bodily danger in this way. He would consider himself trifled with, if not insulted, were any one to say to him, "Your deep sense of pain and danger is a very good sign: all who have ever recovered from your malady felt exactly as you do; and therefore your pain will, no doubt, give place to ease in course of time." Every man would interrupt this reasoning by asking, what cured those who recovered? Not the course of time, without any course of medical treatment.

Why is not common sense applied as promptly to detect and reject the fallacy of taking for granted that pain of conscience will be followed eventually by peace of conscience? Mental pain, like bodily, in some cases, is certainly a good sign. It is a proof that mortification has not taken place; but it is not the physician nor the remedy. Whilst, therefore, I would readily say to any trembling sinner,-Your distress, and fears, and anxieties, are proofs that God has not given you up to a reprobate mind, and proofs that the Holy Spirit is making you feel your need of a Saviour; still, I would always add, they are not proofs of your election, nor pledges of your final safety. All their value depends on what they lead to. If you do not follow them out by fleeing from the wrath to come, they may prove the forerunners of that wrath. If you rest in them, instead of applying at once and fully to Christ, they may turn out to be the first gnawings of "the worm that dieth not ;" the first sparks of the "unquenchable fire!" You see now, I hope, the difference between light and illumination. I say "difference," because there is more than a distinction between them. And it is of immense importance to remember this fact: for thousands, by forgetting it, settle down into idle waiting for more grace, under the rash presumption that the fear of perishing is the pledge of eventual salvation. Thus, instead of fleeing from the wrath to come by actually and immediately applying to Christ, they turn their momentary fear of that wrath into a reason for hoping to escape it.

Again I say, I attach great importance to convictions of sin and danger: but still I must repeat that he is not illuminated, nor much enlightened, who can be satisfied with having felt them deeply for a time. Indeed, convictions which can find sufficient relief in their own depth or sincerity, cannot be very deep. A deep fear of perishing would compel flight, for refuge, to the hope set before us in the gospel.

You are now prepared to consider how much love the Spirit manifests in standing “afar off" as a comforter, from all who try to take comfort from his work, instead of seeking for it in the finished work of Christ. For, were all fears, and all convictions, and all arrests of conscience, really his work, he will not witness to them, as being "the good work" of grace on the heart, until they are employed as reasons and motives for trusting the soul to the great work of Christ on the cross. He will not only stand aloof from comforting those who take up with their own feelings instead of Christ; but he will leave these feelings to subside, perhaps to vanish away so completely, that the heart shall become harder than it was before its first meltings.

There is wonderful love in this, however it may seem anger at the time. There is indeed, anger in it too; but it is the paternal anger which chastens sharply, because paternal love is strong. For, were we allowed to comfort ourselves with the hope of salvation just because certain feelings prevailed in us at one time, we should soon underrate Christ as much as Legalists do, and neglect holiness as much as Antinomians do.

I have dwelt much upon this point, too long, perhaps; but I have done so, that you may dread and hate the bare idea of resting satisfied with any light, which does not bring you into thorough subjection to the cross and sceptre of Christ. The light is not divine, which is not leading on this subjection, from year to year. “And if the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!"

It is not darkness, however, if our relief from distressing fears of God, arises from his lovely character as God in Christ, delighting in mercy, and reconciling the world unto himself. Relief from this view of the glory of God in the face of Jesus, is spiritual illumination, and that, too, in a very high and emphatic sense. The light of creation is not more directly the effect of the power of the Spirit, than this light upon the character of God is from the love of the Spirit. It is totally different from the mild and gentle views of the Almighty, which fashion and philosophy talk of. The believing views of a Christian are mild and gentle; but not in the world's sense of the words, nor for the world's reasons. The leniency and love which worldly men ascribe to God, have not only no moral influence upon their hearts or habits, but they are ascribed to him just to hide How some new light upon the evil and danger the danger of caring nothing about him. They of sin can be set down as saving grace, I can are not conclusions drawn from the unspeakable only explain by the deceitfulness of the heart. All gift of his Son as a Saviour, nor from the promise the Bible illustrates and proves, that light upon of his Spirit as a comforter, nor from the unthis subject is intended to lead to Christ. Accord-searchable riches of grace and the eternal weight ingly, when Paul prayed for the quickened Ephe- of glory; but from the base wish to sin without sians, that the eyes of their "understanding might danger, and to die without fear. be enlightened," his object was, that they might know the hope of God's calling." Eph. i. 18. And it is not safe to call any light divine illumination, which permits us to stop short of that hope, or to hope merely because we have feared. We are not thoroughly in earnest about our souls, if any impression made upon them (whether painful or pleasing) is turned into an excuse or a reason for not pressing to an issue the question of their salvation.

