the heart or affections of any person, that positively constitutes a real practical Christian, who is advancing towards the new Jerusalem city of our God: for whoever loves God supremely above every other object upon the earth, however near or dear, whether husband or wife, children, friends, money, estates, honour, character, health, &c. is a real genuine Christian character.

Every one of us may be aware by this test, whether we are converted to God or not; it is very easily known, for whatever any one really desires and therefore thinks most about, being most anxious for in the interior affections of the soul, is his ruling love, be it good or evil, and therefore constitutes his spiritual life

Divine Love is the very esse or essence of spiritual life, without which no real happiness or felicity can exist; therefore unless we become receptive of that principle within us, it is a folly to converse about our christianity; for without it we are only deceiving ourselves or the world, either of which is very awful and presumptuous, as it must eventually lead to fatal consequences.

Evidence of Christianity.-The proper and certain result of Christianity or love to God is, "love to our neighbour," which is the Love of God manifested in mankind by their desires and conduct towards all the human family upon the earth. This is the only evidence and criterion that we can have of real Christianity upon the earth Christ says, "If ye love me keep my commandments." St. John By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." St. John xiii. 35. Love to mankind being an effect or consequence proceeding from love to God, without which it cannot exist.

xiv. 15. 66

Secondary principles are evidently results always

depending and proceeding from primary ones, as well in this case as every other, the Supreme being a God of infinite and perfect order in every thing which exists, as effects proceeding from him who constitutes the Divine Sun of Righteousness. Our love to mankind is always in the same ratio or proportion as our love is towards God, precisely in every respect, as all consequences or effects are, which invariably depends wholly on their proper premises or causes.

Love to God is the primary or first command of our blessed Redeemer, which is the very essence of true Religion or Christianity in the heart or will of the immortal soul; and love to our neighbour (which includes all mankind) is the secondary command, wholly resulting from the said primary, as a proper consequence therefrom; having no other cause from whence to proceed.

Talents lent. We have no objection to admit that God gives a larger portion of talents to those who are more capable of receiving and using them for his honour and glory, as well as for the good or benefit of his Church or people, in truth for the whole world, in order to teach and evangelize it; but that does not in any way prove that he is a respecter of persons, no, not in the least degree; such persons are absolutely necessary to instruct the ignorant, reclaim the vicious, and likewise to impart requisite information to those who stand in need of being taught the essential truths of the Gospel of Christ, expressly to carry on the great work of everlasting salvation, by means of human agency, as it is appointed and ordained by Jehovah our Lord. Of course the more given the more is required by God from our hands, whether mental powers, health, property, &c., &c.; all of which are talents lent (not given) unto us for a good

specific purpose, combining the glory of God and the good of man, and woe be unto us, each and every one, if we neglect to use them accordingly. We are too apt to think and use these talents as irresponsibly our own; but we must recollect they are not our's, but the Lord God's; for which we shall all have to give an impartial account after death to our just and righteous Judge, who will reward all mankind according to their works, or rather the motives which actuate or induce us to our actions.

Some persons might attempt to say that as neither our talents nor our property are really our own, our wills cannot; by which we should have no real freedom or choice: in reply to such we would remark, that if a certain sum of money be lent to an individual, of course the money may or can be used by the party as freely according to his choice as if it were really his own; but still it must be strictly borne in mind that the borrower becomes responsible to the lender for the whole amount, with lawful interest for the same, according to the length of time the money remains unpaid: now as it is represented in this simile with regard to money lent, so it is very similar with our will faculties (which constitute our freedom) and talents of every kind and degree; they are all lent by our Creator and Redeemer to use and not to abuse; for which we become responsible on the very account of their not being in reality our own, as in the case with the money borrowed; but still at the same time it ought to be perfectly understood that these wills, faculties, and talents are quite as free to use or abuse as if they were altogether our own in every respect whatsoever; and for which reason we have to give a proper account of the same, or in other words to re-pay them back to the lender (God,) with due interest, (viz.) right or proper use of them

individually, without a single exception; otherwise we must as a matter of course, justly and fully expect to be spiritually prosecuted, in consequence of punishment being the wages of sin, in a similar manner as a person is naturally prosecuted in temporal affairs, for non-payment of either principal or interest, or both, as the case might happen

to be.

The use of the means connected with the end.-But let us be filled with gratitude that our Lord Jesus Christ is not only our Judge, but our Saviour and Redeemer, unless we become obstinate or careless relative to our eternal interests, by which of course we should deprive ourselves of that salvation which he is ever solicitous to bestow upon poor guilty mortals; for the general language of Holy Writ is, "He that seeketh shall find, and to him that knocketh the door of mercy shall be opened;" which may be illustrated and understood by a familiar simile. As the outstretched hand of the mendicant or beggar cannot command the gift of the donor, but is merely the medium through which the gift is communicated; so though we have no more ability than is merely sufficient to outstretch the hand of humility and faith towards heaven for a blessing, we have that ability; and though this act or exertion of ours like that of the beggar's will not by any means command the proffered blessing, it will as in his case be the medium and the only reasonable medium through which we can have any solid ground for expecting the same; otherwise prayer to Jehovah our Saviour and Redeemer (which when genuine is a result or effect proceeding from the affections of the heart or will) would be of no effect, neither would the means of grace be of any avail, as it would not better our present condition, or give the least degree of encouragement "to the broken and contrite

heart," which God has positively declared that "he does not despise," for he hath promised that "he will not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax." The use of the means and the end attained thereby are inseparably connected with each other in spiritual concerns, similar as it is in natural or temporal ones; then why should we wish or desire to neglect or supersede those which are of the greatest importance, upon which even hangs our eternal welfare? Can the sick who are afflicted in their bodies, be so absurd as to expect to be healed of their maladies or disorders, without first applying to a skilful physician? if then we consider it important and requisite in temporal or natural things, why are we so supine and negligent in spiritual or eternal matters?

Heaven and Hell.-Mankind after death (which is only a removal or change of life,) no doubt go into their own congenial or corresponding states, according to the state of their loves or lives (viz ) (their hearts or wills which constitute their spiritual life) at the period of the soul's departure from the earthly tenement which she leaves behind, when she goes into the world of spirits, conjointly with those of a similar nature, according to their former lives, which alone causes and constitutes the different and diversified states, orders, and degrees of both good and evil spirits; for happiness and misery, which is in reality heaven and hell (those states being constituted thereby,) altogether depends upon the recipients, which are mankind: the difference being in them and them alone, and not in God, who on the contrary is the unchangeable and fixed Sun of Righteousness, shining upon all his creatures individually alike,

* The only reason why we have placed the soul in the feminine gender instead of the masculine, is in consequence of its being a recipient vessel.

M