Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.... John xx. 20.

"TRULY the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the sun."....Eccles. xi. 7. But, O how much more sweet and pleasant to see the light and behold the glory of THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS! This inspires the heart with gladness. These disciples had lost their dear Lord and mourned in darkness for his absence: tongue cannot tell their inexpressible joy at seeing him again: their sight was by the eye of sense, ours is by the eye of faith; yet our sight is not less real than theirs, and it brings the same gladness to our hearts also; therefore it is highly prized by us, for we can neither live comfortably, walk holily, nor die happily, without seeing the Lord Christ. For, 1st. A sight of Christ by faith, brings peace to the conscience. There is ever a war within, between the flesh and the Spirit, grace and nature, the old man and the new. The motions of sin in our members are ever warring against the law of holiness in our minds. Wicked nature is like the troubled sea, which cannot rest; it is continually casting up mire and dirt but the winds and seas of corrupt nature obey Christ; he says, peace, be still, and there is a great calm in the soul; for Christ is our peace, he hath made our peace with God by his blood, he makes and keeps peace in our souls by his presence: our stubborn lusts will fight and reign, if Christ be absent from our hearts. Therefore we cannot but be glad when we see the Lord. 2d. The sight of Christ quells our doubts, and dispels our fears. Our poor hearts, seeing sin and all manner of evil dwelling in us, are ready to fear and doubt whether we are the children of God, or not. But, O when we see Christ by faith, our consciences are satisfied: our minds are divinely assured, that Christ hath redeemed us to God by his blood for we cry out, this is our beloved and our friend, in whom we have redemption, even the forgiveness of our sins. We believe and are sure he is the Christ of God, the Saviour of sinners. 3d. The sight of Christ gives victory over death, opens the kingdom of heaven to our view, and gives us to see a smiling God and Father, ready to receive and embrace us. O most joyful sight! If so, O christian, beware, beware of gratifying your sight with any vain, sinful and carnal pleasures. These will draw away your sight and take off the attention of your minds from looking unto Jesus, and prevent your gladness of heart, and joy of soul in and from him; "Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity."....Psalm cxix. 37.

A sight of thee, my Saviour dear,

Makes glad my mournful heart,

Repeat thy visits o'er and o'er,
While in this vale I dwell,

Expels my doubts, brings heaven near, That I may view thee ev'ry hour,

And sensual joys depart.

Who sav'd my soul from hell. M.

I know that in me, (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing....Rom. vii. 18.

THIS is the knowledge which puffeth not up; but like love it edifieth the soul in deep humility, while it excites overflowing gratitude in the heart to Christ for his righteousness to justify such vile sinners: it is the knowledge of regenerate souls. I KNOW; not only doctrinally, in notion and theory, but it is a confirmed truth, by heart-felt experience; I know it from day to day; I have proved it again and again; I am as fully assured of it as I am of my own existence, "that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing." Paul's judgment of himself was confirmed by experience. But, was not Paul a most eminent apostle and holy saint? Yes: still he confesses publicly before God, angels and men, that he was the subject of a nature which is earthly, sensual and devilish. If no good thing dwelt in his flesh, is it not implied that every evil dwelt there? Doubtless, he would be so understood. Were evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, blasphemies, &c. in the flesh of this holy saint? Yes, his knowledge of the total corruption of his fallen nature agrees with his Lord's doctrine....Matt. xv. 19. He had been a murderer and blasphemer by practice then he was in a state of ignorance and unbelief; but now he was regenerated, his state changed, and his practice altered, therefore, surely his flesh could not be so bad. Yes, it was just the same: the flesh, the old man, the corrupt fallen nature is and ever will be the same in the regenerate: "It ever lusts against the Spirit."....Gal. v. 17. Why is this woeful experience of Paul's left upon record? For our profit. 1st. That we might judge and try ours by it. If we are taught by the same Spirit, we shall have the same humbling views of our flesh. Our flesh is not worse than Paul's, nor was his one whit better than ours. If we are left in nature's pride, we shall join the ignorant cry of those who " all say, who are convinced of sin, greatly undervalue themselves." 2d. Not to be cast down with despondency nor give way to despairing thoughts, though we find every evil and nothing but evil in our flesh; for this cures us of all confidence in the flesh; this we are prone to; but this opposes the faith of the gospel. 3d. Look out and go entirely out of yourself: look wholly to and trust entirely in the Lord Jesus and his righteousness, that though you have no confidence in the flesh you may ever rejoice in him: this is the character and conduct of true believers....Phil. iii. 3. 4th. Adore the holy Spirit, who when you had no goodness to deserve it, no meetness to qualify for it, but all in you to oppose it, gave you a new birth into Christ in whom you have every spiritual good. Therefore, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."....Gal. v. 16. VOL. II. LI

If Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness....Rom. viii. 10.

PAUL was an experimental teacher: he applies himself to the heart; he appeals to the conscience; he aims to quicken and animate the soul and to draw out the affections to Christ, from what it had inwardly experienced of the grace of Christ. O christians, let this be your study when you meet and talk together: yea, often do as David did; converse freely with your own soul. IF CHRIST BE IN YOU; that is, dwells in your heart by faith; if you have an inward approbation of him, delight in him, and love to him in your heart; if you, believe in him as the Son of God, anointed by the Holy Ghost to be the only Redeemer, justifier, and Saviour of perishing sinners....what then? I will tell you, says Paul, what will be the experience of your heart. 1st. "The body is dead because of sin." You will find and groan under the weight of a dead body, when in your most solemn duties; yea, and in your best frames too, you will find its deadness and feel its pressure: so that, as one says, a christian is often weary IN, though never weary or serving God. Because of sin the body is dead to all spiritual delights: it has no relish but for carnal joys and earthly pleasures: it is under the sentence of the law to death because of sin. No good thing dwells in the flesh expect none from it: be content to leave it dead to spiritual purposes, as you found it: don't gratify but mortify it: be not discouraged under this irksome sense and feeling. Rejoice: it is from experience, 2d. That," the Spirit is life because of righteousness." Sin, and the loss of righteousness brought death upon body and soul: a sinless man, with perfect righteousness, restores life to the soul. Some talk of their own righteousness and the work of the Spirit upon the scul, and yet deny the obedience and righteousness of Christ's life FOR US: this is contrary to the faith of the gospel. We find our souls alive to God, we own it is by the Spirit of God, because of the righteousness of the Son of God: therefore we live by his righteousness, live upon him, and live to him, who wrought it out for us: this is the life of the soul, the life of faith. O what a special mercy for the soul to be alive to God! O what joy, under a sense of all deadness, dejection, short comings, imperfections, &c. to have the perfectly glorious righteousness of Christ to plead before God! For though we are not righteous in ourselves, yet, "Christ of God is made unto us righteousness."....1 Cor. i. 30.

What tho' we find the body dead,

Under the curse of law:
We're righteous in our living head,
From hence we comforts draw.

Christ in us lives by precious faith,

The life of ev'ry grace:

We feast with joy on what he saith,
We soon shall see his face.

M.

We are perplexed, but not in despair....2 Cor. iv. 8.

