is carnal, sold under sin.' He feels that he has altar in their stead, the scape goat that was to taken shelter in a refuge of lies, and that vain is bear away their sins into the wilderness, and the the help of man. He once imagined, nay, firmly object of the Father's displeasure, when, under a believed, that he was 'rich and increased in goods, sense of the hidings of his countenance which had and had need of nothing,' but his fond imagin- smiled on him from eternity, he exclaimed, on the ations are for ever dispersed into thin air; his ignominious 'tree,' in language the most fearful utterly groundless belief is for ever annihilated, that ever struck the ears of mortals or immorand the truth now made clear to his understand-tals, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken ing, and impressed on his heart, is that he is me?' The spirituality and holiness of the divine poor, and miserable, and blind, and naked.' In law were thus fully exhibited. The cup which this deplorable condition he finds himself, but the the Father had given him to drink was filled to Spirit who hath begun the good work, carries it overflowing, and the very dregs thereof he must on, directs his faith to an all-sufficient remedy, wring them out and drink them. He entreated and bids him listen to Jesus, giving him the his Father with strong crying and tears, to save him valley of Achor for a door of hope;' thus address- from that hour, though it was for that very hour ing him, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried he came into the world; and in the prayer which in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white he here presents to him who heard, but who raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and anoint seemed as if he heard him not, he puts into the thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.' mouth of the believer in every age, the supplicaHappy are we if we have been thus dealt with tion which he also should address to the God of by God in the dispensation of his grace. In our his salvation. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver circumstances the storm must go before the calm, me: O Lord, make haste to help me.' The very and sin felt as reigning unto death, before we can terms here employed to mark the state of the sing of mercy as well as of judgment. awakened and convinced transgressor's mind; the hurried tone of the expression; the repetition of O Lord,' so appropriate to his existing circumstances, and indicating such irrepressible anxiety for a favourable, comforting, strengthening, and

TWENTY-EIGHTH DAY.-EVENING.

Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make soul-sustaining answer-all prove, beyond the haste to help me,' Psal. xl. 13.

possibility of a single doubt, that the law has been set before him in its utmost extent, and in each and every one of its requirements, and that by it he is condemned. But the day has dawned and the Day Star has arisen in his heart. He beholds Jesus now revealed to him as travelling in the greatness of his strength, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save. He now feels the meaning of the declaration that a man shall be a hiding place from the storm, and a covert from the tempest. Christ is made savingly known to him as

In the view which we consider ourselves war ranted to take of this prophetic psalm, we have here the divine speaker still in the character of Messiah, 'wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquity; stricken for our sakes, smitten of God, and afflicted.' He had tasted by anticipation the bitterness of imputed guilt: he had borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. He had undertaken the recovery of his chosen from the foundation of the world, and the aston-the chief among ten thousand and altogether ishing enterprise necessarily involved the assumption of the nature in which sin had been committed, though he was without sin; his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; his being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.' As our substitute then, he graciously condescended to be manifested in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.' The powers of darkness were combined and arrayed against him. His agony in the garden showed the extremity of his mental sufferings as the voluntary daysman' between God and his people, the victim soon to be laid on the

lovely;' as saying to them that are in darkness, Go forth, and to the prisoners, Show yourselves;' as pressing his invitations to come to the fountain of living waters, and offering pardon and peace, grace and glory, without money and without price.' Hence prayer is his new exercise—humble, faithful, earnest, and importunate prayer. The life of God is begun in the soul, and it is by communion with God that this life is sustained. Old things are passed away,' and it is by fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, that they are prevented from returning. Imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, have been cast down, and it is by a conversation habitually

in heaven that they are kept in subjection to the | are fully satisfied that there is no ground of obedience of Christ. The enemies of the Chris- safety for us as sinners, but an interest in the tian's progress in holiness have been subdued by 'the Spirit, who worketh effectually in them that believe,' and it is by the communications of the same Almighty agent perseveringly sought and given in answer to the prayer of faith that they are restrained. The object of the Saviour's love is now taught experimentally; the use of the Saviour's parable to establish and illustrate the important truth, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.' After many anxious wrestlings with the angel of the covenant, the Lord may continue to hide his countenance 'from his servant, though he is devoted to his fear.' He still holds back the face of his throne, and spreads his cloud upon it.' But the believer knows that there is 'the hiding' of his grace as well as of his power.' Like the widow in the gospel, he ceases not from his entreaties. He becomes more fervent in his solicitations; more unrestricted dependence is placed on his advocate's sufficiency; more unwearied applications are made to the Spirit of holiness. The gloom is dissipated, and the sun of righteousness again rises on him, with healing in his wings.' All his past trials are now seen in the light of mercies, by which his faith and patience were proved. A once reconciled God, is a reconciled God still; and the rescued soul can now say, from the full and abiding enjoyment of his blessedness, Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness to the end, that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee, for ever and ever.'

