: Secondly. The work is considered as of our own achieving; and we are called upon to cleanse our hearts from wickedness. It would be a contradiction of the whole Bible were we to be regarded as the authors. But we are the instruments. God not only worketh in us, but by us. And hence, though all is of grace, yet we-" will and do." We believe and repent, and hold on our way, and wax stronger and stronger. It would be an abuse of the language to infer from it, that we have power to do this naturally, or of ourselves-yet the address would be absurd, had we not the ability in some other way. God has the right to command, though we have lost the power to obey; but this is not the ground of the injunction. If in him our help was not found, he would not thus speak to us. But it is. His grace is sufficient for us. Every thing necessary for our deliverance from sin, is provided, and presented in the Gospel and we must have recourse to it in the use of the means which he has ordained. The address, therefore, is not like a command to a man to flee-a thing unnatural; and which he cannot enable himself to do but like a command to a man, who was ready to perish for want, to take and eat. Though he has nothing of his own, he has in view and at hand every kind of supply, and he is welcome to partake of it. Or, like a command to a sick man to be cured he cannot indeed heal himself, but he has one near him who is able and willing to heal him and asks, Wilt thou be made whole? And to this remedy he is to submit. All such commands are designed to make us sensible of our wants and weakness; and to bring us upon our knees. Then every thing is possible. Forgiveness and sanctification are attainable-are certain. And having this hope in us, we purify ourselves even as he is pure. Having these promises, we cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. OCT. 27.-"O Jerusalem! wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved." Jer. iv. 14. THE words remind us, that sin is of a defiling nature. It is therefore held forth by every kind of uncleanness; by wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores; by leprosy and the plague; by mire and dirt; by the rottenness and corruption of the grave. It defiles every thing it touches. In consequence of it, the whole creation groaneth; and all our eyes behold, is doomed to perish, like the house of the leper, under the law, because of the infection of the inhabitant. "O do not," says God, "the abominable thing that I hate." "My soul loathed them." How great must that evil be, which can induce the Creator to loathe the work of his own hands! The Father of all, to loathe his very offspring! And even the God of love, the very Essence of mercy, to say to them at last, "Depart, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels!" O my soul! does sin appear to thee, as it does to Himexceeding sinful? Secondly. That the purification we need, extends to the heart-" Wash thine heart from wickedness." The reason is, because this is the very seat of the pollution. Some, who know their lives are open to censure, will yet plead for the goodness of their hearts. But a good heart will always produce a good life, as naturally as a good tree yieldeth good fruit. Others contend that our corruption is not innate, but acquired; derived, not from within, but from without -Yet, says the faithful and true Witness, "From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Hence, "No outward forms can make us clean- And we must be pure in heart. How is this to be ascertained? By our deliverance from the love of sin. The love of sin defiles even more than the practice. But every man that is renewed in the spirit of his mind, not only avoids sin, but hates it. He feels it to be his burden and his grief. And, while any of the abomination continues adherent to him, he exclaims, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Thirdly. This purification is connected with salvation-"Wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved."-It is necessary to salvation. Without holiness, no man shall see the Lord. If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Indeed, in such a state, and with such a disposition, the enjoyment of heaven is as impossible, as the attainment. The exclusion, therefore, is not arbitrary, but unavoidable.-It will certainly terminate in salvation. This is not only fully implied in the declaration, but it is made the matter of express promise-" Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."-It is a part of salvation. The man who has experienced it, is not only an heir, but a subject of the blessedness. He has, not indeed the perfection of the thing; but he has more than the title and the pledge-he has the beginning. Being made free from sin, and become the servant of God, he has his fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. OCT. 28.-" If any man love God, the same is known of him." 1 Cor. viii. 3. THERE is nothing so mortifying to men as inattention and neglect. Many would rather be hated, than neglected. The one implies, that they are deemed something: the other shews, that they are considered as beneath notice. The one rouses; the other annihilates. Hence we are anxious to be known of our fellow-creatures; especially those who are placed above us-and can take us by the hand-and raise us up-and put us forward in life. Yet, as men of low degree are vanity; so men of high degree are a lie. After all our servile attentions and compliances, we are never sure of gaining their regard— And what could even their zeal do for us in our most important interests? O let us turn our anxiety another way. Let us sanctify it. Let us make it the medium of our happiness. Let us be concerned to please God. Then we shall be sure to succeed; and success will be every thing. For in His favour is life-"If any man love God, the same is known of him." This knowledge being spoken of, as the highest privilege, it must intend much more than a mere acquaintance with the subjects of it: for thus, all are known of him. The least thing intended, is discernment. The Lord knows their condition. Knows all their walking through this great wilderness. Knows all their trials. Knows the pressure of every burden they bear. Knows their frame; and remembers that they are dust. He perceives all their dangers. Their enemies may plot against them; but they do it in the sight of their Father and Friend. And, as to their persons, the Lord knoweth them that are his. He never overlooks them in the crowd. If there was only one of them in a village, or city, or nation, he would have his eye upon him. However misrepresented and reproached, he recognizes them as upright before him. However obscure their condition, he views them as the excellent of the earth. However little their faith, he watches the tears with which they cry, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. However encompassed with infirmities, which sometimes perplex others, he, who knows what is the mind of the spirit, knoweth that they love him. We can only judge of motives by actions. But God judges of actions by motives. He seeth the heart; in consequence of which, in estimating the services of his people, he admits into the amount, not only all they do, but all they design to do, and wish to do, when they are hindered; and accepts them, according to what they have, and not according to what they have not. Even this is a source of satisfaction to the Christian. -But this knowledge, also, takes in approbation. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous-So he does the way of the ungodly. But the meaning is, he approves it; he commends it. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him; in them that hope in his mercy. He regards them, with complacency, as the work of his own hands. He esteems them as his jewels; his bride; his offspring. Their prayer is his delight: their alms, the odour of a sweet smell. Approbation must be valued according to the condition and character of the being from whom it comes. It would be a reproach to pass for the favourite of Satan. The first Christians would also have deemed the friendship of the world no recommendation: for they were satisfied to say, "The world knoweth us not; for it knew him not." A great personage reflects a lustre upon a near object: a person would be ambitious to be seen intimate with the king. And to live in the affections of the wise and good, says a fine writer, is like breathing in an eastern spice-grove. What a dignity is it, then, to walk with God! What a blessedness to hear Him say, "Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee"! And what shall be done for the man whom the King of kings delighteth to honour? For this knowledge is acknowledgment. The Apostle, admonishing the Thessalonians, says, "Know |