are in great danger of forgetting it. Remember, Brother that what your hearers do not understand in your teaching, is entirely lost to them. The language of the bible is undoubtedly the best. If you adopt this, the most illiterate of your hearers will understand you; nor will the most intelligent be disgusted. When a preacher affects an abstruse style, he is not likely to be useful to any: the unlearn ed will not understand him. The intelligent christian will pity his folly, and the learned infidel will despise his vanity. In or der to escape this snare of the devil, let us keep in memory the apostle's example and instructions, see 1 Cor. ii. 1-5, and xiv. 8, 9-19. 4th, Take heed that you teach the truth in a practical manner.It was no doubt for this end that the apostle pointed out the practical uses of the scriptures to Timothy, see 2 Tim. iii. 15, 16, 17. It is not enough that you preach and expound the word of God in the plainest terms; you must commend it to every man's conscience in the sight of God. In preaching Christ, you must study to warn every man, and teach every man, in all wisdom, that you may present every man complete in Christ Jesus, see 2 Cor. iv. 1, 2, Col. i. 25-29. 5th, Take heed that you tcach the truth in a compassionate manner. The servant of the Lord should, in a superior degree, put on bowels of compassion. If he does not make it manifest that he feels for his hearers, he is not likely to make them feel for themselves. David, Jeremiah, Jesus, and his apostles, mingled their tears of tender compassion with their teaching, see Psalm cxix. 139-Jer. ix. 1-Luke xix. 41-44-Acts xx. 31. In feeding the flock of God, the fidelity and wisdom of an affectionate father must be united with the sympathy and gentleness of the fond mother. This was the apostle's manner, see 1 Thes. ii. 7-12. Finally, Brother, Take heed that you obey the fellowing exhortation, Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine, 2 Tim. iv. 2. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring one be fore another, doing nothing by partiality, 1 Tim. v. 21.

III. Continue in them.-Continue in the duties of thine of fice, as a christian, and as a minister of the gospel of Christ. To continue in any thing is to remain or abide in it. A faithful servant will abide in his master's service. Two things are implied in this part of the exhortation:Ist, That you give yourself wholly to the duties of your office. This is particularly mentioned, verse 15, "Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all." It surely becomes the minister of the gospel to wait on his mi nistering: continue therefore in thy work; let it be the

business of your lives. Let your heart and hands, your time, and every talent you possess, be faithfully occupied in the work of the Lord. Continue in it as the husbandman continues in the labours of his husbandry-the shepherd in tending his flock -and the good soldier in the duties of his profession, see 2 Tim. ii. 1—7. 2dly, That you persevere in them until you finish your course. Continue in them. In all ordinary cases,. it certainly is the duty of those who enter into the pastoral office, to abide in it to the end; and to repel, with abhorrence, every temptation to the contrary. "No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Beloved Brother, as you have put your hand to the plough in this particular part of God's husbandry, continue in it. Never look back to the world, or abroad to a more favourable spot in God's vineyard. In labouring here, you may experience many privations, and be exposed to various trials; but let none of these things move you. You may likewise meet with many temptations to desert your post; But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righ teousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also call- « ed, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses:

IV. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.-Here we have a very moving argument to enforce the exhortation. It manifestly implies, that to act in opposition to the apostolic injunction, would be, in effect, to ruin your own soul, and the souls of those committed to your care; and indeed this is the uniform language of inspiration, see Ezek. iii. 17-21. It is only instrumentally that we can be said to save ourselves or others. Salvation is of the Lord; but it is instrumentally ascribed to men. Believers are called to work out their own salvation, Phil. ii. 12, 13. Those who are instrumental in the conversion of a sinner are said to save the soul from death, Jer. v. 19, 20. In like manner, by their misconduct, men are justly said to ruin themselves, and their fellow-sinners. Beloved Brother, let these things be duly impressed on your mind. By obeying the exhortation, you will be instrumental in saving yourself from the following direful evils-1st, From the blood of souls, see Acts xx: 26, 27, Ezek. xxxiii. 7-9. To be pure from the blood of all men is a great salvation but we cannot enjoy it, unless by grace, we are found faithful. 2d, From the curse denounced on the idle shepherd. "Woe to the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock," &c. Zech. xi. 17. The curse of God, and of all who perish through his neglect, must meet on the devoted head of the unfaithful pastor. 3d, From the punishment which shall be inflicted on the unfaithful servant.-Ponder his awful but righteous sentence, Vot. II.No. 7.

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Brother, as pronounced by the Judge of all. "But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and eat and drink with the drunken; the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, and shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." By obeying the word of exhortation, thou shalt not only save thyself from these evils, but thou shalt also be instrumental in saving "them that hear thee." This does not imply that Timothy, or any other preacher of the gospel, would save all his hearers; but it certainly warrants every faithful servant of Jesus to expect souls for his hire. The apostle's meaning is, that to be faithful is the only way in which we can expect to be useful to the souls of our hearers. And now, dear Brother, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace. Be thou faithful unto death, and Christ will give you a crown of life. The Lord Jesus be with thy spirit, Amen.

