I cried with my whole heart, Hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes: Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them. I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies; for all my ways are before thee. I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments. Psalm cxix. 145, 165, 168, 176. THE word of GOD should be ever connected with prayer; for why is it that many hear and read, without being the better? They do not pray in faith for a blessing. We must, like David, pray with the utmost fervour, that we may understand and retain the word of God, and bring forth fruit; for a Christian has nothing so much at heart as that he may always act up to the word and will of God; his prayer is, LORD, let my footsteps be sure, according to thy word; and let nothing contrary to thy law have dominion over me, either in my doctrine or practice! If this prayer be granted, great will be our peace; for the word of God is a word of peace; JESUS himself will be our peace, and then nothing shall offend us; we shall take heed unto all our ways before GOD, and so walk before him as to continue humble, like David, who considered himself as a straying and lost sheep, LORD, we are by nature straying and lost sheep; seek and fetch us back from the error of our ways, and preserve us in thy pasture! My soul has gone too far astray, Yet, since I've not forgot thy way, Restore thy wand'ring sheep. I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord. Gen. xlix. 18. MANY have received comfort from these words in death, and waited in faith for their salvation. The thoughtless and impenitent wait only for temporal prosperity in their lives, and therefore cannot expect eternal bliss; but, on the contrary, a dreadful judgment after death, O that they would enter into themselves this very day, that, at the eve of life, they might, like Jacob and Simeon, depart in peace! We will not, therefore, look for any earthly things, but for the Saviour, who is already come, who will grant us his salvation, his aid and deliverance in life and death, and will conduct us safely at last, though we should wait some time for his help. Yes, my Redeemer, they who wait, depend upon, and hope in thee, shall not be ashamed! Grant us only faith and patience, that we may wait on thee from one morning-watch to another; and enduring all things, make the whole course of our lives one perpetual expectation of thy aid; and ever abundantly experience thy help and salvation, especially at our latter end! may we How long, dear Saviour, O how long For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world, through him, might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned. John iii. 16-18. OH that these truly precious words were ever warmly impressed on our hearts! that they were our last thoughts at night, and the first at our waking in the morning; and that they were improved in such a manner, as to make our dying-bed easy in the evening of our life, and to insure our rising with gladness in the morning of the resurrection! and what more blessed and delightful meditations can I daily dwell upon than to think thus: GoD has loved me, even me, when I was his and so loved me, that he gave me his only Son! Bless me enemy; with faith in CHRIST, then CHRIST is mine, and all things are mine (1 Cor. iii. 21); for he has not spared his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Rom. viii. 32. He will never suffer a believing soul to perish; has passed his word for it. It is he that says I shall not perish; I shall not be condemned," but have everlasting life if I believe. This will I build and depend upon to my last moments, as upon an immove◄ able rock. Amen and Amen. O, for this love let earth and skies And the full choir of human tongues All hallelujahs sing! he In Christ we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Col. i. 14. Having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. Col. ii. 13, 14. Therefore, said he, It is finished. John xix. 30. HAST thou, O my soul, felt the weight of thy own guilt and misery, and been enabled, in reality and truth, to lay hold by faith, of the blood of CHRIST for thy redemption, and faithfully to devote thyself to Him in heart and life? Then hast thou a sure foundation to go upon; let it be thy constant care firmly to depend upon these, and such like blessed declarations; look to JESUS for every blessing thou standest in need of! Has CHRIST brought life and immortality to light? then look unto him and live. Is there redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins?-then throw all thy guilt upon his atonement. Has he blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against thee? then shake off self-righteous dependencies and legal fears also. Did he die for thy sins? then let his goodness and love lead thee to unfeigned repentance; let the sense of thy sins break thine heart, but encourage thy hope in the gospel. Not all the blood of beasts, On Jewish altars slain, And richer blood than they' My Faith would lay her hand On that dear head of thine, And there confess my sin! The burdens thou didst bear And hopes her guilt was there. Keep me as the apple of the eye: hide me under the shadow of thy wings, Psalm xvii. 8. Divine Answer. He shall cover thee with his feathers; and under his wings shalt thou trust : His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Psalm xci. 4. THERE is none, O LORD, that has more need continually to keep close to thee in prayer and faith; and at the same time none is more unable to do it than I, the least of all thy flock! O, that thou wouldst be graciously pleased to incline and enable me to this blessed work! and grant that thy good spirit, according to his own pleasure, may never suffer me to be faint and backward in the same! Whilst I truly rest my faith under the wings of thy grace, I am sure of defence, power, and comfort; but as soon as I wander from thee I am in danger of losing the comfortable sense of these privileges, and falling into various errors and perplexities. "Guide me, O LORD, by thy counsel in this world, and at last receive me into glory!" Amen. He that has made his refuge God, Thrice happy man! thy Maker's care |