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False joy, like the "crackling of thorns," he may find; but still there is some "fly in the ointment," "some death in the pot," "some madness in the laughter," which in the midst of all, damps and surpriseth the soul with horror and sadness: there are still some secret suggestions and whisperings of a guilty conscience, that through all this Jordan of pleasure, a man swims down apace into a Dead sea; that all his delights do but carry him the faster unto a final judgment. True joy, saith a heathen man, is not a perfunctory, a floating thing; it is serious and massy, it sinks to the centre of the heart. As in nature, the heavens we know are always calm, serene, uniform, undisturbed, they are the clouds and lower regions that thunder and bluster. The sun and stars raise up no fogs so high, as that they may imprint any real blot upon the beauty of those purer bodies, or disquiet their constant and regular motions: but, in the lower regions, by reason of their nearness to the earth, they frequently raise up such meteors, as often break forth into thunders and tempests. So the more heavenly the mind is, the more untainted doth it keep itself from the corruptions and temptations of worldly things; the more quiet and composed is it in all estates: but in minds merely sensual, the hotter God's favors shine, and the faster his rain falls upon them, the more fogs are raised, the higher thorns grow up, the more darkness and distractions do shake the soul of such a man. As fire under water, the hotter it burns, the sooner it is extinguished by the overrunning of the water; so earthly things raise up such tumultuary and disquiet thoughts in the minds of men, as do, at last, quite extinguish all the heat and comfort which was expected from them.

"Poor silly soul, whose hope and head lies low:
Whose flat delights on earth do creep and grow:
To whom the stars shine not so fair, as eyes;
Nor solid work, as false embroideries;
Hark and beware, lest what you now do measure,
And write for sweet, prove a most sour displeasure.
O hear betimes, lest thy relenting

May come too late!

To purchase heaven for repenting
Is no hard rate.

If souls be made of earthly mould,
Let them love gold;

If born on high,

Let them unto their kindred fly:

For they can never be at rest,

Till they regain their ancient nest.
Then silly soul take heed; for earthly joy
Is but a bubble, and makes thee a boy.

MARCH 18.

Herbert.

AUGUSTINE.

And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.-John ii. 17.

Or this saying the disciples were reminded, because with zeal of the house of God did the Lord cast those who made his Father's house an house of merchandise out of the temple. Brethren, let each and every Christian among the members of Christ be even eaten with zeal of the house of God. Who is eaten with zeal of the house of God? He who, when happily he sees aught wrong here, does his best that all may be set right, wishes it to be mended, doth not sit still and do nothing: who, if he can not mend it, endures it, mourns. In the threshing, the grain is not shaken out from the floor; it still puts up with the chaff; that it may enter into the barn when the chaff is separated. If thou be grain, then, be not thou shaken out from the floor, ere it be time for the barn; lest thou be picked up by the birds, or ever thou be gathered into the barn. For the birds of heaven, the powers of the air, are on the watch to snatch somewhat from the floor, and they snatch not save what is thence shaken out. Then let the zeal of the house of God even eat thee: every Christian, let the zeal of the house of God even eat him, in the which house of God he is a member. Surely, thine own house is not more worth than the house in which thou hast salvation everlasting. Into thine own house thou enterest for temporal rest; into the house of God thou enterest for rest everlasting. If then for thine own house thou doest thy best, that nothing wrong be done therein; in the house of God, where salvation is put before thee and rest without end, is it fit thou suffer, in so far as thou canst help it, if happily thou see aught wrong? For example; seest thou a brother running to the theatre? stop him, warn him, be grieved for him, if the zeal of God's house hath even eaten thee. Seest thou others running and wanting to drink themselves drunk, yea, wanting to do in holy places this which in no place is decent to

be done? Stop whom thou canst, hold whom thou canst, frighten whom thou canst; whom thou canst win by gentleness; do not, in any wise, sit still and do nothing. Is it a friend? let him be admonished mildly. A wife is it? let her be right severely bridled. A handmaid is it? let her be kept in even with stripes. Do whatever thou canst, according to the relation thou bearest, so shalt thou make good the saying, The zeal of thine house hath even eaten me. But if thou be cold, spiritless, having an eye to thyself alone, as thinking thou hast enough to do for thyself, and saying in thine heart, "What have I to look after other people's sins? I have enough to do with mine own soul; let me keep that entire unto God: "-Ha! does it come into thy mind to bethink thee of that servant who hid his talent, and would not lay it out? Was he accused for losing? not for keeping without gain? So hear ye then, my brethren, that ye be not quiescent. I am about to give you counsel: may he give it, who is within; for though through me he give, it is he that giveth. Ye know what ye are to do each one of you in his own house, with friend, with inmate, with his client, with greater, with smaller : as God giveth access, as he openeth a door for his word, give yourselves no rest, but win for Christ, because ye were won by Christ.

