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He shall glorify me....John xvi. 14. ·

THE gospel of Jesus is suited to our indigent state and distressed circumstances; but we are averse to receive the truth in the love of it, because of our loftiness of Spirit and pride of heart. A system that tends to exalt and glorify us in our own eyes and in the sight of others, we are naturally very fond of. This notion sticks close to us, we do not easily part with it. To imagine ourselves possest of some inherent good dispositions and amiable tempers, which put us upon more respectable terms in the sight of God, and gain his favor, this we are apt to mistake for the work of the Spirit upon the heart. But as this notion leads from the faith and hope of the gospel, opposeth the glory of Jesus, lays another foundation than that which God hath laid, and tends to plume the creature with pride and vanity, we are taught to reject it as a spirit of Antichrist and delusion. This God severely reproves his church of old for: "Thou didst trust in thine own beauty and playedst the harlot, because of thy renown.".... Ezek. xvi. 15. But the blessed Spirit, who effects the marriage. union between the Lamb and his bride, doth nothing upon the heart that it should trust in, so as to attract the affections from Jesus, or to produce incontinency of behaviour to our rightful Lord. No: "the Spirit shall glorify, not himself as the agent, not yourselves as the subject of his operations, but he shall glorify me," saith Jesus, in your sight, heart, and affections. He shall bear witness to my per, son and offices of the relation I stand in to you; that justification is solely by my righteousness, atonement for your sins by my own sacrifice, and pardon of them by my blood: that I am your priest, ever before the throne, representing your persons, and pleading your cause. So shall you find peace in me, live daily upon me, and rejoice only in me.

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Thus by this work of the Spirit, Christ alone is exalted and glori+ fied; our hearts comforted in truth, and sanctified in love, to the honor and service of our heavenly King. Thus, to them that believe, Jesus is precious; because we see the Father's love centre in him, and diffusing itself through his pierced heart to ours, by the Holy Ghost given to us. Hence we become alive in our spirits and affections to God, and dead to self-seeking, self-righteous, self-glorying views. We die daily to carnal lusts and corrupt affections, which we know tend to dishonor our dear Lord, are contrary to his will, degrade our souls, and rob us of sweet, heart-felt communion with him. The more Jesus is thus glorified, and we abide in him, so much the more are we enabled to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit to the praise and glory of him. "As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God."....Rom. viii. 14.

Who maketh thee to differ from another?....1 Cor. iv. 7. À

PERHAPS few will reply, in the very words of a haughty Arminian, "I of myself, made myself to differ; since I could resist God and divine pre-determination, but have not. Why then may I not glory in myself?" Yet such is the language of all our proud hearts by nature, we are so fond of vain-glory. Awful declaration of our Lord's! "Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account of in the day of judgment.” Who then 'can be saved? I

humbly conceive these idle words imply proud, self-righteous, self sufficient words, maliciously spoken in contempt of the sovereign, distinguishing grace of God, free justification by the righteousness of Jesus, and full salvation by his finished work ONLY. So Mal iii. 18...." Your words have been stout against me, saith the Lord." The whole of that in Matt. xii. seems to prove this sense, and the context confirms it...." By thy words thou shalt be justified.” i. el By the confession of thy mouth, arising from the belief of thy heart of salvation by grace, through the Son of God, thou shalt be justified, "and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." i. e. Thy words betray the pride and unbelief of thy heart, in not submitting to the sovereignty of God's grace and free salvation by his beloved Son; For this thou shalt be condemned. By line upon line, and precept upon precept the Holy Ghost testifies of, exalts and glorifies the Lord Jesus, as all our salvation, and beateth down all self-confidence, and all self-glorying.

