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They shall put you out of the synagogues....John xvi. 2.

So it must be in all ages. The scriptures cannot be broken. But what are the crimes of the ministers of Jesus, to deserve such usage? Is it for a life of intemperance and lewdness, of sin and folly, in frequenting play-houses, card-tables, routs, assemblies, horseracing? &c. No; friends of the Lamb have done with all such vain paltry matter. Their hearts feed upon infinitely higher delights, and their time is too precious to be devoted to sacrifice upon the altars of heathenish vanities. For these things they might gain no censure, but keep their places in the synagogues, and their characters in the world as good, honest, orthodox preachers, and stand free from the charge of mopish, dreaming enthusiasts; chief priests themselves being judges.

But they stand arraigned of crimes of the highest nature, even of inverting the very order of things; "turning the world upside down;" "preaching one Jesus who was hanged upon a tree,"....Acts x. 39.... as the sinner's only hope and salvation. That hence glory is given to God in the highest ; peace on earth, and good-will to men is proclaimed:....that the whole of salvation is of God's free grace and unmerited love. From this charge faithful ministers of Christ will not desire to be acquitted. Love to their precious master, to his blessed truth,, to his dear people, inspires them with boldness. It is the highest honor, the greatest glory Jesus puts upon them, when they are called to suffer for this. "Yea, saith our Lord, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think he doth God service." Zeal for God is a pretence for persecution. But what is our Lord's reason? "These things will they do unto you, because they have not KNOWN THE FATHER NOR ME." But he observed that on hearing these things, sorrow filled his disciples hearts. Sympathizing Lord! he instantly gives them a promise....of what? Power to call fire from heaven to destroy their adversaries? No; quite the reverse; of a blessed, inward comforter, THE DOVE. He was to teach them to act with meekness, and in patience to possess their souls. See the Spirit's influence in the conduct of Peter and John, and their courage. and constancy in the cause of their dear master....Acts iv. Their very enemies, who commanded them not to preach in the name of Jesus, saw their boldness with wonder, and were silenced with their reasoning. Admire and imitate, O ye suffering servants of a once suffering Lord. "How forcible are right words!"....Job vi. 25. How prevailing is a meek spirit! Peter and John said, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye!" "And the apostles departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.". Acts v. 41.

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?....Mark viii. 36, 37.

HAST thou heard the voice of thy beloved? art thou a willing disciple of a despised master? But does the flesh shrink from, mur-, mur and reason against taking up the cross daily, "and suffering the loss of all things?" Listen, O soul, to the reasonings of WISDOM. Though the followers of the Lamb are counted fools and madmen, yet their dear master here teaches them such reasoning and argument, drawn from the nature and fitness of things, as will in a dying hour, and at the judgment-day, silence the tongue of every adversary. Ever use thy master's weapon. Reason daily, O, christian, upon thy spiritual gain, by the knowledge of Jesus. Study to look with. contempt upon thy trifling worldly loss. What is all the wisdom of this world but folly? the righteousness of the whole world, but filthy rags? the hopes of a fallen world, but miserable delusion? the pleasures of a gay world, but vanity? the riches of the world, but deceit. fulness? the honors of the world, but an empty sound? All these, though possessed and enjoyed, cannot profit the soul.

Nay, rather like Job's friends, they often only prove miserable comforters, distress the mind, but can never bring comfort to the soul. Though often set by the enemy before our eyes in the most conspicuous view and advantageous light, as satan tempted our Lord; yet, is there any comparison between an eternal gain and a temporal loss? Verily, one moment's communion with Jesus by faith, infinitely transcends a whole life of threescore years and ten, spent in all the glory and happiness this whole world can yield. O, this one word, "thou fool, this hour thy soul is required of thee," is a deathstroke to all worldly enjoyments.

What then can be placed in competition with an "exceeding and an eternal weight of glory?" How great is the worth of the soul! it is immortal. How rich the love of God! it is everlasting. How transcendent the love of Jesus! it passeth knowledge. How amazing the grace of the Holy Ghost! it proceeds from both. It is through his power any poor sinner is able to say, "What things were gain to me, those I count loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless; and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count; them dung, that I may win Christ and be found in him," &c....Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9.

When I survey the wond'rous cross
On which the Prince of glory dy'd,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all beside,

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all

God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world....Gal. vi. 14.

SATAN is very busy to hinder the christian's glorying in Jesus ONLY. As an adversary to the truth, he objects, by the men of the world, and it is frequently suggested to the believer's mind, "Jesus is ever uppermost in your heart and tongue; you ascribe no glory to God the Father, and to the holy Spirit." But this is vain and ignorant; for in our crucified Jesus we behold the great love of the Father. Our glorying in the cross of Christ alone, is by the grace and teaching of the Holy Spirit, whose office it is to testify of Jesus ONLY, and of salvation by none other; so saith our Lord," He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you."....John xvi. 14.

God forbid that any man upon earth, all the devils in hell, all the lusts in our nature, or unbelief of our hearts, should corrupt our minds from the simplicity of Christ, or prevent our glorying in our ever dear, ever lovely Jesus of Nazareth; for he hung on the accursed tree, with all our guilt, and sin, and shame, in his naked, exposed body. Was he ashamed to own our vile characters, or love our sinful persons? No: shall we be ashamed to own and confess his innocent person, his glorious name, his gracious words, his accursed death, his perfect salvation? Surely then the very stones in the street would cry out against us. And Jesus says, "whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."....Mark viii. 38. To expect salvation from no other, and all salvation from this man JEsus, this fellow, this malefactor, as the Jews accounted him, as suffering, dying on the cross, a gibbet, a gallows; this is the very essence of the gospel, the glory of God's grace, the wonder of angels, and the envy of devils; this is the only hope of a poor humble sinner, and the triumph of faith.