The light of a Christian is, also, quite a different thing even from that of the formalist; who, in speaking of the divine character, uses the very words of Scripture. The expressions, "God is love," "God delighteth in mercy," "God can be just in justifying him that believeth in Jesus," are read and repeated by thousands, who neither wonder nor adore. All this is mere matter of course to them. It wins no love, and leads to no prayer: it illuminates neither the shadow of death,

viour is likely to take in our prayers. It prevents us from imagining that he ever liveth to intercede for those, who never pray for themselves. Thus we are not allowed, for a moment, to suppose that Christ is praying for us, if we dislike or neglect prayer; nor that he takes much interest in our prayers, when we are heartless or heedless in devotion.

nor the pilgrimage of life: it is all phrases without | paternal kindness in it. It enables us to know, in meaning, or facts without interest. Not so to a some measure, what degree of interest the SaChristian; he can hardly believe, for joy, that God is love! He feels so unworthy of any love, and is so ashamed of his ingratitude, that he is afraid of presuming, even when most willing to be an entire and eternal debtor to grace. The words, "God is love," are infinitely more to him than words. He sees in them the face of God smiling on penitents; the heart of God yearning over his children; the wisdom of God guiding, the power It is just as necessary, in order to secure the inof God guarding, and the grace of God sanctify- tercession of Christ on our side, that our prayers ing, all his family. He hears in them promises of be "according to the will of God," as that interpardon, and pledges of acceptance, and assurances of glory.

This is illumination! True; it is nothing but the mind of the Spirit in the written word; nothing but the meaning of Scripture; but then, what a meaning it has, compared with what we used to find in it, and put upon it! It is only old truth; but it is now full and overflowing with new glory, to a Christian.

And, who is to blame, because all who read that "God is love," do not see so much in it as to be melted or amazed by it? Is the illuminating Spirit "a respecter of persons?” No; but he is a respecter of principles, and a respecter of laws and order: and if any will pay no respect to the word of God, nor to the reproofs of providence, nor to the dictates of conscience, he respects the authority of divine means too much to illuminate without them. It is as "the Spirit of revelation," as well as "of wisdom," that he enlightens the eyes of the understanding in the knowledge of God as love. Eph. i. 17.

No. VII.

THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT IN INTERCESSION.

IT is just as true that the Spirit "ever liveth" to help our infirmities by suggesting prayer, as that the Saviour ever liveth to intercede for the prayerful. Indeed, the respective offices of Father, Son, and Spirit, in reference to prayer, seem to sustain each other. The Father's readiness to hear, seems to be as much the Spirit's reason for helping our infirmities, and the Son's reason for pleading his own merits on our behalf, as their joint intercession is the Father's reason for answering prayer. He answers it because the Spirit suggests it, and because the Son presents it; and they promote it thus, because he delights to hear it.

This seems the grand moral reason why the Holy Spirit does so much to help our infirmities, and the Saviour so much to insure our success in prayer. The Spirit knows that supplication has only to be "according to the will of God," in order to find a sure place in the golden censer of the Son; and the Son knows that the incense of his merits can sanctify and sustain it with the Father; and, therefore, both ever live to intercede for us; the one on earth, and the other in heaven; the one by teaching us to pray, and the other by praying for us.

There is as much holy wisdom in this arrangement for the success of our prayers, as there is 68 (16)

cession itself is, in order to secure their acceptance: for Christ will no more put heartless prayers into his censer, than God will answer Christless prayers. In this matter, the Son looks as much to the way in which we treat the Spirit, as the Father looks to the way in which we treat the Son. Whoever will not pray in the name of Jesus, the Father will not answer him; and whoever will not yield to the strivings of the Spirit, the Son will not own him.

