To them who have obtained like precious faith with us through (in) the righteousness of God, and (even) our Saviour Jesus Christ....2 Pet. i. 1.

THERE may be strong faith where there is no true faith: persons may pretend to have the assurance of faith, may believe that their sins are forgiven, without one grain of precious faith. Who believes more than a deist does? he believes he has wisdom to guide and power to save himself, without either the word or the grace of God. Who has stronger faith than the self-righteous Pharisee had? He believed he had a right to go to God, to plead his works before God, and to assure his heart that he was accepted of God: he wanted no righteousness from God. This is just such a faith, which all unregenerate men have. It is not a PRECIOUS faith; it is not obtained through the precious righteousness of Christ; it doth not make his glorious person and everlasting righteousness precious to the heart; it does not cause such to renounce the filthy rags of their own righteousness, and to delight in God, as justifying the unholy through the righteousness of Christ, and sanctifying the ungodly through the Spirit of his grace. That faith is ever to be suspected, as only a rank weed which grows in the corrupt soil of human nature, if the possessors of it see not the evil of sin which is in them, the curse it has brought upon them, and that nothing can relieve their conscience, support their mind, bring hope to their heart and joy to their spirits, but the one spotless righteousness of Christ, in which sinners stand perfectly justified before God. He who dares open his mouth in objections against God's imputing the righteousness of his Son freely to sinners, and fully justifying the thereby, is shrewdly to be suspected, that so far from having obtained "like precious faith" with the apostles, his heart is not yet convinced of sin. Precious faith will shew itself by its fruits, inward as well as outward: the heart will bow to God's sovereign will, receive his doctrines of grace, in the love of them, and not carp and cavil against them; it will glory that salvation from first to last, is not of works, but of grace; and it will experience, that the grace of God which bringeth salvation, most sweetly and powerfully teaches, to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present evil world. Most sweetly says one, 66 Surely, there can be no greater honor to Christ than this, in the sense of sin, wants, stains and blemishes, to wrap ourselves in the righteousness of Christ, and with boldness to go, clothed in the garments of this our elder brother, to the throne of grace." This is the glory of faith, Lord grant it may be ours.

Lord be merciful unto me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee....Psalm xli. 4.

Is this the language of a saint? Was David a saint when he uttered it? Yes he was a holy man of God: this confession and prayer shew it: his heart was not hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, nor blinded by self-righteous pride, so as to say, "I have no sin." Self-righteous hearts cannot away with this, that all the Lord's saints are yet in themselves miserable sinners; that they see daily need to confess this, and to sue for mercy and healing from the Lord: here is a confession, a plea, and a prayer. 1st. A confession, "I have sinned against thee :" thus we must come and confess to the Lord to-day, to-morrow, and every day, till the sun of life sets. Sense of sin, whether fresh contracted or long since committed, abides with us; it wounds and pains a gracious soul. Here grace discovers itself: that soul waits not for time to efface the memory of sin, or strives to stifle convictions for it, but goes humbly to the Lord, and confesses it, with all its aggravations, and with this above all others, LORD, "AGAINST THEE I have sinned." O, may my soul never, never lose this conviction, that every sin is against thee, my Lord and loving Father; THEE, my Lord and precious Redeemer; THEE, my Lord and gracious comforter: this makes sin exceeding sinful, while it magnifies the super-abounding riches of grace, in receiving sinners, and in pardoning sin. 2d. Consider the plea: it is not the pharisee's parade; Lord, I have done this and that, or I have not done so and so: Lord, I have been faithful to thy grace, I am not so bad as others: No! but it is the publican's plea ; "Lord be merciful to me," to me a vile sinner, who have done nothing to deserve thy favor, yet plead thy mercy promised to sinners in Christ Jesus: thou canst be just, and yet justify the ungodly who believe in Jesus. Therefore, 3d. I pray, "heal my soul." No prayers, no tears, no duties, no terms and conditions of mine can heal my soul; no, my best works are stained with pollution, my holiest duties are mixed with sin: nothing but the blood of THE LAMB can bring pardon to my heart, peace to my conscience, and healing to my soul. "The Lord will speak peace unto his people and his saints."....Psalm lxxxv. 8. For, O precious words! he assures us, "ALL MANNER of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men."....Matt. xii. 31.

Though sin doth so distress my soul, No plea have I, thou Lamb of God,
With sickness and with pain:
My God will heal and make me whole,
And give me peace again.

For mercy, but through thee; Cleansing and healing by thy blood, To sinners çome most free.

M.

Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart....Psalm xcvii. 11.

