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barren tree? Yea, that these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, shall work for thee an eternal weight of glory, far more excellent than can be con ceived? O God the Holy Ghost, I do believe it: I would not doubt of the truth of the promise in thy word, nor of the truth of thy grace in my heart. I therefore beseech thee, O thou Spirit Jehovah, to enable me to keep up communion with thee in all my trials, that I may bring forth those peaceable fruits of righteousness. Thou art the Giver of every grace. I acknowledge thee to be the Author of my spiritual life: I was dead in trespasses and sins, and thou hast quickened me. It is of thy mere gift that I have any faith, and that upon the trial it was found to be true faith: I bless thee for this grace, and humbly pray for the continuance and for the increase of it. Meet me in the use of all means, and enable me to grow in faith, rooted and grounded in Christ Jesus, that I may also grow in love to his Father and to my Father. O thou divine Revealer of his heavenly, love, shed it abroad more abundantly in my heart, that I may learn more resignation to his will, more subjection to his authority, and more submission to his rod. I acknowledge thee, O holy-making Spirit, to be the teacher of patience, and what I have learned was thy revelation. It was in thy strength that I was enabled to go on with any quietness bearing my cross. Thy grace made me willing, and nothing else can keep me willing, to have the flesh crucified with its affections and lusts. O God, put forth thine almighty power, and enable me to part with every thing which would hinder my fellowship with the Father and Son. I desire so to walk this day, as

to have growing fellowship with the Eternal Three, and I desire it through thine influence. O God the

Holy Ghost, carry on thy work. Exalt and purify my faith and patience, and every grace: if it be thy will to do this under the cross, O make me willing and able to bear it. Let every cross bring forth richer and riper fruit, until thou give me an exceeding great and eternal harvest of glory. I ask this in the name of Jesus, and I expect an answer of grace through the Father's love in him, to whom with thee, O blessed Spirit, three persons in one Godhead, be equal glory, worship, and praise, now and for ever. Amen.

cross.

Meditate, O my soul, with seriousness, upon this great subject. Study the Scripture account of the The knowledge of it enters into the very essence of the peace and comfort of thy walk. Thou canst not run away from the cross; thou canst not cast it off: remember, if thou wilt be Christ's disciple, thou must take it up daily, and follow him. If it be very heavy and very grievous, yet it will not hinder thee from following him. He carried the heaviest part for thee-he endured the curse and punishment due to thy sins-he left no wrath for thee to suffer. Blessed be his love, the cross has no curse in it now-thy sufferings are all sent from love and his love will help thee to bear them, and to profit by them: for he has promised to bless and sanctify them to his people. And he makes them a blessing indeed. Never, on this side of heaven, does he give them such near and happy communion with himself, as under the cross. O read, then, and study what is revealed in Scripture concerning it.

Go over it again and again. Learn well, and inwardly digest, the doctrine of the cross of Christ;

the necessity, the benefit, the blessings of it. MediEtate and feed upon the sweet promises relating to it: mix faith with them, that they may nourish and strengthen thee in time of need. But never forget, that thy cross, be it what it will, is appointed for thee in covenant love. It is the portion allotted thee by thy heavenly Father; decreed, in weight

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and measure, to an atom: thou shalt not bear it one moment longer than he has determined; and many precious fruits it shall produce. Thou wilt find suffering times growing times-growth in faith and patience, in mortification to sin, and in fellowship with the ever-blessed Trinity. The Author of thy faith puts it to the trial: it comes out of the lion's den unhurt; it comes out of the fiery furnace refined. God is glorified hereby, and thou art strengthened. He sends the cross to teach thee patience, and he continues it for the for the improvement of the same grace. by his chastening, to crucify the flesh,

exercise and

He intends, and to mor

tify thy members which are upon the earth. In love he takes away sensual, that he may give thee spiritual joys. He does not hate thee, but love guides every stroke of his chastening. He is only weakening thine attachment to earthly things, that he may increase thy communion with Father, Son, and Spirit. O what blessings are these! Meditate, 0 my soul, much and often upon them. Pray for the experience of them in time of need; and be assured, with all these helps, the cross will be exercised hard enough for thy patience. Thou canst

carry it only in the strength of almighty grace. May the Lord strengthen thee from day to day, to run the race set before thee, till thou win the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

CHAPTER X.

The believer, exercised with the inward Cross, learns to walk more humbly with his God.

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THE outward cross is not always a burden alike heavy. God gives his children a little respite. After they have been long tried, he sometimes removes their trouble, and gives them ease and outward prosperity. Their sun arises as it does in nature. After many cold and dark days, a fine season comesfiner for coming after them. The sky grows clear and serene, the air is soft and refreshing, the sun shines with warm and enlivening rays. Every thing looks pleasant, and smiles around you. the kingdom of grace. The believer may not be always in heaviness through manifold afflictions. He has his times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. He prospers, and is in health. The blessing of God is upon his substance. Every thing that he takes in hand succeeds. He is happy in his circumstances, and happy in his family. He sees the goodness of God in these mercies, and he is thankful. But if the heavenly Father sometimes indulge his children with the removal of the outward cross, yet he never does with the inward. They

carry it all their days, and a heavy burden it is. So long as they are in the body, while they are in this tabernacle, they do groan, being burdened: for

The INWARD CROSS is the fault and corruption of sinful nature, which doth remain in the regenerate, and is their continual grief and plague; because it is always opposing their holy and happy walk with God. It is called in Scripture,

The FLESH, the whole man being carnal and full of lusting against the Spirit:

The OLD MAN, being the first in us, before the new man is created by the Spirit of regeneration:

A BODY OF SIN, made up completely of members and appetites, in which there is not only an absence of all good, but also a propensity to all evil, insomuch that nothing can move or stir in this body but what is sinful:

The LAW OF SIN, because sin rules and governs the natural man ;

INDWELLING SIN, because it dwells in the whole man, both in soul and body:

CONCUPISCENCE, or LUST, which the apostle says, he should not have known to be sin, unless the law had said, Thou shalt not covet, or lust.

This fallen nature is also said to be corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, to be contrary to the Spirit, to rebel against the law of God, and not to be subject to it, neither indeed can be. This corruption of nature doth remain, according to our Re formers, Art. 9. "Yea, in them that are regenerated, whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek froneema sarkos, which some do expound, the wisdom; some, sensuality; some, the affection; some, the de

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