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My mind has been much exercised by these questions:

1. I ask myself, Do you evidently perceive the danger of your former course, that, had you been left to yourself, it would have ended in your ruin? 2. Do you experience yourself unable to help yourself, by reason of the unworthiness ef everything you are and do ? 3. Do you find Christ able to help you, by his merits and righteousness, and willing to do so; and withal are you desiring to be found in Him? 4. Do you find that you go entirely out of yourself to Christ for pardon and acceptance with God; and are you doing this with a plainly-perceived disposition to be, do, and suffer for Him, whatever He will and shall enable you? This is the direct act of justifying faith. 5. Do you look for the fruits of it, peace of conscience, love of God, communion with Him, victory over indwelling sin when it stirs against you, particularly your master corruptions? 6. Hath experience taught you that the life you now live is by the faith of the Son of God, so that you are going out to Him for His righteousness, direction, and strength, and find Him made to you wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption?

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Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say, rejoice."

I have not enjoyed God to-day, and how can I rejoice? O Lord, grant that I may walk by faith, and not by sight; that I may have something more solid to rest on than fleeting frames. Oh, direct my soul to the true and proper object of its joys, even the Lord Himself, so that I may rest in Him, and not in my own doings; not in what I enjoy from Him, but what I am in Him; for all things are possible to them that believe. I see myself to be in myself a lost, perishing sinner. I see Christ to be a full, free,

mighty Saviour. And is it not the command of God that I should believe on Him whom He hath sent? "Verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life." Oh, my soul, look to Christ for all, and trust not to thy works. "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation." There are many sorts of temptations we are exposed to; so that we have always need of great watchfulness. It is no sin to be tempted, if we are enabled to resist the devil, and flee from his snares.

"Is not the Lord your God with you, and hath He not given you rest on every side ?"

Oh, my soul, consider these things-"Is not the Lord your God?" Oh, delightful text! Yes, this God is my God, and this is the God of salvation-me, a poor sinner, say the chief of sinners, who cannot think a good thought, nor speak a good word, for in my flesh dwelleth no good thing-yet this God is my God. Oh, wondrous grace! And what is still more, He is with me, and will never leave me, nor forsake me. Oh, for faith! Grant that I may love Thee, because Thou didst first love me. And hath not the Lord

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given me rest on every side?" Oh, which way can I look where He hath not given me rest! I have been blest with health and strength, and every blessing in this world, and what is still more, with the blessings of the Gospel. "The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places, and I have a goodly heritage ;" so that I can say that whatever happens to me, it will be sure to work for my good, either in this world or the next.

September, 1830. Heard a good sermon from these words, "Gather together in one the children of God that are scattered abroad." My heart followed step by step, so that I trust I know something what it is to be gathered to Christ. And in the afternoon the preacher exactly described the plague of my own

heart, and enjoined, as a scriptural remedy, looking unto Jesus with an eye of faith at all times-in trouble and in peace, in life and death, to receive out of His fulness grace for grace.

Oh, what a mercy to have a throne of grace to go to! This day in great trouble, through fear; the nation perplexed-all seems up in arms-expecting every moment a mob at our house. I received comfort from these words, "The Lord reigneth." I returned to pour out my soul in prayer, and found this promise true: "Call on me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee." "Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." I found indeed an open door in these words: "Come, my pecple, enter into thy chamber; hide thyself for a little moment, till the calamity be overpast." My fear then vanished at

once.

Heard a good sermon from these words: "That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves: they shall feed in the way, and their pastures shall be in all high places." Oh, that I may be enabled to go forth in the ways of the Lord, and show myself decidedly on the Lord's side; and go without the camp, bearing His reproach, testifying that I seek a city whose builder and maker is God. Oh, the sweetness of this promise: "They shall feed in the ways." God, grant that I may, when at Thy house, sitting under Thy shadow with great delight, and finding Thy fruit sweet to my taste that I may receive a double portion of meat on the Sabbath; that I may feed at a throne of grace, and enter within the vail, and eat of the hidden manna, and feed in Thy word, and see and taste that the Lord is good, and have His lovingkindness always before mine eyes.

I who need be ashamed of nothing but sin-I, a

vile worm of the earth, am ashamed to profess Jesus before men, when He commands; I draw back. And yet I trust the Lord has enlightened my eyes to see the need I have of Jesus as my Saviour, so that I feel ready to reach out my hand, and receive Him as my all and in all; and am ready to say sometimes, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" and "What shall I render to the Lord for all His mercies to me ?" But instead of obeying Him in His ordinances, I draw back. O Lord, grant me courage to confess Thee before men; then wilt Thou confess me before Thy Father which is in heaven. I fear I have a greater desire to come to the Lord by night, like Nicodemus, than to confess Him before men. I have laid the case before the Lord, and can get no answer but this: “And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved." I am not added to the open Church. O Lord, save and help me, even me, a vile worm of the earth.

Thursday. I have been looking over the Ten Commandments, as I generally do once a week; not that I expect to fulfil them, but that the sight of my law-breaches may make me more humble, and may act as a schoolmaster to bring me to Christ. I see much to deplore-much of my sinfulness and unworthiness; but I trust the more I see this, the more I desire to come afresh to Christ, where alone true worthiness is to be found.

(To be continued.)

He who would avoid sin must not stand at the door of temptation.

Any lawful employment is better than idleness, for Satan tempts the occupied man, but the unoccupied man tempts Satan.

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THE LITTLE ORPHAN.

ОH, my kitty-save my kitty!" cried a little girl in the crowded streets of the city, where carriages were passing rapidly by. "Please, sir, save my kitty! An old gentleman, in a drab coat and broad-brimmed hat, had stopped as he heard the little girl's cry, and asked, "Pray, little child, where is thy cat?" "There, sir, just there, under that waggon. Oh, dear! Please, sir, don't hurt pussy; " and she started to run under the cart where pussy was eating

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