God's dear children have not all the same clear judgment of truth; they are not all of one mind and the same sentiment in all points: yet they all have one Lord, one faith, and one hope; and, there is a uniformity in their experience, in regard to the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the depravity of their nature, their perplexities from the world, the flesh, and the devil, their love of the scriptures, and the exceeding preciousness of Christ: this proves that they are taught by one and the same Spirit. We have perplexities of a spiritual nature, beside those in common with others, which natural men are utter strangers to: these are no weak evidences of our spiritual birth. To be perplexed with a body of sin and death, with a sense of unbelief, with deadness, formality, wanderings in spiritual duties, with satan's temptations, injections, accusations, corrupt reasonings, and carnal pleadings; the feeling all these makes it manifest, that the soul is born of God and alive to God; for when dead in sin we felt nothing of them. How exceeding absurd and foolish then do many act? Because thus perplexed, O they are ready to give up hope, cast away confidence, and deny they are God's children; but their sense of these things, and groaning under them, are evident tokens of salvation: "Perplexed, but not in despair :" O take heed of giving the least way to despair: of desponding: of letting go your confidence in Christ: of giving up for one moment, the least degree of hope in Christ. For, consider the evil of this. 1st. You hereby slight the everlasting love of God the Father to sinners. 2d. You dishonor the work and salvation of the Son of God for sinners. 3d. You grieve the holy Spirit, the COMFORTER of sinners. 4th. You disregard the gospel of grace, glad tidings to sinners; and set at nought all God's precious promises in Christ unto sinners, 5th. You give the enemy all possible advantage over you. He stands and cries, "There, there, so would I have it." 6th. You give sin all its strength against you. 7th. You perplex, distress, and darken your own soul, whereby you are hindred from running the way of God's commands with love and delight. A thousand evils are connected with indulging despondence: away then with all false humility; it is devilish. Hold fast this faithful saying, for it is worthy of all acceptation, at all times, under all circumstances, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners.".... 1 Tim. i. 15. Till the devil can blot that truth out of God's word, or make you any thing worse than a sinner; you, as a quickened sinner have the same reason as Paul, or any other apostle, to say, "I AM ALWAYS CONFIDENT."....2 Cor. v. 6.

I am like a green fir-tree: from me is thy fruit found.... Hos. xiv. 8.

ness.

HERE is a sweet dialogue, between the Lord and Ephraim, which signifies growing. The Lord had just before said, "I will be as dew unto my people." See the effects of this grace. Ephraim says, "What have I to do any more with idols?" Now I find my Lord, and my love in my heart, get hence ye cursed idols, my vile lusts; and that vain idol, the work of my hands, my own righteousI abhor the former: I trample on the latter: I bemoan my folly in taking up with them so long. The Lord graciously answers, "I have heard him :" his moans and complaints : "and observed. him," with complacency and delight returning to me. O ever gracious, long-suffering, loving friend of sinners! "I am like a green fir-tree." Who says this? Commentators say, Christ: but I would rather humbly presume, than boldly assert, that they are the words of the believer; for thus the dialogue is kept up. Naturalists say, the fir-tree is of itself unfruitful. If so, we may suppose the believer saying to his Lord, I find my soul is alive; I do grow; I am a tree of righteousness of thy planting, that thou mayest be glorified. ....Isa. Ixi. 3. But, "I am like a green fir-tree." I bear leaves; I can bring forth no fruit of myself; I long to be fruitful to your glory. To which Christ replies, "FROM ME is thy fruit found." O, we can never be too often reminded of this! For it beats down pride: it keeps us humble before, dependant on, and grateful to our dear Lord. 1st. Christ hath brought forth all rich fruit To us, to comfort us: adoption to enoble us : righteousness to justify us: blood to cleanse us: holiness to sanctify us: and heaven to glorify us. 2d. All the graces of the Spirit IN us: faith to come to and abide in him? love to delight our souls in him: hope to expect all 3d. All our fruits of righteousness are from him. to him we bring forth fruit unto God....Rom. vii. 4. of righteousness are by Jesus Christ, to the glory of God....Phil. i. 11. O then it shall be our chief, our constant concern, to keep our faith in lively exercise upon Christ, that we may have a clear sight of our union to him and a happy sense of communion with him. Out of his fulness we receive all supply. Remember this criterion of thy Lord's: O that it may quicken our diligence, influence our conduct, and animate our zeal in the ways of holiness: "BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM."....Matt. vii. 20.

All my salvation is in Christ;
From him are all my fruits:

All other notions I resist:
This barren nature suits.

from him, &c. Being married All our fruits