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a race of formidable, but ignorant heathens. When I produced Richardfon's Arabic Grammar to fome flaves on the Gambia, they were aftonished to think that any European should understand and write the facred language of their religion. At first they fufpected it might have been written by fome of the flaves carried from the coaft; but on a clofer examination they were fatisfied that no Bufhreen could write fuch beautiful Arabic; and one of them offered to give me an ass and fixteen bars of gold if I would part with the book. Perhaps a fhort and eafy introduction to chrifti. anity, fuch as is found in fome of the catechifms for children, elegantly printed in Arabic, and diftributed on different parts of the coaft, might have a wonderful effect. The expence would be but trifling; curiofity would induce many to read it; and the evident fuperiority which it would poffefs over their prefent manufcripts, both in point of elegance and cheapness, might at last obtain it a place among the school books of Africa.

TO A FRIEND UNDER SPIRITUAL DISTRESS.

MADAM,

THE

Halifax, 21st May, 1799.

HERE is a common faying, that it is never too late to repent and reform. This maxim I apply to myself, in reference to my correfpondence with my friends. As I advance in life, I feel a growing backwardness to writing; not because the affections of high esteem and regard decline, but because I have in general so much upon hand, and have fo much to write in my profeffion. I wish I may be enabled to say something that will do you good, now I have begun. I fuppofe you are much in the fame fituation as when I left London. I feel for the affliction of your family, and fincerely defire it may be a bleffing to you all. There are awful changes in this world. Smiling providence fometimes bleffes our state for years together, and then we experience a reverfe of circumftances. "I was not at reft," fays Job, "and yet trouble came;" that is, with greater force, and with larger measure. We fhould live in expectation of it. Here is nothing permanent. As the fun rifes and fets, and the moon waxes and wanes, fo it is with all fublunary things,

Winter is neceffary as well as Summer. Rains and frofts have their advantages to fit the earth for produce. Sunshiny weather is much more pleasant than fogs and damp, but both come by his pleasure who rules the skies. We cannot have things as we wish. Our minds must be controlled, and our towering fpirits brought down. He brought down their hearts by labour, and various exercifes, in the wilderness: and yet they were to praife the Lord for his goodness. We know not the reafons of his myfterious difpenfations now, but we fhall know hereafter. Now his ways are in the great deep, and his footsteps pafl finding out; but at a future time, when the whole fcheme is complete, we fhall fee abundant reafon to admire both the wifdom and goodness of God. Then we shall fay, he has done all things well. His defigns are executed, his love has been difplayed. Mercy mingled the cup, though its ingredients were bitter; and the kind hand of a skilful Phyfician prefented the draught. The cup which my heavenly Father has prepared, fhall I not drink it? I fubmit myfelf humbly to his direction. His prescriptions have always been the beft, and I fall into his gracious will concerning me in all things. What reafon have I to find fault? Surely, goodnefs and mercy have followed me all the days of my life. Let me review his ways, and learn to be content. Have I lacked any thing? My mifgiving fears have prefented a thousand difficulties, and raised unpleasant fenfations in my mind; but how have thefe creatures of imagination fled. I have feared where no fear was. I have troubled myfelf needlefsly and in vain. May I learn wisdom by what I have fuffered; and if God has been fo good to me in time paft, may I not humbly depend upon him for time to come? "Thou haft enlarged me when I was in diftrefs; "have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer." I praise his name for grace received, and truft him for the reft. And why fhould I not? His love is the fame; his promises are the fame; and the fidelity which is engaged to bring them into effect. My life was of no more account with God in years that are paft, when his candle fhone on my head, and his ways dropped fatnefs, than it is now. Nor was there in me any more merit to recommend than there is now. God's providence ftill continues over the whole creation; over the meaneft part of it as well as over the nobleft and moft exalted. Why should I difpute his goodness? His fun rifes every day, and I enjoy the benefit of it in common with the rest of the world. The lilies grow, the grafs fprings, and nature buds and bloffoms in its ufual way. I therefore give my fears to the winds, and here drop my unbelief. Am I a

child of his family, and will he difcard me? Shall his grace grow weary of his faints? Does he defign to bring me to Heaven; and as a pledge of it, has he already brought me fo far, and done fo much for me, and will he give up my interefts for life and comfort, when he can take care of me, and provide for me, with fo much eafe? O my God! I will repine no more. I will no more difhonour thy love and guardian care. This my folemn declaration fhall witnefs against me, if I fhould in future abandon myself to diftrust. Write these things on my heart, and let them be continually before mine eyes! I commend myself to thy mercy! Thou art my faithful Creator; do for me what thou feest to be the beft, and bring me to thy heavenly kingdom. I. c.

REFLECTIONS ON HEB. xiii. 8.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever.

WE

E live in a world of changes. The fun rifes, afcends to his meridian, and knoweth his going down. The wind is changeable, to a proverb. The face of the earth is varied according to the seasons. Winter and spring, fummer and autumn, form a grateful viciffitude. The fea alfo is in perpetual motion.

