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So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him (or chace him away)....Isa. lix. 19.

WHEN a poor sinner knows what human nature is, and sees his brethren and companions after the flesh, "living without Christ and without God in the world;" making a mock at sin, and ridiculing thetruths and ways of Jesus; and finds his own heart touched with a holy, loving fear of the Lord, then he is ready to cry out, Whence is this? He can only say, 'Grace reigneth; the sun of righteousness hath risen upon me. So Lord, it seemeth good in thy sight....I have not deserved this....thou hast spoken in truth, and fulfilled in faithfulness. So thy word runs, so thy gospel is glorified, free as the sun, powerful as the wind.' Jehovah's SHALLS are his people's triumphs. Here are two most absolute declarations for faith to fix upon and plead, in any hour of Satan's attack.

For as sure as the fear of the Lord shall be in our hearts, so also shall the enemy oppose us; for if he dare plead with the Saviour, "Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive be delivered?"....Isa. xlix. 24. Verily he will follow after his once seized prey, and strive to regain his ransomed captive; yea he will challenge the poor sinner as being his property. One would be ready to ask, Is it not strange that the loving, almighty Saviour suffers the enemy, like a surly dog, to snap and snarl at his dear children, and be ready to tear their victuals out of their hands, and his peace and love out of their hearts? No: it cannot be otherwise in our present state; for we are clothed with an earthly, sensual, devilish nature, to which Satan has easy access.

Humble souls have little reason to complain that they have not known so great a degree of wrath, nor have been terrified with such dreadful apprehensions of hell and damnation as some others. rather love and praise Jesus, if thy soul is brought to cleave to him in faith, and choose him as thy Saviour and thy all, than wish to have the enemy let loose upon thy soul. But if this is the case, he shall not go beyond the length of his chain; his power is thy Father's permission; he may terrify with wrath, but it shall issue in love. Yea, though he should, like a powerful deluge, come in and distress with blasphemous injections, horrible thoughts, perplexing fears, and pronounce hell and destruction to be thy doom, even then thou art safe. The Saviour's power is thy shield. "The Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard."....The Lamb on the cross. In the stedfast faith of this "resist the Devil, and he will flee from you."....James iv. 7.

If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.... Exod. xxxiii. 15.

HAPPY for us if this was our address to the Lord under every enterprise; how many distresses and difficulties should we avoid! how much more peaceful and comfortable should we be in our journey through life! It is a blessed thing to have an especial eye to God's presence, as well as to his providence. The Lord may permit his children to succeed in their schemes and undertakings in the course of his providence, when he doth not accompany their souls with his favor and presence. Yea, believer, canst thou not see in many of thy ways wherein thou hast been permitted to go, that they have proved the very means of losing the sweet sense of thy Lord's presence? whatever outward profit or pleasure thou hast gained, "verily thou must confess to have sustained an inward loss. How doth it behove every disciple of Jesus to "consider his ways!" It is thy wisdom daily to reflect, what is the tendency of my present pursuit? what is my chief aim? what can I expect from the end of it? am I going to gratify the flesh in pleasing diversions and carnal delights? Stop one moment. Consider. Canst thou expect the presence of thy God? canst thou lift up thy believing heart in prayer to Jesus to accompany thee? Certainly if it is not right to ask nor expect his spiritual presence to go with thy soul, surely THERE it is unlawful for thee to go. If thou canst not PRAY in faith, canst thou Go in faith? O remember the love of thy Saviour, who died to redeem thee from this present evil world. Call to mind those joys and pleasures which are experienced from a sweet sense of his love and presence. Think how cutting to thy heart, how grieving to thy spirit, if under any vain indulgence Jesus should put this question, Disciple, lovest thou me more than these vanities? Better for Peter to have been in his Lord's presence with a cold body, than to have been warming himself with the high priest's officers and servants ; for there he was blown down by the breath of a damsel

It is related of a christian, of whom Satan had taken possession and greatly terrified and distressed her soul, that on his being asked, how he dared to enter into a child of God? He replied, 'I found her on my own ground, at the play-house; therefore I challenge her as my servant.' Whether the story be true or not, the moral is good. Christians have no business on the devil's ground.

Not earth, nor all the sky
Can one delight afford,

No, not a drop of real joy

Without thy presence, Lord.

Thou art the sea of love
Where all my pleasures roll,
The circle where my passions move,
And centre of
my soul.

Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: Behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him....Isa. xl. 10.

WHAT was foretold in prophesy, is fulfilled in the faith and experience of saints. Here are two notes of attention. "Behold;" it highly concerns thee. Take special notice. When the Lord God, our Immanuel Jesus, came to his temple, he found the beautiful building in sad disorder; his spiritual worship lost; and "his house of prayer turned into a den of thieves." Behold, with a strong hand and stretched-out arm, with no weapon, but an insignificant scourge of small cords, he drove the multitude from the temple. Amazing miracle! The meek Lamb is also "the lion of the tribe of Judah." So he came not only with a strong hand, but against the strong, as some render it. So, behold, he comes to take possession of the temple of his people's hearts. This temple he finds in woeful plight, All the powers of earth and hell are engaged against him. "The strong man armed keeps possession." But precious, powerful Jesus, casts out Satan, enters by his love, and rules by his Spirit, where Satan reigned. But he comes not by power only, but by grace also ; behold, he brings his reward with him. The distressed soul he pardons. He clothes the naked soul with the robe of his righteousness....he feeds the hungry soul with good things....he giveth his flesh to eat, and his blood to drink. Then how do their souls pant after Jesus! how do they hunger and thirst after righteousness, and cry, and pray, "Lord, increase our faith, that we may eat as thy friends, and drink larger draughts, as thy beloved, and be more abundantly satisfied with thy love!"