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Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.-Col. i. 11.

THIS is the last part of the apostle's prayer for the Colossians, and has especial respect to the enduring of the cross. And there are three things to be noted in it: 1. The good itself which is sought, strengthening: being strengthened with all might. 2. Whence this good is expected and obtained: from the glorious power of God. 3. To what end this good of being strengthened subserves unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness.

I. The good itself which is sought, strengthening: strengthened with all might.

This strengthening fortifies the mind as well to endure as to abstain; for it impresses that fortitude on the mind "which,” as Prosper says, "not only being beaten by divers troubles remains

unshaken, but also yields, through being enfeebled, to no allurements of pleasure." It is most properly, therefore, the business of this strengthening to invest a man with that spiritual power, by which he may act virtuously and live religiously, notwithstanding those difficulties and dangers which restrain from godliness.

The school doctors affirm somewhat more explicitly that this might exercises its energies in five things: 1. In attempting good works, however arduous. 2. In striving against vices. 3. In despising earthly things. 4. In resisting temptations. 5. In enduring afflictions. And here it is proper to observe the order of the apostle's prayer. He entreated for them, in the first place, an infused knowledge of the divine will; secondly, fruitfulness in works of holiness: now, lastly, he desires for them might, from some special strengthening, because the cross awaits all those who will live godly in Christ Jesus.

Observe: Even after a knowledge of the truth is infused, and the grace of holiness imparted, yet the regenerate remain infirm and weak to undertake any spiritual good, to strive against vices, to resist temptations; unless they are further strengthened and sustained. This was manifested in David and Peter, who, by reason of this infirmity of our nature, fell in the day of temptation.

This infirmity of the regenerate and sanctified man, Parisiensis illustrates by some beautiful similitudes in his book of Temptations, and the means of resisting them; of which it will not be foreign to our undertaking to adduce a few, that it may be understood what wisdom the apostle evinced in desiring strengthening also for them after sanctification. 1. He compares "the regenerate and sanctified man to a knight splendidly armed, who proceeds to battle mounted upon a refractory and prancing horse: for he is often thrown by the movements of his steed, unless some other person come to his assistance: so the regenerate man, having in himself a concupiscence resisting and fighting against the Spirit, will ofttimes be thrown to the earth, unless he be supported and strengthened from another quarter." 2. He compares "the regenerate and godly man to a building, the upper part of which consists of firm and solid materials, the lower is dry and combustible: for so the renewed man, as to his regenerated part, viz., his spirit, consists as it were of endow

ments and graces that are divine, which possess in themselves stability; but as to his inferior part, viz., the flesh, he consists of lust and evil inclinations: as therefore that building, so the renewed man, being easily inflamed in the inferior part, will be wholly destroyed, unless he be protected and succored from some other quarter."

You see the necessity of strengthening on account of the infirmity of the flesh. But why does the apostle say, strengthened with ALL might?

First, to intimate that we fight not against one enemy, neither are opposed by weapons on one side only, but by many, and on every side. There are three chief adversaries, the flesh, the world, the devil; under each of which, as leaders, there are innumerable bands of troops. Secondly, to signify that it profits us little, if we conquer any one or some of these enemies, unless we bravely tread them all under our feet. For as Cyprian speaks, "if avarice be overthrown, lust rises; if lust be subdued, ambition succeeds; if ambition is spurned, wrath incenses, pride inflates." Unless we overcome these enemies, one and all, we are conquered. There is, therefore, need of all might against every kind of enemy.

"Thus strong in his Redeemer's strength,

Sin, death, and hell he tramples down;
Fights the good fight, and wins at length,
Through mercy, an immortal crown."

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And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.-John i. 14.

HAVING declared that they who received him were born of God, and had become sons of God, he adds the cause and reason of this unspeakable honor. It is that the Word became flesh, that the Master took on him the form of a servant. For he became Son of man who was God's own Son, in order that he might make the sons of men to be children of God. For the high when it associates with the low touches not at all its own honor, while it raises up the other from its excessive lowness; and even thus was it with the Lord. He in nothing diminished his own nature by his condescension, but raised us, who had always sat in dis

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