TWENTY-NINTH DAY.-MORNING.

blood of sprinkling, and the renewing of the
Holy Ghost.' But it is more difficult to learn
the important and indispensable lesson, that there
is enough for condemnation in the mere fact of
our being 'unprofitable servants. The apostles
of our Lord had been told of their privileges, and
knew that they possessed them. They had
implored their Master to increase their faith, and
it was increased. They had professed the most
devoted attachment to his cause, and had hitherto
followed him through good report and bad
report.' They were endued with miraculous gifts,
and had believingly and efficiently exercised them.
They had encountered persecution, and many dan-
gers in his service, and were to engage with still
more formidable trials before they finished their
appointed course, and entered into the joy of
their Lord. Still they were to confess, that
when they had done all those things which they
were commanded, and enabled to do, we are un-
profitable servants, we have done only that which
it was our duty to do.' It ought, then, to be a
matter of the utmost consequence, for us to con-
sider how we really stand in this respect in the
sight of God, from whom we have received all
our blessings, whether they concern time cr
eternity. We are too apt, and remarkably will-
ing, to be deceived, on this subject of such
vital importance to us Christians in name, and
laying claim to the Christian's advantages, and
cherishing the Christian's expectations.
are disposed to rest contented with our present
attainments; and though we would tremble at
the very thought of being in the number of
such as draw back into perdition,' we are far
from being so anxious as we should be, to
press toward the mark, for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus.' Though the

6

We

'So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those expression may be singular, there is no pro

We are

things which are commanded you, say, unprofitable servants,' Luke xvii. 10. We have seen that our sins are innumerable, and highly aggravated by the favourable circumstances in which we are placed, connected with the opportunities of religious improvement which we have neglected or despised. How inadequate soever may be our conceptions of what a life of faith on the Son of God actually is, we all admit that the Lord has deservedly a controversy with us, and that if he were strict to mark our iniquities, we could not stand before him. If we have been brought to a knowledge of the truth, and tasted of the good word of God, we

6

in our course of well doing. We have faith, gress but there is little diligence to add to our faith, virtue, and knowledge, and temperance, and patience, and godliness, and brotherly-kindness, and charity. We forget the declaration of the apostle, immediately subjoined to his injunction of practical religion, exhibited in these fruits of the Spirit. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.' It would be well for us also, to ponder attentively the following words of the same inspired servant of God, in the gospel of his Son: But he that lacketh those things is blind,' sinfully blind to the extent of Christian

6

6

6

TWENTY-NINTH DAY.-EVENING.

duty, ‘and cannot see afar off,' what is requisite | done by us, is cast from us as an impious imaginto the completion of the Christian character, and ation, and cordially and rejoicingly do we unite hath forgotten that he was purged from his old with an eminent saint in exclaiming, Not unto sins,' not merely that he might guard against their us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name again obtaining dominion over him, but that being give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's freed from their burden, and standing fast in the sake.' liberty wherewith Christ hath made him free,' his path, being that of the justified, might be as the shining or dawning light, which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Let us read the doom of the 'slothful servant,' who, when he Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, was entrusted with the sum which his lord saw fit to commit to his management for all is of Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit grace, nothing of debt lest any man should boast,' on this fig-tree, and find none: cut it down; -instead of improving it as he was bound to do why cumbereth it the ground,' Luke xiii. 7. by the solemn command of his master, who may NONE of us can plead against the rectitude of this justly do what he pleaseth with his own, went sentence, or urge any reason why it should not and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. be immediately executed. We justly deserve to He did not squander it. He did not abuse it; be cut down, whatever may be the palliations to but he did not use it, and that was sufficient for which we have recourse, arising from the belief his conviction and condemnation. Take from that we are not flagrant sinners, and therefore him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten not to be thus summarily dealt with by a God pounds. For I say unto you, That unto every whose tender mercies are over all his works.' one who hath' improved what he has already Have our improvement in religious knowledge, received, shall be given;' there is duty for duty, and our progress towards the measure of the because there is grace for grace; and from him stature of the fulness of Christ, been at all proporthat hath not' improved what has been as gratu- tionate to the privileges we have enjoyed, and to itously entrusted to him, even that shall be taken the advantages which we believe to be almost away from him. 'But these mine enemies, who exclusively our own? Can we look back on the would not that I should reign over them, bring years that are past with feelings of satisfaction hither and slay them before me.' The terms of and delight flowing from the testimony of our the law are express. There is no misunderstand-consciences, that in simplicity and godly sincerity ing them. If thou wouldst enter into life, keep we have had our conversation in the world; and the commandments.' But then if entering into do we anticipate in the years that may yet be in life depended on keeping the commandments, the reserve for us, a recurrence of the pleasures which 'everlasting doors would never be lifted up' to we have already derived from a sense of God's admit one soul to the glories and the joys of favour, secured to us by the Saviour's sorrows, and heaven. For supposing the precepts of God were from the performance, through the Spirit's operobserved as completely as we can possibly imagine ation, of those duties which have ever evidenced them to be obeyed, still the truth meets us; and and cheered the followers of Jesus? We are there is no gainsaying it; we have done only what esteemed respectable, strictly honest, and even we are bound to do, as the creatures of the uni- regular in our attendance on Christian ordinances. versal Lord, the hourly pensioners of his bounty, And yet with all our respectability, honesty, and and the subjects of his government, owing all we regularity, the great proprietor of the spiritual have and all we hope for, to him, on whom we vineyard has visited during every hour which has have no claim whatever for any thing. elapsed, since we knew perfectly well what the Lord required of us, seeking fruit and may have found none. We cannot, ourselves being judges, complain that we have not been frequently warned and admonished. We have been addressed in the language of kindness, and invited, affectionately invited, to 'seek the Lord while he may be found, and to call upon him while he is near.' He has shown himself to many of us in all his winning loveliness. He has given us every He has preserved unbroken

