thou art worth many sparrows; were not five sold for a farthing? The blood of Jesus is thy price, and for his sake all things are thine. Shall beasts for their own sakes be supplied, and shalt thou in the name of Jesus be denied? Can a mother pity the trickling tears of her unfed infant, and can the God of mercies be obdure to thee? Art thou commanded to ask, seek, and knock in vain? Ay, but my tongue is slow; was not Moses, the man of God, so? When I seek, my lust diverts me, and I am lost. Is not the great Shepherd come to reduce his lost sheep? But, alas! I knock at the wrong door; fear not when thou knockest with a right heart; He that is every where will be found; He that made thee care, will hear thee.. His Prayer. O God, that art the perfection of all good, and the giver of all good things, T that better knowest what to give, than I to ask, and withholdest no good thing from him that seeks thee with an upright heart-I, a poor suitor at thy throne of grace, being truly sensible of mine own defects, and timorously conscious of my evil deserts, do here even cast myself on thy gracious providence. And since, O Lord, thou hast commanded me to ask of thee the things I want, bow down thine ear, and hear the prayers which a poor sinner, emboldened by thy promise, presents before thee; by whose free favour I have received whatsoever I have obtained, and by mine own folly lost whatsoever I have received. Give me a clear sight of my own poverty; shew me the poverty of mine own relief, that so I may forsake the broken reed of mine own power, and strengthen my weakness in the comfort of thy promise. Lord, thou hast commanded me to ask, but my sins cry louder than my suits; thou hast commanded me to seek, but my own guilt leads me the wrong way; thou hast commanded me to knock, but Satan holds my hands. Lord, let the blood of my blessed Saviour stop the mouth of my crying sins; let his full satisfaction take away my guilt. Bind him in chains that captivates my power; teach me to ask, that hast commanded me to ask; thou that hast commanded me to seek, direct me, and let my knocking be guided by thy hand; give me knowledge, that I may ask what I should; grant me prudence, that I may seek where I should; give me providence, that I may knock when I should. Let not my faintness in asking teach thee to deny; let not my foolishness in seeking tempt me to desist; let not my unseasonableness in knocking strike me with despair. Give me a fervent faith, that I may ask with confidence; a constant hope, that I may seek with courage; an unwearied patience, that I may knock with constancy. Let me ask, like the importunate woman, till obtain thee; let me seek, like thy blessed Mother, till I find thee; let me knock, like the sinful publican, till thou open to me; that having found thee here by grace in the company of saints, I may live with thee in glory with the society of angels. THE FAITHFUL MAN. His Fear. Do this, and live:-some comfort yet remains; though life be not absolutely granted, yet death is but conditionally threatened. Do this, and live. But what is the work that may deserve such wages? Give perfect obedience to thy God, and perfect love to thy neighbour. But will not the utmost of my power do? will not the best of my endeavour serve? No; He that is perfect made thee perfect, and requires a perfection. Alas! if life depend upon such terms, what flesh can live? Thy unability for the work, prophesies the impossibility of the reward. My soul, thou art become a legal debtor, and the utmost farthing is expected : thou canst neither pay the debt, nor hide thee from thy creditor; what wilt thou do? wilt thou plead immunity? thy own hand will condemn thee; wilt thou plead payment? thy own poverty will implead thee; wilt thou plead mercy? thy own rebellion will dismay thee. My soul, what security wilt thou put in? or to what sanctuary wilt thou fly? Oh, flatter not thyself, and put not the evil day from thee! thou hast not only not |