is a knowledge which is like the radiance of the sun, every beam as warm as it is bright, and every ray as opposite to cold and death, as to gloom and darkness. Sun of righteousness! such is thy blest radiance. It irradiates all that is dark! It enlivens all that is dull -warms all that is cold-melts all in us that is hard, and vivifies what is dead. There are lessons which a man cannot learn without the help of his heart. In illustration and confirmation of this doctrine, it is said in the Scriptures, "he that loveth not, knoweth not God." There is a volume of instruction in that short statement. It teaches that a man cannot have right apprehensions of God, unless he has right affections in exercise towards him. No wonder they have erroneous notions of God, who love not his character so far as they are acquainted with it, and do not his will so far as they know it. For "if any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine." Do you wonder that bad

men are infidels? Is it strange that ambitious men are unbelievers? "How can ye believe, who receive honor from one another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?"

The reason men have so little faith, is that they have so little practice. God withholds further knowledge from men, because they already know so much more than they do. They wish to leave the first principles of the doctrines of Christ, and go on to the knowledge of deeper mysteries, when they have not laid the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God. There is no more important act of a man, than his coming to Christ. It is the act on

which his salvation is suspended. Now how is this act brought about? Hear: "It is written in the prophets, and they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore, that hath heard and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me." You see how it stands connected with knowledge. Well might the apostle express his affectionate anxiety for the Ephesians in asking further such knowledge. It was virtually asking further holiness, and indeed every thing. What does any one want more, than that wisdom which is from above, and which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy ?—a wisdom of which the very beginning is the fear of the Lord, the principle of all holiness. In asking for them such light, he asked for them love also. This is moral wisdom.

CONTROVERSY AMONG CHRISTIANS.

There are other reasons why Christians should pray that the Lord of the harvest should send forth more laborers besides those mentioned by Christ; and among them, I reckon this one, that many of the laborers have left off work, and have converted the field of labor into an arena of conflict. They are using their implements of husbandry against each other. Oh, how they cut

each other; and how pleased they are when they have dealt a severe blow. That was a good one, they say. In the mean time the harvest rots, or is not reaped. [Written on his death bed.]

DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.

I would as readily be a heretic as a pugilist. It is almost as well not to speak the truth, as to speak it not in love.

If St. John was writing to the ministers, and officers, and member of the church in our day, would he address them as "little children"? Are they such in temper and "in malice"? 1 Cor. xiv, 20.

If we are commanded to contend for the faith, are we not also commanded to walk in love, and to follow peace, and the things which make for peace? It don't mar the beauty, or impair the efficacy of truth to speak it in love.

I am determined not to quarrel with other evangelical bodies of Christians, so long as I see that enemy there, and Christ, the captain, calling me to take the field against him. Let us go and make mankind Christians first, and then we will sit down and discuss whether they should be of our denomination or not. Long ere that our bodies shall have been laid in their last repose, and our souls shall be leaning on the bosom

of the Beloved in glory-and we shall all be of one heart; and Wesley, and Fuller, and Leighton, and Calvin, and Luther, shall be forgotten, and Christ alone remembered.

I am no metaphysician. I have no skill in splitting hairs. Nor am I a partisan. I don't belong exactly to either of the schools. I am something of an eclectic. There are many things about the old school that I like. I am of opinion that it is none the worse for being old. There are some things about the new school that I don't greatly object to. I suspect, after all, that both the schools have the same Master, though in each, some things are learned, as is apt to be the case, which the Master does not teach. I think the scholars of both the schools ought to love one another. I am persuaded the Master loves both. I wish they would love each other, and leave off calling names, and dealing out sarcasm, and indulging suspicions of each other, and imputing a bad motive, when it is not certain but it might have been a good one. Oh, I wish they would; I desire it for charity's sake; I desire it too for truth's sake;-for the way to think alike, is first to feel alike. Nothing tends more to make people of one mind than being of one heart. If they feel heart to heart, they will be apt to see eye to eye. I wish the brethren would, in putting matters right, begin at this. end. We have tried the other end. I wish for the sake of sound doctrine that the brethren would love each other. For one, I am determined to do so. I will not call any brother a fox, though he should have some degree of management about him; nor a bear, though he may not have all the

civility in the world; nor a snake in the grass, because he does not reveal to me all his plans. If I really do fear that any one called a brother, bears none of the lineaments of the First Begotten, I will tell the Lord my fears, and pray for him; and before I have done at the throne of grace, I will say, "Search me, O, God, and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts, and see if there be any wicked way in me."

CONTENDING FOR THE FAITH.

"Contend earnestly for the faith." This is strong language, but the original is still more forcible. The Greek term here employed, was the one commonly used to describe the exertions made by those who engaged in the celebrated ancient games. It represents the Christian faith as a prize, for the maintenance and propagation of which, Christians should enter the lists and put forth all their powers. It was to be expected that opposition would be made to the truth, for it was confessed to be a system not at all to the taste and liking of proud and prejudiced men. Opposition had indeed shown itself, even in that apostolic age. Certain men had crept in unawares, ungodly men, turning the grace of God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ. Jude foresaw that this opposition to the simple Gospel, would increase,