But though the law is utterly worthless as the means of saving the sinner, it is indispensable as a rule of life. When the conviction of this truth has been deeply wrought in the mind, and strengthened, and kept in lively exercise, and in still enlarging activity by the Spirit of God, then every root of self-justification is eradicated. The ground on which this antichristian principle was attempted to be raised, is undermined. All reliance on any thing done, or capable of being thing richly to enjoy.'

on the duties which are here pointed out, as evidences of our faith, and thus showing that we have been enabled to choose the good part, that shall not be taken away from us. What then is to be done? The Christian must live soberly, righteously, and godly.'

1. We are to live soberly. The term here used by the apostle is very comprehensive in its nature, and denotes self-government, in the most extensive meaning of the word-strict watchfulness exercised over the affections, and keeping the heart with all diligence, since out of it are the issues of life. 'Shall we allow any sensible object to enslave us by its attractions, and to lay up in store for us, those agonizing reflections, which will infallibly destroy our repose!' If we forfeit the approbation of our consciences, and of God, who is greater than our consciences, where shall we look for tranquillity? Not to ourselves, for our inward peace is gone; not to the external world, which is beautiful only to the good man, and not to the heavens, where is the throne of him who has said, 'Be ye holy, for I am holy.'

habitually and fervently seek his favour, in the retirement of our families. We should cultivate closet devotion, when with no eye on us except our God's, and no ear open to our petitions but his, we dwell on our personal state, and meditate 'on the wonders he hath done;' we confess our individual sins, and implore him not to cast us away from his presence; we acknowledge the surpassing value of gospel privileges, and with Jacob's faith and perseverance, wrestle till we have power with God, and will not let him go except he bless us. These are the public and private exercises of the Christian. Thus we see the necessity and the means of holiness. And to convince the world that we are as far removed from enthusiasm, as the workings of a sound mind are from the raving of insanity, we should live godly,' by displaying the effects which the purifying and ennobling influences of the gospel produce, on our whole walk and conversation. The believer knows, that it is only through his being justified by the Saviour's righteousness, that he can be made an heir, according to the hope 2. We must live righteously, by performing of eternal life.' But he knows at the same time, the duties which, as the followers of Christ, we that they who have believed in God, will be owe to our brethren, and these duties may be careful to maintain good works.' He places no included in justice and charity. We must be just, reliance on his conduct, as the procuring cause of by forbearing to injure our neighbours, in their his salvation; but he is persuaded, that Christian property, and in their character; in judging with conduct will assuredly follow Christian principles, rigid impartiality on any subject of controversy and that if he do not live soberly, righteously, between man and man, and in discharging regu- and godly, in this present world, he is not warlarly, conscientiously, and kindly, the important ranted to look for that blessed hope which cheers duties of domestic life. We must be charitable, the people of God amidst all their trials and by assisting the poor in their temporal necessities, sorrows,' or to expect with the joy of the Reby giving advice to the young, and endeavouring deemer's chosen ones, the glorious appearing of to establish religious principles in their minds, the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who as the motives and the guides of conduct; by died for us, that whether we sleep or wake, we administering comfort to the distressed, and con- should live together with him.' Here is the solation to the afflicted, and by loving our ene-faith and the patience of the saints. 'Blessed are mies, blessing them that curse us; doing good to them that hate us, and praying for them that despitefully use and persecute us, that we may be really the children of our Father who is in heaven.'

3. We are to live godly, by devoting the hearts which the Spirit has sanctified, and the affections which he has made to aspire to things above, to the love and service of him who has by his own arm brought salvation.' United to him by faith, and having received of his fulness, we should delight in the contemplation of his excellencies, and have no object of pursuit equal to the attainment of still greater conformity to his likeness. We should regularly wait on God in his courts, and entreat him to cause his face to shine upon us, and to be gracious unto us. We should

6

they who do his commandments, that they may have a right,' through Jesus, 'to the tree of life; and may enter in through the gates into the city.' Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus.

THIRTIETH DAY.-EVENING.

'This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works: these things are good and profitable unto men' Titus iii.8.

In the various epistles which Paul wrote for the edification of the saints, whom he strongly and affectionately terms the body of Christ,' he