thee with my counsel, and afterward receive thee to glory."

This is no more than the meanest Christian may claim and exult in. Meanest did we say? We retract the term. A Christian may be afflicted and poor; but he cannot be mean-He is one of the excellent of the earth, of whom the world is not worthy. Let the rich and the great bring together all their claims, and make their boast; the poorest Christian beggars them all; for he can say, "God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." And he ought to preserve a sense of this in his mind. He ought to live nobly. He ought to feel contentedly in whatsoever state he is. He ought not to envy others their good things; nor sink, like others, under losses and trials. When their lamps are put out, they are in utter darkness; but the Sun of righteousness arises upon him. When their vessels are broken, all their comforts are gone; but he has the fountain of living waters-They have no God; but "The Lord is the portion of his inheritance."

If from viewing his state essentially he examines it comparatively, he will have fresh reason to exclaim, "The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage." For what should we value a heritage? We should commend it for healthfulness. No heritage would be deemed pleasant and goodly that was injurious to health, without which we can relish nothing. The apprehension of losing this all-important blessing would alone induce us to resign any situation, unless we were compelled to remain in it. But such is the Christian's heritage, that all those who have lived upon it, however disordered before,

have been restored to a miracle, and each of them could say, I am a wonder unto many. We should commend it for fertility. Hence Moses extols Canaan as a land flowing with milk and honey, and in which there was no scarceness. In like manner, he says of Joseph; "Blessed of the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon, and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills." No earthly inheritance can yield the possessor every thing he wants; but God's riches in glory, by Christ Jesus, can supply all the Christian's need. We should commend it for safety. The best heritage would fetch little that had no defence, but was open to invasion and injury. There is nothing that adds so much to the enjoyment of a possession as a sense of security: sitting under our own vine and fig tree, and none making us afraid. Upon all the Christian's glory there is a defence. His soul dwells at ease: and he is in quiet from the fear of evil. An heritage would not be deemed pleasant or goodly if cut off from the privilege of intercourse. Christians have the commuion of saints. There is an open and constant communication between them and heaven. Their fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

Blessed are the people that are in such a case: yea, happy is the people whose God is the Lord.

AUGUST 11.-MORNING.

"He must increase, but I must decrease." JOHN iii. 30.

THIS was spoken of the Redeemer, by his fore runner John. And it is not to be considered as the language of complaint, or sullen acquiescence—as if he would say, "I dislike it; but it is unavoidable. It is my grief; and I must bear it." No. It was as agreeable to his feelings, as it was firm in his belief. And it shewed a fine and a noble soul in John. The spirit that is in us lusteth to envy. We love something distinguishing, and therefore exclusive. We wish to rise, even by the depression of others. It is trying, even to a good man, to withdraw, and see a successor filling his place better than himself, and, as the honours he has worn are transferred to another, to say, "He must increase, but I must decrease." It is not an easy thing to go down well; or for a setting star to exult in a rising sun.

But it was thus with John. He knew his rank, and approved of his place. He was the servant, not the master. The friend, not the bridegroom-The Church was not married to him. "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

What does he mean by this increase? Not an increase in his temporal condition. As he had been poor, so he was to continue. Many of his professed followers seek great things to themselves: but we

may judge of his estimation of them by his choice; for they were all within his reach. But though he had a kingdom, it was not of this world. Nor is it by any kind of earthly condition and indulgence that he has characterized Christians, or raised their hope. He has nowhere engaged to make them rich in this world's good, but only rich in faith. He has nowhere told them that they shall be free from trouble, but only that in him they shall have peace.

The increase partly regards his personal ministry. Both John and Jesus were preachers and leaders. John's "course" was ending; but Jesus was only commencing his public work. John was going to lose his disciples; and Jesus to gain them; and to become a much more famous minister, by miracles, and clearness and grandeur of doctrine, and the permanency of his success. Indeed, we have no reason to believe that John ever preached after this. The end of his mission was answered. He was a voice; and, having made his proclamation, he was silenced. He was the morning star; and having ushered the Sun of righteousness in, he disappeared. He was the forerunner to introduce the Messiah; but the Messiah was now come, and verified, and acknowledged.

But it was the same as saying, Christianity must increase. Christianity was small at first; but it was to resemble the shining light, which begins with the dawn, but becomes perfect day. Or to be like the mustard-seed, which, however diminutive, grows the greatest among herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Or the portion of leaven, which, hid in the meal, continues to diffuse itself till the whole be lea

vened. His doctrine was possessed only by himself for a time. He then communicated the secret to twelve; then to seventy. His followers, after this, were not numerous; and they consisted chiefly of the common people: for it was scornfully asked, "Have any of the rulers believed on him?" After various trials, the number of disciples in Jerusalem, previously to the descent of the Spirit, was about one hundred and twenty. Then three thousand were added in one day-and the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved. Thus mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed. It soon spread beyond the bounds of Judæa, and reached the ends of the Roman world-the heralds thanking God, who always caused them to triumph in Christ, and made manifest the savour of his knowledge by them in every place. How much has his cause done since! And how is it expanding now!-But a vaster increase is yet to take place. His glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. For now shall he be great to the ends of the earth. Such is the language of the Scripture; and nothing has yet taken place sufficient to fulfil it. It is therefore before us. We know that Heathenism, and Mahomedanism, and "the Man of Sin," shall be destroyed. And we know that the Jews shall look on him whom they have pierced-and if the casting them away was the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

And there is no uncertainty here-it must be. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. His death insures it. He has power over all flesh to accomplish it. Let those who love him, and are labouring to advance his cause, rejoice, and be encouraged