And who can wonder at this! Where is the common sense, or the common honesty, of the man who objects to the duty of "praying in the Holy Ghost," or "with the Spirit?" The help of the Spirit is just as open and free to him, as the merits of Jesus. He is just as welcome to ask for the Spirit, as to add to his prayers the all-prevail. ing name of the Saviour. There is no more obstacle between him and the help of the Holy Spirit, than there is between him and his Bible. He may as soon and easily obtain help in prayer, from the Spirit of grace and supplication, as obtain from his Bible the rules and reasons for pleading only the merits of Christ.

Nor is this all. That man is not to be found under a gospel ministry, or after reading the Scriptures, who is an utter stranger to the strivings of the Holy Spirit. Every such man has felt, again and again, convictions of the duty of prayer, and impulses to pray. Many, alas, resist them; but all who hear the gospel feel them. Yes; and find it so difficult to get rid of them, that their ingenuity is put upon the rack, to find out speculative excuses for not praying. None have had such hard work in stifling their convictions of the duty and necessity of prayer, as those who are most dexterous and prompt, in excusing their neglect. Whenever a man asks, How can I pray in the Spirit, before I receive the Spirit?-he has had more stirring up from him, than he liked to feel, or cares to confess. He does not wish for any more drawing or driving to the mercy-seat, than he has felt. He has had enough of both, to convince him, that praying will not fit in with his pursuits. He has been near enough to the foot-stool of the throne of grace, to see that he does not like it at present: but, as this confession does not sound well in words, he sets himself to excuse himself. And if his pretences of wanting time, or ability, for prayer, do not silence either his friends or his conscience, he tries to prove that the work of the Spirit is too great, and too good, and too remarkable, to have any connection with what he has felt. It means (forsooth!) every thing, but "the day of small things," which he wants to despise, because he dislikes it. Accordingly, he

would be any thing but glad, to have that Spirit, which, he says, he has not got, and cannot command. In a word; he dreads having any more of his work, at present, than he has had. He saw its face, and did not like it; and, therefore, he wants to make out that the Holy Spirit has done nothing for him!

This is the real secret of all the pretences put forward by the delaying and undecided hearers of the gospel. The Spirit of God is doing more for them than they wish at present; doing so much, that the only way in which they can get to the bustle or the follies which quench divine influence, is, to deny the divinity of what they feel at solemn moments. Not a man of them has the shadow of a doubt upon his mind, as to whether he could pray-when he feels thus. He sees clearly that, were he to yield then, he both could and would pray enough to commit himself beyond all retracting or retreating.

If it be thus base and criminal to "resist the Holy Ghost," even whilst he is only convincing of the duty of prayer; how much more, when he has convinced us of the advantages and enjoyments, which may be derived from it, and found in it? And this conviction he has established in the inmost soul of all who have yielded to his first strivings. Whoever has allowed himself to be drawn to the throne of grace, and has there given way to his feelings, until his heart was "poured out" before God, has found by experience, that it is good to draw nigh unto God. He may not have found, at first, all the enjoyment, nor all the relief, which he has heard others speak of: but he did rise from his knees a happier man than he knelt down. He did wonder, after giving way to strong cries and tears, that even he should have disliked to be alone with God in prayer. He did resolve, that he would soon return to the mercy-seat.

habits of his first love, and become a closet Christian again.

These sad effects of quenching "the Spirit of supplication," will enable us to understand clearly, how yielding to his intercession with us, secures the intercession of Christ for us. Christ will put no prayer into his censer of much incense, which has not been put into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. And, on the other hand, it is just as true, that Christ will not exclude from his golden censer, any prayer which the Spirit excites. It may not be answered at once; but it is sure to be presented, accepted, and remembered. It is as truly filed at the throne of God, as it was felt by the heart or breathed by the lips.

What an encouragement this is to pray "in the Spirit," or "with the Holy Ghost!" I do not mean, of course, that we should pray only when we are powerfully urged to the duty, by a deep sense of want, or weakness, or danger. No. There may be quite as much of both the love and the grace of the Spirit, in enabling us to keep up regular habits of devotion from day to day, as in those powerful impressions, which seem audible calls to extraordinary prayer. Indeed, wherever there is no habit of morning and evening prayer, there will seldom be any compliance with the calls or drawings of the Spirit to special prayer for if the standing law be disregarded, it is not likely that the occasional impulse will be obeyed. Such impulses, however, ought not to be resisted. There is, depend on it, a strong "needs be," whenever the Holy Spirit bears in upon the mind, the conviction that there must be more prayer than usual, or more fervency than there has been! He foresees some imminent or real danger to our principles, our character, or our peace, whenever he stirs us up to "cry mightily unto God." This is the signal he gives, to forewarn us of approaching trials of some kind. Yes; whenever his voice in the heart says, like the Saviour's in Gethsemane,

