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Thus saith the Lord God, Behold I lay in Zion for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.... Isa. xxviii. 16.

A DAY is coming when every man's work shall be tried. The foundation of the Lord stands sure; but every other foundation shall be destroyed. He who is built on Jesus, and derives all his hopes of life and salvation from him, is safe in time, and secure to all eternity. Before men begin to build, they draw a plan; and every wise builder looks carefully to the foundation; for on this depends the safety of the super-structure.

The plan of salvation was drawn in the eternal council. It is founded in the love of the Father; effected by the obedience and sufferings of the Son, Jesus. Hence what was contrived in infinite wisdom above, is laid as a sure, foundation in the church below, by the love and power of the Spirit, the comforter. It is his peculiar office to lay this foundation in Zion, and to manifest and make known to the prophets and apostles, teachers and saints, that Jesus is the only foundation. As a stone, for strength; a tried stone, approved of by the Father, and by his children in all ages; a precious cornerstone: the ornament and beauty, as well as strength and security of the whole church. Precious is Jesus in all his offices to them that believe; a sure foundation, sure to all the seed; certain to all the purposes of their salvation. And as the Lord the Spirit lays this foundation in the church, in the truth of doctrine, so also in the faith and experience of redeemed souls.

What the word speaks of Jesus, that we prove and find him to be. This is our mercy. "He that believeth shall not make haste." Such is his serenity and composure of mind, that he shall not be frightened in times of distress and calamity, to quit his confidence in Jesus....he shall not be ashamed of his hope in the Lord. Being well satisfied that Jesus reigns, that the government of his church is upon his shoulders, and the residue of the Spirit is with him, he will patiently wait, and quietly hope for the fulfilment of every promise. Sin and satan shall not overcome the believer in life; in the awful article of death, he shall not be confounded, because his heart standeth fast, believing in the Lord; and when Jesus his friend appears, he shall stand forth with boldness, and shall find an abun-. dant entrance into the presence of God and the Lamb, to live, and love, and reign in glory for ever and ever.

O, for a strong and lasting faith,
To credit what th' Almighty saith,

To build upon God's only Son,

And call his righteousness my own.........

But the Comforter who is the Holy Ghost, rohom the Fatlier will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you....John xiv. 26.

OUR blessed Lord here gives us the clearest discovery of the ever-glorious three persons, in covenant, for the salvation of lost sinners. In this knowledge lies all our hope; from this belief springs all our comfort. In the love of this, our heaven is begun upon earth; for the knowledge, belief, and love of this truth in our hearts, we are wholly indebted to the comforter. He teaches all things.. Not by any new lights or fresh revelations; but he graciously. instructs our minds and comforts our hearts by the same light of truth and love which beamed forth in the first promise, and which shone brighter and brighter in prophecies, types and shadows of the covenant, until the substance, Jesus, was come. Then the canon of revealed truth was completed by the apostles, under the teaching of the holy Spirit; the substance of which is, the things which Jesus spake, did, and suffered on our account, as our substitute, and for our salvation.

It is the peculiar office of the Spirit to glorify Jesus, and to sanctify our souls. This he doth by the word of truth; teaching our minds the Father's electing love, as centering in Jesus, and directing our eyes to him, as made of God to us, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Let no man deceive us with expectations of any new revelation from heaven, of new truths to comfort us; but ever hear Paul, "Though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."....Gal. i. 8. Let us prize and study God's word; in and by that the Spirit teacheth and comforteth our minds; in everlasting love and the most ancient truth he establisheth us; we are poor sinners from day to day: we feel many things in and around us to deject and distress us. When we remember what sin hath done to us, brought upon us, and exposeth us to, our hearts are in fears and doubts what will become of us. O, then the comforter brings to our minds and consciences the transcendantly rich love of Jesus; what he undertook, spoke, and did in life, suffered in death, and still lives to plead in our behalf before the throne. O, the heartfelt joy of this! So he relieves our minds and refreshes our spirits, through the faith of Jesus, in the knowledge of the truth; so he teaches us self-despair, animates us with courage to go on in the path of holiness, and fortifies our minds to withstand all that is against us. "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."....Ephes. iv. So.

Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh....Rom. viii. 12,

CHRISTIANITY teaches us to owe no man any thing. He is a prudent man who keeps his accounts clear and knows to whom he is indebted; he is a grateful man who acknowledges favors with just sentiments. If this is necessary and commendable in the economy of this short life, how much more so in things of a spiritual and eternal nature! How wise, how just is it to render to all their dues! If we are debtors to the flesh, let us serve that; but if debtors to the Lord, it is then our duty and privilege to serve him. What owest thou, O christian, to the flesh? Verily, neither suit nor service: but alas! thou hast obeyed its sinful motions, gratified the corrupt lusts thereof, and what hast thou reaped for it but shame and sorrow? These are the only fruits that sin and folly bear. The flesh with its corruptions and lusts is at enmity to thy God, and at war against thy soul. Willingly to give place to such an enemy to fulfil the lusts and live after the sinful desires of the flesh, will most assuredly weaken thy confidence in Jesus and bring death upon thy peace and comfort; yea, "if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die." The Lord strengthen us daily to deny its demands, and to mortify its lusts! for we are not debtors to the flesh, but to the Spirit; debtors, in an immense sum of love and gratitude; time can never discharge it. With inexpressible joy and delight we shall ever be paying, but never discharge this debt through a never-ending eternity.

