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Then had the churches rest and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied....Acts ix. 31.

THE form of godliness without the power, is sufficient to make men saints, good church-men, honest souls in the eyes of the carnal world. But when, by the power of the Spirit our hearts possess the faith of Jesus, it cannot be hid, but the life of Jesus also will be manifested in our walk and conversation. Then persecution awaits us, the world hates us, their former esteem for and good opinion of us, is changed into hatred and opposition. The word of the Lord must be fulfilled, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."....2 Tim. iii. 12. This is the lot of every disciple, it is a touch-stone of faith; but this is over-ruled by our master's wisdom, for his glory and our spiritual advantage. These have proved the most thriving seasons to the church of God, most prosperous to the souls of disciples; then the love of this world has been most purged from the heart, and the closest fellowship with Jesus enjoyed; without adversity our graces wither.

But is the rage and fury of opposers abated? Have we a little more rest and quiet from those, who, at our first conversion to Jesus, vexed and oppressed us? Here a godly jealousy is needful, close examination necessary. Is Jesus still dear to us? Do we keep close to him as the beloved of our souls? Are the promises of God still precious? and do we stand steady against the smiles of the world, preferring Jesus to all? See, mark the blessed connection between edification of the truth, walking in the fear of the Lord, and enjoying the comforts of the Holy Ghost. So the church of old prospered when rest was given them. These things are inseparable. True saving knowledge of Jesus in the heart, ever discovers itself by a holy, loving, filial fear of the Lord in the life. The more we are edified in the faith, this fear increaseth: faith and fear are founded in love, and will be accompanied with the comfort of the Holy Ghost.

But though the churches had rest from persecution, still the members were in the body; Satan was active; afflictions and temptations ceased not. In this, nor they nor we shall ever be exempt in this vale of tears: to endure them, we are taught, is part of our blessedness.... James i. 12. By them we learn many useful lessons of faith, patience, humility, and resignation to the will of God, and are made the more to partake of his holiness; so the Holy Ghost sanctifies them to our profit, and enables us to glorify the Lord our God, being cheerful and confident in Jesus' promise: "Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation.".... Rev. iii. 10.

But thou hast not called upon me, O Jacob: but thou hast been weary of me, O Israel....Isa. xliii. 22.

"GOD hath not cast away his people which he foreknew.".. Rom. xi. 2. Zealous professors may become shameful apostates. God's own children may awfully backslide from him, and sadly decline in their love to him and service of him. Such a conduct is most base to the best of beings, most ungrateful to the most loving Lord and Saviour, most wounding to sensible, gracious hearts: but such wandering sheep shall hear the faithful shepherd's voice, and shall return with weeping and supplications. Slighted mercies, forfeited privileges, neglected means of grace, indifference to the cause of Jesus, and growing weary of the Saviour's ways and service, bear sad witness against the soul.

A little self-examination will discover that such an one hath found other lovers; with them he is delighted, and after them he hath gone. If the life of sense prevails against the life of faith, the lusts of the flesh are preferred to spiritual delights; carnal, worldly company is more relished than the communion of the saints; fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness is more attended to, than fellowship with Jesus: if the private duties of the closet, the public ordinances of God's house are forsaken: if to all this there is an indifference and unconcern of soul, can the solemn charge of our Lord be heard, "Thou hast been weary of me," without pleading guilty? Be astonished, O heavens, at this! Weary IN serving the Lord may be the christian's experience through infirmity; but to be weary of the Lord himself, the Lord of every perfection, the God of all mercies, the Father of all consolation, the only Saviour of our souls, our only hope in time, our all in eternity; to be weary of, to grow shy to such à. being, O what shall one say! truly, love is patient and prayer powerful; but for the love of the Father, and the intercession of Jesus, such a soul might, ere this, have reaped his deserts in torments, and been weary of his punishment in hell. But O, after such base conduct, hear the declaration of LovE...."I, even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions, for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins."....verse 25. Therefore there is hope, grace reigns, grace abounds, mercy is free, proclamation is made. "Return, (such a temper must be changed, or death cannot be hopeful, nor eternity desirable), return to the Lord THY God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity."....Hosea xiv. 1.

Where should my foolish passions rove? Let me be fasten'd to thy cross,

Where can such sweetness be

As I have tasted in thy love,
As I have found in thee!

Wretch that I am, to wander thus

In chace of false delights!

Rather than loose thy sight.

Make haste my days to reach the goal

And bring my heart to rest
On the dear centre of my soul,

My God, my Saviour's breast.

Then I saw and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction....Prov. xxiv. 32.

OBSERVATION is the life of understanding. Experience is the joy of faith. Learning good from others' harms is true wisdom. Can we look around us among the circle of our professing acquaintance, and not see the awful effects of slothfulness in the ways of God? What supine indolence to the cause of Jesus, and careless indifference as to the health and prosperity of the soul, do we behold! A very affecting description of this the Spirit of wisdom here presents to our view: "I went by the field of the slothful, (the once seemingly growing and shining professor) and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, (the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, has choked the word....Matt. xiii. 22.) and nettles has covered the face thereof;" (the rank weeds of corrupt lusts, sensual gratifications, carnal pleasures and delights overspread the life and conduct); "the stone wall of the vineyard is broken down;" (the soul lying open and unfenced against the incursion of the beasts of prey, Satan, the men of this world, carnal company; senseless of its danger, and slothful to all means of deliverance, the poor soul composes itself with) "yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep." Is not this a striking, though awful likeness? Do we not almost daily behold its original? How melancholy the sight! how alarming the conduct! how dreadful the sentence! "So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth (with speed); and thy want as an armed man," (being without power thou canst not withstand it). See this, O soul! remember thy calling is to diligence. "Consider it well," (what sad effects spiritual sloth produce!) "Look upon it, (as a frame and temper of soul to be constantly dreaded, and earnestly prayed against); receive instruction:" "For whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning." To what end? To shew what has happened to others, "are ensamples to us, and for our admonition; upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.” ....1 Cor. x. 11, 12. The apostle speaks of "things that accompany salvation."....Heb. vi. 9. Diligence in the ways of God is one of these things; without this we cannot enjoy the full assurance of hope, that we are "followers of them who, through faith and patience, do now inherit the promises."

