heart, whofe Life is grievous to him, and at whofe Death he would rejoice. How ineftimable is thy Grace, O Jefus, fince it plants in the Heart, which it fills, a Scion of eternal Life! We poffefs this Life, even here below, when we have Love and Charity. It is Love which makes Men holy here on Earth; it is the fame confummated which renders them bleffed in Heaven.

Father of Mercies fend thy Grace,

All-pow'rful, from above,

To form in our obedient Souls
The Image of thy Love.

O may our fympathizing Breasts

That gen'rous Pleasure know,
Kindly to fhare in others Joy,
And weep for others Woe.