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fels, mourn, part with fin, clofe with Chrift in all his offices? Preferibe, Lord, what thou wilt, I will not fcruple what thou enjoins me, but obey thee without referve? I am refolved upon it, whatever it cost me, that the folicitations of the fleflr, the temptations of Satan, the fcoffs, reproaches, or perfecutions of the world, fhall not ftop me from flying to the Ark; would break through all these to be found in it: Lord, increafe and ftrengthen my faith for that end, and help my unbelief.

O how fuitable is the Ark Chrift to my deftitute and miferable condition: In myself I want all things, but I fee fupply for all my wants in the Ark. I am poor, but I fee gold in the Ark to make me rich; I am wounded by fin, but I fee balm in the Ark to heal my wounds: I am blind, but there is eye-falve in the ark to make me fee I am perishing with hunger, but I fee bread in the Ark to fatisfy me: I am naked, but in the Ark there is white raiment to clothe me: I am polluted, but in the Ark there is a fountain to wafh me; I am expofed to more terrible floods than Noah was, but I fee the Ark Chrift can fave me from them all. Noah's ark faved him only from a flood of water, but the Ark Chrift faves from a flood of the curfes of the law and the wrath of God, which will fweep away all the unbelieving world. This flood rofe, fwelled high, and dashed furioufly against our Ark; but the Ark was proof against it, and sheltered all the elect world from the flood, fo that not one drop did light on them. O how excellent is this Ark! for it can fave me from being overwhelmed or carried away with any flood, and particularly it can fave me from being carried away with a flood of Satan's temptations which fweeps away many, or with a flood of indwelling corruption, with a flood of error, with a flood of profanity, or with a flood of neutrality and indifferency about fpiritual concerns; by which floods, multitudes are deftroyed. Let me then by faith fly to this bleffed Ark, where all believers are

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gfonds to enter by. The filration of finners by a
med Chrit, is well ordered fcheme, a beautiful
dfd be the infinitely wife courier

fre al dings in Chrit crucified neceffit
for me: He is made of God to men, wisdom, right-
fion, and redemption. There is in him
nie wild to guide me, a ipotels righteoufnels to
meme, precious blood to wafh me, the Holy Spirit to
fandy me, his good weed to direct me, his juft laws to
his infinite falnels to fupply all my needs:

de and happy then would 1 be, were I found in him.
Oh, prial by fcriprure marks, I could conclude
be within the Ark, to wit, a Crucified Jefus!
Can I Gr, I have been warned of God, and moved
wifey to this it? Have I discovered my

her fate by nature, the waves and billows of
wah ring and rolling againit me? Have I feen my
wa inability to provide an Ark for myfelf, and the
calency and fires of the Ark of God's providing
Have been made willing to abandon all falfe arks, and
nelly: how to get into the true Ark?
Have made willing to use all appointed means
r this end, to read, hear, meditate, pray, repent, be
leve, day to climb up the files of the Ark, and pres
the door thereof? Have I been willing to
y all in the Ark, like Noah, notwithstanding
the gemens, food, and hatred of the world for
doing! Have I willingly acquiefced, fheltered, and
alged my folia God's Ark, and been made to fay,
Swiecie mnd former, he will I ded? Come what
wil, Chrift fall be my Ark, his righteoufnefs
my age and hiding place

As upon impartial fearch, have I not caufe to fear
The not per del tothe Ark, but am ftill expofed

the deing food and can I be

ach a call Can I forbear crying, What fhall Ido to
the Chri Nay, What would or do

Lord, whit would then hve me to
Walk the bare me to humble mylelf con

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preferved from these destroying floods. Behold, I run, I fly May Jefus draw me, and help me in!

Bleffed for ever be the God of heaven, for providing fuch an Ark for fallen finners upon earth. I defire to count all things but lofs and dung, that I may be found in this Ark among the preserved in Christ Jefus, whom no flood can reach. However this Ark be flighted by the world, I will prize it above all things, and count them for ever happy who get into it, feeing God declares it, that there is no condemnation to them that are in Chrift Jefus. The Ark was flighted by the old world, and Noah ridiculed for preparing it for himfelf and his houfe; but it foon appeared that Noah was the wifeft man that then lived upon the earth. Few there were who entered with Noah into the Ark, and no doubt were reproached and mocked for their fingularity; but foon was the world perfuaded that they were the only wife and happy men in it. Better furely it was to have followed the eight perfons that went into the Ark, than to have joined eight millions of those who were drowned in the flood. Should I be so foolifh as to follow the old world in undervaluing the Ark, I must lay my account to be shut out and perish with them too: Wherefore I will not fear the reproach of men for being fingular in my esteem of glorious Christ. May I be numbered among that happy company (however few they be) who love the Lord Jefus Christ in fincerity, and will blefs God eternally for providing this Ark for drowning men! May I be one that will ever blefs my lovely and loving Jefus, that pitied me and took me in, when others were washed off from the fides of the Ark, as adhering only to it by a dead and formal profeffion! May I be one that will ever fing to his praife. O amazing free love! that pitied and distinguished me, when the flood came; that graciously drew and determined me in such a manner, that I got into the Ark and was fafe, when many others were wathen off and perished for ever!

MEDITATION II.

From 2 PETER, ii. 4. God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast

them down to Hell.

How admirable, free, and diftinguishing is the love of God to mankind finners, in pitying them in their low and lost estate? O how different is the cafe of fallen men upon the earth, from the cafe of falien an. gels in hell, and that of damned fouls there! Manna is rained down upon us, while an eternal fhower of fire and brimstone falls down upon them. They are bound in chains of darknefs, whilft thou, Lord, art drawing us with cords of love. Thou didft not fpare angels, nor take on their nature; but thou haft spared us, married our nature, and exalted it to the heavens. They continue without hope under the deluge of God's wrath, while the pleasant Rainbow of the facrament appears to us, as a token of God's covenant of grace, and of his willingness to fecure us from that overflowing flood, by the interpofition of his dear Son in our nature. O how welcome should we make that gospel Rainbow!

Lord, thy wrath foon broke out against the angels that fell; thou didst punish them immediately upon their finning against thee. Thou didst not wait for their repentance, nor make any offer of mercy to them; but, prefently upon their firft offence, didft condemn them to everlasting chains of darkness. O how far different is thy manner of dealing with us! Long haft thou waited upon us after we have finned; yea, thou haft followed us with thy mercy after many refusals of it, and even after our trampling the precious blood of Chrift under our feet! Marvellous and peculiar is thy mercy to fallen men in refpect of fallen angels! Glory to fovereign free mercy, that thou didst not caft us off forever without a parley, as thou didst them; but waits to be gracious to us, long ftretching out thy hand, and calling us to repentance, faying, l'urn ye, turn ye; why will you die!

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