The manifestation of the love of the Spirit, which occurs at this point in conversion, is peculiarly interesting. He may not exactly comfort"Watch and pray, lest ye enter into temptation," nor cheer the soul, when it first yields to him as something is about to happen, which we are not "the Spirit of supplication;" but he either soothes prepared for, by our ordinary devotion. Either it into something like calmness, or excites it to a trouble is coming, which we are not fit to sustain fervency of holy desire, which seems the forerun-in our present strength; or temptations are comner of hope. If he do not reveal at once to the soul, its warrant and welcome to believe on Christ for its own salvation, he does show enough of the sufficiency of Christ, to satisfy us that "he can save to the uttermost, them that come unto God by him." Thus we are made to see and feel, that prayer is not a vain thing; that its efficacy is worth trying; and that the very act of trying it, brings some composure.

ing, which we are not able to overcome by it: either our spiritual or our temporal affairs are on the eve of some turn, which will involve serious consequences, perhaps for life; or Satan has taken measures to "sift" us "as wheat :" and, therefore, our faith must fail, unless the Intercessor in heaven pray for us! All this the Spirit foresees, and thus forewarns us of; and, therefore, he intercedes with us, to watch and pray for ourselves, that Christ may intercede for us. The sufficiency of the Saviour's grace, or strength, for sustaining us in the hour of trial, is, remember, "made perfect in weakness;" and it is by pressing upon us the immediate necessity of praying more earnestly, that the Spirit reminds us of our weakness, and apprizes us of our danger.

Thus a lesson is taught by the first influence of earnest prayer, which is never forgotten. The Spirit lodges and seals a sense of the usefulness of drawing nigh to God, which can never be lost. It may be weakened; but it cannot be erased.Accordingly, the most heartless, yea, the most hopeless backslider, cannot forget nor despise "the days of old," when the candle of the Lord Christian, let no clamor against impulses in gefirst shone in his closet. He may not dare to neral, divert you from obeying the Holy Ghost, pray-he may dread nothing so much as being when he is impelling you to abound in prayer, or alone with God in prayer ;-but he has no doubt to improve your devotional spirit. You are in no of the happiness of those who are prayerful. He danger of praying too often or too long in your envies their state. He knows that there is no closet. Fanaticism does not send her dupes, nor happiness for him, until he resume the devotional | Fancy her votaries, into the closet to wrestle with

God for grace to help in time of need. Prayer and very prone to desire most what is most withagainst falling or fainting, is not one of the dic-held from us. In regard to temporal things, howtates of a spirit of illusion, or of delusion. There ever, we never desire too little, nor feel indifferent is real need for more than usual prayer, whenever to what is good; whereas, there are many spiyour sense of need is strong. There is a critical ritual blessings which we could but too easily nick of time at hand, whenever your heart tells overlook entirely, or dispense with until the evenyou, that you are too far off from the mercy-seating of life, did not the Holy Spirit force them to be safe or steady.

I am not foreboding evil, if by that you mean only afflictions or reverses. I am thinking of far heavier calamities than a sick-bed, or than sinking in the world: these are, indeed, trying; but they are not ominous, nor so perilous as they seem. Swimming in the world, is far more hazardous to a Christian than sinking in it. He knows how far he can sink, and yet be safe: but he does not know how far he can rise without losing his piety. He knows the worst that "bread and water" can do to his soul; but he cannot calculate the effect of luxury, nor of money, nor of ease, upon his present character or upon his eternal state.

