Charity shall cover the multitude of sins....1 Pet. iv. 8.

MANY sinners have and do awfully deceive their poor souls by a sad perversion of these words. For they suppose that being charitable to the poor will cover the multitude of their sins from the sight of a holy, sin-avenging God. O fatal mistake! Hence they are encouraged in their sinful practices, from such a vain, unscriptural notion. It is thy mercy, believer, to be delivered from such delusion, by the truth as it is in Jesus. For to atone for sin was his blessed work. He hath done it effectually by shedding his precious blood. And every believer in Jesus is the only blessed man, whose sins are covered by his all-perfect righteousness. Here is the true source and spring of charity, or rather Love, love to God and man. "We love God, because he first loved us.".... 1 John iv. 19. And through the faith of this we obey his commandment, "Love one another."

Of this charity, or love, the most excellent things are spoken.... 1 Cor. xiii. It is in the heart of every believer. Love influences to put the best constructions upon the behaviour of others: to hide their faults with a veil of charity; to cast a mantle of kindness over their failings. Like the painter, who drew the picture of Alexander with his finger on the scar in his face: so'love has a kind finger to hide the scars and blemishes, and to cover the sins of others. Love sees no faults. See it exemplified in that most illustrious exemplar of charity, Jesus. In his deep and distressing agonies and conflicts in the garden, when one would have thought his dear disciples could not be so regardless of his sufferings, so deaf to his request, as not to watch with him one hour. But, instead of this, they indulged themselves with sleep. Here love covered this fault. "The Spirit is willing." Love speaks what is right. Love finds an excuse for what is wrong, "The flesh is weak." And when the same most blessed pattern of love hung expiring in the greatest agonies on the cross, yet amidst all the taunts and jeers of his enemies and murderers, love vented itself with his expiring breath, "Father, forgive them;" adding this as a veil or covering, "for they know not what they do." Thus hath Jesus left us an example. He hath given us a new commandment, "Love one another." May the spirit of love keep alive this heavenly temper, and blow up every spark into a fervent flame, that all men may know his disciples by this badge of charity or LOVE, and be forced to confess, "See how these christians love one another."

Love suffers long with patient eye,

Nor is provok'd in haste ; She lets the present inj'ry die, And long forgets the past.

Malice and rage, those fires of hell,
She quenches with her tongue;
Hopes and believes, and thiuks no ill,
Tho' she endures the wrong.

Wherefore he is able to save to the uttermost, all who come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them....Heb. vii. 25.

WHEN the strong blasts of temptations blow, the swelling waves of corruptions lift up their heads: satan casts his fiery darts: the thunders of Sinai roar: the law threatens wrath and destruction: carnal reason pleads: unbelief pronounces hopeless despair on them; happy for believers to take up the language of faith, expressed by the children of God of old, "We are not careful to answer in this matter; our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us; and he will deliver us,"....Dan. iii. 16, 17. Admirable faith and fortitude! A shining example of Old-Testament saints, worthy to be imitated by New-Testament disciples. Such a conduct yields ease to the mind, and peace to the conscience; while it confesses Jesus the only Saviour, it gives him the glory due to his name. And, verily, according to their faith so it was. They were saved to the uttermost. Though cast into the fiery furnace, they had the presence of Jesus; and he delivered them out of it unhurt.

Who can prescribe bounds to the salvation of Jesus? He saves according to his ability. Who can limit that which extends to the uttermost? Thou comer to God by Jesus, think not sin is too strong in thee for Jesus to save thee from. "He is almighty to save to the uttermost." Art thou not willing thus to be saved? Verily faith longs for it, love desires it, hope expects it. Stagger not through unbelief. Our object of faith is a once crucified Jesus, and ever, living, interceding man and Mediator, and who is also the omnipotent God. Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Why then should sin hold thee one moment under its power? why should it at all distress thy mind? Nay, it could not, but for thy unbelief. But is not the strength of Jesus the most powerful encouragement for poor sinners. to come to God continually? A throne of grace is ever open. A God of love "seated on it. Jesus ever lives, and always prays. A sal vation to the uttermost perfection is promised, and the infinitely powerful Jehovah" able to effect it. Coming to God by Jesus, Q this is a sweet mystery for faith to feed upon, to be nourished and strengthened by! We are confident of access, perfectly sure of acceptance by Jesus. We are not left to perhaps or peradventure, because it is not founded upon ourselves, upon what we have done or can do, but upon the eternal life, everlasting love, and unchangeable priesthood of Jesus.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel....Isa. vii. 14.

