After, Mafter, we perish. Then he arofe, and rebuked the Wind, and the Raging of the Water; and they ceased, and there was a Calm, Luke viii. 24. Let us but awake CHRIST by Prayer, when the Storm arifes, and the Calm will be immediately reftor'd to our Hearts. Let us make Prayer familiar to us; for without his Grace we are in Danger of perishing every Moment. When we have JESUS CHRIST at the Bottom of our Hearts, we have Reason to hope that Temptations will be no more than Trials, and that they will only ferve to awaken our Faith, to render us more watchful in Prayer, and to make the Almighty Power of his Grace manifeft in us. The illuftrious Manner in which it fhews itself in this Miracle, is an Emblem of That which Grace performs in gaining the Victory over Temptations. It is to Prayer that God joins these wonderful Effects. What kind of Man is this? A Man, who built both Earth and Sky; THE Blind receive their Sight, and the Lame walk; the Lepers are cleanfed, and the Deaf hear; the Dead are raised up, and the Poor have the Gospel preached to them, Mat.xi. 5. Caufe, O my God, blind Sinners to fee and know thy Truth, and the Way of Salvation: Make them walk therein with a steady, even, and conftant Pace: Let them be cleansed from the Corruption of their Hearts: Let them bear thy Word with Joy and with Advantage: Let them, as Persons raifed from the Dead, live the new Life of CHRIST: And let the most poor and miferable receive, love, and obferve the Gospel.-CHRIST requires a Heart which is poor, void of it felf, and convinc'd of its own Indigence, Unworthiness, Inability, and Mifery. Make my Heart, O JESUS, thus poor, that it may be enriched and fatisfied with the facred Truths of thy Gofgel. Sinful, and Blind, and Poor, And wait to fee thy Face, JESUS attend my Cry, Thou Son of David hear, Stand ftill and call me near; BUT he said unto them, It is I, be not afraid, John vi. 20. The Prefence and Word of CHRIST removeth all Fears; but he himself muft make Men fenfible of both, otherwise he is prefent only to the Blind, and fpeaks only to the Deaf. What is Man? Nothing but Darkness and Weakness, when he is in Dangers: Full of Diftruft and Apprehenfion of being deceived, when Affiftance is vouchfafed him: and utterly incapable of doing any Thing without CHRIST, at all Times, and in all States and Difpofitions. Lord, what Conduct foever thou art pleased to obferve towards me, vouchsafe always to speak to me thefe comfortable Words, It is 1; and thereby fecure me both from Prefumption and Despair. JESUS I cry for Help to thee, In Love forbid my longer Stay, Fulfil my Heart's Defire, HE that cometh from above is above all; he that is of the Earth is earthly, and speaketh of the Earth; he that cometh from Heaven is above all, John iii. 31. The Divinity and divine Miffion of CHRIST are the Sources of the Holinefs and Authority of his Words.-Man, of himself, has nothing but what is low and mean in his Words and Thoughts: And nothing but what is great, fublime, and heavenly, when leaving himself and his own Darkness, he, by Faith, enters into JESUS CHRIST and his Light. We all carry within our felves two Men of a very different Nature, the one heavenly the other earthly, and it is the great Defign of God to make them one, in renewing, fanctifying and rendering the earthly Man happy, by the Spirit in the Body, and according to the Pattern of the heavenly Man. Grant, Lord, that I may fhut my Ears against every Thing which the Children of this World have to fuggeft to me concerning earthly Things; and that the Ears of my Heart may be continually open to thofe divine Truths, which thou cameft from Heaven to reveal to us, O heavenly Man who art also God. Ye weak Inhabitants of Clay, With trembling Heart, with folemnEye, ASK, and it fhall be given you: feek, and ye shall find: knock, and it shall be opened unto you, Mat. vii. 7. Grant How rich is a Man, when he knows how to afk, to feek, and to knock as he ought: Let us afk with Confidence and Humility: Let us Seek with Care and Application: Let us knock with Earneftness and Perfeverance. me, Lord, a Faith, which may make me thoroughly fenfible of my Needs, and humbly ask thy Grace; a Hope, which may excite me to feek thy Kingdom only, and the Righteousness which leads thereto: And a Love which may urge me to knock inceffantly and respectfully at the Gate of thy Mercy. Father I all thy Fulness want; When instant I in Prayer abide, |