He who never doubts his sincerity to God has great reason to suspect his knowledge of himself: an hypocrite cannot be a christian; yet there is hypocrisy in the fallen nature of every christian : such are ever suspecting themselves. At times they fear, lest they should turn out nothing but hypocrites at last: this is a proof that their hearts are upright with Christ: their fears and suspicions are a blessed means of keeping them from falling away from him. Righteous souls pass through many dark frames and disagreeable experiences: sometimes they are put to a stand, ready to question if all is right within or not; for they are the subjects of a nature in which dwells every evil, which wars against God, the peace, holiness and comfort of their souls: hence they are sometimes in seasons of darkness; they see not things in the light of truth; they enjoy not the comfort of this truth; that they are "righteous in the righteousness of Christ,"....2 Cor. v. 21....and made upright by his grace. Upright souls mourn in darkness and desire ever to walk in the light: yes, says St. Peter, ye "greatly rejoice in the salvation of Jesus, though now for a season (if need be) ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." If need be! O, what need can there be? He tells us, that the trial of your precious faith might be found unto praise, and honor, and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ....1 Pet. i. 6, 7. Tried faith is true faith. Touch any metal but gold, and aqua fortis will burn it off. True faith stands the fire of temptations; trusts Christ in heaviness; stays upon him in darkness; for at all times, in all seasons, under all circumstances, light and gladness are sown for you, and in due season shall spring up in you. Where are they sown? Where every covenant blessing is reaped; in Jesus the surety of the covenant....Heb. vii. 22. All natural light is in, and flows from the sun: all spiritual light flows from Christ, the sun of righteousness, who saith, "I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."....John viii. 12. Is light sown in Christ for us? Let us with David claim in faith, "the LORD is MY light, and my salvation."....Psalm xxvii. 1. Does gladness of heart spring from Christ? Then say, "my meditation of him shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord."....Psalm civ. 34. Thus faith is tried and proved in the darkest hour: thus it manifests itself to be the faith of God's elect; for it cleaves to God's elect, (Jesus) in whom God's soul delighteth.... Isa. xlii. 1.

Both light and gladness in God's word, And shall spring up within those hearts,
For righteous souls are sown,
Who have the Saviour known. M.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof, are the ways of death....Prov. xiv. 12.

THIS is a melancholy truth, "all flesh has corrupted his way upon the earth."....Gen. vi. 12. From sad experience of this, Jeremiah confesses, "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."....Jer. x. 23. "ALL we like sheep have gone astray: we have turned every one his own way," says Isa. liii. 6. O, it is a most blessed thing to be convinced of this, and humbly pray with David, "see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." ....Psalm cxxxix. 24. We can never enough call to mind, love and praise our good shepherd, who came to seek and save us from our own way, which seemeth right in our eyes. What way is this? A most dangerous one: it is the way of wickedness, in which we have strong confidence of our own righteousness. Every man is naturally in this way. The most openly prophane as well as the decent pharisee, possesses some hope in himself that he has done, or can do something to save himself, and that his way is right and shall end well at the last. The worst of men must think at times. If destitute of all hope, black despair must ensue. A false hope, built upon self-righteousness, keeps up their spirits. How long? Till they go down to hell with a lie in their right hand :. or till the Spirit of God convinces them of SIN, shews them their condemnation for sin, and that they are destitute of righteousness; that nothing short of an absolute, perfect one, can justify them before God; and that this is only to be found in the Son of God. Now, every way leads to some end: the way that seems right in a man's own eyes will end in death; in the death of hope, and destruction of the soul The man who is in this way that seemeth right unto him, is ever exalting his own righteousness and decrying the imputed righteousness of Christ. Stop, O soul, and consider, what way art thou in? That which seems right in thy own sight, or that which God declares is right in his? Remember, the way of a self-righteous fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise."....Prov. xii. 15. Jesus is our COUNSELLOR: hearken to him: he says, "I am THE WAY."....John xiv. 6. The only way, exclusive of every other way, of pardon from God, peace and acceptance with God, justification before God, and enjoyment of God: this is the good old way; walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls....Jer. vi. 16.

O Christ, who art the only way

Unto eternal life,

There's many ways that lead to death,
Which foolish men pursue,

Preserve and keep my soul each day, Lord, keep me in the way of faith,
From unbelieving strife.

The only way and true.

M.

But that on the good ground, are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience....Luke viii. 15.

:

seed of the kingdom, so as to New wine of gospel grace and therefore, saith the Lord, 66

a

Precious promise! Lord given it thee? It takes root down

DISCIPLE, tread warily on this good ground: speak cautiously about it, lest thy soul be lifted up, and thou shouldest say, I made myself to differ; my nature is better to receive the seed, and my heart more honest and good to retain it, than others. Know thyself by nature upon a level with way-side, stony-ground, and thorny hearers. See what is predicted of these blessed hearers. Examine, if we are of the happy number: if so, let us fall down in humility and cry, what hath God wrought! Let us give all the glory to the God of all grace! 1st. "That on good ground." It is made good by the labour of the husbandman: tilled, cultivated, and made fit to receive the seed, by the grace of the Spirit, in an honest and good heart. No man has such a heart naturally: the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; see the cursed weeds it brings forth "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries," &c....Mark vii. 21. Such an old, wicked heart as this, can neither receive nor retain the bring forth fruit unto perfection. love must be put into new bottles: new heart will I give you."....Ezek. xxxvi. 26. This is that good and honest heart. Hath the If so, 2d. you will hear the word and keep it. ward. Thou hast and dost retain an abiding sense of thy own vileness, poverty and wretchedness: thou wilt be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ, knowing that in him thou art rich, righteous, and happy. As the word made thee thus wise and happy, thou wilt keep it, ponder it in thine heart, meditate upon it day and night: it will be dear and precious to thy soul. This is an evidence of a good and honest heart: it delights in the good news of the word of grace, the faithful promises of a covenant God in Christ Jesus. 3d. Such bring forth fruit with patience; because they keep the word in their hearts, they go on patient in well-doing, and patient in suffering the will of God. Says David, "thy word have I hid in my heart." To what end? "That I might not sin against thee.".... Psalm cxix. 11. Says Paul, "the word of the truth of the gospel bringeth forth fruit in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth."....Col. i. 5, 6. That soul in whose heart the word of grace takes the deepest root, brings forth most fruit to God. O soul, wouldst thou be more holy and more, happy? Keep the word of God: study it: that directs thee to Christ, in whom all thy happiness centers, and from whom all thy holiness springs. VOL. II.

W