AND Jefus faith unto him, I will come and heal him, Mat. viii. 7. The Word and Promife of CHRIST is the great Confolation of a Sinner. There is no Perfon in the World but what has Need that JESUS CHRIST fhould come and heal him, either of his mortal Wounds, or of his Weakness and Infirmities. From the Time he has made us fenfible of our Diseases, and given us the Grace to lay them before him in Prayer, let us confidently believe, that he fays to us, I will come and heal you: And let us faithfully and humbly fay to him, without ceafing, Come, Lord JESUS! Hear JESUS! hear my broken Heart, O how gracious is my Lord, My Lord! my Saviour! hear my Cry; O how ready to reply! COME OME unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you Reft, Mat. xi. 28. Our only Remedy is, to have Recourfe to JESUs, the Friend of Sinners, under all our Troubles and Afflictions. - How fweet is it, to have our Dependance on a God who comes to meet us, in order to follicit us to come to him! Sinners, wearied in the Ways of Iniquity, throw yourselves into the Bofom of this amiable Shepherd. JESUS excepts none, ALL are invited and urged to go to him. No Man goes to CHRIST without receiving Reft. He himself promifes it, and fhall not we believe it? I would fain come to thee, O LORD; but as thou giveft me the Will, be thou also my Guide, my Light, and my Strength, to conduct me to thyself. Take my poor Heart, and let it be Reft of my weary Mind, First born of many Brethren Thou, But gafp for perfect Peace E that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath faid, out of his НЕ He who has the Spirit of God, and a lively and obedient Faith, has within his Heart continual Springs of Grace leading to all good Works. . If the Marks and Characters of Faith are not feen in our Life and Actions, it is undoubtedly either because there is no Faith at all in our Hearts, or be caufe it is, if not quite dead, yet in a very declining Condition. The Water of Faith is not a ftanding Water, but a living Water, which runs perpetually. My God, vouchfafe to blefs thy Church, by fending it thofe Men of Faith, full of thy Spirit, whofe Hearts may overflow like Rivers, and bring a fruitful Inundation upon thy Field by their Labours, Prayers, Inftructions, and good Examples. To us at thy Feet Thy Spirit and live: The weakest Believers IN N Chrift Jefus, ye, who fometimes were far off, are made nigh by the Blood of Christ, Eph. ii. 13. A Creature, a Pleasure, a meer Nothing feparates us from God: And yet it coft CHRIST fo much to bring us nigh to him. Whoever is unwilling to return to God, after having offended him, little confiders the Value of that Blood which CHRIST gave for him. Let that precious Blood bring me nearer and nearer to Thee, O Lord, and unite me to Thee for ever. And are we now brought near to God And to effect this glorious Change, To bear our Souls above! Or damp our flaming Love? Here may we fee thy Glory fhine, And tafte thy Mercies here. Jan. 6. (6) Epiph. or Twelfth Day." great Joy. Matt. ii. io. Though the Star be gone that led the wife Men, yet God hath not left us in the Dark. We have (as well as they) a Light in our Souls; which as the wife Man fays, Prov. xx. 27. is the Candle of the Lord; it fearcheth all Things below; but not in Heaven. It is no Star indeed, but a Candle; and (which is worst) it winks in the Socket too, and burns dim fince it fell in Adam. Yet, though it halt, (like Mephibofheth after the Fall), it is of the Blood Royal, and fhould be regarded: For it proceeded from God; and by it we are capable of a greater Light, which God hath also given us. A Light! which they faw not as we do; and that is his written Word; which expreffes itself to us (as their Star did) to lead us to the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Chrift is a Star! he breaks the Night, Nations rejoice when he appears, To chafe their Clouds and dry their tears. |