HE E that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me, fhall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifeft" myself to him, John xiv. 21.

The Love of God towards us, is both the Cause and the Reward of our Fidelity in keeping his Law. Our Love of God is the Source of the true Light, and of the faving Knowledge of Jefus Chrift in this World, and of the beatific Sight in the World to come. It is neither Study, nor Wit, nor Learning, which renders us acceptable to God; but Faith that performs his Will. A Soul, which walks exactly in the Way which God has pointed out to it, has, by Means of a practical and fanctifying Knowledge, a deeper Infight into divine Things, than thofe learned Men of the World, who know every Thing, except how to love God, and to fave their own Souls.

My Soul with proftrate Rev'rence fall
Before the Voice divine;
And all thine Int'reft and thy Pow'rs.
To its Command refign.

Speak, mighty Lord; thy Servant waits
The Purport of thy Will;
My Heart with fecret Ardour glows
Thy Precepts to fulfil.

THESE Things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have Peace. In the World ye fhall have Tribulation: but be of good Cheer, I have overcome the World, John xvi. 33.

It is one of the last and dying Cares of CHRIST to make us sensible of the Neceffity of our having Afflictions in this World; and yet the whole Care of a great many is to have none at all. They chufe rather to have Peace with the World, than to have Peace with and in JESUS CHRIST, because they love the good Things of this World, and are afraid of temporal Evils. We must expect the worft which can happen to us from the Hands of Men, and hope for the beft from the Grace of CHRIST: This is the only Way to poffefs our Souls in Peace. It is the Peace of CHRIST which overcomes Sin in us, and the Malice of Men for us, by the fame Power whereby he overcame the Devil and the World. No, my Saviour, I defire no Peace but that which is the Fruit of thy Victory! I am refolved to have none but what is altogether confiftent with thine. Yes, the promis'd Tribulation,

Saviour, in the World we find, Find the Pledge of fure Salvation, In a Patriot, chearful Mind;

R

We on all our Foes fhall trample,
Sharers of thy Victory,

Followers of the great Example,
Conquerors of the World, thro'Thee:

AND behold, a Man of the Company cried out, faying, Mafter, I befeech Thee look upon my Son, for he is mine only Child, Luke ix. 38.

He who begs one Look of Mercy, begs every Thing. GOD has already looked upon that Perfon, who knowing the abfolute Neceffity of this Look, defires and implores it. To beg it with a loud Cry, is to beg it with a great Faith and an ardent Prayer. There are but few among the Crowd whofe Faith cries out after this Manner. That which it ought above all Things to believe, is, that CHRIST is Lord of the Heart, and can with one fingle Look change and cure it. Our Souls, our Hearts, is, as it were, our only Child. He who thinks seriously of this, must conclude that he has no other Business in the World, befides the Salvation of this only Child, the Lofs of which is irreparable.

JESUS, we own thy faving Pow'r,

And thy victorious Hand; Hell's Legions tremble at thy Feet, And fly at thy Command.

The nobler Powers, reftor'd by Thee,

Afcend their peaceful Throne.

No more they rend the Child, again
No more their Wounds repeat;

Our Souls, by Paffion's Uproar fill'd, But gentle and compos'd they wait

With Anarchy unknown;

Attentive at thy Feet.

HIM

[IM hath God exalted with his Right Hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give Repentance to Ifrael, and Forgivenefs of Sins, Acts v. 31.

Lord God, grant I may not be fatisfied with a Sight and Senfe of my Difeafe only, and be contented to be left under it; but may I also see the Physician and know the Remedy, namely, Jefus and Repentance. Jefus Chrift is not fuch a Prince as Mofes, nor fuch a Saviour as Joshua: It is over the Heart that He reigns; it is by Repentance that he faves; it is by the Forgiveness and Destruction of Sin that he manifefts his Power. Repentance is a Gift of God, and the first Gift: After, that of Faith. It is in order to bestow this Gift upon Men, that Jefus Chrift is botha Prince and a Saviour.

In thy State of Exaltation,

Answer, Lord, its End on me, Thou the God of my Salvation,

Thou my Prince and Ruler be:

Let me, firft, the true Repentance,

Self condemn'd, from Thee receive, Then reverse the fearful Sentence, Bid the pardon'd Rebel live.

THEN anfwered Simon, and faid, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of thefe Things which ye have fpoken come upon me, Acts viii. 24.

The falfe Repentance of a profligate and ambitious Perfon, who cannot fucceed in his Defigns, ferves only to render him more. criminal in the Sight of God. He fears the Punishment as Simon did; but he hates his Sin no more than he. One who finds himself difcovered, puts on a falfe Appearance of Humility, to avoid, if poffible, à real Humiliation. Whoever confeffes his Sin, only because he can conceal it no longer, is a proud Wretch, who changes his Countenance but not his Heart. There is nothing more eafy or common, than for a Man to caft upon others the Care of praying, being unwilling to do any Thing himself; a certain Sign of a hard and impenitent Heart, which makes a Man follicitous to fave Appearances, without ever thinking how to fave his Soul.