CHRI I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered we with the robe of righteousness. Isa. Ixi. 10. NHRIST has a garment of the finest work for every saint. It is this garment they must wear, no other one will do in the sight of GOD. Then, O my soul, put on this garment. It is one of unspotted whiteness; thou canst wear it by faith. In vain dost thou dress up and adorn thyself, before thou approachest CHRIST. To him thou must come, filthy, naked, and miserable as thou art; he will clothe and adorn thee himself; and in this ornament alone thou shalt rejoice. For the very best of our robes and performances are not without spots, but still want to be washed in the blood of CHRIST, and covered with this ornament. "These are they who come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Rev. vii. 14. This, and this alone, is the way to enjoy and maintain true peace. This will enable us to rejoice that our names are written in heaven. Awake, my heart,-arise, my tongue, Prepare a tuneful voice; Aloud will I rejoice. 'Tis he adorned my naked soul, And made salvation mine; Upon a poor polluted worm He makes his grace to shine. Let all thy powers agree. David's Confession.—I have sinned against the Lord. 2 SAM. xii. 13. Divine Answer.-The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 2 SAM. xii. 13. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. 1 Cor. xi. 31. HE that with unfeigned repentance accuses and judges himself, accounting his own righteousness and best doings as filthy rags, and seeks for mercy through JESUS, may expect to receive forgiveness of all his sins at once, though chastisement may follow; for pardons are not bestowed in parcels or various measures, as spiritual gifts are. GOD, through CHRIST, receives the whole person of a penitent sinner into his favour, forgiving both original and actual sins in one instant; so that either none or all are forgiven: but though repentance be needful to humble a sinner and to bring him to CHRIST, yet no sins are forgiven on account of this repentance, but through faith alone in the blood of CHRIST. This fountain washes away the guilt of all sins, though ever so numerous and heinous; for it is written, "The blood of CHRIST cleanseth from all sin." 1 John i. 7. Come, then, my soul, believe and be washed in this fountain. Show pity, LORD! O LORD, forgive! Are not thy mercies large and free? My lips with shame my sins confess, My crimes are great, but don't surpass Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, &c. EPH. iv. 18, 19. IF F a man be naturally dead, bring a candle into the room, he sees it not; let the sun shine in his face, he perceives not the beauty nor feels the warmth thereof; offer him rich presents, he receives them not; he hath no eye to see them, no heart to desire them, no hand to reach out unto them. Thus it is with one that is spiritually dead. Let the sunshine of the Gospel blaze out ever so clear, he sees it not, because he is in darkness; though he lived under plentiful means and dispensations, yet he is blind and sottish; offer unto him the rich pearls of the Gospel, those rich treasures of grace in CHRIST JESUS, yet he hath no heart to them, no nand of faith to lay hold upon them; so blind, so sottish, so stupid and senseless is he, that though these rich treasures, these graces, these pearls of the Gospel be conveyed unto him in earthen vessels, in a plain and familiar manner, yet he doth not, he cannot ap prehend them; judgments do not affright him, and mercies cannot allure or persuade him; yet this creature is all life in the element of sin; he loves it, he pleads for it, he commits it with greediness. This is St. Paul's account of the unconverted Gentiles; and how many such have we under a Christian name! O LORD, exert thy great power, quicken all that are thus dead in trespasses and "turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to thine own self." Amen. sins; A carnal soul is blind within, And has no want of JESUS' grace; And turns from GOD his haughty face. David's Declaration.-I wait for the Lord, my soul PSALM CXXX. 5. doth wait. Divine Answer. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, &c. Isa. xl. 31. For the Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him. LAM. iii. 25. IT is not enough to utter words which form a prayer, but these words must express the desires and wishes of our heart. Nor is this enough; prayer without expectation is no prayer at all. Unless we desire and eagerly look for the coming of what we have prayed for, how can it be called prayer? it will only be a solemn mocking of GOD. Therefore, when we have prayed, we must remember to wait also, and to look anxiously for the answer; for this is well pleasing to the LORD, and expressly commanded by him. The more we wait and keep instant in prayer, so much more will he give: nay, he always hears and grants our petitions directly, and lays them up for his children; but that we may not abuse them, he gives the enjoyment only when it is most needful; therefore we may confidently say, such and such gifts I shall have, since I have prayed for them: they are actually laid up for me; and the use and benefit thereof I shall reap in due season, especially in death and in eternity. My spirit looks to GOD alone, My rock and refuge is his throne; Trust him, ye saints! in all your ways, For sovereign power reigns not alone, In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my soul. PSALM Xciv. 19. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 COR. i. 3, 4. A CONTENTED man, without afflictions, is ready to place his trust and seek his comforts in temporal things. Earthly desires crowd upon him, filling his soul with vanity, and he cannot well taste the sweet comforts of God's word, but under the burden of the cross. Here we often enjoy more solid rest than if we were without a cross, and then that word is fulfilled which CHRIST says, Matt. xi. 30, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Thus our hearts are set against the world, reconciled to heavenly things, and easily separated from many idols which we could not resist nor forsake before. Well then may we bear these salutary burdens, which, when sanctified, will produce present comfort, and soon issue in eternal rest and glory. And since the LORD has promised to give strength sufficient for the day, that we may not be tempted above measure, there is abundant reason again to say that his burden is light indeed, and his yoke is truly easy. 'Tis good for me to wear the yoke, For pride is apt to rise and swell; Father, I bless thy gentle hand; How kind is thy chastising rod, |