Thus our Lord Christ rewards his people with the fruits of his own toils, and the blessings of his own finished work and salvation; even with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. But, O Jesu, cries the poor sinner, "What a vile, sinful, carnal, earthlyminded wretch am I still by nature!" Fear not saith Jesus, thou art called to look unto me. Behold, "my work is before me." Have I vanquished the powers of death and hell for thee, and can I not conquer sin in thee, and subdue thy flesh under thee? Was his blood the price of thy soul, and the atonement of thy sins? Then must thou wait in faith for the total destruction of the last enemy sin and death, at his second coming; when in the triumph of thy soul thou shalt proclaim the perfect victory of Jesus, and say, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," &c....Rev. v. 12.

Jesus, my Lord, is come;

My heart now feels his pow'r: He rules by his almighty arm, Bless'd be the joyful hour.

How precious is thy work!

How glorious thy reward!
Faith reaps thy spoils, my conqu❜ring
And glories in thy word. M.

[love,

My son, give me thine heart....Prov. xxiii. 26.

MANY are the competitors for the heart of man. Though our dear father and best friend, lovingly calls for the free-will offering of this precious jewel, yet we are foolishly inclined to give it to our worst enemies. This pleasing world, with all its gay scenes of hap→ piness and joy, attracts our affections, enchants our minds, and bewitches our senses; so that we love it dearly, devote our hearts to it cheerfully, and dread the very thoughts of leaving it greatly.

"Thou shalt have no other gods but me," saith Jehovah. We own the duty, and decry the wickedness of worshipping an idol; though all the while we are serving the god of this world: he blinds our eyes, and we see it not. The grace of God, though sovereign in its operations, yet acts not by force and compulsion as upon mere machines, destroying the will, and dragging men to heaven by the hair of the head, as some in contempt please to assert. No; the service of our Lord is perfect freedom. He loves a cheerful giver. Glory to his grace, "he opens the eyes of our understanding, to know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of his glory"....Eph. i. 18. Then we see Jesus as our portion, and treasure, then we willingly and cheerfully devote our hearts to him. Is the miser's gold his god? does it captivate his heart and affections? why so? Because he sees that in it which suits his disposition, and excites his pleasure. So it is of every other idol suited to nature and sense. "Where the treasure is, there will the heart be also." Spiritual affections can only be happy from spiritual objects. The heart can only be happy in God, cheerfully given up to him in faith and love. This is the very essence of vital godliness.

Our Father invites us to spiritual joys. "I know, my children, in your present state, clothed with flesh, you have many lovers which would rival me in your affections, but cheerfully devote your heart to me. Let your eyes be upon my ways. Consider my love to you. I gave my beloved son to die for you. My spirit hath called you to enjoy my love. It is my good pleasure to give you a kingdom: therefore, in love to my glory, and for your comfort, I demand your heart as a free-will offering.' O where is the faithful, grateful soul, but in ecstacy of love will cry out, Give, Lord, the power to do what thou commandest, and command what thou wilt?

My heart dost thou demand, my Lord When Satan tempts and sins allure!
A willing sacrifice to thee?"
O take and keep it ev'ry hour
From every bold usurper free.

From thee, to draw away my heart:
Strong in thy grace, make me endure,
And never from thyself depart.

M..

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But he giveth more grace....James iv. 6.

Ir is a sure mark that the true grace of God, by Jesus Christ, is conceived in the heart, when the cry of the soul is for more grace.

Thus there is an harmony between the Father's promises and the children's wants. God giveth more grace: I daily need more, saith "He that drinketh of the water of life, saith Jesus,

the sensible soul. shall never thirst again:" he shall never thirst after any other fountain; he shall seek to no other spring but ME. There is no grace, favor or good will from God to sinners, but what is by Jesus, through him, in him, and communicated from him. Here is the believer's mercy; he has not a stock of grace stored up in his own heart to live upon, which may be expended, and he is at last lost for want of more. No. But all the kindness and love of God towards him is treasured up in Jesus. Here is the humility of believers; they come, like Joseph's brethren, to Jesus, who is their elder brother, for every supply; out of his fulness they receive grace upon grace. Jesus is an inexhaustible store-house, therefore his members cannot want. God the Father gave them grace at first in Christ Jesus; he called them by his sovereign grace; he justified them fully by grace; he saves them daily by grace; he sanctifies them freely by grace; he comforts them continually by his grace; and he will glorify them according to the exceeding riches of his grace. Thus all is of grace, freely given to, and richly bestowed upon poor, vile, undeserving sinners.

I know there are these reasonings in every humbled sinner's heart, What suitable return do I make? or what reward shall I give unto the Lord for all his blessings of grace? O what a poor, unloving, ungrateful wretch am I! how do I requite the Lord my God!' Such is the genuine language of gracious hearts. The aboundings of grace make sinners humble, self hateful, and sin abominable: "Not rather as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, Let us do evil that good may come, whose damnation is just.” ....Rom. iii. 8. If God giveth 66 more grace," then not one of his children that ever had a single spark of the grace of Jesus, shall ever go to hell for want of grace. It is equally as impossible, that a gracious soul should fall from God's love and grace, turn hater of him; and so be a prey to the devil, as it was for Lazarus to quit Abraham's bosom, for the flames of hell. The holy fire of grace being once kindled in the soul, never goes out. The fire of the altar was an emblem of this. It is as true in this respect of gracious souls, as it is of the wicked in another, "their fire never goes out." Why not? because "grace reigns through righteousness unto eternak life."....Rom. v. 21.

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