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Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God.... 1 John iv. 2.

1st.

"You study too much, it will kill you," says one and another. What! the study of Christ, who is the life, health, and joy of one's soul, kill one? Precious death to die in such sweet exercise. It is only to fall asleep in Jesus, and awake with him in glory. I am sure (through grace) this delightful study will kill the life of sense, the power of sin, and the delusions of satan. Christ help us to study him - more and more. The apostle here warns us against false spirits which are not of God. He bids us believe not every spirit but try them. For many false prophets are gone out under a spirit of delusion. We are in danger of being deceived by them. Here is a fixed rule to know whether they are of God or not. KNOW YE THE SPIRIT OF GOD. Many pretend to have received him: to preach by his inspiration; to glory in ecstacies of comfort and revelations from the Spirit. Look at them with a godly jealousy. Be not hastily carried away by them. Do not condemn your own state because you feel yourself a burdened sinner, groan under your burden, and though from day to day you are looking unto Jesus, yet have not these ecstacies and transports they pretend to. 2d. Know the Spirit of God, HEREBY "every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God." This is the true testimony of the Spirit of God. Keep your eye steadily on this. What is implied in this? 1st. That God and man in one Christ is come to save us. 2d. The end of his so coming was "to finish transgressions, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness."....Dan. ix. 24. Christ hath perfectly and everlastingly done all this in our flesh for our souls. Therefore, 3d. If the whole of this is not confessed, if any part of this is denied, then "the vision and prophecy is not allowed to be sealed up and finished." And if comforts and joys arise not from the firm belief of Christ's finished work for us, but from what we have done or can do towards our own salvation, this is not of the Spirit of God, but another spirit, the spirit of pride, of delusion, and of anti-christ. For it is against confessing that Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the all in all of a sinner's salvation. O, beware of that spirit which bears witness of any thing in you for righteousness to justify you before God, or as the ground of your acceptance in his sight. Away with it all as filth and dung. Reject both the spirit and his testimony. Know ye " the Spirit of God beareth witness, because the Spirit is TRUTH."....1 John v. 6.

If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his....

Rom. viii. 9.

THIS is one of the most awful truths in the bible. He who hath not the Spirit of Christ, doth not know Christ, will not believe on him, cannot love him. Then that dreadful sentence stands out against him; living and dying so, will certainly fall upon him...." If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema, maran-atha," that is, under the most dreadful curse, till the Lord cometh to execute the severest vengeance of it....1 Cor. xvi. 22. Jesus, master save us from this. Holy Spirit, rather let us be destitute of every blessing than want love to Christ. O, shed a Saviour's love abroad in our hearts, and that shall kindle ours. What is it to have the Spirit of Christ? How may we know that we have the Spirit of Christ? Consider, 1st. the appellation here given the Spirit of CHRIST. This will greatly help us to solve these questions. You may perceive the Spirit a man is of, by his temper and conduct. The men of this world have the spirit of this world. Their walk and conduct shew it. They set their affections on, seek all their happiness in, and expect all their comfort from the riches, honors and pleasures of this world. So it is with us all by nature. We have not the Spirit of Christ. But when the fulness of time comes, according to his covenant engagements with God the Father and God the Son, God the Spirit is pleased to visit our souls. Then he opens our eyes to see both our own sin and misery, and to behold the righteousness and happiness there is in Christ. He enables us to believe in Christ, to savour the things of Christ, and to cry out, none but Christ, none but Christ be my portion, in time and to eternity. Have we a sigh in our hearts after Christ to be our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption? This is of the Spirit of Christ. Do we groan under a body of sin and death, and cry out, O wretched that we are, who shall deliver us? Do we thank God for Jesus Christ as the only Saviour, justifier and deliverer? We have the Spirit of Christ. Can we come to a throne of grace, seeing ourselves miserable sinners, yet believing the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin and the righteousness of Christ justifies from all condemnation, and therefore cry, God be merciful to me a sinner, Jesus save me or I perish? This is from the faith of Christ. This is the prayer of faith. The Spirit of Christ has inspired it. We have the Spirit of Christ. Do we delight to hear of Christ, to have fellowship with Christ, to live upon Christ, to walk with Christ, and to have the power of Christ's gráce subdue the power of sin in our hearts, lips and lives? Verily we have the Spirit of Christ. "The Spirit lusteth against the flesh, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would."....Gal. v. 17.

Jesus said, my mother and my brethren are these, who hear the word of God and do it....Luke viii. 21.

LOOKING at things which are not seen keeps the soul from fainting and invigorates it to every holy duty. Do I believe Christ now thinks of me and is this moment pleading my cause in heaven? how then can I live unholy and walk uncomfortable on earth? True, if I did but know that Christ loved me. How do you expect to know it? Do you believe he loved his mother and his brethren after the flesh? It cannot be doubted. See then how near and dear to Christ, in a spiritual sense, are all who hear the word of God and do it. They bear Christ in their hearts as truly as his virgin mother carried him in her womb. They are as verily allied to him by faith, are his brethren in spirit, as others were by blood. 1st. To hear the word of God implies, to have such an understanding of it, faith in it, hope from it, and love to it, as to cause our souls to delight in God the speaker and our affections to cleave unto him. 2d. Paul speaks of tasting the good word of God....Heb. vi. 5. There is a precious savour in the word. To hear it is to have a spiritual relish for it. Just as food is savoury to the palate, so is the word of God to the soul. 3d. The word testifies of the word: the letter of the word, of the spirit of the word: the written word, of the essential word; even the Lord Jesus. God speaks in the word of Christ, by Christ, and of himself in Christ. Therefore to hear

