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noisy fervor of an assumed one. On the same evening he gave the fifth lecture, on the exclusive Divinity of the Lord, and the Divine Trinity. The sixth was on the Atonement, and the last on the Resurrection. The audiences ranged from 200 to 300; on some occasions there were fewer present, there being torrents of rain, and a perfect hurricane. Very great attention was paid; and 1600 Tracts, those "silent preachers, "were distributed, being eagerly sought after. There are now six receivers in Airdrie. and a fair prospect of a society before long. (To be continued.)

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Obituary.

On the 21st October last, at Newcastleupon-Tyne, Mr. G. Dunwiddie, aged 68. He was the oldest member of the society, and an exemplary character; a man of profound thought and much talent. In early life he was imbued with the religion of his parents, who were strict Methodists. His mind soon began to reflect on the doctrines in which he had been instructed, and on comparing them with the Scrip tures, he could gather but little or no satisfaction, and he consequently remained in obscurity and doubt. While in this state the doctrines of the New Church came to his relief. A soldier from New York had brought the work on "Heaven and Hell," and had given it to a friend at Newcastle, who however made no use of it, but being acquainted with the subject of this memoir, he presented it to him; and this work it was which opened his mind to new views, and prepared it for the reception of the doctrines of the New Jerusalem. After this our friend met with much opposition from the so-called orthodox, which, however, gradually subsided, and through his active exertions, a library and reading meeting were established, which led to many useful results in reference to the New Church. Latterly, from defective hearing and other infirmities, our friend was not enabled to attend public worship, but he was much delighted with the reading of the Word, and of the works of his favorite author; and it was very edifying to converse with so intelligent and pious a mind on subjects so important to salvation. We doubt not

that he has received the divine welcome, "Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." J. W.

At Dover, on the 25th of October last, Mrs. Eliza Steriker Bunn, late of Eythorne, near Sandwich, Kent, aged 42 years. She was brought up by a pious mother in the Church of England, and was afterwards a member of a Baptist Society, but her mind was never settled as to doctrinal views, and the consolation which genuine truth affords, until she came into the New Jerusalem. She received the doctrines of the New Church in 1839, and was greatly comforted in having clear views of the object of her worship,-the Lord Jesus Christ in his Divine Humanity, in whom the fulness of the Godhead or the Divine Trinity dwelleth bodily. Our departed friend had passed through many afflictions, but her mind was, no doubt, thereby prepared for the reception of interior truths leading to more exalted states in the regenerate life. Her love for her former religious connexions induced her to correspond with them respecting the doctrines of the New Church, and to embrace every opportunity of making known to them the "pearl of great price" which she had found. During the last two years of her life she suffered much from a cruel cancer, which eventually caused her death. In these sufferings she experienced much support and consolation from the writings of the New Church, and being resigned to the Lord's will, her end was peace. J. H.

Cave and Sever, Printers, 18, St. Ann's-street, Manchester.

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I AM glad to learn that in your worldly affairs you are doing well; but still more am I rejoiced to find, that you are "jealous over yourself with a godly jealousy," lest while your worldly state prospers, it should be otherwise with your spiritual state. This godly jealousy must secure you the Divine protection and blessing, provided you give it an intelligent and practical direction, and thus a fixed form; otherwise, being a mere unfixed, unformed feeling, it will be in danger of passing away; for good joined with truth acquires strength and power for action, but by itself it is feeble, and in a great degree inoperative.

The ground of spiritual prosperity is the same in the church collectively, and individually. It is beautifully said in the Acts of the Apostles, (ix. 31.) "Then had the churches rest, and were builded up; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied." The Christian has to maintain a two-fold relation, one towards the Lord, and one towards his fellow creatures. The first of these relations is beautifully expressed in the passage just cited, and the other is equally so in the following words:" Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love, in honour, preferring one another. Be of the same mind one toward another [or, cultivate a state of unity of sentiment and feeling]. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with ALL men." (Rom. xii. 10, 16, 18.)

To walk in the fear of the Lord, and at the same time to follow out the celestial counsel here administered, is sure to lead to spiritual multiplication with the church at large, and also with the individual, that is, a progressive individual increase of goodness and truth, attracting others by the loveliness of its example, to add themselves to the visible church.

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As two primary means of thus fulfilling our Christian vocation, I would recommend a right commencement of each succeeding day; and such a consequent solicitous cherishing of a heavenly spirit throughout the day, as shall secure to us the accomplishment of the words of prayer to the Lord with which most persons are familiar : Let all our doings be begun, continued, and ended in thee."

