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world is full of snares, the heart is deceitful, and the devil malicious. Is it likely that we can escape trials? It is impossible. Well, since we cannot escape, may we never, by any sins, provoke God to send them; by our imprudence increase them when they come; nor, by our unbelief, sink under them in despair of relief, nor lose the benefit of them; since "all things work together" for the best, "to them that love God."

No. CLXXI.-MERCY TO PARDON.

It is the great artifice of Satan to keep us from truth and duty, or to lead us to extremes in receiving the former and fulfilling the latter. He represents sin as trifling or unpardonable: the former breeds presumption, the latter despair, and both destructive principles. But the design of the gospel, and of the Lord's supper, which holds up to view its substance, is, to represent sin as inexpressibly hateful and evidently pardonable. The Lord's supper exhibits the death of Christ, as the fullest evidence of the evil of sin and of God's readiness to pardon it. 1. The death of Christ originated in the will of the Father, Heb. x., 5-7. "I come to do thy will!" "He found the ransom." Can we doubt of his readiness to forgive sin, when the provision for it began with him? The goodwill, grace, and love of the Father in the gift of Christ, as a Saviour, affords amazing proof of the evil of sin, in the necessity of such a sacrifice; and an evidence of his readiness, and intention to forgive believing sinners, equally amazing. The second circumstance in the death of Christ which opens the nature of sin and the mercy of God, is the glorious person of the sufferer. The express image of God's person, Heb. i., 3. His only begotten son! John iii., 16. Must he suffer, to atone for sin? "Will not this suffice?" to prove sin " exceeding sinful," that we might love it; and evidently pardonable that we might love God. "If he spared not his own son!" but gave him up to suffer and die, on purpose to make way for the exercise of his mercy, can I doubt his readiness to forgive me if I confess or forsake sin? On what ground can I build a doubt? But thirdly, his design in the death of his son, was to "finish transgression"—" He bore our sins."- "He was made sin for us."-" Made a curse for us." Dan. ix. 24. 2 Cor. v. 21. 1 Pet. ii. 24. Gal. iii. 13. Would God provide a full satisfaction to his justice, and punish sin over again, in those for whom Christ died? His law being honoured in his life, and its penalty endured in his death, for sinners; can he be frustrated? Will his Father deceive him? Would he delight in the sufferings of his own son, if he did not design to save sinners, as the reward of his sufferings and the triumph of his grace? No! in proportion to the greatness of his person, the greatness of his sufferings, the greatness of the Father's love to him, and the kindness of his de

sign in all, to punish and pardon sin, arises the evidence of this truth, "There is forgiveness with God!" But a fourth circumstance in his death, which evinces God's delight in pardoning sin, is his acceptance of him. He "loosed the pains of death," raised him from the dead, and now "he liveth to make intercession for his people.”

Who that really believes these four things in Christ's death, can be insensible of the evil of sin, or despair of receiving pardon on repentance? Stupidity and jealousy, doubts and fears must give way, if this vast evidence of God's mercy is received in the light and power of the Holy Spirit. God has revealed no greater proof of his willingness to forgive a returning sinner; and if we study to eternity, we cannot think of one so great. In vain we wish to hear new men and read new books, and hear fresh sermons; if we overlook this great manifestation of God's grace. Here is the report; "there is forgiveness with God!" and here is the evidence of its truth-God, of his own mere grace-sent his dear and equal son-to suffer and die, instead of sinners-that "whosoever believeth in him might receive remission of sins." Do we believe the report? Does the evidence satisfy us? Does it remove our hard and jealous thoughts of God? Here let us dwell, and come to a point. In vain we depart from this mighty evidence of God's delight in mercy. Where can we go? Who can bring us equal evidence? Where can it be found? This must suffice at last, or we are ruined. When a Christian is asked how he is, and answers, "my heart is very hard and cold, dark and weak; but God is a sovereign." He deceives himself, while he neglects a duty, and lays the blame of his barrenness on God's sovereignty. It is true; God is sovereign; but is he not faithful too? Has he not promised his Holy Spirit to them that ask him? The blame must be in us, or God is a liar! But " He is not a man that he should lie." How awful to set one attribute against another! This promised Spirit is the author of faith, and on him we must rely, to enable us to "believe the record God has given of his son." Look at the Son of God! consider the glory of his person, the greatness of his sufferings, and the design of them, and believe that through him "Jehovah is gracious and merciful; forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin!" "Here is the fact and the evidence of it; believing it-go, confess and forsake thy sins, and find mercy."

