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gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

When the Rev. Ebenezer Erskine's doctrine was impugned, and his discourses complained of before the ecclesiastical courts, he was enabled to vindicate himself with great dignity and courage; and expressions sometimes fell from his lips, which, for a time, overawed and confounded his enemies. On one occasion, at a meeting of the synod of Fife, according to the account of a respectable witness, when some members were denying the Father's gift of our Lord Jesus to sinners of mankind, he rose and said, "Moderator, our Lord Jesus says of himself, My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.' This he uttered to a promiscuous multitude; and let me see the man who dares to affirm that he said wrong!" This short speech, aided by the solemnity and energy with which it was delivered, made an uncommon impression on the synod, and on all that were present.

Chap. vi, ver. 37.--All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

A clergyman was called to visit a poor dying woman, who was quite ignorant of the truth. After conversing with her on the depravity of human nature, and the way of salvation by Jesus Christ, that it was all of grace, and that there was no limitation as to person or state; the woman listened to every word with great attention; the tears began to trickle down her cheeks; and at last she said," I know nothing of the man of whom you have been speaking;" immediately adding, "I was never brought up in the way of religion; never taught to know a letter of a book, nor attend any place of worship." The clergyman visiting her the next day, began to discourse upon the suitableness, the ability, and willingness of Jesus to save perishing sinners. "And do you think,

sir," said she," he will save such a vile wretch as I am?" He observed, the promise ran thus," Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." Here she found a basis to rest on. Her knowledge of divine things rapidly increased; and her fervent devotions seemed now to be the perpetual breathings of her soul. She continued in this state about six weeks, soliciting the company of all Christian friends to converse and pray with her, giving evident marks of being a subject of that grace to which she had been so long a stranger.

Chap. vii, ver. 1.-After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

In Tournay, about 1544, a very noted professor of the Protestant religion, being earnestly sought after, had concealed himself so closely, that his persecutors were unable to discover where he was bid. Contrary, however, to the advice and entreaty of his wife and friends, he gave himself up, desirous of the glory of martyrdom; but being adjudged to be burnt, he recanted and abjured the faith, in order to be beheaded. The papists improved this, in order to decoy his fellow-sufferers to the like recantation; but they replied, "He had tempted God by rushing upon danger without a call, but they had to the utmost of their power shunned it, and hoped that since he had called them to suffer, he would support them under it." And it so happened, for they went to the fire in solemn pomp, and were consumed loudly singing the praise of God even in the flames, till their strength was exhausted. We are not to court sufferings; it is enough if we cheerfully endure them when, in the providence of God, we are called to it. Our Lord himself says to his disciples, "When they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another."

Chap. vii, ver. 45, 46.-Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and

they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him? The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

Mr. Powell, a minister of the Gospel, being informed that an officer was come to apprehend him for preaching the Gospel, quietly resigned himself into his hands, requesting only that he might be permitted to join with his wife and children in prayer, before he was dragged to prison. With this request the officer complied, and the family being together, the officer was so struck with the ardent and tender prayers of this suffering servant of God for his family, for the church, and for his persecutors in particular, that he declared he would die rather than have a hand in apprehending such a man.

Chap. viii, ver. 24.--If ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.

In

Voltaire spent his whole life in malignant but vain attempts to ridicule and overturn Christianity. He was the idol of a large portion of the French nation: but just when they were decreeing new honors for him, and loading him with fresh applause, then the hour of his ignominy and shame was fully come. a moment the approach of death dissipated his delusive dreams, and filled his guilty soul with inexpressible horror. As if moved by magic, conscience started from her long slumbers, and unfolded before him the broad extended roll of all his crimes. Ah! whither shall he fly for relief? Fury and despair succeed each other by turns, and he has more the appearance of a demon than a man. To his physician he said, "Doctor, I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months life." The doctor answered, "Sir, you cannot live six weeks." Voltaire replied, "Then shall I go to hell, and you shall go with me;" and soon after expired.

Chap. ix, ver. 4.-I must work the works

of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work.

"Having some business," says Mr. Cecil, "to transact with a gentleman in the city, I called one day at his counting house; he begged I would call again, as I had so much more time to spend than he had, who was a man of business. 'An hour is nothing to you!' said he. "You seem little to understand the nature of our profession. One hour of a clergyman's time rightly employed, sir, is worth more to him than all the gains of your merchandise."

Chap. ix, ver. 28. Then they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple: but we are Moses' disciples.

One day as Mr. Whitefield walked along, a sailor apparently a little intoxicated, but it would seem wishing to appear more so, stumbled in Mr. Whitefield's way, who, notwithstanding, took no notice of him; at length he so much interrupted the way as to prevent Mr. Whitefield getting forward. On which he took him by the shoulder, and thrust him to one side. "What do you mean?" said the sailor, "don't you know I am one of your disciples?" "I am afraid of that," replied the good man; "had you been one of my Master's, I should have had better hopes of you."

Chap. x, ver. 1.-Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

The celebrated Mr. Alexander Henderson, who lived in the seventeenth century, was presented by Archbishop Gladstanes to the parish of Leuchars in Fife. His settlement was so unpopular, that on the day of ordination, the church doors were shut and secured by the people, so that the ministers who attended, together with the precentor, were obliged

to go in by the window. Shortly after, having heard of a communion in the neighborhood, at which the excellent Mr. Bruce was to be an assistant, he went thither secretly; and fearful of attracting notice, placed himself in a dark corner of the church, where he might not be readily seen or known. Mr. Bruce having come into the pulpit, paused for a little, as was his usual manner, a circumstance which excited Mr. Henderson's surprise; but it astonished him much more when he heard him read as his text, these very striking words, He that entereth not in by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a THIEF and a ROBBER;—which words, by the blessing of God, and the effectual working of the Holy Spirit, took such hold on him at that very instant, and left such an impression on his heart afterwards, that they proved the very first means of his conversion unto Christ. Ever after he retained a great affection for Mr. Bruce, and used to make mention of him with marks of the highest respect.

Chap. x, ver. 3, 4, 5.-The sheep hear his voice and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him for they know not the voice of strangers.

"I have met with an illustration of a passage of Scripture," says Mr. Hartley, missionary in Greece, "which interests me. Having had my attention directed last night to the words, John x, 3, the sheep hear his voice, and he calleth his own sheep by name, &c. I asked my man if it was usual in Greece to give names to the sheep; he informed me that it was, and that the sheep obeyed the shepherd, when he called them by their names. This morning I had an opportunity of verifying the truth of this remark.

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