on your hearts, and will give you encouragement to pursue it as such; for As face answers to face in water, so does the heart of man to man*: And on the other hand, the observation of your pious zeal will quicken others, and may occasion the revival of religion in the hearts of elder christians; as, I bless God, I have found some things of this kind have done, and hope, and through the divine blessing expect, to find it more and more. Therefore Exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, lest any of you should be hardened through the deceitfulness of sint, Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees‡: And be assured, that while you are endeavouring to help others, you will find in yourselves the first-fruits of this happy attempt: and while you Water others, you will be watered also yourselves §. 7. It is an advice of the highest importance, that whoever you are, you should immediately fly to Christ, and repose the confidence of your souls upon him." Observe that I urge you, whoever you are, to fly immediately to Christ: And this I do, to guard against a strange notion which some are ready to entertain, as if we were to bring something of our own righteousness and obedience to him to render us worthy of being accepted by him. But this is a grand mistake. The blessings of the gospel are not to be considered as matter of bargain and sale: No, if we Come to buy wine and milk, it must be without money and without price||; and Whoever will take of the water of life, must do it freely¶. If he' pretend to offer an equivalent, he forfeits his share in the invitation; and must be made to know, that the price he offers is a great affront to the value of the blessings for which he would thus barter.Let this then be your language, "Lord, I have undone myself, and in me is no help: I see nothing in myself which makes me worthy of thy regard; but this I know, that Where sin has abounded, grace does much more abound, and reigns through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ** ; through whom, thou hast assured me in thy word, that Eternal life is the gift of God++. As such let me receive it: and by how much the more undeserving I have been, by so much the more will I celebrate the riches of thy grace in making me a vessel of mercy, and a monument of love throughout all eternity.Blessed Jesus, thou hast said, that Him who comes unto thee, * Prov. xxvii. 19. Isai. Iv. 1. + Heb. iii. 13. Isai. xxxv. 3. § Prov. xi. 25. Rom. vi. 23. thou wilt in no wise cast out: Behold, I come, and cast myself at thy feet; receive me, and Put me among the childrent, though I deserve not the very Crumbs that fall from thy tablet." You will not, I hope, imagine that when I give such advice as this, I mean to insinuate that a person purposing to continue in his sins may nevertheless come, and receive the blessings of the gospel: For that would be no other than in the grossest manner to pervert, and contradict the whole tenor of it. But this I say, and repeat it, that when once a sinner finds himself, by divine grace, disposed to turn from his sins to God, and made willing to accept the mercy tendered in the gospel, of which a deliverance from sin, and a renovation of nature, are a great, important, and essential part; he may with cheerfulness apply himself to the great Redeemer, as one of those whom he came on purpose to deliver; and in proportion to the degree in which he can discern the sincerity of his sentiments, he may open his heart to comfort, how great soever his former unworthiness has been, and how lately soever such impressions may have been made upon his heart. 8. Make the dedication of yourselves to Christ, and his service, as solemn a thing as you can." We read in the Acts of some that Were baptized, and publicly received into the church the very same day in which they were converted §: And though a change of circumstances may at present render it convenient to defer doing it for some time, with the solemnity of the ordinance of the Lord's supper, which is peculiarly intended for that purpose; because it is proper, that the efficacy of your repentance and conversion should first of all be so far seen, as in the judgment of charity to approve the sincerity of it: Yet I think, when you feel your hearts absolutely determined for God, you should in a solemn manner lay hold of his covenant, in secret at least, as soon as possible; and declare, as before him that searcheth all hearts, the sincerity of that acceptance.-Some have recommended the doing this in a written engagement; and there are several very affecting forms of this kind in books on this subject, which may very profitably be used. But I hope the fulness of your heart will dictate something of this kind, if such helps should be wanting, or if any peculiar consideration should prevent their being used.— And surely if you feel the love of the blessed Jesus glowing in your hearts as you ought, you will need no other engagement Mat, xv. 27. § Acts ii. 41, 47. *John vi. 37, † Jer, iii. 19. to yield yourselves to him: That love will be instead of ten thousand arguments; and you will see a secret charm in the view of serving him, which will engage your very soul to spring forward with vigour and eagerness to every proper instance of it. The dread of future punishment has certainly its use, to restrain from the commission of sin, especially in an hour of pressing temptation; and the hope of that exceeding and eternal weight of glory, which the gospel promises, will have a greater efficacy upon a generous mind: Yet I will venture to say, that a heart powerfully impressed with the love of Jesus will have a yet stronger influence than either of these. Cordial friendship needs not to be hired to perform its proper office. Love is a law to itself. It adds a delightful relish to every attempt for the service of its object: And it is most evidently thus in the present case. "Lord," will the christian say, “wilt thou do me the honour to accept any feeble attempt for thy service, which I can form? I thank thee for it; and bow my head before thee in the