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In respect to a right commencement of each day, what can better prepare us to be the subjects of the Divine influx called the Holy Spirit, than the intelligent utterance, on first awaking, of the following words, "Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning, for in thee do I trust. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk: for I lift up my soul unto thee." (Psalm cxliii, 8.) In bringing these words to mind, with a view to our spending the day well, the memory is called upon to present with its utmost fleetness to our recollection, the records of the Divine loving-kindness of our Lord and Saviour, which are registered therein: to utter forth in the ears of our listening conscience, the soul-cheering suggestions of the constant, unfailing love and kindness of the Lord, as testified to our knowledge and experience, in the operations of creation and providence, redemption and salvation; thus laying before the judgment the proper grounds for confidence and hope in the Lord, during the coming day. But these interior spiritual sounds-these voices of the angelic witnesses-cannot be heard in the lower regions of thought and consciousness. We must ascend to "the hill of Zion" within us, in order that the Lord may there “ cause the voice of his praise to be heard." All heavenly blessings come only through the medium of active faith, or trust, in the Lord. Hence we are admonished when we pray, saying, "Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the morning," to add (taking care that the words have their full and proper meaning), "for in thee do I trust.” (It is, indeed, worse than useless to utter words to the Lord which are without their proper meaning, owing to our want of reverential sincerity in their utterance. But, alas! how often we offend in this matter!) Trust in the Lord, according to our existing knowledge of Him, is the only preparative for our reception from Him of enlarged manifestations of his claims upon our gratitude-our entire, and undoubting confidence. The Lord is not used, or I might say He is not able, to cause his loving-kindness to be heard, where there is no sincere trust in his goodness, no cordial reliance on his promises. For how can He reveal anything to man except into, and by means of, something corresponding with, and responsive to, his own holy influences?—and such are states of lowly trust and confidence. Worldly things continually operate to undermine or

overshadow our trust in the Lord. How fit, then, and how beneficial, to quicken and renew our confidence in the Divine goodness at the very commencement of a new day, ere the world has begun to act upon us; so that when its subtle and powerful influences would allure us to trust in its delusive shadows, our minds may be found pre-occupied, and pre pared to resist them! How wise and prudent to invite the Lord into our citadel, to preserve it for us against the assaults of all intruders who may seek to obtain possession of us! Well may it be said, "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."

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When our exercise of trust in the Lord has been rewarded with à renewed sense of his loving-kindness, as inwardly brought to the perception of our inward ears; when it is seen, and felt, that our Heavenly Father demands our confidence only that, by means of it, he may lead us in the way of life and blessedness, how suitable to proceed to the next petition," Cause me to know the way in which I should walk;" for although the regenerating mind has long possessed an accurate general description, or map of the way from earth to heaven, yet each succeeding day discovers new difficulties and impediments, which could not well have been specifically pointed out before. Cases of doubt occur; two distinct courses are sometimes presented, for which the map of genuine doctrine has not prepared us. We know not, at first, which of the two is the right way—the way in which we should walk. No selfderived power can guide our judgment to a wise choice, by guarding us against deceptive appearances and misleading influences. No power is adequate to this but the wisdom that cometh from above." It is for this we pray-this grace to help us according to our need," when we say, "Cause me to know the way in which I should walk." But while we supplicate the Lord to teach us the better way, we must be in a state of mind suitable to receive this teaching. We must entertain a conviction, amounting to certainty, that if we "confer with flesh and blood," as to the course to be pursued when difficulties impede our way,if we ask the external man to help us to a decision,-we shall most assuredly find some low principle of the self-hood at hand to warp our judgment, and turn our feet aside, and so lead us to incur the woe of those who call evil good, and good evil, and put darkness for light and light for darkness." The prophet Jeremiah, immediately after saying, Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah, and whose hope Jehovah is," puts forth the impressive declaration, "the heart is deceitful above all things!" To avoid this deceptive influence; to take care that while we ask the Lord in words to shew us the right way, we do not really

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and actually take counsel from our own low and unregenerate affections, it becomes us to rise above all things of the proprium, and thus place ourselves in the only position in which we can be made percipient of the way which the Lord desires to shew us, as being that "in which we should walk." This is brought about by means of the declaration that follows the petition to be shewn this way, and which is stated as the ground upon which the petition is presented," for I lift up my soul unto thee." This lifting up of the soul is an elevation of our hopes to the Most High, as our Only sure ground of hope: it is a lifting up of the eyes of the mind to the Sun of righteousness, whose guiding ray can alone enable us to distinguish, particularly as well as generally, the broad way which leads to destruction, from the narrow way which leads to life. To abandon self-confidence is the only way to exercise a real confidence in the Lord; and to abandon self-elevation is the only way spiritually to lift up our souls to the Most High. "Be still, and know that I am God," is the language in which He addresses us, adding, "I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth;" that is, above all the idolatrous affections of the natural man.

Such, then, appear to be the benefits resulting from giving to the Lord our first aspirations; and to lead us to do this, is clearly the intention of such passages as the following:-" O God, thou art my God ; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth after thee.' "My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning I will set myself in order for thee, and will look up." And how fitting it is that we should thus avail ourselves of the gracious assurance, that the Lord's "mercies are new every morning." I lay much stress upon the value, the immense benefit of using ourselves to meet the Lord on first waking, with the above words, or any other words Himself has put into our mouth, as best suited to bring before us his own lovingkindness, as the sole sure ground of hope and confidence, whatever the trials or dangers of the coming day. I can speak with thankfulness of the benefit of this course; and I pray that it may be continued until my life's end! Many a time have I opened my eyes with gloomy forebodings of feeling; many a time have painful thoughts, and recollections as useless as painful, obtruded themselves on my first consciousness, shewing themselves just within the half-open door of the mind, when I have immediately been led to the use of these words, and have found the commencing gloom displaced by a cheerful confidence, and my useless, painful thoughts put to flight by the opening of my ears to the perception of the Lord's loving-kindness, in answer to this precious

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