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Yet we dare not deny what the Holy Spirit hath done in our hearts. By this we differ from others, and are distinguished from our former selves, when in our natural state of pride. But this is all of the sovereign grace of God. Hence we are made to differ as to our SPEECH. We dare not speak of ourselves but as poor sinners, who never have, nor never could do any thing to make ourselves differ in state or in practice. We are made to differ in JUDGMENT. We no longer set our dear Saviour at nought, or so lightly esteem the love of God as to think we can gain an interest in Jesus, and procure a title to God's favor by our own works. But we firmly believe "God HATH made us accepted in the beloved, to the praise of the glory of his grace."....Eph. i. 6. Hence our AFFECTIONS are turned to God in Christ by the power of the Spirit; Jesus is the delight of our souls and the glory of our hearts. He is to us the chiefest among ten thousand, and altogether lovely. His love, person, offices, and work, so enamour our souls and endear him to our hearts, that we are continually longing to KNOW HIM more. Also, our PRACTICE is hereby influenced to hate and forsake the trifling conversation, the vain' amusements, sinful vanities of a wicked world. "For our fellowship is with the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.".... John i. 3.

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For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him, Amen, unto the glory of God by us....2 Cor. i. 20.

THROUGH the workings of our carnal frames, it is natural to us all to seek comfort from legal work, instead of gospel promises. When a poor sinner is taught by man to believe, "unless he performs the condition, he cannot receive the blessing of the promise:" from this mistaken notion he labours and toils for a season, but finding himself unable to reduce the doctrine to practice, he sits down in dejection, and gives up all hope of mercy in this way. This will always be the case where sincerity is not suffered to give way to self-deceit. But when the sun of righteousness ariseth with glory on the soul, these mists of ignorance flee away. When the freelove of the everlasting covenant is made manifest to a sinner's heart, by the Spirit, he cries out in wonder and ecstacy, "This is all my salvation and all my desire." When by faith he beholds Jesus the surety of the covenant, sees all the promises of life and salvation center in him, Jesus becomes the hope of his soul, and the promise, the joy of his heart.

Blessed be God for a precious Christ, precious promises, and precious faith. What could our God do more? What could he give more to his people than what he hath graciously done for them, and freely given to them? Disciple, wherefore dost thou doubt? Why art thou reading a gloomy lecture over thy fallen state? Why sitting with folded hands and dejected look, because thou feelest the corrupt workings of thy sinful flesh? What have thy legal thoughts brought forth but that black monster, UNBELIEF? This dares to gainsay the truths of God, deny his promises, set the Saviour at nought, and rob him of his glory. What! because thou canst not find nor feel any thing in thyself to deserve God's love, or for which he should make one promise of mercy, wilt thou therefore conclude against the greatness of his love and freeness of his promises? Yea, but it is for that very reason, because thou hast nothing in thyself but sin and misery, thy God will have all the glory of his own grace in saving thy soul, according to his promise in Christ Jesus. The Lamb, who spilt his blood for sin, who hath righteousness for the naked, and a tongue to plead the cause of the destitute, has all the promises in his hands, to bestow the blessing of them on his needy members. -Therefore out of his fulness we receive, and grace for grace. So the Holy Spirit giveth us to believe and come to the inexhaustible fulness of Jesus for our every supply. Here we may fix our faith, and in the assurance of truth be confident we shall want nothing. For this very end is connected with our comfort, "the glory of GoD." Therefore every promise of grace here and glory hereafter are sure: YEA and AMEN, so be it: according to God's purpose and grace in Christ Jesus....2 Tim. i. 9.

Fear not, thou worm Jacob....Isa. xli. 14.

In the light of truth, and under the teaching of the Spirit, every believer in Jesus loses sight of the once fancied dignity of his human nature, and sinks in the view of himself to the meanest reptile. Probably the church, in Isaiah's days, had been considering her weak, helpless state; surrounded with trials and difficulties; exposed continually to the power of enemies on every side; in great danger of being trodden under feet and crushed to death; and had been laying her case before the Lord, confessing the words of David, "I am a worm, and no man."....Psalm xxii. 6. Well, the Lord condescends to reply to such humble souls in their own language. "Though thou art as mean in thine own eyes, and as as despicable in the sight of others as a poor, base, insignificant, crawling worm of the earth, yet thou art precious in my sight. Though thou hast no power in thyself to resist thine enemies, no strength to support thyself under thine afflictions and distresses, though satan threatens, troubles bow thee down, corruptions rage, and all the combined force of earth and hell is enraged against thee, yet FEAR NOT, thou worm, saith the Lord."

