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may get into a legal spirit-his evidences may be clouded when outward things and providences seem to make against him, his faith may be sore tried, and he may stagger at the promises of God through some fit of unbelief-the man changeth, but God changeth

not.

The

His mercies are sure mercies. They cannot fail; for they'spring from the ocean of grace, and are streams which no created power can cut off: but they shall infallibly return to it again, and shall bring with them all the happy objects of his love. Father chose them, and gave them to his Son, who has all their names written in the Lamb's book of life for them he lived and died; and when he presents them at the last day to the Father-" Behold I, and the children whom thou hast given me,"-not one of them shall be wanting; for the Holy Spirit is by his office the Lord and Giver of life to them, and in the day of his power he enables them to receive Jesus, and to live by faith upon him, as members united to, and in fellowship with, their glorified Head. This covenant of the blessed Trinity is unalterable, being ordered in all things and sure. All the subjects of its grace shall infallibly be saved, according to our Lord's promise, and according to our Lord's prayer; namely, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." Trusting to these immutable securities, the heirs of promise are commanded to draw strong consolation, even to rejoice in Jesus with a fulness of joy; in darkness as well as walking in light-in winter as well as in summer-in adversity as well as in prosperity-in

death as well as in life; because he has all power in heaven and earth to make good to them every covenant engagement. And he will do it: for the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and shall come to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away for ever.

O thou most blessed God and Saviour! thou art the Lord our righteousness and our strength. I believe that the whole Israel of God shall be justified only by thee, and in thee only shall they glory. O let thy Spirit abide with me, to increase in me this faith, that, by fresh supplies of his grace, I may be kept from going about to establish my own righteousness, and may constantly submit myself to the righteousness of God. And, by the same grace, help me to bring forth the fruits of righteousness abundantly unto the glory and praise of God, magnifying thine atonement in the peace of my conscience, exalting thy righteousness in the love of my heart, and in my walk and warfare glorifying thy fulness; so that out of it I may be receiving a sufficiency of grace, by which I am now enabled to bless thee for the hope of glory. To thee, almighty Jesus, for the work of righteousness, which is peace, and for the effect of righteousness, which is quietness and assurance for ever to thee be everlasting praise. Amen, and

amen.

CHAPTER IV.

The Believer's Triumph in Jesus under a sense of the defilement of Sin.

It is in virtue of this fellowship with Jesus, that believers are freely forgiven all their iniquities. His atonement was the work of our great High Priest, who was made sin for us, although he knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. God is of purer eyes than to look upon the least iniquity; and there is a defilement in sin, which makes it exceedingly filthy and abominable in his sight. He showed his utter abhorrence of it, by establishing in the Old Testament such an abundance of legal pollutions, as might exhibit to sense the defiling nature of sin, and might keep it ever before their eyes, and fresh upon their minds. And by making it necessary that the worshippers should be purified from these pollutions, and by establishing the means of their purification, and by forbidding every other, he would lead them to exercise faith in the great Purifier, whose office it was to purge their consciences, before they could offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. And it was a fixed law, That if any one legally unclean neglected or refused the appointed means of being cleansed, he was to bear his iniquity: for an unpardoned sinner can have no communion with a most holy God.

Unto the pure, all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving, is nothing pure; but

even their mind and conscience is defiled. The mind is the fountain from whence all the streams flow. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, &c.—these are the things which defile the man. An enlightened conscience is made sensible of this, and feels the necessity of being purified from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, in order to approach God, and to have boldness and access with confidence to the throne of grace. His meditations at such times are like these:

The more I know of myself, the more am I led to loathe myself, and to repent in dust and ashes: for I am a sinner, filthy and abominable altogether. By nature as vile as sin can render a fallen creature, and daily polluting myself in heart and life with fresh impurities. I have no means of cleansing myself; no hope, that any thing in the creation can do it for me. Deep in my very constitution the stain remains. And I am forced to be crying outUnclean, unclean! My case would be quite desperate, if God himself had not provided a remedy, the report of which has come to mine ears in the gospel. O it is blessed news! I welcome it to mine heart, that God has opened a fountain which cleanseth from all sin. He has recommended it to me, as having infinite virtue and everlasting efficacy to cleanse. And I have a command from heaven, vile and filthy as I am, to make use of it: for thus it is written" In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David, and to the inhabitants. of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness." When the Holy Spirit enables the sinner to believe the report, and to mix faith with it, then he has a war

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rant thus to pray-" Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow-Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities-Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." And the Lord hears and answers the prayer in these words" I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you: a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you, and I will cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them: I will also save you from all your uncleanness. The sacrifices from the beginning preached this blessed doctrine: their blood could sanctify by divine appointment to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purify the conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Blessed, for ever blessed be his grace, who by this offering hath opened a fountain for sin and for uncleanness, in which the most polluted may wash and be clean: for Christ so loved the church as to give himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it might be holy and without blemish: for his blood has infinite virtue to purify the foulest sinner, even so to cleanse him, that he may be perfect for ever: and the great use

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