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Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Ps li. 7. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Ver. 9. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Isa. i. 8. LET us ever have our sins before our faces. Ps. li. 3. Let us remember that the eye of God is constantly upon us, and that, as he looketh not on the outward but on the inward parts, his purity and his justice will be highly incensed. With a just horror then of our transgressions, let us beg God to turn away his face from them, to blot them all out as a thick cloud. Let us come and do this freely, and let us come daily. We must not keep away from CHRIST on account of our stumblings and manifold faults. This would cast us under the law again, and bind us under condemnation; but we should humble ourselves directly before God, and seek earnestly for pardon through the blood of CHRIST. The longer we delay this, the worse our cause will grow; and the sooner it is done, the sooner we shall have forgiveness. The Lord not imputing those sins to us which are sincerely repented of, our soul returns to its rest again; and, instead of falling into carnal security (as some may think) it will rather strengthen our faith, and make us more watchful. Hasten, therefore, and come as soon and as well as thou canst. He will receive thee, if thou canst but creep.

O Lord, I fall before thy face:

My only refuge is thy grace!

No bleeding beast, nor flood, nor sea,
Can wash the dismal stain away!

Jesus, my God, thy blood alone
Has pow'r sufficient to atone ;

Thy blood can make me white as snow;
No Jewish type could cleanse me so!

Christian's Prayer.-Deliver us from evil. Divine Answer.-Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. Isa. xliii. 1, 2. Christ has, by his own blood, once entered into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. Heb. ix. 12.

THIS precious redemption is the foundation of
our present deliverance, and will finally produce
an everlasting deliverance from all evil. He who
hates and detests not only the evil of punishment,
but of sin itself, and, consequently, pants after
Jesus, both for his love and for his likeness, such
a one hath faith already, and sin has lost its do-
minion over him. And though he may be tempted
with it severely, yet he is under the law no more;
for the reigning power of sin being broke, the law
has lost its condemning power also; we are deliv-
ered from the power of the evil one, and we may
be sure of a continual, nay, eternal redemption.
We may often feel the evil, but by prayer and
watchfulness be as often delivered from it also.
Thy solemn vows are on me, Lord;
Thou shalt receive my praise!
I'll sing, "How faithful is thy word!
"How righteous all thy ways!"

Thou hast secured my soul from death,
O set thy prisoner free!

That heart and hand, and life and breath,
May be employed for thee!

Assist me while I wander here,

Amidst a world of cares,

Incline my heart to pray with love,

And then accept my prayers.

Stir up the gift of God, which is in thee. 2 Tim. i. 6. Psalm lii. 3. 2 Sam. vii. 18, 28.

How can this be done?-Answer: By looking as well upon thy own great poverty and wants, as upon the riches of grace which is in CHRIST for thee, and so drawing near to God through him in faith; but it is not enough to do this once for all, or now and then only. It is to be thy daily work. One day's omission may greatly hurt thy soul. Especially the morning hours are very proper for this purpose. These must directly be laid hold on to converse with God in prayer, before we meddle with anything else in our business, though ever so needful and important, for fear of being entangled and distracted perhaps the whole day; and to gather the whole strength, draw as near to CHRIST as possible, and even wrestle with him, as if it were the last time!-Pour out thy whole heart before him,-not giving over too soon; but be instant in thy supplications, at least with continual inward groaning, till thy heart burn within thee, and thou feel the quickening influence of his grace and Spirit. Then great care is to be taken to preserve this blessing and strength in a quiet and well-composed mind, examining thyself frequently, especially at nights, how the day has been spent; and be not put off with a slight answer.

I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice,
While I have breath to pray or praise!
This work shall make my heart rejoice,
And spend the remnant of my days.

Of Him who did salvation bring,
I could for ever think and sing;
When with his name I'm charm'd in song,
'I wish myself all ear and song.

For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. Heb. v. 13.

THE apostle, with some severity of expression, tells the Hebrews, or converted Jews to whom he wrote, that instead of being capable of strong meat, or attaining to the perfection of Christian doctrine, and being skilful in the word of righteousness, they chose to continue babes in knowledge; and like children, had all their work to begin again. It is, therefore, a matter of the greatest importance to know what that word of righteousness is, in which they were unskilful, not having their senses exercised to discern between good and evil, truth and error. Let it only be observed, that they were looking back to the law, and consequently in danger of returning to it for justification, and thus falling from the doctrine of grace. The design of this epistle was to keep them stedfast in the faith; and it will appear at once, that the righteousness which they were ignorant of, or ready to reject, is that of Christ," who, by one offering," the finishing act of his obedience," hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." Heb. x. 14. How many, at all times, who have the name and appearance of well-grown Christians, are just such babes as the Hebrews were, and have the same need to be told that they are unskilful in the word, reason, or ground of a justifying righteousness, and exhorted to go on to perfection in Christian doctrine, as well as to further degrees of Christian holiness!

Lord, I unskilful am,

A babe in knowledge yet!
I sip the milk of thy sweet word,
But ask for stronger meat.

For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power. 1 Thes. i. 5.

By the Gospel, the Son of God and divine truths are revealed to us; and by the Spirit they are revealed in us. External revelation by the word, and internal by the Spirit, are both necessary to salvation. Though Paul was separated from his mother's womb to be called by the grace of God, yet he had not an inward revelation of Jesus Christ in his heart till he heard the external word of CHRIST with his ear, saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" Acts xi. 4. Hence learn to prize both the outward testimony of the word and the inward testimony of the Spirit. The Gospel is a revelation of Jesus Christ, without which we could never have known that our sins are atoned for by the blood, our persons justified by the righteousness, and our souls everlastingly saved by the work of CHRIST; but is this knowledge all that is necessary to salvation? No! persons may attain a notion of these things in the head, and understand somewhat of them, and yet the heart be without precious faith in CHRIST, destitute of the love of CHRIST, and of any saving hope in him. Professor, look well to it; many have said, Lord, Lord, and have heard CHRIST preach in their streets, who little expected to meet with this rebuff from him, "I know not whence ye are; depart ye workers of iniquity!" Many heard the Gospel preached in Thessalonica, but they alone were blessed, to whom it came "with power, and in the Holy Ghost, and with much assurance.”

The Gospel is like sun and shower,

If once the Spirit seals the word;
It comes with truth, and comes with pow'r,
And will both light and life afford.

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