"Will God, indeed, be my Father?" many a poor "With fatherless and motherless child has said. such an Almighty Friend, what should I want more? If God were for me-He who has the hearts of all men in His keeping-what could the world do against me? I will return unto my Father, whom I have forsaken, but who graciously encourages me to draw near to Him. I will acknowledge my sin; and ask His forgiveness, through that Saviour whom He has appointed to be a propitiation for sin, through faith in His blood. I will ask of Him the gift of His Holy Spirit, to make my heart His own, to incline and enable me to renounce every evil way, and to cleave to the way of His commandments. I will beseech Him to be my guide and protector, through the pilgrimage on which I am entering; to keep me from the pollution that is in the world through lust; to strengthen me to follow in the path of those who have not defiled their garments, but have witnessed for their Saviour a good confession, and who are now admitted to the society of the just made perfect in heaven." Many have thus obeyed the voice of God, deliberately renouncing the allurements by which they were tempted to their destruction. They sought, perhaps, tremblingly sought, the lowest place in His service; but they have been received by Him into peculiar favour: He has numbered them amongst His sons and daughters; He has sent the Spirit of His Son into their hearts; and they have found, in adoption into His family, a joy and peace which the world can neither give nor take away. They have found, that the "half was not" (could not be) told," before they had made the trial. Yes, my friends, there is not one, who has believed the promise of God, and made trial of the blessedness of being His son or daughter, that values, comparatively, any thing which this world can give or take away. Now, consider: Must not that be something worth seeking for, which is thus valued by those who have tried its value? Oh! seek, ye who have not yet sought in earnest, the shelter of the wings of the God of Israel! Choose Him for your portion, and you will cease to desire any other; for then you will have the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come. Oh! choose Him for the guide of your youth! and He will be your support through life— your comfort in death-your sun, your shield, your exceeding great reward, in time and in eternity. |