KNOCKANDO, 1815.

J. M.

ON THE RECOVERY OF DAVID.

Ir was remarked, on the fall of David, that his sin was most deliberate-most heinous-most aggravated-and of long continuance The mournful subject presents a loud call to christian watchfulness-shows the hardening tendency of sin, and should prove a warning to the profane.

There is something peculiarly striking in the recovery of David. In the time of his backsliding he had pronounced sentence against himself saying, "As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die." But vastly different was the judgment of the offended, but merciful God. And Nathan said unto David, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." 2 Sam. xii. 13. Here we are led to contemplate;

The superabundant "mercy of God. Deliberate, heinous, aggravated, and long continued as were the sins of David, yet when he confessed his transgressions, the Lord forgave the iniquity of his sin. Truly he is, "The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin." Well does it become the son of Jesse to sing, "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me bless his holy name. Bless the Lord

O my soul, and forget net all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercy." Jehoval freely, fully, and eternally forgave David his sin, and granted him that life which lieth in his favour-he satisfied him with the fatness of his house, made him drink of the rivers of his pleasure, and caused him in his light to see light clearly.

Surely it becomes us to adore the mercy of that God whose thoughts and ways are so far above ours. Õur sins like the wind have carried us away; they reach to the clouds, yea to the heavens-to the very throne of God. But his mercy is great above the heavens. Having experienced the abounding mercy of God, should we not exclaim, "Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy ?"

Here also we behold the seasonableness of divine mercy. Nothing surely could have been more seasonable to the mind of poor David, than this gracious declaration of God. With what bitter remorse must he have reflected on his accumulated transgressions! The recollection of the favours of God, and the many gracious tokens of his presence he had experienced, together with the dishonour done to God, the grief occasioned to the Holy Spirit and his people, and the cause given to the adversaries to speak reproachfully-must have overwhelm ed his disconsolate soul, and rent it to the centre. O how seasonable then was the forgiving mercy of God! Divine grace is not wrung out of the hand of God; it is freely and seasonably conferred. "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly-God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Bread to the hungry, and drink to the thirsty, is not more seasonable than the grace of God to an awakened soul. Was not the mercy of God suitable to the three thousand on the day of pentecost, and to the Philippian Jailor? What a privilege is it that we are ever encouraged to come boldly to a throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need!

In the recovery of David we behold also the correcting mercy of God. The Lord freely, fully, and seasonably forgave the sin of David, but at the same time took vengeance of his inventions. To remind him of his guilt his adulterous child is taken away by death. God also threatened to raise up evil against him in his own house. His domestic trials. were many and great. Amnon defiled his sister Tamar. Absalom in return slew Amnon. On account of this the beautiful and beloved Absalom was obliged to flee as a fugitive from

his father's house. When brought back again, he most unnaturally rebelled against his father, and to the inexpressible grief of his aged parent, brought himself to an untimely end. Thus did David by his own iniquities bring down his gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. He killed Uriah with the sword, and the sword never departed from his house. He deprived himself of the light of God's countenance, and had to weep under broken bones, and closed lips. Many can wantonly speak of David's sins, who do not consider his sorrow and punishment.

1. This subject presents an example of prudent ministerial faithfulness. Nathan was sent on a very trying and apparently hopeless mission, but he conducted himself with great prudence, and uncommon fidelity. He did not all at once rudely attack the royal culprit. He knew the materials he had to work upon. He was aware that David was not altogether lost to the principles of equity and compassion, and therefore in a beautiful and strikingly applicable parable, he set before him his guilt, and made the offending Monarch pronounce his own punishment. Prudence, however, was not enough, faithfulness was also necessary, and never was there a message more faithfully delivered. "Thou art the man." Let the servants of God not be awed to unfaithfulness by the presence of the great, (a temptation into which they are very ready to fall) but let them carefully obey the command of their highest Lord, "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and le that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully what is the chaff to the wheat? saith the Lord ?" Lest their fidelity should border on harshness, however, let them also carefully attend to the exhortation, "Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye who are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."

2. This subject affords encouragement for poor backsliders. Perhaps this paper may fall into the hands of some who have deprived themselves of the light of God's countenance-who have to complain of broken bones, and closed lips. Far be it from us to lessen your guilt. We believe it to be as great, yea far greater than ye can comprehend. At the same time we would warn you against despair. You will remember that the sin of David though very great was not unpardonable. God in mercy took it away, and he did not die. Your sins are great, but a great atonement has been made for them. The blood of Jesus cleanseth from all sin. All who believe in him, are justified from all things. Read carefully the following passages, and may the eternal Spirit bless them for the comfort of your disconsolate souls, Jer. iii. 12-16, 22. Hos. xiv. 1-5. We may afterwards trouble you with a few thoughts the repentance of David.

J. H.