upon our notice, and draw them into our prayers. For, how few would seek humility, were not pride dangerous; or spirituality of mind, were it not death to be carnally minded; or communion with God, were it not a mark of union to Christ; or the witness of the Spirit, were it not the proof of the work of the Spirit; or the joy of salvation, were it not an earnest of eternal life? Indeed, I dread to look at the long list of promised blessings, which would hardly be prayed for, or thought of at all, were they not brought to our remembrance, and built into our prayers, by the Holy Spirit. Alas, we are so inclined to be contented with, if not to prefer, a mere escape from the wrath to come at last, that, if left to our own This, however, is not exactly what I mean. choice, we should be in very great danger of not Like myself, you may be in no great danger from praying at all for the divine image or presence ; abundance. There may, however, be a worldly for the seal of the fruits of the Spirit; for likespirit, without wealth; and a slothful spirit in re-ness to Christ, or for a sense of his constraining ligion, without the snare of leisure to induce it; love. We could make less serve and satisfy us, and a backsliding spirit, without any great falling were we left to our own choice, or to take our own off of public character. Here is our danger; way. and it is real. For how many sink and settle into a heartless profession, by which they lose all enjoyment of religion, and are lost to all usefulness! Now, it is to prevent this sad issue that the Holy Spirit is so prompt and pressing, whenever the power of godliness begins to decline in the heart. Then he gives warning at once; and, for a time, haunts the soul with the interceding cry, "Come, my people, enter your chamber; watch and pray, lest ye fall into temptation."

Nor is this all. We have but very inadequate views, at first, even of the extent of our need of mercy to pardon; and much more inadequate views of our need of grace to help. We mean, indeed, much of both, when we begin to pray in good earnest: but still, much less than we really need, even if we feel our need of more than we can venture to hope for at the time.

I do not know that I could have believed this, in reference to my need of pardoning mercy, had O, what falls, and shipwrecks, and apostacies, the fact been told me when, like the publican, I and backslidings, might have been prevented, had began to cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner,' all who were thus challenged and charged, when without daring to lift up my eyes. Then, the fear they began to decline from their "first love," of not seeing God through eternity, and the imbeen obedient to the heavenly vision! Let their possibility of saving myself from the curse of the folly and fate teach us wisdom. It is infinitely broken law, made mercy unspeakably dear to me. easier to obey these timely promptings of the But, now that I hope to see God as he is, and Spirit, than to extricate ourselves from the en- dwell for ever in his immediate presence, I see tanglements of backsliding. An hour of special my need of a kind and degree of pardoning merprayer then, may save to us, what the disobedient cy, which I had no idea of at first. Then, mercy have not been able to recover for years, the pre-enough to keep me out of hell was all I thought sence of God, and the hope of acceptance. It will also prevent us from being, as they all are eventually, "rebuked in wrath, and chastened in hot displeasure," by the strokes of retribution.

A prudent Christian cannot but admire and adore the love of the Spirit, in interfering thus promptly and urgently, to check the first symptoms of declension, by powerful incentives to more prayerfulness. He will also trace his love in drawing out prayer to all the extent of the promised salvation. For, how true it is, even in regard to mercy and grace, that "we know not what we should pray for as we ought." Rom. viii. 26. It is said, am aware, that our chief difficulty is, to know what temporal things we should pray for. And it is, no doubt, more difficult to choose aright amongst temporal blessings, than amongst spiritual, in one sense; for we are very bad judges of what is best for us in this life,

of: but now I see the need of such pardon,—of such reconciliation, and of such acceptance, as shall enable me to feel at home with God, in heaven, to all eternity! This is not, perhaps, another kind of mercy than that I began to seek; but it is quite a different degree of it, and leads to as much prayer. For, who can realize, or imagine, and not pray fervently for it, a pardon so gracious and complete-that the soul shall be perfectly at home for ever in heaven, even when it knows as it is known, and when it beholds God in all the majesty of his authority, in all the glory of his holiness, and in all the independence of his blessedness? The bare idea of going up to the eternal throne, even once, without terror or shame, is almost inconceivable: for how much is required in order to one welcome? But an eternity of welcome, composure, and joy, at that throne !-What is the mercy which bestows and prepares for that?

We should not appreciate it, nor think of it, did not the Spirit help our infirmities, and teach us to pray for it.