Who can fully describe the blessedness of Jesus-glorifying souls! As they find and feel new life from his cross, they experience a crucifixion and death to all legal hopes and vain confidence, which a self-righteous world glory in. From the cross of Jesus they view the world with all its pomps and pleasures, riches and honors, glory and happiness, as accursed, sentenced and devoted to destruction. Therefore, as crucified persons by the faith of Jesus, we die daily to the world. "Christ is our life."....Col. iii. 4.

Our faith adores thy bleeding love,
And trusts for life in one that dy'd;
We hope for heavenly crowns above,
From a Redeemer crucified.

Let the vain world pronounce it shame,
And fling their scandals on the cause!
We come to boast our Saviour's name.
And make our triumphs in his cross.

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say it is my people; and they shall say, the Lord is my God....Zech. xiii. 9.

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O, GIVE me comforts or I die, saith the soul! for surely was I a child of God, I should not be thus tried, afflicted, and distressed. Nay, saith the Saviour, "ye know not what ye ask." Dost thou forget the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children? My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him."....Heb. xii. 5. Did I bid thee believe on me? Believe also my words: "it is through much tribulation thou must enter my kingdom."....Acts xiv. 22. This profitable lesson, though grievous to the flesh, must be learned. Like Peter, we pray to be excused being washed by our Lord. But we consider not his love, nor our own advantage. "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me," saith Jesus. "If ye are without chastisement, then are ye bastards and not sons." "I WILL bring thee through the fire; I WILL refine thee; I WILL try thee." Why? Because thou art not reprobate silver, nor counterfeit metal; therefore I WILL take pains with thee. "I WILL purge away thy dross and thy sin, and purify thee in the furnace." Verily, thy graces shall shine brighter, thy faith grow stronger, thy love burn more fervent, and thy obedience be more cheerful. Therefore "I chasten whom I love," saith the Lord.

Nothing can reconcile souls to afflictive allotments, but looking on them as covenant-dispensations. The loving Father's promise is the beloved childrens' portion. "I will never turn away from them to do them good."....Jer. xxxii. 40. Such is the covenant-love of our covenant God. Here faith fixes its hold, and waits the promised blessing. Though saints desire to be passive, yet they cannot be silent; "for they shall call on my name," even the name above all other names, Jesus the precious Saviour. Saith the Lord, "I will not only hear, but answer." "It is I," saith Jesus to the terrified disciples, "be not afraid." "It is my dear people that call," saith the Lord. As the affectionate mother knows the voice of her own dear child, she listens, she runs to its relief. So the Lord speaks with affection and love, "MY PEOPLE." So souls reply in faith, with Thomas, MY LORD, MY GOD, O, happy to live, not so much on comforts as on "the God of all comfort."....2 Cor. i. 3.

Blest is the man thy hands chastise,

And to his duty draw;

Thy scourges make thy children wise,
When they forget thy law.

But God will ne'er forsake his saints,
Nor his own promise break;
He pardons his inheritance
For their Redeemer's sake.

And Hazael said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?....2 Kings viii. 13.

O, THE treachery of the human heart! both scripture and experience prove this melancholy truth, that it is "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Who can fathom the depths of its deceits? who can understand the misery of iniquity which lies concealed in the nature of sinful man? Alas! presumptuous confidence that our nature is not so totally corrupt and abominable, too, too oft deceives and betrays even the children of God. This wretch Hazael, who had premeditated rebellion and murder in his heart, yet starts at the prediction of these crimes which as yet had no real existence. Doubtless he thought Elisha judged very hard of him; he could almost stare the prophet out of countenance; and, as though he charged him with degrading the dignity of his human nature, he demands whether he looked on him no better than an unclean beast, a fierce devouring DOG, that he should commit such abominable wickedness? His very nature even shuddered at the very thoughts. But the history assures us "lust had conceived, and it brought forth sin;" which ended in the murder of his royal master! Hazael fully verified all the prophet's prediction.

Boast not of thyself, O christian; say not, I am a converted man, a believer in Jesus, not an unclean wretch like this Hazael; therefore I shall not fall into that and the other sin. Be not high-minded, but fear. Thou standest not by thine own strength, but by faith. This grace ever leads out of self to its object, Christ. Flatter not thyself, that thy corrupt nature is in any-wise better than another; know there is no difference. Deceive not thyself with conceits of perfection in the flesh, or with the deluded dream, that the root of sin is entirely destroyed in thy nature. Ever remember, "that in the flesh dwells no good thing;" that it is and ever will be prone to evil continually. Happy for thee that thou art new-born, new-created in the spirit of thy mind. It is thy privilege to live under the influence of grace and love. But still thy fallen nature is ever the same, the old man is still alive; there is the tinder of corruption, which may take fire from the devil's sparks of temptation. What thou art least suspecting, yea when thou art most confident of standing, thou mayest be in the greatest danger of falling. What thou fearest not to-day, tomorrow may overcome thee. Think not more highly of thyself than thou oughtest to think. Be sober; watch unto prayer. resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."....1 Pet. v. 5.

Sin hath a thousand treach'rous arts,
To practise on the mind; [hearts,
With flatt'ring looks she tempts our
But leaves a sting behind.
VOL. I.

"God

She pleads for all the joy she brings,
And gives a fair pretence;

But cheats the soul of heav'nly things,
And chains it down to sense.

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