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the promised inheritance. Through faith and patience we shall inherit the promises, Heb. vi. 12. Therefore, "let us run with patience, the race set before us, looking unto Jesus," Heb. xii. 1, 2.

JAN. 29. He that believeth on him is not condemned. --John iii. 18.

Dost thou believe on the Son of God? This is the most important question in the world. Faith in Jesus is the "one thing needful." Without this, the day of life is a state of sin and condemnation; the night of death will be full of terror; and the day of judgment, most dreadful. It cannot be otherwise. For as we are all malefactors, under the sentence of the law, the thoughts of such an execution must be most awful and alarming. But "what the eye doth not see, the heart doth not rue." Sin naturally blinds men's eyes, hardens their hearts; and vain, self-righteous hopes deceive their souls into an insensibility of their lost and ruined state.

What a special mercy to know one's self! what distinguishing grace to know Jesus! what peculiar favour to know one is delivered from condemnation by him! This is the joyful privilege of every believer. Though he be a sinner, yet God doth not impute sin, but imputeth righteousness unto him; a righteousness which is equivalent to every demand of the law; even the perfect righteousness of the ever-blessed man and Mediator Jesus, our Brother, our Surety in the flesh. Faith humbly receives this glorious righteousness. The believer is thankful to God the Son who wrought it out, to God the Father who freely bestows it, and to God the Spirit who showed him his want of it. Therefore he is not condemned.

Sin cannot condemn us: it is all atoned for by the blood of Jesus. The law cannot condemn us: that is satisfied; yea more, it is magnified and made honourable by the perfect unsinning obedience of the God-man

Jesus; infinitely more so, than it could have been by all the obedience of a whole world of innocent, spotless saints, or of the whole company of the heavenly host of angels and archangels. The justice of God cannot condemn us; for what charge can the strictest justice bring against a righteous person? God's faithfulness and truth cannot condemn, they are engaged for the righteous. "God is faithful and just to forgive us;" and his love and mercy embrace such; for the righteous Lord loveth righteousness.

Lo, thus is the man blessed that believeth in Jesus: he is righteous in him, through faith; yet not faith, but Jesus alone is his righteousness. He that abides in Jesus, enjoys-what? perfect freedom from the being of sin? No; but this blessedness, perfect freedom from all condemnation for sin. Being passed from death to life, he brings forth fruit to the glory of God; and has inheritance among them who are sanctified by faith which is in Jesus, Acts xxvi. 18.

JAN. 30.-The wicked flee when no man pursueth; but the righteous are bold as a lion.-Prov. xxviii. 1.

WATCHFUL and BOLD, is the christian's motto. Watchful, to avoid sin; bold, to resist the enemies of his soul. For he is engaged in a righteous cause, animated by righteous hopes, made righteous in his righteous Lord; from whom he derives all his strength and courage. "In Jehovah [Jesus] have I righteousness and strength," Isa. xlv. 24. This is the glorying of his soul. Not his own inherent strength, not his own personal righteousness, is the cause of his fortitude; but the arm of Jehovah is his shield, the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, is his weapon, and the perfect righteousness of Jesus is his breast-plate of defence, against every enemy. Being cleansed from guilt by the blood of Jesus, and clothed with his righteousness by faith, the soul experiences a holy

boldness at a throne of grace, appeals against the fury of the enemy and oppressor, and finds supplies of strength in every time of need. This is the life of faith. So believers grow strong, (not in conceit of what they are in themselves, but,) strong in the grace which is in Christ Jesus, "and in the power of his might," Ephes. vi. 10.

Thus are the righteous inspired with courage and boldness. Such is the comfort of believing souls. All the glory is due to Jesus, from whom the spirit of love, power, and of a sound mind, is given unto his righteous children. The action of Joseph of Arimathea is recorded with a peculiar emphasis upon his courage: he "went in boldly to Pilate and craved the body of Jesus," Mark xv. 43. Here was boldness in the midst of danger, an act of faith in the face of foes, a token of love without fear or shame of the greatest enemies to Jesus. But "he was waiting for the kingdom of God."

