HE

The Lord had respect unto Abel, &c. GEN. iv. 4, 5. ERE are two brothers, each bringing an oblation to the LORD. Cain, as a husbandman, brought of the produce of the ground he cultivated; Abel, as a shepherd, some of the firstlings of his flock, with the fat of them; consequently both believed that there was a GOD that made the world, and was to be worshipped; and yet one was accepted and the other rejected. Cain's sacrifice was wholly eucharistical, or a thankoffering to GOD for the blessings of his providence. Abel's was not only of the eucharistic, but of the expiatory kind; and while it was an expression of gratitude for the blessings of Providence, it was also typical of the atonement by CHRIST, and expressive of his hope of redemption through him; but what made the chief difference between them was, that Cain presented his offering while his heart was withheld, and without faith in CHRIST, SO was of the wicked one. Abel brought forth his person and sacrifice an offering to the LORD: he presented his oblation, and performed the other parts of worship with faith in GOD, and the promised SAVIOUR, and with sincerity, humility, and love. Thus GOD had respect to him and his offering; accepted first his person as justified, then his offering; but neither the person nor offering of Cain was accepted. Reader, mark the difference; by this Abel speaks to thee: art thou in a state of acceptance with GOD? Is thy whole dependence for pardon and life on CHRIST? Dost thou obey from a principle of love? Then thou shalt be blessed with righteous Abel here and for ever! O that the LORD would guide my ways,

To keep his statutes still;

O that my GOD would grant me grace
To know and do his will.

On that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It shall be a Sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls by a statute for ever. The life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar, to make an atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. LEV. xvi. 30, 31; and xvii. 11.

OUR great day of atonement is that on which

CHRIST shed his blood for us on the cross, and thereby made atonement for us. Now, if it was necessary for the Israelites to afflict their souls, and chastise their bodies on the great day of atonement, how much more ought we to pray for humility and repentance, as the evidence of our interest in the propitiation made by CHRIST JESUS! And as they abstained from all labour on that day, when the high-priest alone was employed, so should we abstain from all our sinful works, and particularly from all self-sufficiency of righteousness, and seek our salvation only in the meritorious blood of atonement shed by our High-priest; for the life of our souls is in the blood of JESUS. O my Redeemer, may I, with an afflicted soul, ever seek my atonement, life, and salvation, in thy blood and death! and may I lie down and rise up in a comfortable hope that I am pardoned through thy blood, thy Spirit bearing witness of it to my conscience!

Father, GOD, who seest in me

Only sin and misery;

See thine own anointed One!

Look on thy beloved Son!

Hear his blood's prevailing cry;

Let thy bowels then reply;

Then, through him, the sinner see;

Then in JEsus look on me!

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By the grace of God I am what I am. 1 Cor. xv.10.

BE
E this my motto, both as to my natural and
spiritual life :-how else could I have existed
at all? Had not foreknowledge planned, and
wisdom contrived, and power put every atom to-
gether, and fixed my scene of action, I had never
been here. Nor is this GoD of grace less to be
seen in every motion of my soul towards him;
had not every spring been in him, this table on
which I lean had felt as much bias towards him
as I. The first check of conscience, the first
thrill of fear, the first view of guilt, the first
tear of penitence, were all his own; the first
drawings of the Spirit, the first sight of CHRIST,
the first dawn of hope, were all his own; every
succeeding step in the path of duty, every attain-
ment in grace, every victory over the world and
sin, every evidence and token of the safety of
my everlasting state, and every sweet interval of
communion I have had with him, were still all
his own; and the last labour of love, the last act
of faith, and conquest over sin, death, and hell,
together with an admission into eternal glory,
must and shall be all his own likewise. The
spring is love; the mean is Christ; the footing
firm; "the headstone shall be brought forth with
shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it ;" and
grace shall be crowned with everlasting glory.
Whate'er I am, whate'er I hope,

Proceeds from bounty of rich grace;
Grace makes and holds my body up,
And heals my spirit's sickly face.

Grace taught me first the heavenly road,
Grace led me on the heavenly way;
And grace, the boundless grace of GOD!
Shall lodge me in eternity.

The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; and that he died for all, that they who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again. 2 COR. v. 14, 15.

IF

F we have the love of GoD shed abroad in our hearts, it will cause us to love God intensely, and to love and labour for the salvation of men. And as God so loved the world as to give his Son for it, and as CHRIST So loved the world as to give his life for it, so we, influenced by the very same love, will desire to spend and be spent for the glory of GoD, and the salvation of immortal souls. And if the love and power of CHRIST constrain us, we must needs be meditating and relying on him and his death. This will cut off all workings of our own, and make room for CHRIST to work everything in us and through us. O LORD, may thy love on the cross fire my frozen heart also; that I may now begin to love and praise thee purely and fervently, and to offer my whole life up to thee as an entire sacrifice of love.

Now, sinners, dry your tears,

Let hopeless sorrows cease;
Bow to the sceptre of CHRIST's love,
And take the offer'd peace.

LORD, we obey thy call;

We lay an humble claim

To the salvation thou hast brought,

And love and praise thy name !

Raise your triumphant songs

To an immortal tune;

Let the wide earth resound the deeds

Celestial grace has done.

Sing how eternal Love

Its chief Beloved chose,

And bade him raise our wretched race

From sin's destructive woes!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. ECCLES. ix. 10.

THE

HE business of life is to glorify GoD, and to work out our own salvation; all other concerns are subordinate to these; "the time is short; as the tree falleth so it lieth ;" and where death strikes down, there God lays out either for mercy or misery; so that I may compare it to the Red Sea; if I go in an Israelite, my landing shall be in glory, and my rejoicing in triumph, to see all mine enemies dead upon the sea shore; but if I go in an Egyptian: if I be on this side of the cloud, on this side the covenant, and go in hardened among the troops of Pharaoh, justice shall return in its full strength, and an inundation of judgment shall overflow my soul for ever. Or I may compare death to the sleep of the ten virgins, of whom it is said, "They all slumbered and slept;" we shall all fall into this sleep. Now, if I lie down with the wise, I shall go in with the bridegroom; but if I sleep with the foolish, without oil in my lamp, without grace in my soul, I have closed the gates of mercy upon me for ever! I see then this life is the time wherein I must go forth to meet the LORD; this is the hour wherein I must do my work; and the day wherein I must be judged, according to my works, is at hand. I know not how soon I may fall into this sleep; therefore, LORD, grant that I may live every day in thy sight, as I desire to appear the last day in thy presence.

Awake my sluggish soul,

The heav'nly race to run;

Believe and pray, and speed thy way,
For night is drawing on.