No. CLXXII.-SANCTIFIED KNOWLEDGE.

SANCTIFIED knowledge is a great mercy, and greatly differs from mere national knowledge. The former humbles and renews the mind and affections; the latter puffs up and carnalizes them. The pride of knowledge is clearly manifested, by the conceit which some have of their views and sentiments, and the free and fearless manner in which they judge of the sentiments of others. When

those who are thought young converts are taken into a church, the first temptation they are liable to, is to form a better opinion of themselves than before. The judgment of a minister and church in their favour, too often leads them to "think more highly of themselves than they ought to think." They soon begin to be mere "sermon-hearers and sermon-judges." They lay much blame on the preacher, censure his discourses very freely, and will not even suspect themselves to be wrong. No, the minister who has made the gospel his study night and day for many years, is treated as a novice, and those who judge him, and are really the novices, think they are oracles, and some of them wish to be the minister's oracle. They will tell him he is too practical, if they are negligent; and too doctrinal if they are legal. And which of the two must the minister attempt to please?-Neither. A minister who is "a man-pleaser,' is a soul destroyer. Sometimes these assuming ones are men, and sometimes women. Women who rule their husbands, especially if they are deacons, will be restless to rule the minister. Man of God! call no man master upon earth; nor any woman mistress; "one is your master, even Christ." The wives of some deacons do inconceivable mischief in churches. Deacons are frequently men of some property. Their conversation with the people, and distribution of the church's money to the poor, give them influence. And if their wives rule them, they try, through them to rule the minister. They talk fair to him, and fair to the people. Say one thing to the minister, and another to the people. The minister hears their observations, sees their duplicity, and learns the propriety of this apostolic remark-" deacons' wives should be grave, not slanderers, faithful in all things."

No. CLXXIII.—PERSEVERING GRACE.

MANY a Christian little conceives what he is preserved from, whilst kept from the actual commission of his besetting sin, and in a lively contest with it. He may think his attainments low, his grace weak, his case deplorable, and think of many who are far above him in knowledge and peace; and by a comparison, hardly supposes himself a partaker of grace. He is tempted to think his situation very pitiable, to entertain hard thoughts of God, and, as he fears he has no grace from God, he has no gratitude towards God for it. Being discouraged, the soul slackens its pace, resists temptations more feebly, attends duty less punctually and with less life. It grows careless in and of duty. Sin entices, Satan persuades, corruption rises, opportunity offers,-the soul falls. Immediately "its eyes are opened to know good and evil." It recollects its former conflicts and victories, compares them with its present state of weakness, guilt, fear, and shame, and thinks the former a heaven, com

pared with the latter. Now the soul sees its folly and ingratitude; wishes itself in its former state of conflict, watching, and prayer. It sees the mercy of being kept. Oh! says the soul, may I but rise from my present guilt, shame, and weakness, and be restored to my former frame; instead of murmuring at my lot, I hope to endure the warfare patiently, "watching unto prayer."-The soul mourns, prays, resolves, and looks forward to the moment of its restoration to holiness and joy.