Thou soldier of Jesus, "FEAR NOT," is the word of command from the captain of thy salvation. Scarce any phrase so frequently occurs in the word of God as this. Consider it as an antidote against all thy despondings, doubtings, and dejections. Thou canst never fall into any exercise, be under any temptation, be visited by any affliction, come into any straits or difficulties, but what the power of God can support thee under, and bring thee safely through. Consult not human probability; judge not according to appearances; say not, Worm as I am, I shall surely be crushed. Nay, but is any thing too hard for God? He saith, "I will help thee;" I will succour; I will support thee; I will strengthen thee; my grace is sufficient for thee. Can a God of truth promise in vain? Will a God of love ever fail to assist? Doth not a God of wisdom know when to deliver? Suffice it, we have his promise! That engages his truth, and that demands our faith to honor him. But, "I am with thee," saith the Saviour. He is present; though perhaps thou thinkest otherwise, and feelest not his comfortable presence. Thy most secret sigh, as well as every distress, lies open to his view. The crafty designs of thy subtle foe, and all his vile stratagems, are without a covering before thy Lord. Terrify and distress thee he may, but prevail over thy soul he shall not! "For he that keepeth Israel, neither slumber eth nor sleepeth."....He is ever watchful to guard, and powerful to keep: and he hath given us this absolute promise, "No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn."....Isa. liv. 17.

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If a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself....Gal. vi. 3.

THE leaven of Phariseeism, pride, self-righteousness, and selfsufficiency, is interwoven with our very nature. In the beginning that arch-deceiver, satan, poisoned the minds of our first parents with that corrupt doctrine, "Ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." This infection hath tainted the whole human race: naturally every man deceiveth himself: he thinks himself to be that which in reality he is not. Hence is rooted enmity to the salvation of Jesus and the grace of the gospel: here man is nothing; here the creature is annihilated. As Paul saith of an "idol, it is nothing in the world:" so that idol, a man's self, is nothing, knows nothing, can do nothing in the great work of salvation. Fallen nature, with all its boasted goodness, affected piety, devout efforts, contributes nothing; for "all is of grace," rich, free, and sovereign grace. Man, with all his vaunted "knowledge of good and evil;" his free will to choose the good and refuse the evil, his rectitude to perform his duty and secure his salvation, by fulfilling terms and conditions of the gospel; all these are mere non-entities; lighter than vanity when weighed in the balance of the sanctuary.

O believer, when thou thinkest thyself nothing, knowest nothing of thyself, then thou thinkest and knowest right. But when thou art led to think, "now I am something in myself; now I know something by myself; now I can do something of myself, to keep myself in the favor of God, and to be faithful to his grace,” verily thou deceivest thyself. This is acting like the church of Galatia under spiritual witchcraft, "beginning in the Spirit, and ending in the flesh." This, in the strict and proper sense, is "FALLING FROM GRACE." So nature's pride exalts one's self, and censures other christians as carnal and unfaithful. This pride of the flesh opposeth our growth in grace, and is contrary to the humbling knowledge of Jesus Christ. To know the grace of God in truth, is to own its sovereign operations upon the soul, to be steady as the sun in its course, uncontroulable as the wind in its power, unfrustrable as the tide in its motion, and as unyielding to the power of nature and the will of man, as the proud waves of the great ocean. To "put on the Lord Jesus," is to "put off the old man with its deceitful lusts," and pride. To "rejoice in Christ Jesus," is to "have no confidence in the flesh." The Lord will " suffer no flesh to glory in his presence." "Let him that glorieth, glory in the Lord."....1 Cor. i. 31. Happy for us, with Paul, "most gladly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me,"....2 Cor. xii. 9.

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