I do therefore implore thy Pardon, and plead thy gracious Promise, with full Purpose of Heart, never again to return to Folly. Jer. xvii. 9. The Heart is deceitful, and desperately wicked: Who can know it? I cannot indeed answer for my own Heart; but there is nothing, O Lord, impossible with Thee; In Thee I do put my Trust; let me never be put in Confusion: -Keep it ever in my Heart, what an evil Thing, and bitter, it will be, to forsake the Lord. 1 John iii. 8. He that committeth Sin (who abandons himself to live in known Sin) is of the Devil;-is under his Power and Government. Preserve me, gracious God, from so fatal a Blindness, to choose Satan for my Lord and Governor, instead of thy Blessed Son, who laid down his Life to redeem us from the dreadful Tyranny of the Devil. 1 John ii. 25. This is the Promise that he hath promised us, even eternal Life. How infinitely good is God, to give us so great Encouragement to save ourselves from D4 from Ruin! Give me, I beseech Thee, a firm Faith in this Promise, that no Fears may terrify me, no Pleasures may corrupt my Heart, No Difficulties may discourage me from serving Thee. Matt. xvi. 24. If any Man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, and follow me. O my Saviour! who pleasedst not thyself, but tookest upon Thee the Form of a Servant; let me not profess to follow Thee, without endeavouring to follow the blessed Steps of thy most holy Life. Thy Patience, Meekness, and Humility: Thy great Disregard for the World, its Pleasures, Profits, and all its Idols: -Thy sensible Concern for the Miseries of Men: -Thy Unweariedness in doing Good: -Thy Constancy in Prayer, and Resignation to the Will of thy Father. Let me part with any Thing as dear as a Right Hand, or a Right Eye, rather than not follow Thee. Matt. vi. 24. No Man can serve two Masters.You cannot serve God and Mammon. May I never set up any Rival, O God, 1 with Thee, in the Possession of my Heart! May I never attempt to reconcile thy Service with that World which is Enmity with Thee!Give me, I beseech Thee, the Eyes of Faith, that I may see the World, what in Truth it is, The Danger of its Riches, The Folly of its Pleasures, The Multitude of its Snares, Power of its Temptations, Its deadly The Poison, and certain Danger of drawing my Heart from the Love of Thee. Matt. xxii. 37, 39. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, And thy Neighbour as thyself. O that the Love of God may be the commanding Principle of my Soul; and that I may have this comfortable Proof of his Love abiding in me, that I study to please him, and to keep his Commandments; That my Love to my Neighbour may be such as God has commanded; That I may give and forgive, and love as becomes a Disciple of Jesus Christ!! 1 John iii. 14. We know that we have passed from Death unto Life, because we love the Brethren. : What it is to love my Neighbour as myself, D5 Thou Thou, O Lord, hast taught me in thy holy Word ;-Never to wrong or deceive him; -Never to grieve him, or without a Cause to create him Trouble: Never to treat him with Contempt and Scorn; -Never to be pleased with his Misfortunes and Faults;-But to rejoice in his Happiness, and help him in his Wants.Give me, O Lord, this Proof of my having passed from Death unto Life. Gal. iii. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the Curse of the Law, being made a Curse for us. That is, he was treated as one under the Curse of the Law, Deut. xxi. 23. Blessed God, How great was our Misery! How great was thy Mercy! when nothing could save us from Ruin, but the Death of thy Son! I see by this, how hateful Sin is to Thee. Make it so to me, I beseech Thee. May I never flatter myself that thy Mercy will spare me, if I continue in Sin, when thou sparedst not thine own Son, when he put himself in the Place of Sinners! - May I never provoke thy Justice! - May I never forget thy Mercies, and what thy Son has done for me! Tit. ii. 14. He gave himself for us, that he might redeemus from all Iniquity; and purify unto himself a peculiar People, zealous of good Works. Blessed be God, that I am united to this People by Baptism! Grantthat I may never disgrace Thee, or my Christian Profession by an ungodly Life. O Thou who hast redeemed us from Sin and Death, cause me to understand, to value, and ever remember, thy great Love; and to shew that I do so, by a Life consecrated to thy Service. 2 Tim. ii. 12. If we deny him, he will also deny us. How many deny Thee, O Jesus, without Thought, and without Dread! Do they know what they do, who lightly turn their Backs upon this Ordinance? Who make a mock of Sin, which cost Thee thy Life? Who are ashamed of Thee, and of thy Gospel, out of Regard to Men?Who by their uncrhristian Lives do renounce thy Service? Do they consider what it is to be denied by Thee? - That it is to have no Interest in thy Death, thy Merits, and Mediation?-Gracious God, deliver me from this dreadful Sin and Judgment ! |