The gospel of the grace of God is no licentious doctrine; it sets at liberty it is true; but it is from the most galling yoke and most servile drudgery to sin and lusts; but yet it binds the soul in the sweetest bonds of grateful service and loving obedience to Jesus, the best of masters. What owest thou to the Spirit, O christian? Write upon thy heart, even all my present peace, all my future hopes; for he it is who convinced thee of sin, revealed to thee the love of God in Christ, gave thee power to believe on Jesus, grace to repent. He fills thee with joy and peace in believing; he bears witness with thy spirit, and assures of thine adoption to be a child of God; and it is through his influence only, thou art able to mortify the deeds of the flesh, to love thy God and Saviour and live to his glory; and canst thou deliberately grieve the Spirit, this blessed inhabitant, this loving comforter, by yielding service to thy inbred enemy? O, with what fire of indignation against lust! with what warmth of affection to his God doth Joseph cry out, under the solicitations of a strong temptation, How can I do this great wickedness? and what?....sin against the best of masters? against my own soul? no; but against my most kind, most loving, and eternal friend, the Lord my God!.... Gen. xxxix. 9.

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As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord....Rom. v. 21.

SIN, like some mighty conqueror, hath obtained a victory and reigns over the whole human race. All men are naturally under, and well pleased with its reign and government; but sovereign, almighty grace dethrones this usurping monarch in the hearts of the elect; triumphs over its spoils and conquests, delivers their captive souls from its dominion, and reverseth the sentence of death they were under: and all this is effected in a just and righteous way. For though salvation is all of grace to poor sinners, yet eternal life is a just debt due to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ: he hath a right to challenge it from the hands of justice; and he doth so by promise, "Father, I WILL that they whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am."....John xvii. 24.

To think of doing something to procure the favor of God and entitle ourselves to eternal life; this we are prompted to from the pride of our natures and unbelief of our hearts. But such notions ever oppose the gospel of grace, resist the Spirit of truth, degrade the glory of Jesus, depreciate the perfection of his finished work, and make the God of truth a liar. But thou, O believer, art not saved without a perfect righteousness, in perfect obedience to the law of God; and through faith in Jesus thou hast a just challenge, an humble claim, founded upon his righteousness, to eternal life! O, the rich triumphs of abounding love! how glorious is the victory of sovereign grace! Soul, thou must sink into nothing at its discovery, yet rise into a glorious subject, from the knowledge and experience of it. Grace reigns over all the aboundings of sin; here is our hope, through the righteousness of Christ, over all our unrighteousness; here is our justification in God's sight unto eternal life; here is our triumph over the wages of sin and death. O sinner! destitute of righteousness in thyself, GRACE demands the daily study and those of thy heart; GRACE demands the whole devotion of thy life. Give all the glory where only it is justly due; to the Father, for everlasting love; to the Son, for everlasting righteousness; and to the Spirit, for everlasting consolation and good hope through grace. The more thou art enabled to live upon the divine truth and faithfulness of the covenant, as revealed in the word, and shining with full lustre in the person of Jesus, thou wilt become dead to every hope but him; out of conceit with all righteousness but his, and thou wilt be singing in triumph with the church, "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; MY soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed ME with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness."....Isa. Ixi. 10.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you....

1 Pet. v. 7.

WE are now called to confess Jesus in a day of mildness; the fury and rage of persecution is restrained; bonds and imprisonments do not await us; yet we must not think to be exempt from trials and difficulties of various kinds. The adversary is not dead; nature's Justs and corruptions are alive, and daily fight against us. The love of Jesus is ever accompanied with the world's hatred. Disciples of Jesus are not mere stoics; they feel the exercise of these things more or less. Sometimes it may be their lot, like the disciples, tô be in the midst of a sea of troubles; tossed with the wave of difficulties, the wind of providence seems contrary to them; and to the eye of nature and sense, Jesus seems asleep to their sorrows; as though he intermits in his kind love to them, and tender care over them. Here is the trial of faith; but this grace never consults nature and appearances; it looks through all, to the everlasting love and almighty power of Jesus, knowing he can save from the uttermost depth of distress, to the uttermost height of comfort.

So triumphs the church under all her tribulations; "I will look unto the Lord: I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me. Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me."....Micah vii. 7, 8. Sweet confession of faith under very discouraging views. But while the Lord cares for us, what can harm us? And while we cast our every care on him, we obey his will, honor his word, and gather from that heavenly plant the blessed fruit of heart-ease. How composed did the three children of faith stand before the wrathful monarch! How easy their minds under the dreadful threatening of a fiery furnace! How calm their reply! "O king, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter!" the Lord careth for us; we cast all our care upon him. Ever judge of Jesus' care for sinners by his love to them. Ever remember while we were enemies, his blood atoned for our sins. Can we believe his love to us, and doubt of his care for us? O how unreasonable is unbelief! But if we had no corruptions to conflict with, no troubles to exercise us, no burdens to bow us down, no cares to beset us, no fears to attend us, great part of God's word would be useless. As we are not to expect total freedom from these things, the exhortations of the word are suited to our state, and direct to a loving friend, whom we are to believe and honor by obeying his kind invitations: under every distress Jesus saith, "Come unto me."....Matt. xi. 28.

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