and awaken gratitude. The worth of the soul shines out in this light. The claims of eternity begin to open. Then, the favor of God is so felt His love is not less conspicuous, in leading us to be life, and his loving-kindness better than life, to pray for all the grace we need to help, in this that nothing else is thought of! Time, earth, world. Now we have already found out that to cares, and comforts, are all forgotten in the abbe more than we suspected at first. And yet, sorbing glory of salvation, and in the beaming the conviction, "I shall need much grace to keep smiles of the divine presence. The soul finds in me," is, in general, a very deep one in the mind communion with God and the Lamb, perfect peace of a penitent, even from the first. Indeed, so and joy unspeakable; and thus loses time, in eterdeep, that many yield to the temptation of keep-nity; earth, in heaven; the body, in the soul! ing back from the sacramental fellowship of the And the less is really lost in the greater. We church, lest they should fall away, or disgrace it. come forth, after such "times of refreshing from This is a sad mistake: for that fellowship is one the presence of the Lord," willing to do or suffer of the most effectual of all the appointed means, any thing, and prepared to resign all our wishes to prevent falling. It is not, however, sufficient to the divine will. of itself. Accordingly, those who have been longest under sacramental bonds, know well, yea, best, that they have acquired far more grace than they ever thought of needing, when they gave themselves to the Lord and to the church. There have been times of trial and temptation, when we have been ready to give up all hope, and even to throw up all religion. There have been moods of temper or of spirit, when nothing in religion seemed sure, sacred, or interesting. There have been conjunctions of the world and the heart, by adversity or prosperity, which almost produced Atheism, or the wish that there were neither a God nor an hereafter. Oh, had not the Spirit helped us then, when our infirmities were becoming infatuations, where, what, should we have been now? Had he not brought us up from "the fearful pit and miry clay" of such temptations, and put a new song into our lips by putting a new prayer into our hearts, we should have sunk where we fell, and risen no more.

Christian let them doubt the actual help of the Spirit, who pray only by fits and starts; and let them overlook his love in helping infirmities, who are satisfied with repeating forms of sound and serious words: we know, that he has enabled us to pray without book at times, as well as with it; and drawn us beyond all that books contained, and all that we ourselves intended. Neither books, nor memory, could have led us into some of the outpourings of the heart, which we have been occasionally drawn into by the Spirit, when we have let him have "free course" in his suggestions, and have followed them up honestly.

No. VIII.

THE LOVE OF THE SPIRIT IN RESTORATION.

It is worthy of special notice and remembrance, But whilst such restorations and deliverances that whatever was the kind or the degree of spishould be had in everlasting remembrance, we ritual declension in any of the seven churches of must not forget how much love there is in the Asia; and however the particular counsels and help we receive from the Spirit, which enables us warnings addressed to them varied according to to keep on praying, in spite of all our hinderances the depth of their fall; still, the great general comand discouragements. I do not think lightly of mand to each of them was one and the same,— the injury which sudden and peculiar temptations "Hear what the Spirit saith." This is neither do to piety. I wonder and adore, to see how the accident nor mere form. Attention to the Spirit Spirit repairs and counteracts these injuries: not was the only cure for any of the defections.— less, however, to see how he prevents the ordinary Without hearing him, the Ephesians could no tear and wear of the world, and the natural ten-more have regained their "first love," than the dencies of the heart, and the force of prayerless example, from wasting away both the love and habit of devotion. Keeping alive the fire of heaven upon the altar of the temple, was nothing to this preservation of the spirit of prayer! That fire had many a shelter; but this is like a spark in the ocean, exposed to the waters beneath and to the winds above.

Laodiceans could have thrown off their lukewarmness. Without help from the Spirit, the "little strength" of the church in Philadelphia was as unequal to overcome "in the hour of temptation," as the Sardians' "name to live," was unfit to strengthen the things which were ready to die. Pergamos would have continued to listen to the false doctrine of Balaam and the Nicolaitanes, and Thyatira to the licentious doctrine of Jezebel, had not both set themselves to listen again to "what the Spirit saith unto the churches." According

One way in which he preserves the love and habit of prayer, is, by the remarkable help he gives at times of peculiar need. It is no uncommon thing for Christians to go to their closet only, all the return of any of these churches to their one errand, and yet completely to forget it, when first love and their first works, was in consequence they catch the spirit of prayer, or obtain commu- of renewed attention to the Holy Ghost; and only nion with God. Perhaps the original errand is, to lasted whilst he was listened to in his oracles. plead for the removal of some heavy cross, or for the continuance of some temporal blessing: when, lo, in trying to bring this desire into harmony with the divine will, the thoughts rise amongst the divine perfections which call for submission; and, there, get amongst the perfections which win love

It is also worthy of special notice that the Epistles to the Asiatic churches, although dictated to John by the lips of the Saviour himself, and all opened with proclamations of his own supremacy as the head of the church, are yet invariably closed by the authority of the Spirit, as the author of re