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O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?....1 Cor. xv. 55.

SAYS a celebrated poet, "all men think all men mortal but themselves." True there is a natural propensity in us so to think; but new-born souls not only know they are mortal, dying creatures, but in the exercise of grace they can indulge the thoughts of death with pleasing reflections. For death is not only a conquered enemy by the captain of our salvation; but he is also enumerated in the catalogue of our blessings. "Death is yours:" yours to deliver you from all your evils of sin, sorrow and temptations: yours to introduce you into the presence of your God and Saviour, and into the enjoyment of all the glory and blessedness of his kingdom. But death has a sting and the grave a victory: this sting is sin: and what gives strength to sin and victory over the sinner, is the law : that darts the sting into us and so fixes it in us, that for any thing we can do, we must feel its poisonous sting to all eternity. But, "Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah? This, who is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?" He answers, "I that speak in righteousness mighty to save."....Isa. lxiii. 1. It is that glorious warrior: our almighty conqueror Jesus, who has disarmed death of his sting and obtained a compleat victory over the grave: do you ask what is this to us? Why truly we can draw no comfort from it, unless we believe in him and look upon his victories as obtained for us: thus viewing our triumphant, risen, ascended Saviour, we shall be enabled in the confidence of faith to say, "O death, where is thy sting?" Thou hast lost it in the flesh of Christ; by his death he hath deprived thee of it; through death he hath destroyed him who had the power of death, that is the devil; and delivers them who, through fear of death, were all their life time subject to bondage.... Heb. ii. 14, 15. Art thou in bondage through fear? who holds thee under it? Thy worst enemy the devil: by what means? unbelief: Because thou dost not believe thy best friend, thy dear Redeemer. Dost thou say I would believe, but cannot: what? canst thou not believe thy Lord? He says to all thy questioning doubts, "I SPEAK IN RIGHTEOUSNESS:" I have wrought out and brought in an everlasting righteousness, to clothe your naked soul and to make you stand before the throne of God perfect and entire, lacking nothing. Believe this, and triumph over sin and death. MIGHTY TO save. Can the power of sin, death and hell withstand my might? Look unto me and be saved from thy bondage and fear. Receive his word: rejoice in the comfort of it: Christ hath fulfilled it; "O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction."....Hos. xiii. 14.

Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore?....Psalm lxxvii. 8.

It is one thing for God to desert, and another to disinherit: the former he frequently does by his children: the latter he never did to any one of them: he may change in his conduct to them, but never in his love for them. That is a sweet expostulation of the Lord's, "how shall I give thee up Ephraim?"....Hos. xi. 8. It reminds one of the tender affection of a loving father to a disobedient son, with a pen in his hand, just going to execute a deed to disinherit him; but love pleads, his fatherly bowels yearn, his heart melts. Though he is disobedient, yet he is my child, my heir, the son of My loins. I cannot give him up; I cannot cut him off; I will not do it. The love of God to his children infinitely exceeds that of the most tender parent. He allows there may be such monsters in nature for a mother not to have compassion on the son of her womb; but, says the Lord, "I will never forget thee."....Isa. xlix. 15. "For, he will rest, or be silent in his love."....Zeph. iii. 17. Though thou dost not hear the voice of comfort, and the melody of joy, yet his love is the same. He cannot change. “GOD IS LOVE.".... 1 John iv. 8. Nothing but love to his people in Christ; therefore it is impossible for his mercy to be clean gone, or his promise ever to fail. It was of his rich mercy and great love, that he quickened us when dead in sins....Eph. ii. 4, 5. Therefore we cannot perish for want of mercy. "God's promises are all in Christ Jesus, Yea and Amen, to his own glory." 2 Cor. i. 20. Therefore, God would lose the glory of his truth if one of them should fail. O, why then should any poor sinner thus question his mercy and his promise? Take shame to thyself; say with the Psalmist: "It is my infirmity." No marvel, if under infirmities, you call in question the mercy and truth of a faithful covenant God; that you should question your own state, and think you are not a vessel of mercy, and that not one promise is for you. But your very questionings, fears and concerns shew it; the dead in sin look not for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life; unregenerate souls see nothing of the exceeding great and precious promises which are in Christ Jesus; they have no concern about them. O, therefore, instead of questioning God's mercy, plead it. Own this as thy sin to doubt of it. Instead of doubting his promises, look at them, glory in them, give God the glory of them. Stagger not at the promise through unbelief. "Be strong in faith and give glory to God."....Rom. iv. 20.

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable....1 Cor. xv. 19.

HERE is a supposition, and a consequence drawn from it. Consider, 1st. This hope in Christ: it is not common to all men; it is a precious grace of the holy Spirit; it springs from faith in Christ ; it looks to the promises in Christ, and is nourished and supported by them. It is a LIVELY HOPE, we are "begotten again to it, according to the abundant mercy of God our Father, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead."....1 Peter i. 3. By it we are made to differ from all other men, who though they may talk of hope in God, yet have no hope, but are without Christ and without God in the world....Ephes. ii. 12. Here is the proof of it. "Every man who hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure."....1 John iii. 3. Mind, Christ is the object of this hope, it is IN, or on Christ. The man who is the subject of it, purifies himself. How? By the blood of Christ, and by the grace of Christ. From what? From all sin: from the love of this world: from the pomps and vanities of it. He lives not in them; he walks not after them; he hates them; he despises them; hope on Christ springs up in his heart; that kills the love of the world in him. 2d. What is it to have hope in this life ONLY? To have our prospect bounded by the narrow limits of time and sense: to take up with the joys and pleasures of the present world; to set our affections on them, and seek all our happiness in them, without looking after and longing for the invisible glories of a better world. 3d. Why then are we of all men the most miserable? 1st. Because we are new creatures in Christ; we have a new and spiritual nature in and from him; we have communion and fellowship with him; therefore, we cannot enjoy the pleasures, honors and riches of this world as other men do: we are "crucified to the world."....Gal. vi. 14. 2d. We are miserable from the malice, hatred, and persecution of the men of the world for our hope in Christ. 3d. We are miserable from the burden of a body of sin, which others feel not: from the fiery darts of satan, which at others he shoots not: the workings of unbelief, which others find not: that we ever offend the Lord, which others care not for: that we cannot perfectly and perseveringly obey his will in all things, which others concern not themselves about that ever the Lord hides his face and deserts our souls, which others know nothing of. From these and innumerable other things, christians of all other men are most miserable. But,. O blessed hope in Christ: "He is our hope." ....1 Tim. i. 1. While Jesus lives our hope lives. Time with all its changes cannot frustrate it: death with all its terrors cannot destroy it: eternity with all its glories will be the end and fruition of it.

