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. PSALM 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 1v. 22. THATEVER 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 counsellor, My pattern and my guide, Still keep me near thy side. I shall be safe, for CHRIST displays 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. Τ 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, But there must be experience too, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow me; for whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. MARK viii. 34, 35. LUKE ix. 23. Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. LUKE xiv. 33. THIS HIS doctrine is discarded by all who call CHRIST "Lord, Lord, but do not the things which he saith." The language of their heart is, "Speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits." Isa. xxx. 10. How different was that of the apostle!" So fight I, not as one that beateth the air; but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that, by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Cor. ix. 26, 27. No cross, no crown: let us not then be afraid of the cross; for when we bear it, it bears us; and when we refuse to take it up, we refuse the staff of every Christian pilgrim, and the weapon of every Christian soldier; we renounce the tree of life for that of knowledge, and practically "deny JESUS CHRIST and him crucified." What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. MARK Xi. 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name; ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. JOHN xvi. 23, 24. But ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth, is like a wave of the sea; let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. JAMES i. 6, 7. HE EROD promised with an oath to give the daughter of Herodias whatever she would ask, even to the half of his kingdom. How advantageous was his promise! but how much more so that of the LORD! "By myself have I sworn," says he, "that in blessing I will bless thee." Gen. xxii. 16, 17. When he bids us ask, he does not lay us under a restriction of not asking above half a kingdom. No; we may ask a whole kingdom, even the kingdom of heaven, consisting both of grace and glory. Both are purchased for us by the blood of the Lamb; both promised to believers in the word of the Gospel; and both actually bestowed: grace upon praying souls in the church militant; glory upon praising souls in the church triumphant. If now we do not enjoy the kingdom of grace, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, it is merely because we have not asked, or have asked amiss; this is, without faith, without patience, or in our own name, and not in the all-prevailing name of JESUS. Faith, mighty Faith, the promise sees, Laughs at impossibilities, And cries, IT SHALL BE DONE. David's Prayer.-O Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great. PSALM XXV. 11. Divine Answer.-Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Rom. v. 20. For God will abundantly pardon. Isa. lv. 7. IT is all one with GOD to forgive a repenting sinner his trespasses, whether great or small, many or few; for they are all paid with one ransom. No sin, properly speaking, is little in itself; and none greater than the grace of GoD, and the infinite price laid down for it. Whatever sins, therefore, a man feels, yet he may throw himself upon the abounding grace of GOD: but this grace must always be our comfort, to depend upon it alone, even when it is best with us; for then only it is best with us when we depend alone on grace, and live in it as in our element. The grace of the Gospel not only redeems the soul from death, and quickens it to newness of life, but it brings it into a very near relationship with GOD, and fits it for a full participation of the eternal glory and blessedness which God has in store for those who fear Him. Why does your face, ye humble souls, Those mournful colours wear? What doubts are these that waste your faith, What though your num'rous sins exceed The stars that fill the skies! And aiming at th' eternal throne, Like pointed mountains rise! It rises high and drowns the hills, |