I am glorified in them; I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me, may be in them, and I in them; I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. JOHN xvii. 10,26,23. HRIST is the head of his Church, and he is

CHRIS

glorified in it, in having it to present to the Father a glorious Church, the members of which are washed clean in his own blood, and are as stones fitly set. CHRIST loves his Church. He loves the individual members of it, and they derive all their nourishment from him. O glorious promise-how could he love us more! What blessed and intimate union is this! O for such a faith that could always truly believe it! CHRIST is the Vine, believers are the branches; he the Bridegroom, they the Bride; he the Head, they the members of his body, of his very flesh, and very bones, and, consequently, one body with him. And who ever hated his own flesh? So in loving and cherishing believers, he loves himself. Eph. v. 28, 29. Whenever he shall cease to love himself, then, and no sooner, shall he cease to love and cherish them also. It is his own delight to do them good, more than the mother that suckles her child.

LORD, what a heaven of saving grace
Shines through the beauties of thy face,
And lights our passions to a flame!
LORD, how we love thy charming name!
When I can say my GOD is mine,
When I can feel thy glories shine,
I tread the world beneath my feet,
And all that earth calls good and great.
Send comforts down from thy right hand,
While we pass through this barren land;
And in thy temple let us see

A glimpse of love, a glimpse of Thee!

David's Prayer.-I am weary with groaning. PSALM Vi. 6.

Divine Answer.-He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might he increases strength. ISA. xl. 29. I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul. JER. xxxi. 25. See also MATT. xii. 20.

HERE CHRIST is commending his own meek

ness, both as a pattern for imitation, and as an encouragement for heavy-laden sinners to draw near to him with confidence. And his rest is promised, not for the merit of our labour and humility, but merely for our coming to him and believing in him. He says, "Take my yoke upon you." But how shall I take it? "" says the sinner. Why," says CHRIST, "Learn of me. Let me be your teacher, and though you are blind and foolish, fretful and forgetful, yea, wholly polluted with sin, I can yet bear with you, because I am meek and lowly in heart, not rough and haughty to offenders, as Pharisees usually are, but full of compassion towards them, willing to receive them, and ready to forgive and comfort them," &c. Come, therefore, to him, O sinner, with all thy load of sin and misery, and he will in nowise cast thee out, but receive thee gladly. Come hither, all ye weary souls,

Ye heavy-laden sinners, come!

I'll give you rest from all your toils,
And raise you to my heavenly home!
Bless'd is the man whose shoulders take
My yoke and bear it with delight;
My yoke is easy to his neck,

My grace shall make the burden light!
JESUS, we come at thy command,

With faith, and hope, and humble zeal,
Resign our spirits to thy hand,

To mould and guide us at thy will!

David's Prayer.-I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant. PSALM CXix. 176. Divine Answer.-Behold I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out; I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away; and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. EZEK. xxxiv. 11, 16. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom.

xl. 11.

ISA.

HE that is wise in his own conceit, as philosophers usually are, does not pray like David to be sought after and healed by JESUS CHRIST; and therefore he continues, amidst all his boasted wisdom, deeply ignorant of his fallen nature and his ruined state. But as thou hast given me, O thou good Shepherd, to understand my lost and helpless condition; and that like a wandering sheep I can neither find myself when lost, nor advise myself how to return, I beseech thee to seek, heal, lead, feed, carry, and strengthen me also as my various needs require; that I may be able to say with David, "The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall not want."

My Shepherd will supply my need,
Jehovah is his name;

In pastures fresh he makes me feed,
Beside the living stream!

He brings my wand'ring spirit back
When I forsake his ways;
And leads me, for his mercy's sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

The sure provisions of my GOD
Attend me all my days;

O may thy house be mine abode,
And all my work be praise!

L

I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servant. GEN. xxxii. 10. Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? 2 SAM. vii. 18. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and stars which thou hast ordained, what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him? PSALM viii. 3, 4.

SOUL truly humbled highly esteems every favour, and judges itself utterly unworthy of the least, looking upon everything as a free gift, and bestowed only for JESUS CHRIST's sake. Now, O my dear Father! it is true, in myself I deserve none, no, not the least, of thy mercies; but as thou hast graciously looked upon me, and given me thine only Son, who hath purchased all blessings at a high price for sinners, I do believe that goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. Amen. Be it so, holy Father, to thy glory and my everlasting joy.

Now to the power of GOD supreme

Be everlasting honours given;

He saves from hell, (we bless his name,)
He calls our wandering feet to heaven!

Not for our duties or deserts,

But of his own abounding grace,
He works salvation in our hearts,
And forms a people for his praise.

'Twas his own purpose that began
To rescue rebels doomed to die :
He gave us grace in CHRIST his Son,
Before he spread the starry sky.

JESUS, the Lord, appears at last,

And makes his Father's counsels known;
Declares the great transactions past,

And brings immortal blessings down.

I beseech you, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed, &c. ROM. xii. 1, 2. See also 1 Cor. vi. 19.

THE

HE presenting our bodies a living sacrifice unto God, when attended with serious prayer and reading the Scriptures, is the best means of knowing the will of GOD. To neglect this, and use other means, is tempting GOD, and exposing ourselves to the temptations and siftings of the wicked one. We may think ourselves to be divinely convinced by faith of the will of GOD, though we follow our own imaginations and spoil the best of our actions. Self-will generally takes quick resolutions, and has a great deal of assurance: whereas GOD very often leads his people blindly, and takes methods quite different from ours. "Who therefore believes shall not make haste." Isa. xxviii. 16. Let every one be careful that he does not mistake self-will and plausible representations for divine convictions and assurances of faith; always strictly examine himself first, whether his body, soul, will, affections, are entirely offered up to the good-will and pleasure of GOD; for GOD requires the service of the whole man, even a sacrificing our whole selves to him, not only at church, but in all other places, that we do not conform to the world, but be daily transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Though lifted eyes salute the skies,
And bended knees the ground,

Yet GoD abhors the sacrifice

Where truth cannot be found.

LORD, search my thoughts, and try my ways,
And make my soul sincere ;

Then shall I stand before thy face,

And find acceptance there.