Isa. 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 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." 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." Give me, O Lord, a sober mind, O for a heart to praise my God, An humble, lowly, contrite heart, Which neither life nor death can part 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. HEROD 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, Psal. xxv. 11. for it is great. 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, David's Prayer.-Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak. Psal. vi. 2. And strengthen me with strength in my soul. Psal. cxxxviii. 3. Divine Answer.-My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. xii. 9. The Lord delights not in the strength of a horse; he takes not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. Ps. cxlvii. 10, 11. The Lord our Strength, mighty God and Emmanuel, will give strength unto his people. Psal. xxix. 11. IN whatever part we are weak and most beset by corrupted nature, we may yet be strong enough, through grace, to come off conquerors: therefore, hope against hope, and despair not of overcoming by the power of God, be thy corruptions within, and thy enemies without, ever so strong and obstinate. I am weak, indeed, but CHRIST is strong; I am poor, he is rich; I am sick, he is the Physician of the sick; I am a sinner, he is the Saviour of sinners; consequently he suits me, and I suit him extremely well. But let me look to him daily, seek his face earnestly, and grace to help in every time of need. Let me but hear my Saviour say, I glory in infirmity, That Christ's own power may rest on me; I can do all things, or can bear Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law. Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me thy law graciously. I have chosen the way of truth; thy judgments have I laid before me. Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end Psal. cxix. 9, 18, 29, 30, 33. NEITHER the old nor the young can walk uprightly, without taking heed to the word of God; if they depart from that, they soon fall into error and vicious courses; but if they would make the word their rule, they must read it carefully, and pray diligently for the enlightening of the Holy Spirit. If David considered his eyes as shut, how much more should we consider ours so, and pray, "Open thou mine eyes," &c. He who doth not fervently pray thus, is still blind, and hath not an eye; even though he should think himself a profound divine, and be so esteemed by others. Lord, give me to see the wonders both of thy Law and Gospel, and turn my feet from every crooked path. Let thy commandments be always before me as my guide, and enable me to choose the narrow path of truth, and stedfastly walk in it to the end; for this was David's request throughout this long psalm. How shall the young secure their hearts Thy word the choicest rules imparts Then teach me, Lord, the perfect way Of thy precepts divine, And to observe it to the end |