Difficult as it is in these days to find supply, I had rather that no voice should be heard there at all than "the voice of strangers," from whom Christ's sheep will flee. Silence in the pulpit does not edify souls, but it does not ruin them. But the living servant of Christ is dear to my heart, and welcome to address my flock, let him come from whatever quarter of the earth he may. I have sat with delight under the burning words of a faithful Lutheran pastor. I have been fed by the ministrations of American Congregationalists, and devoted Episcopalians, and all of my flock who know and love Christ would have loved to hear them too. If dear Martin Boos were alive, pastor of the Church of Rome though he was, he would have been welcome too; and who that knows the value of souls and the value of a living testimony would say it was wrong?

Had I admitted to my pulpit some frigid Evangelical of our own Church-(I allude to no individual, but I fear it is a common case)—one whose head is sound in all the stirring questions of the day, but whose heart is cold in seeking the salvation of sinners, would any watchful brother of sinners have sounded an alarm in the next day's gazette to warn me and my flock of the sin and danger? I fear not. And yet Baxter says of such a man, "Nothing can be more indecent than to hear a dead preacher speaking to dead sinners the living truth of the living God." With such ministers I have no communion. "O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united."

In conclusion, let me notice the effect of this Free Ministerial Communion upon our glorious struggle for Christ's kingly office in Scotland. I believe with many of my brethren that the Church of Scotland is at this moment a city set upon a hill that cannot be hid. I believe she is a spectacle to men and to angels, contending in the sight of the universe for Christ's twofold crown—his crown over nations, and his crown over the visible Catholic Church. She stands between the Voluntary on the one side, and the Erastian on the other, and with one hand on the Word of God, and the other lifted up to heaven, implores her adorable head to uphold her as a faithful witness unto death, in a day of trouble, and rebuke, and blasphemy. In generations past this cause has been maintained in Scotland at all hands, and against all enemies; and if God calls us to put our feet in the blood-stained footsteps of the Scottish worthies, I dare not boast, but I will pray that the calm faith of Hugh Mackail, and the cheerful courage of Donald Cargill, may be given me. But is this a reason

why we should not live up to the spirit of the New Testament, m our dealing with Christians and Christian ministers of other denominations? Is this a reason why we should not wipe off every stain from the garments of our beloved Church? Is it not the very thing that demands that each member of our Church should set his house in order, purging out all the old leaven of carnal division, reforming his own spirit and family, according to the rule of God's Word-that elders and ministers should seek revival and reformation in their private and public walk, and pant after more of the spirit of our suffering head and elder brother? If a faithful Episcopal minister be wrong in his views of Church government, as I believe he is—if many of our faithful Dissenting brethren are wrong in opposing Christ's headship over nations, as I believe they are what is the scriptural mode of seeking to set them right? Is it to set up unscriptural barriers between us and them? Is it to count them as enemies, however much Christ acknowledges them as good and faithful servants? Is it to call them by opprobrious epithets-to impute mean and wicked motives for their undertaking the holiest services-to rake among the ashes for their hard sayings? I think not. Christ s way is a more excellent way, however unpleasant to the proud carnal heart. "Let us, therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you." I have looked at this question from the brink of eternity, and in such a light, I can assure your correspondents that, if they know the Lord, they will regret, as I have done, the want of more caution in speaking of the doings and motives of other men. Let us do our part towards our Dissenting brethren according to the Scriptures, however they may treat us. We shall be no losers. Perhaps we may gain those who are brethren indeed to think more as we do. At least they will love us, and cease to speak evil of us.

If our Church is to fall under the iron foot of despotism,

God grant that it may fall reformed and purified-pure in its

doctrine, government, discipline, and worship-scriptural in its spirit-missionary in its aim-and holy in its practice-a truly golden candlestick-a pleasant vine. If the daughter of Zion must be made a widow, and sit desolate on the ground, grant her latest cry may be that of her once suffering, now exalted Head, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." I remain, dear Sir, yours, &c.

ST PETER'S, DUNDEE, July 6. 1842.

TO THE LAMBS OF THE FLOCK.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom."-ISAIAH xl. 11.

BELOVED CHILDREN-Jesus is the Good Shepherd. His arm was stretched out on the cross, and his bosom was pierced with the spear. That arm is able to gather you, and that bosom is open to receive you. I pray for you every day that you may be saved by Christ. He said to me, "Feed my lambs," and I daily return the words to him, "Lord, feed my lambs." In the bowels of Jesus Christ I long after you all. I believe Christ has gathered some of you. But are no more to be gathered? Are no more green brands to be plucked from the burning? Will no more of you hide beneath the white robe of Jesus? Oh, come! for yet there is room." Lift up your hearts to God while I tell you something more of the Good Shepherd.