the word of God, is to receive Christ into the heart by faith, to know the Father's love in him, and to expect full and final salvation by him. 4th. There is a still and small voice, in which our beloved speaks internally, the words of his gospel. He says, "My sheep hear my voice." We know the voice of our shepherd. It is the delight of our souls to hear him. Is this all? Do we only hear? Are the brethren and sisters of Christ all ear only? No; blessed be God, we are born again by the word of God....1 Pet. i. 23. Therefore we not only hear the word of God, but do it. What is implied in this? That God's precepts are regarded by us, as well as his promises to us. The one being fulfilled in us, causes the other to be dear to us. In one word, where there is a heart to hear the word of God there is a desire to do the will of God. These are inseparable. Let us not deceive ourselves. "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another....1 John iii. 23. In believing we have everlasting life....John vi. 40. In loving we enjoy the comforts of it....2 Cor. vi. 6. In doing the will of God, we evidence that we are born of O, may the word of Christ dwell in us richly, in all wisdom, &c.... Col. iii. 16.

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God....1 John ii. 17.

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When she was come to Solomon, she communed with him, of all that was in her heart.... 1 Kings x. 2.

BEHOLD a rare instance of sovereign grace. A king and queen met to talk of the things of God. Human pomp and worldly. grandeur do not always shut the heart against the grace of God. "Though not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called.".... 1 Cor. i. 26. Yet it pleases our Saviour to call some. He chooses one and another of the wise, mighty and noble, to how to his grace, honor his name, and shine as distinguished lights in the world. But in general the gospel runs most and thrives best among the poor. "Hearken, my beloved, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom?"....James ii. 5. Here is a visit paid by a happy queen to a wise king. They were both wise and happy, for they were wise unto salvation. 1st. See the cause of her visit. She heard of Solomon's fame concerning THE NAME OF THE LORD. This is the most noble of all fame. Most blessed, when that is the first and chief spring of all our concerns. But, behold a greater than Solomon is here. The fame of King Jesus is proclaimed all through the scriptures. "In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."....Col. ii. 3. Yet how few of rich and poor seek unto him? Awful! this royal queen, our Lord declares, shall rise up in judgment with and condemn all such....Matt. xii. 42. Most happy those who seek unto Jesus. 2d. See the end of her visit, "to prove him with hard questions." Most probable with intricate cases of conscience which concerned the peace of her soul. Most happy, to have free access to Jesus, to pour out our hearts before him and to tell him of our doubts and sorrows. Not more free and open was Solomon's heart to hear and answer her hard questions than the friend of sinners is to all who come unto him. Sd. She communed with him of ALL that was in her heart. O, it is well with, and well for us to lay all open before our Lord, and to keep back no temptation however vile, beastly and devilish. He knows what is in us. He likes we should confess it unto him. 4th. What was the effect of this visit? joy and rapture. "There was no more spirit in her." She was wrapt in ecstacy. She cries, "One half was not told me: it exceeds the fame which I heard." One sight of Jesus by faith, one whisper from his loving heart will cause this. O, let us more and more meditate upon the fame of Christ, and prove it from hour to hour in looking to him, seeking him, calling on him, and living upon bim, till we reign with him in heaven. Then, in the highest ecstacy we shall say, not one half of thy glory, O Jesu, has been told us.

The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force....Matt. xi. 12.

ner.

WE say, hunger will break through stone walls. Desperate circumstances make men violent. Thus it is with a convinced sinHe sees himself in the city of destruction. And Moses has set his house on fire about his ears, as Mr. Bunyan says in his Pilgrim's Progress.. Now, he cannot think of God, sin, death, judgment, heaven and hell, with an air of indifference. No; he is awake. He sees the importance of them. His soul is alive. He feels the weight of them. He finds sin has destroyed him. The law terrifies him. Death stares him in the face. Judgment alarms him. He trembles to see hell moved from beneath to receive him. Now his fancied good works, his morality, &c. stand him in no stead. He hungers after righteousness. His apprehensions of wrath make him violent. His hunger is keen. He besieges the kingdom of God with eager prayer. He forces his way through every opposition. He breaks through every wall of obstruction with, O give me Christ, or I perish. Give me his blood to pardon me, his righteousness to justify me, or I am damned for ever. This is fleeing for refuge. This is like one escaping for his life from dreadful flames and devouring fire. This is being violent. Such take the kingdom of God by force. Though by grace we are brought into the kingdom of God, and enjoy pardon of sin and peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: yet the Lord forbid that we should so lose our conviction of divine truths as to have done with holy force and violence. Soldiers of Christ, to arms. What! think of laying down your arms and folding your hands to sleep on an enemy's ground when all around are up in arms against you? Come, come, there is enough yet before you to alarm you and to call up your violence. Sin is within you. Satan is plotting against you. The world would ensnare you. Death and judgment approach you. "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein shall be burnt up." O, dream not over dry doctrines and empty speculations, so as to be proof against the force of these solemn events, and to lose your holy violence. For seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation, and godliness looking for the coming of the day of the Lord....2 Pet. iii. 11, 12.

Let us ask the important question,
(Brethren be not too secure)
What it is to be a christian;
How we may our hearts assure?

VOL. II.

Vain is all our best devotion,
If on false foundations built:
True religion's more than notions
Something must be known and felt.
C

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