Abstain from all appearance of evil, that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. PHIL. ii. 15. See also ЕPH. v. 8.

B

E as the sun in
light to all; so

1

the firmament-he giveth let your light shine before all men. By doing so some may walk in it, and GOD will be glorified. Be no slaves to the flesh, but, on the contrary, show a willing and holy service to the most high GOD! Bless those that are against you. LORD, I desire to shine in good works, the genuine fruits of faith; therefore will I give myself up to thee, to purge me, that I may bring forth more fruit. Looking upon myself as thine, I would not only abstain from evil, but from the very appearance of it. Some are satisfied with knowing they are blameless, and care not what others think of them; but for the Gospel's sake I desire to appear blameless before others, lest some offence should come through me; which, as far as in me lieth, I would prevent. Thy children, O GOD, are as lights in the world. O pour_thy grace, that heavenly oil, into my lamp, and so trim it that it may give light unto all around, that they may be led to glorify thy holy name. O LORD, my stubborn will subdue ; Create my ruined frame anew!

Dispel my darkness by thy light;

Into all truth my spirit guide,
But from mine eyes for ever hide
All things displeasing in thy sight.

Be heaven now my soul's abode !
Hid be my life with CHRIST in GOD;

My spirit, LORD, be one with thine;
Let all my works in thee be wrought,
And filled with thee be all my thought,
Till in me thy full likeness shine.

T

Let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. REV. xxii. 17. there be a sense of sin, and want of spiritual blessings, and a willingness to be saved by grace, though you know not that it is CHRIST'S secret power that makes you willing, yet being athirst and willing, you are invited: do not puzzle and perplex yourselves with such questions as these: Am I elected? Have I a right? Am I prepared? but come upon the invitation, and take pardon, peace, righteousness, and every Gospel blessing, as free gifts to the needy. If one ready to perish with hunger and thirst, were invited to a feast and assured of welcome, and he should stand hesitating, Have I a right? Am I worthy? would it not seem preposterous in him thus to demur, when his necessities were pressing upon him, and a plentiful table before him? The weary, the hungry, the thirsty, the guilty, the worthless, the vilest, are invited to believe in JESUS, who came only to save sinners, and hath assured them in his word, that those who thus come to him "he will in nowise cast out."

The Spirit in the word,

And in his motions cries,
"Come to the Fountain-head of life,
And come for large supplies.

Let him who feels his thirst,

Nor can endure its rage,

Come to salvation's copious springs,
And all his pains assuage.

And whosoever will,

Is welcome to receive

The streams of everlasting life,
That heaven will freely give."

JESUS, is this thy voice?
We bless thy gracious call;
And flee with joyful haste to thee,
Our Saviour and our All.

Weep not; behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has prevailed. REV. v. 5. He rose triumphantly, and destroyed the works of the devil; therefore sin shall not have dominion over us. ROM. vi. 14. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Rom. viii. 2.

MANY

ANY complain that, though they will not turn back, yet they have no power to advance farther. If this should be thy case, my reader, remember that the enemy of souls will discourage thee. Go on praying, and venture it evermore upon the LORD. Consider how he awakened you at first, how often he has heard your prayers afterwards, and assisted you in many hard struggles. Surely he will help you now also. If that will not do, begin, as it were, afresh; acknowledge yourself guilty in every respect; and, as the chief of sinners, plead for mercy, and be instant in your humble supplications; looking at the same time upon GoD as a reconciled Father through CHRIST, who is willing to receive you, pardon, and bless you, in spite of all your misery: then you will soon make a better progress. To despair of our own strength is good; but we must never despair of the power of CHRIST, who is risen from the dead, but be sure to overcome with him at last. He will certainly help you in the due and best season.

Hell and thy sins resist thy course,

But hell and sin are vanquished foes!
Thy JESUS nailed them to the cross,
And sung the triumph when he rose.

He dies, and in that dreadful night
Did all the powers of death destroy;
Rising, he brought our heaven to light,
And took possession of the joy.

Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons: for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? He chasteneth us for our profit. HEB. xii. 6—10.

O these chastenings belong outward afflictions,

if

believers. And this is a clear proof that we should receive such chastenings with gladness, and that we should not repine under them. They evidence the fatherly care and love of God, and are designed to try our faith, and purge our souls from the drossy matter of earth that is mixed up with them; and from them we must learn that chastisements will be the means of good to us, we use them aright. O my dear heavenly Father, thou art only pleased with a true child-like confidence; but I am still of a distrusting heart, when anything comes upon me on a sudden. Help me always to entertain the kindest thoughts of thee, and to fear no adversity; looking on it as a token of love and not of hatred, and really believing it to be intended as a blessing for my good. Whatever thy providence may order, let me only be convinced of thy fatherly affection, and fall in with thy wholesome and loving designs.

Though for my sin I justly feel
Thy discipline, O GOD,

I wait thy gracious moment still,
Till thou remove thy rod.

For I have found 'tis good for me
To bear my Father's rod;
Affliction makes me learn thy law,
And live upon my GOD.

This is the comfort I enjoy
When new distress begins;

I read thy word, I run thy way,
And hate my former sins.

The entrance of thy word gives light; it giveth understanding to the simple. Ps. cxix. 130. Order my steps in thy word; and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. Ver. 133. The Scriptures testify of me (CHRIST). JOHN v. 39.

WE may have a clear sight and a real taste of

the Gospel, and yet be soon deprived of

the comfort of it again, if we do not walk in godly simplicity and poverty of spirit; for CHRIST will have none but humble and child-like disciples. But if we abide in CHRIST, by a close and humble walk with him, we shall come to great and lasting assurance; for neither a sweet sense of CHRIST, nor even faith itself in CHRIST, is the ground of our salvation; but CHRIST alone received into the heart as a Saviour. Faith does not save, but enables us to receive the Saviour, and with him salvation. Neither does a sweet sense of CHRIST save us; it only shows the Saviour is present with us. Now, the weakest true believer does receive CHRIST as well as the strongest, though he reap no present comfort from his faith. We must first believe, before we can feel, and be thankful for our feelings, but not trust in them.

Thy mercies fill the earth, O LORD,
How good thy works appear !
Open mine eyes to read thy word,
And see thy wonders there.
When once it enters to the mind,
It spreads such light abroad,
The meanest souls instruction find,
And raise their thoughts to GOD.
'Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,
That guides us all the day;
And through the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead our way.

Since I'm a stranger here below,

Let not thy path be hid,

But mark the road my feet should go,

And be my constant guide.