I. JESUS HAS A FLOCK.

"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd." Every shepherd must have a flock, and so has Christ. I once saw a flock in a valley near Jerusalem, and the shepherd went before them and called the sheep, and they knew his voice and followed him. I said, this is the way Jesus leads his sheep. Oh that I may be one of them!

1. Christ's Flock is a little Flock.-Hear what Jesus says, "Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Luke xii. 32. Pray to be among the little flock. Look at the world, eight hundred millions of men, women and children, of different countries, colour, and language, all journeying to the Judgment Seat Is this Christ's flock? Ah, no! Five hundred millions never heard the sweet name of Jesus, and of the rest the most see no beauty in the Rose of Sharon. Christ's is a little flock. Look at this town. What crowds press along the streets on a market day. What a large flock is here. Is this the flock of Christ? No. It is to be feared that most of these are not the brothers and sisters of Christ; they do not bear his likeness; they do not follow the Lamb now, and will not follow him in eternity. Look round the Sabbath Schools. What a number of young faces are there! How many beaming eyes! How many precious souls! Is this the flock of Christ No, no. The most of you have hard

and stony hearts-the most of you love pleasure more than God-the most of you love sin, and lightly esteem Christ. "What a pity it is that they do not a' come to Christ, for they would be sic happy," said one of yourselves. I could weep when I think how many of you will live lives of sin, and die deaths of horror, and spend an eternity in hell. Beloved children, pray that you may be like the one lily among many thorns-that you may be the few lambs in the midst of a world of wolves.

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2. Christ's Sheep are marked Sheep.-In almost every flock the sheep are all marked in order that the shepherd may know them. The mark is often made with tar on the woolly back of the sheep. Sometimes it is the first letter of the owner's name. The use of the mark is that they may not be lost when they wander among other sheep. So it is with the flock of Jesus. Every sheep of his has two marks. mark is made with the blood of Jesus. Every sheep and lamb in Christ's flock was once guilty and defiled with sin, altogether become filthy But every one of them has been drawn to the blood of Jesus, and washed there. They are all like sheep come up from the washing." They can all say, "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood." Rev. i. 5. Have you this mark? Look and see. You can never be in heaven unless you have it. Every one there has washed his robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Rev. vii. 14. Another mark is made by the Holy Spirit. This is not a mark which you can see outside, like the mark on the white wool of the sheep. It is deep, deep in the bosom, where the eye of man cannot look. It is A NEW HEART. Ezek. xxxvi. 26. "A new heart also will I give you." This is the seal of the Holy Spirit, which he gives to all them that believe. With infinite power he puts forth his unseen hand, and silently changes the heart of all that are truly Christ's. Have you got the new heart? You never will go to heaven without it. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." Beloved children, pray for these two marks of the sheep of Jesus-forgiveness through blood and a new heart. Oh, be in earnest to get them, and to get them now. Soon the Chief Shepherd will come, and set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. Where will you be in that day?

3. Christ's Sheep all flock together.-Sheep love to go together. A sheep never goes with a wolf or with a dog, but

always with the flock. Especially when a storm is coming down, they keep near one another. When the sky turns dark with clouds, and the first drops of a thunder-shower are coming on, the shepherds say that you will see the sheep flocking down from the hills, and all meeting together in some sheltered valley. They love to keep together. So it is with the flock of Jesus. They do not love to go with the world, but always one with another. Christian loves Christian. They have the same peace, the same spirit, the same shepherd, the same fold on the hills of immortality. Especially in the dark and cloudy day, such as our day is likely to be, the sheep of Christ are driven together, to weep together. They love to pray together, to sing praise together, to hide in Christ together.

"Little children, love one another." Make companions of those that fear God. Flee from all others. Who can take fire into their bosom and not be burned? I remember of one little boy who was indeed a lamb of Christ's fold. He could not bear a lie; and whenever he found any of his companions telling a falsehood, he left their company altogether. There was one boy with whom he was very intimate. This boy one day began to boast of something he had done, which boast our little Christian saw at once to be a lie. Upon this, he told him that he must never again come to his house, and that he would have nothing more to do with him till he was a better boy. His mother asked him how he would know when he was a better boy? He said that he would soon see some marks which would shew him that he was better. "And what marks will you know it by ?" "I think,” said he, "the biggest mark will be that he loves God."

II. WHAT JESUS DOES FOR HIS FLOCK.

1. He died for them. "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." This is the chief beauty in Christ. The wounds that marred his fair body make him altogether lovely in a needy sinner's eye. All that are now and ever shall be the sheep of Christ, were once condemned to die. The wrath of God abode upon them. They were ready to drop into the burning lake. Jesus had compassion upon them, left his Father's bosom, emptied himself, became a worm and no man, and died under the sins of many. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.' This is the grace of the Lord Jesus. Every one in the flock can say, "He loved me, and gave himself for me."