through all eternity. It is true, as he was God, his glory was the fame from everlafting, and could admit of no increase-but as he was man, it certainly did: being "found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross: wherefore Cod "alfo hath highly exalted him, and given " him a name, which is above every name, "that at the name of Jesus every knee "should bow, of things in heaven, and

things in earth, and things under the earth: "And that every tongue should confefs that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God "the Father." Phil. ii. 8, 9, 10, 11.

Since, now, "life and immortality are" clearly " brought to light through the gof

pel," 2 Tim. i. 10; and "through the ten"der mercy of our God the Day-fpring from

on high hath visited us, Luke i. 78., even us, in this island of the fea, where our fathers "who fat in darkness saw great light; " and to them who fat in the region and tha"dow of death light is sprung up," Matt iv. 16. even him (who is the Sun of righteoufness with healing in his wings, (Mal. iv. 2.) through whose blessed rays they saw their

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benighted fituation, and were enabled to come out of the dark howling wilderness of fin, from the snares of Pagan and Romish fuperftition, and made to walk in the way everlasting, Pfalm cxxxix. 24.; and fince to us, their children, the light of the glorious gofpel ftill fhines in our land, how ought. we to rejoice in God our Saviour, who "hath " broken down the middle wall of partition," Eph. ii. 14. and, as well as the Jews, hath vifited the Gentiles with falvation.

For my part, I defire to fing with the sweet Pfalmift of Ifrael, that "the lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places." Pfalm xvi. 6.; May I walk in the light of his countenance, Pfalm lxxxix. 15. while here, and at length enter into that city, which hath founda"tions, whose builder and maker is God," Heb. xi. 10.; where there is no need of "the fun, neither of the moon to shine in "it; for the glory of God" doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof, and "the nations of them which are faved shall "walk in the light of it." Rev. xxi. 23, 24.

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He, whose star conducted the wife men of the east to the humble place of his birth,

Matt. ii. 2, 9, 10. still "holdeth the seven ftars in his right hand," Rev. ii. 1. ministers of the everlasting gospel, to direct those who are made wife to falvation, 2 Tim. iii. 15.; not only in the east, but in north, fouth, east, and west, to that city of habitation, Pfalm cvii. 3, 7. his kingdom of glory: May I follow their light, in so far as they are enlightened by the glorious Sun of righteousness, until at length I enjoy his beams in that land of blifs, where the inhabi

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tants shall not say, I am fick, and the peo

"ple that dwell therein shall be forgiven their " iniquity," Ifa. xxxiii. 24. and reap that endless harvest of light and gladness, which is fown for the righteous and the upright in heart, Pfalm xcvii. 11. in the spring time of grace, in the field of the everlasting gofpel, by the good Husbandman, "the Father " of mercies and the God of all comfort," 2 Cor. i. 3.

Some of the inclofures, into which it is divided, where this good feed is fown, are, the field of meditation and contemplation, 'the valley of prayer and praise, the green paftures of the Scriptures, and the mount of the preached gospel, with its verdant fum

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mit the Sacraments. In these delightful inclofures may I still delight to walk, that I may fee the feed springing up with plcafure in the blade, and taste of the full corn in the ear; that, in the valley of death, I may begin to reap that harvest which, after I have paffed the Jordan of diffolution, I shall reap and feast on fully in the heavenly Canaan.

But this I cannot do, unless He "who "commanded the light to shine out of dark"nefs," shine in my heart, to give the

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light of the knowledge of the glory of God " in the face of Jesus Christ," 2 Cor. iv. 6. for, through the fall of man, gross darkness hath overspread the whole foul, so that "the "natural man receiveth not the things of "the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness " unto him; neither can he know them, be"cause they are spiritually difcerned." 1 Cor. ii. 14. And indeed it is impoffible that he can, fo long as his mind is in this state, difcern the beauty of spiritual objects; any more than a man, during the darkness of the night, can discover the beauties of creation; till God, of his infinite mercy, vouchsafe to illuminate his mind by his Holy Spirit. It is then alone that he can

discover the vileness of his own heart, the deformity of fin, and the beauty of holinefs,

But though light doth make manifest the deformities and beauties of objects in the natural world; yet, without the rays and falutary beams of the fun, nothing is cherished or brought forward to perfection.

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In like manner, though a finner may be so far enlightened, as to be convinced of the evil nature of fin, the hatefulness of his own heart, and the neceffity of renewing grace; yet, without the Sun of righteousness arife to him, with healing in his wings, he cannot be savingly converted; nor any of the graces of the spirit in his foul, made to spring up and flourish to eternal life. How much doth it then concern me to examine whether I have experienced the dawn of fpiritual things only, which confifts merely in knowledge; or the fructifying beams of the Sun of righteousness, making me fpring and grow in grace!