most grateful acknowledgments, that thou favourest me with an ability to discharge, in any degree, the fulness of my grateful heart in presenting them: Oh that my whole soul might daily rise before thee, as an acceptable sacrifice, in the flame of love! Oh that I might always feel My heart enlarged, to run the way of thy commandments* ! Were the degree of my future happiness from this moment invariably fixed, I would still pursue this delightful business; for there is no other, in which my soul could find a pleasure equal or comparable to it." If you feel such thoughts as these rising in your mind, breathe them out before the throne from day to day: And when you have done it, recollect frequently the Vows of God that are upon you+; and see, that Having sworn, you perform it, and maintain in the whole of your lives a conduct agreeable to such a profession as this. 9. Gird up the loins of your mind, to encounter with a great deal of difficulty in your christian course." Many are the difficulties that you must expect; great, and possibly for a while increasing difficulties. It is commonly said indeed, that those difficulties which attend the entrance on a religious life, are the greatest; and in themselves considered, no doubt but they are so: They arise from many quarters, and unite all together in the same design of keeping you from a believing application to Christ, and a resolute closure with him. *Psal. cxix. 32. + Psal, Ivi. 12. Psal. cxix. 106. In this respect, evil sometimes arises to A man in his own house *; and those, whose near relation should rather engage them to give the young convert the best assistance, where his most important interests are concerned, are on the contrary ready to lay a stumbling-block in his way, and perhaps act as if they had rather he should have no religion at all, than change a few circumstances in the outward profession of it. Worldly interest too is perhaps to be sacrificed; and conscience cannot be preserved without giving up the friendship of those, whom, at any other expence but conscience, a man would gladly oblige. And it is no wonder, if Satan make his utmost efforts, and those very unwearied too, that he may prevent the revolt of these subjects, or rather the escape of his prisoners. The Christian is therefore called upon by the apostle to arm himself as for a combat, and that at all points; to Put on the whole armour of God, that he may be able to withstand in the evil day; and having done all, to stand +. Nor must you, my friends, though as soon as you have Put on your harness you gain some important victory, boast as if you might securely put it off. Your whole life must be a series of exercise. Through much opposition, as well as much tribulation, you must enter into the kingdom of God §: And though your difficulties may generally be greatest at first, yet your encouragements then may perhaps be so peculiarly great, and your spirits under their first religious impressions so warm, that other difficulties, in themselves smaller, may press more sensibly upon you. Endeavour therefore to keep yourselves in a prepared posture: Put on a steady resolution; and to support it, Sit down and count the cost, lest having begun to build you shamefully desist, and be not able to finish it; or having put your hand to the plough, you should look back, and become unfit for the kingdom of God ¶. And therefore, 10. "Let every step in this attempt be taken with a deep sense of your own weakness, and a humble dependance upon divine grace to be communicated to you as the matter requires." Recollect seriously what I was telling you in a former discourse, of the necessity of the divine agency and inter * Mat. x. 35, 36. Ephes. vi. 11, 13. 1 Kings xx. 11. § Acts xiv. 22. ¶ Luke ix. 62. 3 X position; and remember, it depends upon God, not only to Begin the good work, but also to carry it on, and perform it until the day of Jesus Christ*. If we Trust in our own hearts, especially after this solemn admonition, this plain instruction, added to such frequent experience, we are fools indeed +. Let us therefore Trust in the Lord, and not lean to our own understanding ‡. And do you, my friends, who have but just listed yourselves in this holy war, every one of you say, with an humble yet cheerful heart, In the name of our God will we set up our banners §. And if thus you Wait on the Lord, you shall renew your strength; and even the feeblest soul shall be enabled by divine grace to mount up with wings as eagles, and to press on from one degree of religious improvement to another, while The youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. The apostle expresses, in the liveliest manner, his dependance on the divine Redeemer to communicate this grace in a proper degree, when he says, Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need¶; plainly implying, that it may be obtained, if we have but hearts to seek for it; which, as on the one hand it effectually takes off all idle excuses for the neglect of our duty, pleaded from our own acknowledged weakness any further than we are supported by the divine power; so on the other hand it animates the heart, that sensible of its various infirmities, desires nevertheless go forth to the work of God, and to consecrate all its faculties to his service; using them such as they are for God, and humbly seeking from him the enlargement of them. Go therefore, my friends, into the divine presence; and while under a sense of this, be not discouraged, though mountains of opposition may lie in your way. Those Mountains shall be made low, and spread themselves into a plain before you**; while you go forth under the influences of the spirit of The Lord, who is able to make all grace abound to his people ++.-Of this Paul in our text was a most cele brated instance, who not only received, as was here promised, directions what he should do, but had strength also given him to perform it; a Strength which was made perfect and illustrious in his weaknesstt: And when, in consequence of this, * Phil. i. 6. + Prov. xxviii. 26. + Prov. iii. 5. § Psal. xx. 5. |