They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? ΤΟ THE CONTENTS I WOULD SUBJOIN THE FOLLOWING PREFATORY REMARKS. TAKE the Chapter before us, and it will be found 1. We have the Lord's address to Israel, his What I should style a Second Part of the same, is The Third Part begins at the fifth verse, with a most comprehensive promise, which extends to the close of the eighth verse. The Fourth Part commences at the ninth verse, and ends there. I have only to add hereunto, that in my weak and low apprehension, this outline being attended unto, you have an opening into each particular, and the grand subject of the whole. I am small, and of no reputation; yet, I really desire no other situation in the church of the living God. It is "by the grace of God I am what I am." So far as he may be pleased to enable me, and to make use of me, I am heartily desirous to be employed in his work and service. And if he is pleased to reject me, and my ser vice, I am most truly willing to be employed, or rejected, just as seemeth good in his sight. As I am well-pleased with his having loved me with an everlasting love; and that as one with Christ, and he being one with me, he will never leave me nor forsake me. I love the person of Christ; I love the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ; I love his interest in the world; I love his church, his gospel, his ordinances, his people, in their respective places and circum stances: some of them are in high repute, some of them in very low estimation; some are very greatly distinguished by their spiritual attainments in the school of Christ, for their growth into him, and for their attachment unto, and cleaving to the Lord with full purpose of heart. And some of the Lord's beloved ones are always the objects of pity and compassion, on account of their propensity in heart and affeetion to backslide from him. I love these as truly as I do any of the most eminent of the saints; yet I do not love them for their backslidings, but because the Lord hath loved them with an everlasting love. I hope that whoever reads the following Discourses, will have no reason to complain, and say, here, in such and such a line or page, there is a palliation of, and a conniving at sin, and making very light of it. Yet I hope it will be fully evidenced, and made known to all such as know the Lord, that where sin hath abounded, or doth still abound, in any of the vessels of mercy, the grace of God superabounds; so as sin reigneth unto death, even so grace reigneth through righteousness unto eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. The substance of these Discourses was delivered on several Wednesday evenings, at the Chapel in Printers' Court, Shoe Lane, and are now transcribed from memory, and set before the eye of the public, hoping as they found acceptance then, they may also now. Leaving all this with the Lord alone, and looking unto him for his blessing, I subscribe myself, A real lover of Christ and his Church, SAMUEL EYLES PIERCE. Aged Seventy-five years. Brixton Chapel, March 31, 1821. |