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once dream of being excused from pledging our Lord in the same cup. So surely as thou dost "witness a good profession" of faith in Jesus, and conformity to him, thou also shalt not escape laughter and scorn from the carnal world; nor being arrayed by them in the contemptible garb of a fool's cap, and a madman's coat. Time was, when we acted as they do. Think of this and be humble. Glory be to him who taught us better! But what harm can this do us? Harm! it is our greatest glory on earth. "Such honour have all his saints." An honour angels share not in. Sinners only are called thus to glorify their Master. True, it is galiing to the flesh. But "they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts." By the world's scorn, pride is mortified, while the soul is joyful; and the Spirit of Christ and of glory rests upon The world laughs us to scorn. Jesus smiles and approves. Shall we be uneasy at it? No; our Master bids us rejoice, and be exceeding glad. Thus, follow Christ and fear not men. Formerly, it was a proverbial expression, to show an impossibility, "You may as soon turn a christian from Christ as do it." Steadfastness here is our glory. In the things of God, said Luther, "I yield to none." As God's election is irrevocable, so let our confession of Christ be. Strive to imitate him in love and patience. He has left us an example, that we should follow his steps, 1 Pet. ii. 21.

us.

AUGUST 17.-Thou hast received gifts for men.Psalm lxviii. 18.

The dedication of this Psalm, says Beza, is to him that excelleth, even Jesus the excellent one. It contains a glorious display of his kingdom. The royal prophet was highly favoured with clear and comfortable views of the ample provision which is made for poor rebellious sinners, in the everlasting covenant of grace and love. Jesus is the rich treasury. All grace

is laid up in him. So it pleased the Father; so it rejoiceth the heart of all his members, like Joseph's brethren, to receive all gifts from his hands. Jesus is the unspeakable gift of God the Father to us. All his members were given to him. In him Jehovah loves us, delights in us, and rejoices over us, to do us good. Alas! too, too often we are apt to think vainly, and talk arrogantly; to ascribe what we are, and what we hope for, to something in us, or done by us. So we lose sight of our own poverty, forget our kind Benefac tor, and this fever of pride is succeeded by an ague of heartless dejection; our hands hang down, and our knees grow feeble. For ever blessed be God, salvation from first to last is all of free gift, by free grace, secured by free promises in Christ. So it is effectual to sinners. Hence, believers ascribe all the glory to the ever-blessed Trinity, by Jesus. Do I see the exceeding sinful ness of sin? Am I sensible of my deserts, my misera. ble state as a sinner? Do I see the purity and spirituality of God's righteous law? Do I despair of all hope and help in myself? Is Jesus my refuge? Do I see the glory of his righteousness, and perfection of his atonement? Is the triumph of his cross, the victory of his death, the foundation of my faith, the support of hope from day to day? These are love tokens from Jesus. He freely sheds them on us. So our hearts are enamoured with him, and knit to him in love. And, for our further consolation and joy, he still lives to bestow innumerable more and infinitely greater gifts than what we have yet received. For if we have received the first fruits of the Spirit, the harvest is sure. Every enemy shall be conquered, every lust subdued. Nothing less than perfect holiness and happiness await us. Is sin atoned by the blood of Jesus? and shall his members live without a sense of pardon? No: "Ask," says he, "and receive, that your joy may be full," John xvi. 24. Jesus is glorified; the Spirit is given to bear witness of him, and to comfort and sanctify

us.

"If God be for us, who can be against us? He

that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Rom. viii. 31, 32.

AUGUST 18.-Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips :-for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.-Isa. vi. 5.

