November 29

the evils from which you have been delivered, the provision with which you have been fed, the robes with which you have been adorned—Once a slave, now redeemed; once guilty, now justified from all things; once a child of wrath, now an heir of God, and a joint-heir with Christ. Ebenezer! Surely goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Thirdly. Gain and preserve a growing sense of your unworthiness. There is an inseparable connexion between humility and gratitude. A proud man was never known to be grateful. Heap therefore whatever favours you please upon him, and what thanks have ye? And the reason is, because he thinks he deserves your kindness, and that you are doing justly rather than showing mercy. But he who is sensible that he is not worthy of the least indulgence, will feel obliged by every attention. And what is the fact with regard to us? We are not only mean, but criminal. For proof of this we need not go back to the days of unregeneracy. What have we been since we have known God, or rather have been known of him? Let us look at our omissions of duty, our misimprovement of privileges, our debasements of motive; the sins of our holy things. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed! Yet we are in the possession of grace! And in the prospect of glory!

NOVEMBER 29.—“A partner.”—Philemon 17.

THE whole verse reads thus: “If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.” In this argument, on the behalf of Onesimus, Paul does not employ his authority or plead his apostleship. He does not describe himself from his extraordinary commission and endowments, but calls himself “a partner” with Philemon in the mutual interests of Christianity. John also speaks much in the same way when he refers to himself: “I, John, am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.”

As Paul here speaks of himself as a Christian, under the character of a “partner,” we are led to observe that all Christians are thus related to each other.

There are partners in business. This does not wholly apply to the case before us. The salvation of our own souls is an individual and a personal concern; and is carried on between God and ourselves. Others may do some things for us; but as they cannot eat, and drink, and sleep for us, so they cannot repent, and believe, and obey for us. Here the heart knoweth his own bitterness, and a stranger intermeddleth not with his joy. He that is wise is profitable to himself; and shall have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. Yet there is a common concern in which all Christians are jointly and equally engaged. It is to serve and glorify God by maintaining his cause in the world, and by endeavouring to enlarge his empire and multiply the number of his followers. This does not require them to live together in the same place, or to labour in the same way: but they are bound to co-operate in the use of all the means in their power to advance the same end—abiding with God in their callings—having gifts differing according to the propor-