They, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.-Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Roм. x. 3, 11.

T HE same mistake which proved so fatal to the Jews, proves equally fatal to many who pretend to call themselves Christians. Ignorant alike of the divine character and their own, they build their hope of the favour of GOD and eternal life upon some works of righteousness which they have done, or intend to do, and reject the righteousness of CHRIST, in which alone they can be justified and accepted; forgetting this great doctrine of the Gospel, that salvation is "not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us; by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." Titus iii. 5. In this mistake the decent and the profane are equally involved; for the worst of mankind fancy themselves possessed of some virtues and good qualities that will entitle them to the divine favour. The delusion remains till the light of the Holy Ghost darts in, like a sun-beam, upon the mind, and discovers the guilt and pollution that defile the best of us. We then abhor ourselves, and look to the free grace of God in CHRIST JESUS for pardon and salvation. We have a hope that maketh not ashamed!

JESUS! thy blood and righteousness
My beauty are, my glorious dress;
'Midst flaming worlds, in these array'd
With joy shall I lift up my head.
Bold shall I stand in the great day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay?
Fully through these absolved I am,
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

I cried with my whole heart; hear me, O Lord, I will keep thy statutes. Great peace have they who 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 Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall preserve thy soul. PSALM CXXI. 7.

THE

HE 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, 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! Then shail we with a heart full of gratitude, show forth the praises of thy glorious name.

My soul has gone too far astray,

My feet too often slip;

Yet since I've not forgot thy way,
Restore thy wandering sheep.

I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord.
GEN. xlix. 18.

ANY 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 may we ever abundantly experience thy help and salvation, especially at our latter end.

CHRIST'S OWN soft hand shall wipe the tears
From every weeping eye;

And pains and groans, and griefs and fears,
And death itself shall die.

How long, dear Saviour, O how long,
Shall this bright hour delay ?
Fly swiftly round, ye wheels of Time,
And bring the welcome day.

OI could break this carnal fence,
Drop all my sorrows in the tomb,
On angel-wings remove from thence,
And fly this happy moment home;
Quit the dark house of mouldering clay,
And launch into eternal day.

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

H 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 ensure 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 enemy; and so loved me that he gave me his only Son! Bless me with faith in CHRIST, then CHRIST is mine, and all things are mine, Cor. iii. 21; for he that spared not 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; he 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 immoveable rock. Amen and Amen.

O, for this love let earth and skies
With hallelujahs ring!

And the full choir of human tongues
All hallelujahs sing!

"To him who sits upon the throne,

The GOD whom we adore,

And to the Lamb that once was slain,
Be glory evermore."

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.

AST 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 selfrighteous dependences 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.

'Tis finish'd-was his latest voice;

These sacred accents o'er,

He bow'd his head, gave up the ghost,
And suffer'd pain no more.

'Tis finish'd-The Messiah dies
For sins, but not his own;
The great redemption is complete,
And Satan's power o'erthrown.