David's Prayer.-Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. PSALM li. 10. Divine Answer. And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them an heart of flesh; that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. EZEK. xi. 19, 20. A in GLORIOUS promise which may be relied on, and will certainly be fulfilled if heartily pleaded in prayer. "And blessed are the pure heart; for they shall see GOD." Matt. v. 8. In regard to justification, we are perfectly clean by CHRIST'S atonement; but in regard to sanctification, our hearts are not perfectly clean yet, but we have still need to pray "Create in me a clean heart." Amen. O LORD! may thy blood and Spirit cleanse and sanctify me thoroughly from all my sins! Amen. Bless'd with the joys of innocence Adam our father stood, Till he debased his soul to sense, Now we are born a sensual race, Great GOD! renew our ruin'd frame, Eternal Spirit, write thy law And Enoch walked with God. GEN. v. 24. HA [APPY they who, in their early days, are turned from sin, themselves, and the world, by repentance towards GOD, and faith in the promised seed, as Enoch was, who, from the time of his conversion, walked with GOD in a continued progress in his work and ways. To "walk with GOD," is to come out from a sinful generation and cleave to the LORD, as Noah and Caleb did; and GOD requires this of all believers. 2 Cor. vi. 17. It is setting the LORD before our eyes continually, and fearing him always, as Joseph and Nehemiah did; thereby avoiding everything that would offend him. It is also making an open profession of faith in him and zeal for his service, as our highest honour and best interest. And farther, it is such a walk as obtains an holy intimacy and communion with GoD, which is kept up by constant meditation, prayer and praise; hearkening to the voice of his word and Spirit, and walking humbly before him; hereby holiness is promoted and encouraged in the soul. Thus "Enoch walked with GOD;" thus he maintained a holy confidence in him, committing all his ways to him, always expecting help from him, and rejoicing in the hopes of being with him for ever. For these happy ends the grace of God is sufficient for all that see their want, and ask it. The LORD help us to seek it, that, like Enoch, we may walk with GoD here below, and live with him for ever in glory. Amen. See that ye walk circumspectly; not as fools, but as wise. Be ye therefore not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. EPH. V. 15, 17. That ye may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be sincere and without offence. PHIL. i. 10. See also LUKE xii. 36. BELIEVERS have nothing more at heart than the will of GOD; being once convinced of that, they immediately set about it at all hazards; but sometimes they cannot come to a thorough knowledge of the same without great conflicts and patience. "For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Heb. x. 36. For the flesh is exceedingly crafty and froward; and though often forbid to go, it is as often calling out, "Howsoever, let me run." 2 Sam. xviii. 23. But the LORD will nevertheless carry them through. Yes, LORD, this thou hast done innumerable times. O that I might trust thee also for the time to come, and not be so weak in faith any more. O that my soul could feel at home with God, as in the presence of a kind father, and being glad in his presence, I might trust his offered grace, and walk not as the foolish but as the wise, knowing and doing the will of the LORD. Beloved self must be denied, The mind and will renew'd; Passion suppress'd, and patience tried, Flesh is a dangerous foe to grace, Where it prevails and rules; Flesh must be humbled, pride abased, Lest they destroy our souls. LORD, can a feeble, helpless worm Thy grace must all my works perform If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you. 1 PET. iv. 14, 19. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy, for, behold, your reward is great in heaven. LUKE vi. 23. Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father who is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. MATT. X. 32, 33. EVERY real Christian must expect persecution from the world, and though he should take heed of giving needless offence by self-will or rash conduct of any kind, yet should he not seek to shun the cross by what some men call prudence, or a sneaking compliance with the world, but be willing to suffer everything, rather than to hurt the cause of GOD in the least. We should openly confess CHRIST our LORD, and not mind being called fools by the wicked, as we know that at last they will call themselves by that name; therefore care not for the approbation and praise of the world; but count it a great honour to bear the reproach of CHRIST. Be willing rather to suffer persecution, and to be one of the despised in this world, than that the name of the LORD should suffer any dishonour by the countenance you may wish to give to some sin in order to avoid offence. O my soul, flee such temptation. It is not the will of the LORD that you yield. Blessed are the suff'rers who partake Of pain and shame for JESUS' sake; The Lamb shall lead his heavenly flock, And love divine shall wipe away Take heed to your spirit. MALACHI ii. 15. Those things which proceed out of the mouth, come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. MATT. xv. 18. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? JER. xvii. 9. The imagination of the thoughts of man's heart is evil continually. GEN. vi. 5. PRIVA RIVATE loop-holes, sinful lusts, can hide themselves at times so well as to seem quite dead; but if we grow careless, they spring up again on a favourable occasion, and sometimes appear in a spiritual shape, and take a fine spiritual name. Thus, though the flesh exceedingly likes sensual indulgences, yet to flatter its lust of pride and the vanity of being thought a perfect man, it will sometimes endure great mortification. Therefore we ought always to be jealous of ourselves, and guard as much against self-righteousness as licentiousness; for the flesh is never more fleshly and dangerous than when it has the most spiritual appearance, and covers its lusts with the holiness and spirituality of angels. Sin has a thousand treach'rous arts, To practise on the mind; With flatt'ring looks she tempts our hearts, With names of virtue she deceives The aged and the young; And while the heedless wretch believes She makes his fetters strong. She pleads for all the joy she brings And gives a fair pretence; But cheats the soul of heavenly things, So on a tree divinely fair, Grew the forbidden food; Our mother took the poison there, And tainted all her blood. |