On this prophecy hangs the hopes of fallen sinners. Had this word failed, we were all damned forever. Horror eternal awaited us. Hell eternal must have been our doom. God must be born a babe in time, or sinful man is forever lost. But, O my fellow sinners, all hail! I congratulate you. This day is this scripture fulfilled, This virgin hath conceived. This son, this Immanuel is born, God in our nature: God with us: God for us, we behold in JESUS. He says, "I was set up from everlasting," (as the covenant head of my people)...." My delights were with the sons of men,"....Prov. viii. 23, 31. O, he hath shewn how he delighted over us, how he rested for ever in his love to us. For he came to visit us in our flesh. "Verily he took not on him the nature of angels," but he became a BABE in human flesh, a MAN in stature; born to save, lived to justify, died to redeem....who? fallen angels? No. They are left reserved in chains of darkness. But unto us sinners against God, us miserable apostates from God, in the very same desperate state as devils are: behold "unto us a child is born; unto us a son is given." That we who are filthy by birth, and polluted by nature, might have a holy birth, and a sanctified nature IN HIM. "The government is upon his shoulders." He is our KING. He reigns over us, for us, and in us. Our souls and all our concerns are safe in his hands. "His name is WONDERFUL." In his conception, his birth, his person, God and man in one Christ; in his life, his death, his resurrection, ascension, and intercession, wonderful. In his love to us, and salvation of us, wonderful. "COUNSELLOR." He powerfully pleads our cause above: he sweetly counsels our hearts below to come to him; so we find blessed rest in him. "THE MIGHTY GOD." No less could save us. Jesus is the God of our salvation. "THE EVERLASTING FATHER." He begets us to himself by the word of his grace. The most tender parent on earth never loved his children as Jesus loves us. THE PRINCE OF PEACE,"....Isa. ix. 6. He is ever at peace with us, has made peace for us, bestows his peace on us. O, ye sinners of the human race, if as verily as the virgin conceived and brought forth this son, your hearts conceive Jesus by faith, this will bring forth holy love to Jesus. The birth of Jesus is our delicious Christmas fare. BEHOLD it, says the prophet: dwell on it in your minds, feed on it in your hearts. To conceive of our Lord becoming a babe, living in flesh for us, dying on the accursed tree to take away our sins and save our souls; while we count all other hopes vain, O this makes us keep a joyful CHRISTMAS all the year round. For this brings "glory to God in the highest, peace on earth, good will towards men."....Luke ii. 14.

We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them....Eph. ii. 10.