I love the volumes of thy word;
What light and joy these leaves afford
To souls benighted and distrest!
Thy precepts guide my doubtful way,
Thy fear forbids my feet to stray,

Thy promise leads my heart to rest.

[eyes,

Thy threat'nings wake my slumb'ring
And warn me where my danger lies;

But 'tis thy blessed gospel, Lord,
That makes my guilty conscience clean,
Converts my soul, subdues my sin,'.
And gives a free but large reward.

Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God....Acts vii. 56.

'SUFFICIENT to the day is the evil thereof.' As the trial and exercise of our day is, so shall our strength be. Saints shall have suffering grace for suffering times. Hours of great outward calamities often prove seasons of the greatest aboundings of inward consolation. It is said, "Stephen fell asleep." What! fall asleep under a shower of stones? Yes: the sweetest sleep he ever experienced. It was preceded by a supernatural sight of glory; he awoke in the full enjoyment of glory; he suffered first for Jesus, he is the first who is: favored with a view of the glorified Jesus in his kingdom. How faithful is the Lord we serve! how great are his compassions! how reviving to the soul is the spiritual sight of him! Whether patriarchs, prophets,> apostles, martyrs, and confessors, as believers in all ages, the same Lord was the object of their faith; they were comforted by the same Spirit, whose blessed office is to glorify Jesus in the views of believing souls. True, "no man shall see me and live, saith the Lord.".... Exod. xxxiii. 20. Even highly favored Stephen saw not the essential glory of Jehovah but through the medium of the man Jesus. Whether with his bodily sight, or in the full visions of faith and the Holy Ghost, he saw the glory of God in the person of the glorified, exalted Son of man, Jesus, this discovery fired his soul with heavenly joy, and inflamed his heart with holy transport.

Faith's views of Jesus have a transforming influence upon the soul. While he is beheld, love is communicated. Ascending hearts to Jesus are favored with descending love from Jesus. Love, received in the heart, cheerfully diffuseth its sweet savour around us; it enlarges the bowels of compassion, and opens the mouth in prayer even for its worst enemies. Thus Stephen prays for his very murderers. When for himself he stands; when for them he kneeled down, as though more importunate for them than for himself. What hath Jesus done for sinners! What doth he in them! How precious is he to those who believe! How should our hearts long for clearer views of him by the Spirit! As in his love, so in his person he is wONDERFUL; he is ever the same, a MAN; he appears in his human form before the throne, interceding for sinners. The same suffering, crucified man, who loved our persons and bore our sins, still lives and pleads our cause as our triumphant conqueror in our nature over all our enemies. Thus daily conceive of, look to, and embrace in the arms of faith, thy Lord and thy God, O soul, as man and mediator, as having once atoned and is now interceding for thee; so mayest thou ever comfortably say, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, Q Lord, God of truth." '....Psalm xxxi. 5.

VOL. I.

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Doth the ploughman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?....Isa. xxviii. 24.

"THE Lord of hosts hath decreed to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.".... Isa. xxiii. 9. Therefore his word sends us to the common transactions in life, that we may gather instruction in humility, and be taught to bow to his sovereignty. Every dispute against the latter is a strong evidence of the want of the former. When the mouth is not stopped, but daringly opened against sovereign purposes and eternal decrees, it is an awful sign that the plough of God's law hath not cut deep into such sinners hearts; for, instead of pleading guilty and being speechless, the pride of nature urges vain pleas against free-grace truth, everlasting love, the finished salvation of Jesus, and the certain glory of all his chosen members.

But verily, as the ploughman plows at a proper season, and sows his seed at the appointed time, and as harvest shall not fail, so the church of Christ is "God's husbandry.”........1 Cor. iii. 9. By the ministry of the word the Lord plows up the uncultivated ground of unfruitful hearts, he opens and breaks the clods of pride and lust, he casts in the seed of eternal life in the knowledge of Jesus, then the graces of faith, hope, love, and holiness, take root downward and spring forth upward.

But alas! the seed is exposed to many dangers; weeds may grow up and choke it; if refreshing showers, the warm sun, or the purifying air is withheld, it will rot, and bring forth no fruit unto perfection. The poor heart is not without its fears, yea is at its wit's end at times, lest so it should be. And what can he do? He cannot command the clouds, call forth the sun, or cause the wind to blow. Boasting in self is at an end; trusting to-inherent grace is cut off; hence the soul is led in humility to see that all things are of God; that if ever he reaps the harvest of eternal life, it is wholly and solely owing to God's free gift by Jesus; that all present fruitfulness is by the Spirit's energy and influence, in consequence of the Father's love and faithfulness, and the Son's perfect work and salvation; therefore look not so much within, nor around thee, as above to Jesus. Doubting disciple, from this inexhaustible fountain hope and encourage ment flow. Though all within seems gloomy and distressing, all without opposing and discouraging, yet our God is over all and above all. Ever remember there is as great a necessity for the heart to be deeply rooted in humility downward, as for the pleasing fruits of peace and joy to spring upward. Our heavenly husband knows which is best for us. As the ploughman minds his work, and does his duty; so do thou. Be diligent in thy work; be humble in thy heart, knowing "God giveth the increase."....1 Cor. iii. 7.

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