When in the light of truth the glory of Jesus is manifested to the soul, how does it stain the pride of all human glory! The prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles under the New, were men of like passions, sinners as we are. By nature there is no difference. They were all saved by the same precious Saviour. A sight of themselves humbled them to the dust. "Oh, wretched man that I am!" cries Paul the apostle. "Woe is me! I am unclean, I am undone," cries Isaiah, the evangelical prophet. "God will suffer no flesh to glory in his presence." Jesus the Saviour alone shall be exalted. Man the sinner, though the subject of grace and salvation, shall be laid low, every hope in himself cut off, the exceeding sinfulness of sin and his deserts as a sinner confessed. Such are the saving effects of Jesus' love, such the humbling views of his Spirit. But it is very natural for the sensible sinner to write bitter things against himself, to pronounce a woe upon himself, and to cry out of his undone state, and totally polluted condition. Just so, when the sun shines, we see innumerable motes and atoms which were invisible before. But do we think this strange, after we have been favoured with a spiritual sight of Jesus, faith in him, and hope from him, to be sensible of and cry out of our undone state? We should not. We shall carry this view of ourselves all our journey through, even till we come to the banks of Jordan's

streams.

The most exalted saint while in the body is in himself, according to the flesh, carnal, sold under sin; bur

dened with a body of sin and death. But though, as thus considered in himself, he is in a woeful, undone state; yet, being in Christ Jesus, a member of him, a believer on him, a new creature in him, there is no woe, no wrath, no condemnation; nothing but peace, par. don, love, and salvation from God the Father to him. This is manifested to us by the word of grace; and the Spirit of truth, like the seraphim by the prophet, takes a live coal from off the altar, the sacrifice of Christ, and saith, "Lo, this hath touched thy lips, thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is purged." Let this comfort. able truth ever dwell in thy heart, make confes sion with thy mouth unto salvation. The bloody sacrifice of Jesus hath purged thy sins. "Be not faithless, but believing," John xx. 27.

AUGUST 19.-A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.-Matt. xii. 20.

Through a sight of their sinful state, a sense of strong corruptions, weakness of faith, and small degree of the knowledge of Jesus, young converts, like David just come to the throne, are apt to say, "I am this day weak, though anointed king;" and to fear with him, "the sons of Zeruiah be too hard for me," 2 Sam. iii. 39. The accuser of the brethren is ever an adversary to Jesus and the truth. He is always busy with souls, to stamp upon their minds the blackest impressions. He paints the Saviour, not as loving, gentle, and merciful to relieve distressed, and comfort wounded, afflicted consciences, but as a rigid, austere, and cruel exactor. When carnal reason joins with false accusations, it is sore distress and conflict to the mind. But to the law and to the testimony. How readest thou, O soul? It is right thou shouldst bear the indignation of the Lord, because thou hast sinned against him, Micah vii. 9. By this he teaches thee the exceeding sinfulness of sin,

to abhor it, and be humbled for it. Yea, also, as the greatest blessing, that thou shouldst look to, believe on and love him. But this thou never wilt do if thou dost not consider him as a precious Saviour of the lost and guilty. True, in thyself thou art like a bruised reed shaken with the wind of temptation, oppressed with sin and distress, weak and helpless, ready to fall into despair, and perish without hope. As smoking flax thou seemest not to burn; but art rather offensive to thyself, because of the vapours of corruption: these blind thine eyes and are a stench in thy nostrils. And so poor sensible sinners. are apt to think themselves offensive to Jesus. But saw he any amiable dispositions in the sinner's character to invite him from heaven to earth? being come to seek and to save the lost, and to be the Physician of sin-sick souls, waits he for their health and soundness ere he reacheth forth his healing hand? Doth the Friend of sinners break in pieces with a rod of iron the sin-wounded, heavy-laden soul? That is far from his loving heart. Far be that from our heart to conceive. Nay, but he will execute judgment for all such over every adversary. He shall not break, he shall not quench, till judgment is denounced and victory proclaimed over Satan's accusations, unbelieving suggestions, by the word of truth and the power of the Spirit; and the weakest believer shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb, and his testimony, Rev. xii. 11.

AUGUST 20. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.—Gal. v. 22, 23.

This numerous issue is of supernatural generation: like Isaac, who sprang from the dead body of Abraham, and the barren womb of Sarah. Though believers delight to bring forth such fruits, yet, through humility,

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