UPON a survey of the works of creation, the psalmist cries out with admiration, "O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom hast thou made them all!" Is such a display of wisdom and glory visible in the objects of time and sense, which perish in the using, and are destined to destruction? O, what infinite riches of wisdom, glory, and love, are manifest in the new creation in Christ Jesus, which are of a spiritual and eternal nature! Such is the economy of the covenant of grace, the glorious three persons in the ever-adorable trinity concur in the salvation of sinners. God the Father elects in Christ Jesus to glory, and ordains good works, as the fruits of everlasting love, for all the heirs of salvation to walk in. Jesus, in whom they are chosen, atones for all the guilt of their sins, and frees them from all the condemnation of the law. And the divine Spirit creates their souls anew in righteousness, peace, and holiness. But why doth he say, "created in Christ Jesus?" Because we are his members; one with him, beloved IN him, chosen IN him, viewed IN him; loved with the very same love, as Jesus our head is....John xvii. 23. What is wrought in us by the power of God the Spirit, is not to glorify us in our own eyes, to make us independent of our head, Jesus; but to glorify him, and keep us in close union to, and sweet communion with him; that so our good works, our fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, may abound to the glory of God. How awful is this delusion, under pretence of exalting Jesus to depreciate the work of his Spirit in us? How fatal the mistake of thinking our good works are to recommend us to God's favor? But how does the devil amuse poor dead sinners with notions of good works, and swell them with the pride of their works! as though they were the price of God's favor, and the purchase of his kingdom. All such works are of the flesh, they flow from pride and unbelief, and are accursed. The seventeenth article of our church speaks of "walking RELIGIOUSLY in good works." As though there are no good works, but what spring from the religion of Jesus. Christian, what thou art called to in life, that thou art created to in thy soul. Those duties exhorted to in the word, thou hast strength to perform by the Spirit. Therefore, though sinful and lost, in thy first creation, yet thou art saved and righteous by thy new creation in Christ Jesus. In him, being one with him, thou mayest say with Paul, "I have all things and abound."....Phil. iv. 18.

Not to the terrors of the Lord,

The tempest, fire and smoke, Not to the thunder of that word Which God on Sinai spoke. VOL. I.

But we are come to Sion's hill,

The city of our God,

Where milder words declare his will,
And spread his love abroad.

YY.

The God of peace shall bruise satan under your feet shortly....Rom. xvi. 20.

It is very common for the followers of the Lamb to reason, but not right, after this manner: "how can I be a son of the God of peace? how can I be a subject of the prince of peace, seeing I am daily in war and fightings? If at any time the sweet sound of peace is heard in my heart, and the comforting sense of peace is felt in my conscience, soon some rebel lust, some sinful passion, or some fiery dart of the enemy, makes an attack upon me; hence war commences and peace is banished." Nay but, soul, Jesus is still thy peace. God is ever at peace with thee. Glory in this always. Know thou art to fight the good fight of faith as a soldier of Jesus. Thy present state exposes thee to enemies. Being born again of the Spirit, thy flesh lusteth against thee, and thou feelest it, art groaning under it and striving against it. The strong man, satan, who heretofore kept thee in possession, when thou wast at peace with him, is now cast out by Jesus; therefore he besieges and attacks. The world with its vanities, its children with their smiles and frowns, promises and threatenings, animated by "the god of this world," are at war with thee; because thou art not of this world, but of the kingdom of Jesus.

That this combined power opposes thee, is a scriptural mark that thou art born of God. That thou art at war with them, is an evidence, a happy evidence of the life of thy soul, and of thy faith and love in Christ Jesus. Rather let this strengthen thy confidence than deject thy mind. Was it any proof that Jesus was not the Son of God, because satan tried to make him question it, and tempted him to idolatry, covetousness and self-murder? Did this destroy his hope and peace in his God and Father? Nor need his temptations interrupt thine. Thy God knows thou art conflicting with satan. It is his good pleasure to permit it for a season. Yea, he knows also thou canst not bruise satan, much less overcome him. Natural men are ready to ask what is this bruising of satan: we see no need of it. No, it is because they lie fast asleep in his arms. But those who are awake, and flee from him, he ever tries to distress. But, O christian, here is thy comfort, Jesus has bruised the serpent's head. Thy assurance of victory lies in the almighty power of Jesus, and faithful promise of thy Father. Look up with confidence for as sure as satan's head is bruised, thy God, who is at peace with thee, is at war with every enemy that is against thee. Fight with courage. He will strengthen thee to stand against, yea more, give thee perfect victory over all the powers of darkness, all the malice of hell. As a vanquished foe thou shalt tread satan under thy feet shortly. "Say to them that are of a fearful heart, be strong, fear not: behold your God will come with vengeance, (against the enemy) he will come and save you."....Isa. xxxv. 4.