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be learned by the heart: and of the heart there is but one teacher, even God; according as it is said, "Who teacheth like God":" and again, "There is a spirit in man; and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth him understanding."

Amongst the treasures of wisdom which God will impart to the truly upright, and the hidden things which he will cause them to know, are,

1. The deceits of the heart

[These are very deep, and absolutely unsearchable'; yet in a measure will God discover them to those who have truth in their inward parts. The world at large know nothing of them: "they are calling evil good, and good evil; they put darkness for light, and light for darkness; and bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitters:" " they feed also on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned them aside, so that they cannot deliver their souls, or say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" They contrive to satisfy their minds that all is well with them, or at least to lull their consciences asleep with the hope that all will be well with them before they die. They have a thousand pleas and excuses which they urge in their own defence, and which they vainly hope will be accepted by their Judge. If we attempt to open their eyes, they reply, with indignation, "Are we blind alsoi?" Thus are they both blinded and "hardened" through the deceitfulness of sin. But those who are really" Israelites indeed, and without guile," have their eyes opened to see what delusions they have cherished: and being thus "brought out of darkness into marvellous light," they find that promise fulfilled to them, "They that erred in spirit shall come to understanding." "Their eye being made single, their whole body is full of light."]

2. The devices of Satan

[The men of this world, though "taken in his snares, and led captive by him at his will," have no idea of his agency. But he is a subtle adversary; and his "wiles" are innumerable. He can even "transform himself into an angel of light';" and, when aiming a deadly blow at our souls, assume the garb of "a minister of righteousness." His first device is, to persuade men that they are in no danger of the judgments they fear. If he fail in that, he will instil into their minds the notion that they have gone too far, and that there is no hope for them.

d Job xxxvi. 22.
g Isai. v. 20.
* Isai. xxix. 24.

e Job xxxii. 8.
h Isai. xliv. 20.
1 2 Cor. xi. 13, 14.

f Jer. xvii. 9.
i John ix. 40.

If that snare do not succeed, he will draw them aside, after some points of less importance, or "matters of doubtful disputation." Multitudes of false apostles has he at his command, who will gladly aid him in this accursed work m, and concur with him in his endeavours to 66 corrupt their minds from the simplicity that is in Christ"." But, if we are following the Lord fully, he will not leave us "ignorant of Satan's devices, or suffer him to get his wished-for advantage over us." He will arm us against that adversary, and enable us to withstand him". He will give us "the shield of faith, whereby we shall ward off and quench all his fiery darts," and be able so to "resist him, that he shall flee from us."]

3. The mysteries of grace

["Great is the mystery of godliness," and great the mystery of grace, whether we consider the work wrought for us by Jesus Christ, or the work wrought in us by his Holy Spirit. These constitute that "wisdom, which is foolishness with man," and which "the natural man cannot receive, because it is spiritually discerned." To know this, we must be taught of God: "We must receive, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, before we can know the things that are freely given to us of God." And O! how wonderful a work does this appear, when "God shines into our hearts to reveal it to us!" How worthy of God! how suitable to man! how passing the comprehension, whether of men or angels! Verily, the man whose eyes are thus opened, seems to be brought into a new world: "old things are passed away, and all things are become new." The ignorant world are amazed at the new line of conduct he pursues, just as Elisha's servant was at his master's confidence in the midst of danger. But, if their eyes were opened to see, as the Believer does, the invisible God above him and within him, they would wonder rather, that there were any bounds to his transports, or any limit to his exertions.] 4. The beauties of holiness

[All who are warped by their prejudices, or blinded by their lusts, are incapable of estimating aright the beauty and blessedness of true piety: it appears to them little short of madness. And even those who make a profession of godliness, but possess not truth in their inward parts, have very erroneous conceptions of true holiness. Some place it in a confident espousal of certain principles, or a zealous attachment to a particular party: others, inclining more to practical religion, make all duty to centre in

m 2 Cor. xi. 13.

› Eph. vi. 11.

s 1 Cor. ii. 7, 8, 9, 14.

u 2 Cor. iv. 6.

n 2 Cor. xi. 3.
¶ Eph. vi. 16.

o 2 Cor. ii. 11.

r Jam. iv. 7.

t 1 Cor. ii. 10, 12.

x 2 Kings vi. 15-17. Heb. xi. 27.

some one point, such as the mortification of the flesh, or almsgiving, or penances of man's invention. Even those who are more enlightened, are apt to regard only one particular set of graces that are more congenial with their own feelings, and to neglect those which are of an opposite aspect; one despising every thing in comparison of zeal and confidence; another leaning altogether to the side of prudence and timidity. But the man into whose hidden part God has put true wisdom, views holiness, not with prismatic partiality, separating one grace from another, but all embodied, as light in the sun; every grace tempering its opposite, and all combining to the production of perfect beauty. He discards neither the vivid nor the darker ray: but, having all in united exercise, sorrow with joy, and fear with confidence, "the beauty of the Lord his God is upon him," and he shines in the Divine image in righteousness and true holiness.]