The fcenes of providence are continually fhifting. Look back to the records of earliest antiquity, and furvey the world at large. Ancient hiftory fhews how univerfal empire paffed from the Affyrians to the Medo-Perfians-from the MedoPerfians to the Greeks-from them again to the Romans. Look at modern Europe. That fingle event, the revolution of France, in 1789, how many changes has it already produced, not only in France, but in almost all the world! Or if we confine our attention to our own country.-Here trade is at a fland, there it is enlarged; now families are increafing, foon they are diminished. Mutability is infcribed on all human affairs; but, bleffed be God! "Jefus Chrift is "the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever."

Some often change the place of their abode. This year they have pitched their tent in Dan; next year, perhaps, they will have removed as far as Beerfheba. Some have

VOL. II.

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the affliction of uncertain health, while others are of a light and fickle difpofition of mind; and others have more changes in their circumftances than either in body or mind. Liften to the voice of a mourner in Zion. Sometimes I think I have a good hope through grace; then foon again I am in doubt. Hope revives, chears me for a while, and then declines. Sometimes I can fay, Lord, thou knoweft all things, thou knoweft that I love thee; then again I am in Doubting Caftle, and feel, in no fmall degree, the tyranny of giant Defpair. Old difciples have feen and felt many changes in themselves and others. Often have their faireft profpects been fuddenly clouded, and their beft conducted plans overturned; but it is their happiness that Jefus Chrift is the fame yesterday, today, and for ever.

The difcovery God has made of himfelf, has been by a gradual change of difpenfation. He appeared to Adam in paradife; he revealed himfelf to the Patriarchs; the Patriarchal difpenfation made way for the Mofaic; the Mofaic introduced the Chriftian difpenfation; the Chriftian difpenfation leads on to the ultimate glory in heaven. Christ is the fubftance of them all, and he is the fame yesterday today, and for ever.

In the above motto the apofle puts the believing Hebrews in mind of the exemplary lives, the holy doctrine, and peaceful end of their minifters. There is, in the fcripture before us, a ftriking contraft between the mortality of Gofpel minifters and the immortality of Jefus Chrift. As if the apoftle fhould fay, True, you can have their prayers no more; but Jefus ever lives to make interceffion for you. They can preach no more; but Jefus lives to teach you. You can no longer have the advantage of their private counfels; but the Wonderful, the Counfellor, will fill be your fpiritual guide.' Jefus Chrift is the fame yesterday, before time began to roll-to-day, while time rolls on-and for ever, when time fhall be no more.

Jefus as immutable, as he is the Son of God*. Deity cannot change. Some old divines, referring to the incar nation of Chrift, remark, that he remained what he was, and became what he was not. Immutability, in a qualified fenfe, belongs to his character as the Saviour of finners. Was he an able Saviour in the days of his fiefh? He is fo now. He is now able to fave to the uttermoft of our danger, of our defires, of our duration; and he is as willing to fave now as when he faid "Him that cometh I will in no wife caft out."

* John i. 14, 18. ii. 16, 18. 1 John iv. 9.

To all thofe who have believed through grace, Jefus is unchangeable in his love. He has made us exceeding great and precious promifes, and we know in whom we have believed. Whom he loves he loves to the end. Pretended friends may deceive us. Our real friends may be removed from us to a distant part of the world; or they may be reduced to ftraits and poverty, and fo rendered incapable of helping us; or they may die. But Jefus cannot deceive, he cannot be removed, he cannot be impoverished, he cannot die.

Let us glance at the offices of Chrift. The truth, as it is in Jefus, is immutable. His doctrines abide the fame.* His atonement avails equally for believers of the old and of the new difpenfation. His interceffion, founded on his own merit, not ours, fhall ever prevail. "He ever liveth to "make interceffion for us." The kings of the earth die like other men at the touch of death they drop their fceptres and go down from their thrones into the dark grave; but the kingdom of Jefus is an everlasting kingdom, and of his dominion there fhall be no end. His laws and ordinances need no revision or amendment; nor fhall they ever be repealed. It appears hence,

(1.) That we need not hesitate to fay Jefus is a divine perfon, for he is immutable. 'Tis God that fays, "I change "not." "Tis of God alone it can be faid, "with him "there is no variablenefs nor fhadow of turning." Angels are not naturally immutable. Witnefs the everlasting chains and darkness of those who kept not their first eftate.

(2.) That we may reft fafely upon Chrift for falvation. The Chriftian leans not upon a broken reed, nor ftands upon ground that will give way. "Here is firm footing-Here "is folid rock-All, all is fea befide."

(3.) That there is a great propriety in minifters preaching Chrift conftantly-Chrift in every fermon. The late Mr. Ryland (walking up and down in his school at Enfield) ufed to fay, "Simplify and repetition-Simplify and repetition are the maxims for a fchool." May not the minifters of the Gospel transfer these maxims with advantage to the School of Chrift.

(4.) That Chriftians fhould imitate the immutability of Chrift, in the fteadiness of their principles, temper and conduct. Reubenites, unftable as water, fall not excel. unfhaken firmnefs of character well becomes a Chriftian

An

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* See ver. 9.
Mal. iii. 6.

Rom. iii. 25.

Heb. ix. 11.

|| Jam. i. 17.

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