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for so perfecuted they the prophets which were before you."

Men of a perfecuting spirit fhould beware left they be found fighting against God. It is awful, not only to be regardless of the divine favour themfelves, but to take up arms against all those who are feeking to know their own perfonal intereft in it. Let fuch confider what the gracious Redeemer faid to Saul of Tarfus, "Saul, Saul, why perfe cuteft thou me? It is hard for thee to kick againft the goads." Our divine Master will take the part of his fervants, and vindicate their cause against all their opposers.

Lord, my wild paffions rage within,
Nor thy commands obey;

And flesh and fenfe, enflav'd by fin,
Draw my beft thoughts away.

Do thou create

my foul anew,

Conform my heart to thine,

Melt down my will, and let it flow,

And take the mould divine.

Seize my whole frame by thine own hand,
My pow'rs to thee I bring;

Manage the wheels by thy command,

And govern ev'ry spring.

СНАР.

CHAP X.

The Subject improved by Way of Conviction to the real Children of God.

HAVING, in the preceding chapter, addressed those who are in a ftate of unregeneracy, I shall now turn myself to fuch as have been called by divine grace, out of darknefs into the marvellous light of the gofpel. These are in a state of reconciliation and friendship with God; they have tafted that the Lord is gracious, and can bear witness, by their own experience, that a sense of the favour of God is a privilege which privilege which may be enjoyed. Yet, as they have within them the depravity of nature, and are prone to go aftray from the path of rectitude, it may be necessary to attempt fome improvement of the fubject by way of conviction to them. The word of God is profitable, not only for doctrine, but for reproof, for correction, and for inftruction in righteoufnefs.

It is poffible for you, my dear friends, to undervalue the privilege of friendship with your Maker. His favour certainly ought to be esteemed by you, at all times, above every thing else that can be thought of. You should have fuch a lively sense of

No. VIII. 2.

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its importance, as may constrain you to fay, on all occafions, "In his favour is life; his loving-kindness is better than life." But the objects of sense are so near you, and so apt to captivate attention, that you perhaps too frequently lose the sweet and comfortable fenfe of the love of God in Chrift Jefus our Lord.

Few of us, I fear, are fo affected with this fubject as we ought to be. We do not stir up ourfelves, as the prophet speaks, to lay hold on God, to claim intereft in him, as reconciled to us through . the death of his Son. We do not labour to quicken our dull and drowsy fouls, to aspire after an assured evidence of his favour, and an habitual sense of the greatnefs of this privilege. We are too indifferent about it, and can live day after day, at ease, without any peculiar manifestation of our Father's love. Moft certainly it ought to be otherwife. We fometimes fit down pleased and contented with the common bleffings of his hand, without aspiring after endeared communion, intimacy and fellowship with him who should be our all in all.

My dearly beloved, are the confolations of God fmall in your esteem? Have you but little regard for his tokens of favour? Is it a matter of indifference with you, whether he lift up the light of his countenance upon you or not? The great con

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cern of the Redeemer upon earth, the important bufinefs he had to accomplish by his agonies and his blood, was to reconcile you to God, that you might be brought into a state of friendship with him. This is the grand fubject of all the promifes of grace. The gofpel is the word of reconciliation. The office of the Holy Spirit is to make application of this to your hearts, and to give you the comfortable affurance of it. The Lord, of life and glory declares, that he waits to be gracious unto you. And is it poffible that you should be indifferent about it!

There is a day coming when an affured fense of the divine favour will be deemed of the greatest importance by you, and when your former indifference about it will occafion painful reflections. Be ashamed then of your present sluggishness.— Think within yourselves, how unaccountable it is, that the children of God fhould prize their Father's love no more. What can be of equal value with it? The full enjoyment of it conflitutes the felicity of that world to which all your wishes and hopes are, or should be directed. For in the prefence of Jehovah is fulness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures for evermore. If therefore you put not a proper value on it at present, it is too evident, that you are greatly defective as to your meetness

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for the inheritance of the faints in light. You want more fpirituality of mind, and heavenliness of temper.

There are others of God's children who frequently call in queftion their own intereft in his favour. They are greatly dispirited, discouraged, and dejected on this account. They have many fears, jealoufies, and mifgivings of heart about it. Like the Pfalmift in his gloomy hours of defpondency, they remember God, and are troubled; they complain, and their spirit is overwhelmed with grief. They are ready to fay, "I fear the Lord is not my God; I fear I have no intereft in his favour," They approach to his throne with fad and forrowful hearts, or are kept at a distance from him through fears of his difpleasure. And the more they think of their own finfulness and unworthiness, the more they are deterred from drawing nigh to him. Confcious guilt, and oppressive fears damp the fpirit of devotion. "My fins," fays fuch a one," hang heavy on my foul. I dare not lift up mine eyes to heaven. The juftice of the great Judge of all terrifies me, and his mercy, I fear, is far from me. My foul is shut up in darknefs, and my mind is filled with terror. I am afraid God will call my fins to remembrance, and instead of enjoying the light of his countenance, I have

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