Jeremiah's prayer.-Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Jer. xvii. 14.

Divine Answer.-I am the Lord that healeth
thee. Exod. xv. 26. They that be whole need
not a physician, but they that are sick. Matt.
ix. 12. I have seen his ways, and will heal
him. Isa. lvii. 8; lxiii. 3; and lxi. 1.
CHRIST'S healing all bodily sickness, was a token
of his power and grace to heal all spiritual dis-
eases of our souls, though ever so dangerous.
Therefore, give thyself only up to his care, he
understands thy distemper also, and will certainly
restore thee. He has healed a great many al-
ready; nay, all those who ever desired it, of all
their infirmities. Thou canst never be too mis-
erable and bad for him; he is ever willing and
able to help. The worse thy case is, the more he
will pity thee and have patience. Before we can
be made whole, his way is to make us thoroughly
sensible of our sickness, and lay our wounds more
and more open. But, as the physician then is
most wanted, we must be the more earnest to
implore his help, and he will surely bind us up
again and heal us; not at once, but by degrees;
often slowly and wonderfully, yet thoroughly at
last; for he heals all, even the most incurable
diseases. Psal. ciii. 3.

Bind up, O Lord, and cheer my soul
With thy forgiving love;

O make my broken spirit whole,
And bid my pains remove.
Let not thy spirit quite depart,
Nor drive me from thy face;
Create anew my vicious heart,
And fill it with thy grace!

Then let my heart with grateful love,
And grace abounding be;

And let thy name all names abovo
Be ever praised by me.

Confess your faults one to another. James v. 16. IT is related of St. John the Evangelist, that he was once set upon by a company of thieves, amongst whom was a young man, their captain To him St. John applied himself. by way of wholesome counsel and advice, which took so good effect, that he was converted, and went to all his fellow thieves, and besought them, in the name of Jesus Christ, to walk no longer in their wicked ways. He told them, that he was troubled in conscience for his former wicked life, and earnestly entreated them, as they tendered the welfare of their own souls, to leave off their old courses. The counsel was good, and well taken, so that many of them became converts. Thus one sinner's confession of his faults to another, may happily prove the conversion of one by the other. Hence that precept," Confess your faults one to another," is thus interpreted by some:-That those who have been partners together in sin, should go and seriously confess their sins each to the other. He that hath been a drunkard, or any otherwise a wicked liver, let him go to his companions in iniquity, and tell them that he is troubled in mind because of his former excess, and he may be a mean of converting them. Reader, Art thou converted? follow this method; go to thy old companions, warn them of their danger, and thou wilt either be a mean of converting them, or hereby get rid of their troublesome company. Again, he who has injured another, should confess his fault to that other, as well as to God, and beg forgiveness from both.

If I have wronged my neighbour aught,
Or led a soul astray,

Lord, give me grace to own my fault,
And to amend my way.

David's Prayer-Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servant. Ps. cxliii. 2. Divine Answer.-Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my voice, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. John v. 24. See also chap. viii. 51. Isa. xxv. 8.

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SINCE the Judge himself is our Brother, our Bridegroom, the Lord of death and life, yea, even our life, believers cannot die eternally, because they are passed from death unto life." He that owns the justice of God's judgment confesses himself guilty in all things, and appeals from the judgment-seat to the mercy-seat, him the Lord will own and justify through the righteousness of his Son; for, "if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Nay, we shall even sit in judgment together with Christ.” 1 Cor. vi. 2. And surely in that day we shall not pass a sentence of condemnation on ourselves, much less will CHRIST; for he loves us more than we do ourselves. O let us then humble ourselves before God, and come as condemned criminals to his seat of mercy, for pardon and for grace to help in the time of need.

Who shall the Lord's elect condemn ?
'Tis God that justifies their souls:
And mercy, like a mighty stream,
O'er all their sins divinely rolls.

Who shall adjudge the saints to hell?
'Tis Christ that suffer'd in their stead!

And their salvation to fulfil,

Behold him rising from the dead.

Then never shall my soul despair,
Her pardon to procure;

Who knows God's only Son has died

To make her pardon sure.

Jeremiah's Prayer.-Give heed to me, O Lord; and hearken to the voice of them that contend with thee. Jer. xviii. 19.

Divine Answer.-Behold he that keepeth Israel, shall neither slumber nor sleep. Ps. cxxi. 4. Casting all your care upon God, for he careth for you. 1 Pet. v. 7. Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he will sustain thee. Psalm lv. 22. WHATEVER cares and anxieties perplex the people of God, whether they be temporal or spiritual, whether they be great or small, they also concern God. He knows their afflictions; he knows their anxieties. The care of our Lord, which he takes for his little ones, infinitely exceeds the care of the most tender mother over her weak and helpless child. Then, whilst I feel and own myself weak, foolish and wretched, the Lord being the guardian of such babes, he will have patience with me, for they are the vessels of his grace knowing myself, therefore, to be always a weak and ignorant child, I will labour to keep close to Jesus in waiting and prayer. And since he is the Minister of the Sanctuary, he will never let me want anything that is good for me, but will defend me, and feed me, and train me up in the best and most suitable manner.

Be thou my counseller,

My pattern and my guide,
And through this desert land,
Still keep me near thy side.
O let my feet ne'er run astray,
Nor rove, nor seek the crooked way!
Should all the hosts of death,
And powers of hell unknown,
Put their most dreadful forms
Of rage and mischief on,

I shall be safe, for Christ displays
Superior power and guardian grace.

They said unto the woman, Now we believe; not because of thy saying, &c. John iv. 42. If so be ye

have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Pet. ii. 3. IT is an important thing to know assuredly that the Scripture has such a witness as experience, and that there is a real correspondence between the saints and the word, between the believer and CHRIST. This matter lieth out of the common road of the world. Sinners not awakened can have no experience of this kind, and therefore it is often ridiculed by them. But oh! what an empty thing would religion be without experience, and a heart-felt knowledge of its truth! Experience is the sure and secret mark whereby the Christian knoweth the Scripture is of God, and feeleth his own interest in CHRIST; he has been often helped out of a dark plunge by the sealing of the word on his heart. O what an excellent interpreter is experience; taste and see, for thus the serious Christian getteth a view of the Scripture and spiritual things, which the most subtle and piercing eye of unsanctified schoolmen cannot reach. Ps. xxxiv. 8, and cxvi. 10. 2 Tim. i. 12. Gal. ii. 16. Heb. iv. 3. This cannot be found in books; it confoundeth the wise and disputer of this world, while the meanest and simplest Christian understands it well. Reader, press after experience; live not by hearsay-upon the comforts of others, but seek to the Lord, that he would give thee this inward testimony; it will help thee in future trials, remove many of thy fears, make thy passage through life easy and comfortable, and be as a pledge of thy future glory. 'Tis well to hear and read the word,

Its truth to see and own;

But there must be experience too,
Or yet thou art undone.