The World's Dialogues: Or, Conversations on the Road to Happiness

MULTUM IN PARVO.

Hail, holy Scriptures! book divine, all hail !
By Heaven designed to teach apostate man
Facts which its pages can alone make known.
Clear revelation of the GREAT I AM!

In whose mysterious natures, past the ken
Of hymning seraphs round th' eternal throne,
The Godhead and Humanity are found;
Three persons, yet in simple essence one,
To us revealed as Father, Spirit, Son.

Here we are taught how Providence supreme
Presides o'er all, and guides th' affairs of man,
While deep designs, from ages long concealed,
God's plans and purposes of truth and love.
In every page unfolded clearly shine
The mystic meaning, and the high import
Of speech prophetic, and of Providence ;
Of parabolic teaching, visions bright—
All are made plain, so that the man who runs,
And toiling wayfarers, may read and learn.
Here too, to cheer and urge us on our way,
Or, beacons like, direct, instruct, and warn,
The lives of holy men, whose faith and zeal,
Springing from love to him their all in all,

Nor sword, nor tortures, fires, nor death could move,
Stand out conspicuous. All as one grand whole,
Bound with the band of everlasting love,

Which, like Ezekiel's wheel,* right onwards moves, E'en from eternity, with Jehovah's plan

Down to the hour when time itself shall die.

* See page 100.

SPIRIT OF THE REFORMATION.

The very ground no vain religion breathes.
Where thorn and thistle, blent with fruit and flower,
Both cross and curse by intimation teach.
But when from feeling unto faith we mount,
What fine accordance doth redemption show
Between the ruin and the rise of man!
For in thy person and thy spirit, Lord,
A reproduction of those trinal powers
(That threefold state of majesty entire,

When priesthood, prophecy, and kingship crown'd
The man consummate,) faith's adoring eye,

In dim rehearsal, or in dawning grace

May witness. Hence our being, at the best,
Is but an embryo of the life to be.
Philosophy a mere precursor looks;
All high attainments but its preludes are;
And science but presentiment appears
Of all which manhood, when redemption brings
The primal glories of our birthright back,
In full millennium shall at length enjoy.

Go! stand the living and the dead between.
Take the rich censer of Messiah's grace,
And stop the plague. Oh, what a theme!
God in flesh, to save that flesh, array'd,
The infinite within the finite lodged,
The form Almighty in the frame all weak,
The dead Creator on the cross unveil'd

In bleeding glory! Heaven and earth, and hell,
Eternity and time, and sin and grace!

Elements combined to throw around a preacher
That commanding spell of awe,

Which makes the earthen vessel bend,

To think it treasures such a peerless trust!

R. MONTGOMERY.

CONTENTS.

DIALOGUE I.
Page 1.

All men ought to be grateful to God.-Food provided by God to all who seek it.-God's blessing on all diligence, especially when he is looked up to for assistance and guidance.-Great variety given to us, that men may choose and be pleased.-God will be enquired of.-God able to bless and curse.-) -Man altogether dependent on the great Creator.-The folly of man cherishing an independent feeling against God.-Satan endeavours to mark the pleasure deriveable from God's gifts to man.- -Satan delighted to see pride in man.-Satan hates humility and a care for the soul. -Man indisposed to believe everything that he sees not with his natural eyes. Reasonable proof of the existence of good and evil spirits. The evil spirit under the power of God.—God bringeth good out of evil.-Satan and man the cause of all misery.—Why the will of God is not attended to by man.

DIALOGUE II.
Page 7.

The believer in Christianity generally happy.—A guilty conscience a barrier to happiness.-The kindness of God in humouring man with innocent fancies and pleasures; that such enjoyments become sin when used to excess, or to the hurt of any person.Knowledge given to man to understand the use of things made for him.-God the owner of all things, which are but lent to man.God's earthly and heavenly treasury.-Want of wisdom the cause of abuses and excess.-Variety of fancies and gifts among men.God maketh poor and rich-Power of death given to Satan, yet God's power over all.-The interposition of God to save men from falling in any way. The hypocrite, both a rogue and a fool, and the worst of men.-Hypocrisy the cause of religion being brought into disrepute among worldly men.-The effect of true religion on man.- Good works the result of faith in Christ and are works of the heart.-The sinful world mad.-Delights of the ungodly.-Names and titles; the use of them; what the greatest title on earth.-Man's glory and happiness can be increased but not God's. Pleasures not happiness. God's pleasure and

delight in man All men children of God; two sorts of children. -God's power to prevent sin when he sees fit. Three sorts of prayer and fear.-God knows the trne feeling of man's heart.A meaning to the Lord's Prayer.

DIALOGUE III.

Page 18.

God first inspires or moves man to think of his soul.-Natural dislike to spiritual things and the propensity to worldly enjoyments. Voices of the elements, insects, leaves, flowers, pleasures of the world, death and the grave!-Satan pleased to see men depend on good works for their salvation -Costliness of the pleasures of the world.-Innocent pleasures allowed by God for our recreation, if they are not carried to excess -The real enjoyment of amusement lost by immoderate use. All men subject to excess but seldom escape unpunished.-God is seen only in his word, providences, and creation.-God's word, or the bible, spoken against by those who see not its beauty, grandeur, gems, value, harmony, &c. &c.-God in his word declares that his will is absolute, and that He is Justice, Mercy, and Life, or Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.-The only way of access to God is through the Son.-The two spiritual births of the first man Adam. None will see heaven without a spiritual birth. Necessity of the plan of salvation.- Flesh and spirit distinct things.-The God of nature reserves his prerogative to stop any orderly course established by himself. - God's knowledge of the thoughts of man.-Reflections on God as the great architect of all things.-Reasons why man should not boast in himself, but in God only. Folly of man to refuse the best of gifts.—Why man ought to be thankful for the bible.-All improvements are from God. His watchful care over all.

DIALOGUE IV.

Page 30.

Sickness.-Impatience and dread in affliction.-Consolations to the afflicted when the mind is troubled.-Pride the hindrance to prayer.-Mystery of pride.-How God overrules pride for good. Pride and sin natural to man, and the necessity of not letting them have dominion. Acknowledging ourselves sinners, and feeling that we are sinners quite different things - Religious denominations stumbling-blocks to many.-Only one gospel and one way to happiness.-Religion designed by God to make men happy -A real Christian will fight with his spiritual adversaries, and speak for God and his cause, and by such means will praise and glorify him.-Happiness not found in profession of religion only, nor in anything but a renewed and honest heart. - The artfulness of Satan in religious matters.-Falling from grace.Election and predestination.-God the only prophet. Men who are called prophets, but instruments and servants to God.-To

foretell an evil is not to cause the evil.-On effects and causes.-
Benefit of having a fear of God -Power given to man to be
happy. Hints to servants.-On the government of temper.—
Good temper a great blessing, and that it may be attained.-The
worldly man's and the Christian's opinions of delusions.

DIALOGUE V.

Page 50.

The Bible like a boundless ocean.-What the Bible is as a whole.-
Satan makes use of Scripture. The knowledge of Satan's ways a
thing to be desired.-Death only frees from the indwelling of sin.
-God's mercy and grace from the curse.-The subject of Satan
tempting Christ.-The Saviour's knowledge of his father's wrath
and man's danger, and his willingness to be a sacrifice that they
may escape if they will.-The birth of Christ.-The son being
subject to the Father, and praying to him.-The body, or flesh, is
the inferior part of man -Man composed of three parts.—God
made man like himself, or after his image-Reflections on Christ,
as the sinner's friend, forgiving sin, and God's hatred to sin.-
On forgiveness among men.—The parable of the prodigal son.