66 And "no security but their own strength. "our unhappy first father, who had more "strength of his own than ever any since of "his fallen race have had, soon manifested what that strength was when left alone."I do therefore desire to bless Gop, that my strength is in another, and not in myself. "Oh! it is a sweet morsel to my soul, which says-O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself, "but in Me' is thy help. * Besides, sir, had "Adam continued in his original state of up"rightness, and all his children have partaken "in the same; this would have been no other, "after all, but the righteousness of the crea"ture. Whereas now, the salvation of the " righteous is of the LORD. He is the LORD "our righteousness; and therefore He is Himself our strength in the time of trouble. "And while the soul whom Divine grace hath "snatched, as the Lord hath me, from the gates of destruction, can take up that scrip"ture-Surely shall one say, in the LORD have. "I righteousness and strength; Gon the Holy Ghost applies that other precious assurance "of His word Israel shall be saved in the "LORD with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without "end." + 66 -The countryman waited not for a reply, but resumed his labor and his song together; Hosea xiii. 9. Happy soul! thought I-Thou hast that which empires cannot purchase; GOD for thy father, JESUS for thy portion, and the Holy Ghost for thy comforter! I saw the countenance of my companion glow with pleasure, at what the countryman had said, while he finished the observations of the labourer, with asking and making answer himself to some few questions of his own. - Why (says he) is it, that the Divine pro"mise of perseverance should be so difficult to "be received by our unbelieving hearts; but "because we think we must have strength "enough of our own? Why is the doctrine of "the Redeemer's righteousness, as the sole "means of justification before God, so hard to "be accepted by us; but because the un"humbled pride of our nature cannot brook "the mortification of being saved without doing something towards it? And where"fore is it, that sinners are so averse to "believe, that their salvation is wholly the "result of being chosen in CHRIST, before the "foundation of the world; but because it be"comes a gratifying compliment to our proud "nature, to have it thought, that we have "first sought CHRIST? But the poor sinner "desires that it should be always kept in view, that if we love Him, it is because He first loved us. His language is LORD, it is all distinguishing grace from beginning to end. "I know I should fall every hour, but for the promise of being upheld by Him, who hav"ing loved His own, loveth them unto the end. "And as I am fully conscious, that I have no righteousness of my own, how precious becomes that assurance to my soul, in that "Thou hast said, My salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be 66 "abolished,*" THE STRAYED SHEEP. AT that instant a sheep leaped over the hedge, just where my companion and I stood, as if pursued by some enemy. The poor animal seemed much distressed and affrighted.He looked at us, but appeared disappointed. As he stood still, I called to him; but he knew not my voice.-At length a man appeared at the fence, over which the sheep had broken; and calling in a particular tone which the poor animal understood, he turned and looked upon him. The shepherd then came over the hedge, and advancing gently towards him, still continuing his call as he approached him, the sheep came to meet him, and seemed rejoiced at his presence; and they went away both of them together. "Ah! (I cried) I think I could spiritualize "this occurrence."-" Do so then (replied my Isaiah li. 8. "friend); for such should be the custom of "Zion's pilgrims, to extract improvement from every thing which they see or hear."" I "would suppose (I said) this poor strayed sheep "to be the emblem of the wandering sinner; and "the man pursuing it as a friend, which the "silly animal fancied for an enemy, to personate "the man Christ Jesus. And under those images, if I mistake not, several very sweet "doctrines of the Gospel may be discovered. "As for example: That the Lord Jesus had a "fold before the foundation of the world, is "evident; for in the close of His Ministry, "He thanks the Father for them which He "had given Him, and of which He had lost 66 none. This fold, by the entrance of the "prowling wolf into Paradise, wandered, and "was scattered abroad into the wide wilderness "of the world. For so the Lord speaks of "them; My sheep wandered through all the "mountains, and upon every high hill; yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of "the earth. But though wandering and scattered, they were the Lord's sheep still. That "little foolish wanderer we just now saw, was "never altered in his nature, though wayward " and perverse in his track. Though he left "the sheepfold, yet he was still the sheep, and "not the goat. In like manner, Christ's spi"ritual sheep did not lose their relation to "Him, when they left His fold. This cha"racter of Jesus's sheep should never be for * Ezek. xxxiv. 6. gotten by us; for it is plain, that Jesus him*self never loseth sight of it. In the moment "He speaks of them as wandering and scat"tered, as diseased and weak, He calls them "still My sheep. And hence, in the recovery "of every one of them, the same idea is carefully preserved; I will seek that which was "lost, and bring again that which was driven "away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. And what can be more refreshing "and encouraging to a poor sinner, than the "consideration that, if of the fold of Jesus σε originally given by the Father, however scat"tered over the face of the earth, however pent up in the den of beasts by the accursed enemy of souls; still he is the sheep of Jesus, "concerning whom the promise is made and "passed, My sheep shall never perish, neither "shall any pluck them out of My hand.* The *6 eye of the Good Shepherd is ever over them. "He beholds them as His sheep, while they 66 appear among wolves; and when the hour is come, according to His blessed promise, like "that poor animal we just now beheld, they "shall hear His voice, and follow Him, though they flee the voice of strangers. How ex pressive to this purpose are the words of God 'by the Prophet; Thus saith the Lord God, "Behold, I, even I, will both search My sheep "and seek them out; as a shepherd seeketh out "his flock in the day that he is among his sheep |