From this subject we may LEARN,

1. Whence it is that men get so little insight into the Gospel

[Many hear the Gospel during their whole lives, and never attain any just knowledge of it. How shall we account for this? We suppose the Gospel to be preached with all possible fidelity, and yet it seems never to convey any light to their minds. The reason is, that they never take any pains to apply it to their own souls, or to get any one truth realized in their own experience. They assent to every thing they hear; but they are content with being hearers, without ever once attempting to become doers of the word they hear. They "see perhaps their face, as in a glass, for the moment; but they go away, and forget what manner of men they are." But our blessed Lord has told us, that we must aim at doing his will, in order to get any just insight into what he has revealed: and, as this desire is altogether wanting in the persons we are speaking of, they never derive any solid benefit from the Gospel. O Brethren! you must "be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own souls.” You must apply the word to your own hearts: when you hear your sins pointed out, you must endeavour to humble yourselves for them in dust and ashes: when you hear of Christ as the one only Saviour of a ruined world, you must endeavour to flee to him for refuge: when the Holy Ghost is set forth as the one great source of all spiritual life and motion, you must cry to God the Father for his dear Son's sake to send the Holy Spirit into your hearts, that the whole work of grace may be wrought within you. It is your neglect of thus harrowing in

y Ps. xc. 17.

a Jam. i. 22-25.

z 2 Cor. iii. 18.

b John vii. 17.

the seed by meditation, and of watering it with tears, that has given Satan an opportunity of taking it out of your hearts as soon as ever it has been sown there. Get the "honest and the good heart," which truly desires to make a just improvement of the word, and God will yet cause the seed to spring up in your hearts, and to bring forth fruit to the salvation of your souls.] 2. Whence it is that many who profess the Gospel are so little ornaments to it

[It is a melancholy fact, that many who profess godliness walk very unworthy of their high calling. Like Ezekiel's hearers, they are gratified with the preaching of the Gospel, as persons are with "one who plays well upon an instrument; but their heart still goeth after their covetousness," or some other besetting sin. But this is owing to their not having "truth in their inward parts:" if they had, they would not be satisfied with professing the Gospel, and talking about it, and looking with pity (or perhaps with contempt) on those who do not understand it: no; they would look to their spirit, that it should be meek and humble; they would look to their conduct also, that it should be blameless and without guile: they would "give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully." Ah, Brethren! think what God requires of all, and of those who make a profession of religion more especially: and beg of God to endue your souls with truth and wisdom, "that ye may be sincere and without offence until the day of Christ." You may fancy that you "know all the depths of Satan":" but if your professed "hope in Christ does not purify your souls as Christ is pure," you are yet blinded by him, and utterly deceiving your own souls".]

3. How to get the whole work of God perfected in our souls

[Come to the Gospel with hearts tender and contrite, that they may be to it as wax to the seal. Then shall you have in your own souls" the witness" of all its most important truths": and shall be able to answer from your own experience that question which God puts so triumphantly to all the world; "Doth not my word do good to him that walketh uprightly?" You are not straitened in God: be not straitened in your own souls. Desire much: ask much expect much and God will supply your every want "according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."]

c Matt. xiii. 4, 19.
e Rev. ii. 24.

Jam. i. 26.

d Ezek. xxxiii. 31, 32.

f 1 John iii. 3.

h 1 John v. 10.

DLXXXIX.

THE MEANS OF DELIVERANCE FROM SPIRITUAL LEPROSY.

Ps. li. 7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

EVERY part of God's word is profitable for our instruction in righteousness; but, in the Psalms, religion is exemplified, and, as it were, embodied. The workings of genuine repentance are admirably delineated in that before us. David traces his iniquities to their proper source, his original corruption. He acknowledges the necessity of a thorough renovation of soul: and, in legal terms, but of evangelical import, he implores forgiveness.

The expressions in the text intimate to us, I. The nature of sin

The generality of the world imagine sin to be a light and venial evil. Some indeed have learned to dread it as destructive of their eternal happiness; but very few have any idea of it as defiling and debasing the soul.

It is in this view, however, that we are now called to consider it—

[Sin has defiled every member of our body, and every faculty of our soul: hence St. Paul speaks of it as "filthiness both of the flesh and spirit." What uncircumcised ears', what venomous tongues, what adulterous eyes, have the greater part of mankind! How are all their members used as instruments of unrighteousness! What pride, and envy, what wrath, and malice, are harboured in the bosom! How gladly would we cast off all allegiance to God, and be a god unto ourselves! Thus, in fleshly lusts, we degrade ourselves almost to a level with the beasts; and, in spiritual filthinesss, we too much resemble the fallen angels. How different is this state from that in which we were first created! Yet is the change effected solely by the agency of sin1.]

In this view, more especially, is sin represented in the text

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