Another season of temptation comes, and plunges the soul into greater sin and misery than before. This teaches him his weakness, shows him how powerful in-dwelling sin is, and that he has been upheld by a divine arm, when he thought himself left of God. Perhaps he may be defeated, conquered, perplexed, and discouraged by repeated conquests. Hereby he learns the power and malice of Satan, the strength of corruption, the need of God's Spirit, his obligation to unceasing prayer and watchfulness, the misery of the wicked, the patience of God, the suitableness and need of Christ, the bitterness of sin in God's frown and a tormenting conscience, the power of grace, the privilege of death, and the desirableness of heaven. This piece of experience may teach a private Christian more sympathy for his fellow heirs, and make him more prayerful for souls in temptation. It renders a minister more tender, prayerful, watchful, skilful, experimental, and useful. He learns how to speak a word in season to them that are weary by violent corruptions, and strong temptations, and sad backslidings. No tongue can tell, how far a believer may draw back, and yetnot draw back unto perdition. He may certainly fall back into greater sins than he ever committed before his conversion. This was awfully and evidently the case with David. We never read of any murder or adultery that he committed, till after his conversion: and he committed these after the most signal providences of God, on his behalf as a king, and after the richest experience of God's favour as a christian. He was warned and chastised; he repented and was restored; his life was useful, and his death triumphant. Such deep perplexities of soul, as are better felt than described, may follow such a fall into sin. The soul, one moment may think of rising into liberty, life, and peace; and the next, feel its imagination inflamed, its desires roused, its affections fixing on, and its will consenting to, sin. Now it may think the conquest of its corruptions easy, and the next minute seem to feel it impossible. Despondency and hope; courage and fear; diligence and languor, may agitate and toss the soul. When such a soul is restored, "a remembrance of the wormwood and the gall," may make it tremble at the approach of temptation, and urge it to God in "instant prayer."

No. CLXXIV. THE FALL.

It is too much the case with many hearers of the gospel, that they suppose the preaching of the fall almost needless, at least to them. But this is a great mistake. It is not enough to know our fall, as we know our alphabet or grammar. We must feel it. And unless we often feel it, we shall very seldom enjoy salvation. A just sense of our fallen condition lies at the bottom of our spiritual concern, strong desires, and fervent prayers. We cannot be sincere in our gratitude, humble for our sins, watchful against temptations, vigorous in our love to God, nor lively in our faith towards Christ, without a serious consciousness of our fall, in its nature, effects, tendency, and extent. When we feel our guilt, the sound of a Redeemer's sufferings, and the mercy of God, are big with meaning. When we feel our mental diseases, the name of Christ as a physician, is understood and valued. Sensible of our proneness to wander, the title of a shepherd becomes dear; and such is the Saviour.

No. CLXXV.-CHRISTIAN LIBERTY.

THE word liberty is frequently in the mouth of a Christian. It means something which many boast of possessing, and which many long for: and, when taken in a scriptural sense, signifies a freedom of condition, from the curse of the law, and a state of favour with God. This many have who are unhappy. But an enjoyment of this state, implies the knowledge of it; and such a soul possesses liberty of conscience, from dread of punishment; a liberty from bondage to self-righteousness and ignorance; from error; from the reign of carnal reason, sense and corrupt affections; and so, a freedom from the dominion of sin and Satan. Pardon frees us from the curse; justification entitles us to heaven; both being known, the soul is free from fear of hell and death; from the guilt and love of sin. Before this; all the religion of such a soul is slavery Many are sound in doctrine, and so free from errors which affect their salvation, who are slaves to their lusts; some to the lusts of the flesh, others to the lusts of the mind, and some to both.

Some use prayer and praise, and every other duty, as the means of keeping conscience quiet in sin.

Others, exercising their gifts freely in conversation, prayer, and writing, mistake it for spiritual liberty.

Many, confident they have nothing to fear, because Christ is often in their thoughts and mouths, make use of Christ,

1. To hide their sins from themselves. They forget their sins, and imagine this is living by faith upon Christ. Had they a just view of themselves, their present views of Christ would not support them.

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