and pleasures, but thou hast redeemed it from the guilty ser vice. It shall serve no more: every sense, every member, let it be an instrument of righteousness unto God. My spirit is thine; its passions, its vile affections, shall reign no more; let purity be written on my inmost soul, and my thoughts be brought into obedience to thee, O CHRIST. Yet, Lord, after all, what glory can redound to thee from such worthless services as mine? that thou condescendest to accept them, brings me in more thy debtor still. Well, Lord, I am more than content, I am happy thus to be and increasing thereby my obligations; glorify thyself in me in mercy, till thou glorify me with thyself in the kingdom of thy glory.

rendering myself to thee,

MEDITATION XII.

TITUS ii. 10.

That they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

་

GOD is my Saviour; that he is GoD is my com

fort, for now I know his all-sufficiency of power and love, able to save to the uttermost, and rich in mercy to all that call upon him. I am called to adorn that doctrine which bringeth salvation, and teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world; and it is my serious purpose and desire to do so. My character in the world will call for my first regard, to walk in wisdom towards those who are without; to shew an unblameableness of conversation, that they who are of a contrary part may have no evil thing justly to say of me. I will labour to shew all good fidelity in my dealings, to pay a conscientious regard to truth in my words, to provide things honest in the sight of all men, to be industrious in m calling, to owe no man any thing, to abstain from the appearances of evil, lest I make my brother to offend. My behaviour in my family, may it be ever such

as becometh godliness; I would go in and out before them as an example unto the believers. I would watch particularly against self-will and anger: I would always speak at my meals something which should be for the use of edifying. I would be constant in prayer with them day and night, that the blessing of GOD may be in the midst of us. I would watch over all around me with a jealous eye, and above all, over myself, that I lay no stumbling-block in their way; I would instruct them to the best of my abilities in the knowledge of the Redeemer of sinners, and seek that I and my house might serve the Lord. In my particular transactions with GOD in secret, I will endeavour to lay bare my heart before him; I will take his holy word; I will ask for his illuminating Spirit; I will examine mine own self; no bosom sin, I trust, shall find a hiding-place: my burdens of sin and sorrow will I lay at the feet of my Lord. I will plead with him his promises, and leave my case in my great Advocate's hand. In this way the desire of my soul will be answered, and my Redeemer honoured. Lord, adorn me with thy Spirit, that I may thus adorn thy gospel.

MEDITATION XIII.

HEBREWS vii. 25.

He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him.

SALVATION is my great concern; I am the creature of a day; my body is of the dust, and returning to the dust again; I am in jeopardy every hour. Here I have no abiding city; as a tenant at will I may be dismissed at a minute's warning; but I have an immortal soul, a soul that must be happy or miserable to eternity; a soul that must join angels in glory, or fiends in darkness. How weighty then is the concern of salvation? and how important each moment that shortens the span allotted me below!

When I look within myself, how far from salvation doth my state appear? A sinner i, vile and abominable; in nature

S

at enmity with GOD, in practice a transgressor times beyond, number; under guilt which I cannot remove, under corrup→ tion I cannot subdue, under wrath I cannot avert, and such. wrath as is for ever wrath to come.

When I look to GOD, what can I expect? holy in his na→ ture, and therefore infinitely removed from sin; just, and there fore bound to punish it; unchangeable, and therefore punishing eternally; omnipotent, there can be no resistance; omniscient, and therefore no escape from his notice.

Who shall deliver me? Behold me, saith the Saviour, I am he that bringeth salvation, salvation to the uttermost ; mighty to save; atoning blood shall sprinkle the throne of jus-> tice, eternal wisdom shall guide thy steps, and almighty power strengthen thee. My salvation is near, I bring it to thee in my word, I seal it to thee with my blood, and will accomplish it in thee by my Spirit for ever. Do so, Lord: if thou wilt save, none can destroy.

MEDITATION XIV..

EPHESIANS ii. 5.

By grace ye are saved.

TRUE, Lord, or such a wretch as I must des

pair; impotent and helpless to every thing which is good, and prone to every thing which is evil, what must become of me if salvation was not tree; it is of thy eternal purpose and grace that there is any hope for sinners; it is of thy grace that I am called out of darkness into thy marvellous light; it is of rich grace, that when I was dead in sin I was quickened together with CHRIST; it is by grace alone I stand whatever attainments I reach unto, still it is by the grace of GoD I am what I am; without this grace I am nothing, have nothing, can do nothing, but sin. And in eternity, as well as time, the grace

of my God will alone be exalted, when the top-stone of the spiritual building is laid, it shall be with shouting, crying, Grace, grace, unto it. When eternal life is adjudged me in the last day, it will be the gift of GOD in JESUS CHRIST; and through 'eternity this will be the theme of all the saved by grace, Thou, Lord, alone, art worthy to receive blessing, and glory, and honour. If it be of grace then it is no more of works; why is my foolish heart then continually going about to rob GoD of the glo ry of his grace? it is of my pride and unbelief; my unbelief that staggers at the promise, and will not suffer me to think GOD can be glorified more in the exercise of sovereign grace in the Redeemer, than in the execution of deserved vengeance on me a sinner. My pride, that fain would sacrifice to its own drag, by offering something of my own to plead for my accep tance. Lord, give me clearer views of the riches of thy grace, that my unbelief may be confounded; and deeper discoveries of the utter wretchedness of all I am and do, that my pride may be abased: and thus may I thankfully embrace this free salvation, and be content to be saved from first to last as a sinner.

MEDITATION XV.

1 PETER iii. 22.

Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto

him.

WHAT a glorious contrast are my Saviour's

sufferings and exaltation! he suffered, it became him. The cross was ignominious, but the crown he hath received exceeds in glory. He was crucified in weakness, but now all power is delivered to him in heaven and in earth. The scourges ploughed up long furrows on his back, his face was disfigured with buffetings, his head pierced with thorns; but now he shineth as the sun going forth in his strength, glorious in holiness. Tho soldiers mocked, and nailed him to the tree; but angels now bow down, and hail him over all God blessed for ever. He

bowed his head and died for sin once, now death is swallowed up in victory; the mount of Calvary is exchanged for the mount of GOD; the reed for the sceptre of the universal kingdom; and the iron nails for that rod of dominion which shall bruise his enemies to pieces, as the vessels of a potter are broken. What cause then have I to rejoice in my King, so great and glorious in himself, and exalted on my behalf, to reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet; if he take my cause in hand, who shall be able to harm me? what are fiends of hell, or men on earth, that I should fear them? Be strong, then, my soul, in the Lord, and in the power of his might; he will make thee more than conqueror on earth, till he shall take thee to reign with himself in heaven.

THE following texts, as they stand ranged under different heads, will afford abundant matter of Meditation; and as the Bible will be the best companion to the Altar, I would wish you ever to take it with you, and employ your leisure moments then, and indeed always, chiefly in considering its great and glorious truths, and meditating thereon.

HEADS OF MEDITATION.,

I. Love of God.

Romans v. 8. John iii. 16. Eph. ii. 4. 1 John iii. 1. Rev. i. 5, 6. Titus iii. 4. 2 Cor. v. 14.

Isaiah i. 18. Psalm ciii. 8. Neh. ix. 17. Isaiah xliii. 25. Isaiah xliv. 22. Micah vii. 7. 1 John ii. 1. Luke vii. 47. Psalm cxxx. 4.