The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men....Rom. i. 18.

ONE sin ruined the whole race of Adam; it brought curse and wrath upon every soul of man. Every man that ever lived, that now lives, and that ever shall live upon this earth, is by nature a child of wrath, and the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against his sin, not one soul excepted. How is this wrath revealed? 1st. At the giving the holy law on Mount Sinai....Exod. xix. There the Lord revealed all the terror and glory of his majesty, as the most holy, sin-hating God. O, think of the mount that burned with fire, the blackness, darkness and tempest: the awful sound of the trumpet: the terrible voice of words, which they who heard, entreated they should not be spoken any more; and so terrible was the sight, that even Moses said, "I exceedingly fear and quake.".... Heb. xii. 21. O, think of this, and think not what is called the least sin a little thing, for it has lighted up the fire of God's wrath. 2d. See the wrath of God revealed, in drowning the old world; in burning Sodom and Gomorrah; in the matter of Korah; and in his judgments upon the ungodly in all ages. "God is angry with the wicked every day."....Psalm vii. 11. The fire of his wrath and indignation ever smokes against all sin. Remember this and be watchful. 3d. Reflect on the wrath of God revealed from heaven, when he took vengeance on his beloved Son for the sins of his people. See our iniquity-bearing, sin-atoning, curse-sustaining Lamb of God on the cross. There see what sin is; there view the indignation of God against it; his justice punishing it, and the awful vengeance he executed upon it. O my soul, think of thy Saviour's inconceivable sufferings for sin. Here see the exceeding sinfulness of sin; view its crimson dye in the purple gore of the Son of God. Ever think of this, love the Lamb, and strive against all sin; for, 4th. the wrath of God is revealed against sin, even in his own children. He equally hates their sins, will punish sin in them, and them for sin too. Beware of any doctrine that makes light of sin; or, as though God has not the same abhorrence of sin, indignation and wrath against sin in his own children as well as others. Do not hold the truth in unrighteousness; never think of reconciling a holy God to abominable sin. 5th. The wrath of God is revealed in the conscience of his people. By the law is the knowledge of sin ....Rom. iii. 20. And the law worketh wrath....Rom. iv. 15. It fills the mind with terrible apprehensions of the wrath of God, and a fearful looking for of his judgment, and fiery indignation against sin.. Bless Jesus that his blood cleanseth from all sin; and lastly, remember the awful day when "God will take vengeance on them who obey not the gospel of Jesus Christ."....2 Thess. i. 8.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord....Lum. iii. 40.

THIS book is justly styled, THE LAMENTATIONS. The dear children of God were now in captivity and deep distress. Jeremiah most pathetically enumerates and laments their great calamities. We shall never get out of this book of Lamentations while in the body. We daily see cause for lamentation on one account and another; and indeed if we did not, it would be a sad sign that our eyes are blinded by self-righteous pride, or our hearts hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. "As sorrowing, yet always rejoicing," is the christian motto. Times of calamity, and seasons of distress, call for self-examination and soul-searching. This will keep down murmurings and complaining. 1st. Let us SEARCH, look for and enquire after something that may support and comfort us, and teach us to improve our distress. Soul, let thy circumstances be what they may, thy Lord's advice is ever seasonable. "Search the scriptures:" Why? They testify of ME....John v. 39. Christ is the head of the covenant: in him the Father loves us: through him his love flows to us. Afflictions flow from covenant love, and shall answer covenant purposes. The scriptures are written for our cOMThere we find that we have the common lot and inheritance with all saints. 2d. TRY OUR WAYS, by that standard of justiceand perfection, the law of God. O, how will this make the sense of sin abound in our eyes! Is the law of God HOLY? our ways are unholy. Is the law SPIRITUAL? we are carnal, sold under sin. Is the law JUST? our ways are unjust. Is the law GOOD? in us, that is, in our flesh dwells no good. What must we do? Must we sit down in melancholy, give up all hope, and write despair upon our hearts? No, blessed be God; though sin has destroyed us, there. is salvation in the Lord for us. 3d. TURN AGAIN TO THE LORD: such is the acting of a gracious heart, having once tasted that the Lord is gracious, and known the precious love of Christ, it cannot be happy in sin; it cannot bear to live at a distance from the Lord, its life and love. Believing that all our iniquities were laid upon Christ, that he bore them in his own body on the tree, it cannot rest till it again finds pardon in his blood, the peace of God and joy in the Holy Ghost. Bless the Lord, O my soul, for that gracious word, "Return ye backsliding children and I will heal your backslidings."....Jer. iii. 22.

FORT.

Sin and the pow'rs of hell,
Persuade me to despair;

Lord make me know thy cov'nant well,
That I may 'scape their snare.

Remember all thy grace,
And lead me in thy truth,
Forgive the sins of riper years,
And follies of my youth.

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