The boldness of Peter and John astonish the Jewish Sanhedrim, who "took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus," Acts iv 13. Have we been with Jesus, in the faith of our souls? Are we waiting for the coming of his kingdom? Shall we then be afraid of worms of the earth? ashamed of our Master, his eross, or his ways? Forbid it, Lord inspire our souls with boldness, that we may triumph with David, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident," Psalm xxvii. 1, 3. Thus shall ye discern between the righteous and the wicked, &c. Mal. iii. 18.

JAN. 31.-Christ's house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. Heb. iii. 6.

The tabernacle, with its furniture, the ark of the

covenant, the institution of sacrifices, &c. were appointed by Jehovah, to show the nature of his house, to typify God's dwelling in the human nature of Jesus, his sacrifice for, and special presence with, the household of faith. David asks, Lord, who shall dwell with thee? Psalm xv. 1. The answer is, Only those whose hearts are furnished with the graces of Jesus, and whose lives evidence it.

It bespeaks a person's proprietorship of, and delight of residence in a house, when he adorns and furnishes it.

This Jesus doth by the hearts of all his members. He is our Brother in flesh. He complies with his own command, When thou lettest a servant go free, "thou shalt furnish him liberally," Deut. xv. 14. Out of Christ's fulness his members receive, most liberally, grace for grace. Hence they have the confidence of faith and the rejoicing of hope.

But why doth the apostle put an if here. Is it to weaken our confidence and damp our joy, as though Jesus was not faithful to us; or that our own efforts could make salvation more secure than his blood and righteousness have? Is it to keep us always in diffidence and uncertainty? Far from it; this would counteract the grace of Jesus, weaken faith and hope in him, and strengthen our pride and vain glory, as though Jesus was the foundation, but our own arm, our own faithfulness was to raise the superstructure, and bring forth the head-stone of salvation, with shoutings, not of Grace, grace to him, but Glory, glory to us. Most detestable thought!

We are assured, that all those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life, shall enter into his glory, Rev. xxi. 27. There are no ifs, no doubt of this. But who are of that happy number? This we can only know by the Spirit given unto us, whereby we cleave unto Jesus in heart and affection as our only hope, renounce both the righteousness and sinfulness of the flesh, and continue to hold fast and persevere in the faith of the gospel, "and walk worthy of the voca

tion wherewith we are called," Eph. iv. 1. Shall we, dare we say, those are of Christ's house, who have no real confidence, no scriptural hope in him? or those, who having professed to have faith and hope in him, now cast off, reject him, and deny Christ to be the only Saviour? No. But all of his house are exhorted, "Wherefore, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things ye shall never fall," 2 Pet. i. 10.

FEBRUARY.

FEB. 1.-Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.-Isa. viii. 13.

In consequence of a blessed union between Jesus and his believing members, the word discovers the sweet concord and delight that mutually subsists in the heart towards each other. Thus it is declared, "The Lord's portion is his people," Deut. xxxii. 9. And the church claims Jesus under the same appellation: "The Lord is my portion, saith my soul," Lam. iii. 24. "Ye shall be to me a holy nation," Exod. xix. 6. "I will dwell in them, and walk in them," saith our gracious Immanuel. Therefore, such highly favoured souls are called to the most special and peculiar service on earth, ere they attain the perfect enjoyment of Jesus in glory. What more exalted pitch of honour, than for creatures of a day to sanctify the Lord of the heavenly hosts, the Lord of the armies of the whole earth?

Is Jesus the Lord thy God? worship thou him; give him the glory due unto his name. The heart is his temple; there sanctify thy Lord. Separate every idol of self-righteousness, every vain pretension, every boasted plea for mercy, but what is in Jesus, and flows through him. Spurn from thee, as detestable, all things else that would rival Jesus, detract from his

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