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He will reprove (or convince) the world of sin....John

xvi. 8.

HAS the Spirit so convinced, so reproved you of sin, of the curse of the law for sin, of the wrath of God revealed against all sin; and of that sin of sins, unbelief, that whosoever lives and dies in, is under the wrath of God; so that you have fled for refuge to Jesus, and have taken shelter in his wounds to be saved from all sin? Then you are blessed; your soul is safe; your salvation is sure: the Spirit has glorified Christ in your eyes and to your heart; and Christ will glorify your soul with him in his own kingdom. Is not the Spirit rightly styled the COMFORTER? Did he not act the part ofa comforter, even in convincing of sin? What if your heart was broken and bled for sin, yet it was that you might be comforted with the love and made joyful in the salvation of Jesus. But having thus. convinced you of sin and brought you to Christ for salvation, has the Spirit done with you? Is his work at an end upon you? O, no. "He is promised to abide with us for ever."....John xiv. 16. He always carries on the same work, to convince of sin: he is always the comforter, to testify of the Saviour....and in both he maintains the character of the Holy Spirit. Why do little things pain you? Some to keep up the notion of sinless perfection call them THINGS NOT EXACTLY RIGHT; which you cannot, dare not but look on as SINS of your nature. Why do you see, feel and mourn over yourself as a lump of sin? Why are you sensible that you sin in thought, word and deed, and that you can do nothing perfectly; that sin is in all you do, and that when you would do good evil is present? Why is it that you hate all sin, abhor yourself, and humble yourself as a poor sinner from day to day before the Lord? Why is all this, but because the Spirit of truth is within and convinces you of sin, and cuts off all hope in yourself on account of it? But does he leave you comfortless? Though he teaches you to see and say, what though all I am is sin, yet you can add, "this does not break my peace." No; he convinces you also of RIGHTEOUSNESS: that Christ's righteousness is yours, and that he is your peace. Of JUDGMENT: that the judgment of God is according to truth: "that he is just, and the justifier of the ungodly who believe in Jesus."....Rom. iv. 5....so that now you live the life of faith, above the power of sin. Bless the eternal Spirit, O my soul; for I can joyfully sing,

A guilty, weak and helpless worm,
Into thy arms. I fall,

Thou art my strength, my righteousness,

My Jesus, and my all.

He who is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean....John xiii. 10.

How precious is the word of the Lord! Being in great disorder of body and heaviness of soul, our Lord refreshed and comforted me with these words. Here Christ most plainly teaches us these blessed truths, 1st. That every believer is washed by him from the filth of all his sins. 2d. That each and every one are equally and alike perfectly clean from all sin in God's sight, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing....Eph. v. 27. Justified from all things before God....Acts. xiii. 39. There is not one condemnation against them from God....Rom. viii. 1. Therefore, 3d. They need no other cleansing to make them acceptable to God, pure in his sight, mete to come into his presence now and to enjoy him to all eternity. Rejoice, O my fellow sinners, and thou too my soul, in a lowly, self-abasing, disciple-washing, sin-cleansing Jesus. He says, (let carnal reason, legal spirits, and lying satan, suggest what they may), CLEAN EVERY WHIT: YE ARE CLEAN. Blessed Spirit, who broughtest us into this precious state; O, cause this glorious truth to shine in our hearts this night in all its glory and comfort: eternal thanks to thee for faith to receive it: glory to the Son of God whose precious blood cleanseth from ALL sin....1 John i. 7. But, though every whit clean; though perfectly cleansed by Christ; yet he knows, and we find that we are daily prone to defile our feet: to him we must come for cleansing from the pollution of our daily walk and conversation. Faith has daily to do with a purifying Saviour: but beware that we ascribe not that cleansing virtue to the grace of faith which is only in the blood of Christ. See what blessed news Peter's mistaken humility in refusing Christ to wash his feet brought from our Lord's lips to our hearts. View the love of a gracious, condescending Lord. Did he stoop so low as to wash his disciple's feet? and will he ever be above washing the fresh contracted guilt of his dear members who come unto him? No: harbour not such a dishonoring thought of his love: he knows, he tells us we need washing of our feet that we may walk clean and comfortable before him. O, let us come humbly to him and rejoice that Christ is that fountain opened, and that his precious blood has a continual virtue to cleanse from all sin and uncleanness....Zech. xiii. 1.

The fountain of Christ
Assist me to sing,
The blood of our priest,
Our crucify'd King:
Which perfectly cleanses
From sin and from filth,
And richly dispenses
Salvation and health.

This fountain from guilt
Not only makes pure,
And gives soon as felt
Infallible cure:
But if guilt removed,
Return and remain,
Its pow'r may be proved
Again and again.

Adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.... Tit. ii. 10.

WHAT pains and expence are we at to adorn our bodies, which must shortly turn to ignoble dust; and our dwellings, which, must soon be burnt up with fire? and shall we not study and take pains to adorn the precious doctrine of our loving God and Saviour in our lives? Let gay cloathing and genteel furniture reprove us for, and remind us of this duty. Let us not be like asses with long ears to hear doctrines, but slow of feet to walk in the ways of holiness. To avoid legality let us not run into licentiousness: this awfully prevails amongst professors in our day: they incessantly dwell on doctrines; but if you aim to reduce them into experience and practice, they cry out, O, you are as legal as an Arminian. This is really like one who should receive food into his mouth, chew it for a season, and then spit it out again; but as it passed not into the stomach to be digested, the body is not nourished by it: so revolving doctrines in the head, rolling them upon the tongue and not digesting them in the heart, leaves the soul in a lean, starving condition from day to day. What is truth in the head without fellowship with Christ, who is THE TRUTH, in the heart? Christ felt and enjoyed in the power of faith and the fellowship of the Spirit, will cause souls to study to adorn his doctrine: there will be a cry in such hearts, O, what can I do for him who has done all for me, and is all in all to me? It is the essential doctrine of Christ, that every believer in him is a son of God and an heir of glory: we are called to enjoy the comfort of this and to walk agreeable to this holy faith in all things: the duty is ours; the power is of God: but if the love of the world reigns in our hearts, if the riches of the world engross our time, if the pleasures of the world possess our affections, if the vanities of the world are our pursuits, how does it ap-. pear that we are the children of God, are concerned for his glory, that we strive to adorn his gospel or are looking to him for power to do it? No wonder if the frame of our hearts, the temper of our minds, and the conduct of our lives, instead of adorning the doctrine of Christ bring discredit upon it: then we shall live in doubt and die in distress. O, remember this word of the Lord, "Them who honor me, I will honor, and they who despise me, shall be lightly esteemed.".... 1 Sam. ii. 30.

Lord make our lips and lives express

The holy gospel we profess;
So let our works and graces shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine.

Thus shall we best proclaim abroad,
The honors of our Saviour God:
When thy salvation reigns within,
And grace subdues the pow'r of sin.

Love not the world....1 John ii. 15.

THERE is one word too much in this text to make it agreeable to the spirit and conduct of many professors. As Pharoah said by the locusts, "Take away from me this death only."....Exod. x. 18. So many may say, take away this NOT only, for it is death to us; then we shall like the text, and most passionately obey its command, LOVE THE WORLD. Does it not seem by the conduct of too many as though they thus read the text? Now, do not look at Mr. Such-anone. Look at home. See if you are not the very person, in whom the love of the world reigns. You own it. But instead of falling under conviction of the evil of it, you have an excuse for it. You say, "I have a large family; I ought to get a fortune for them; though I have some riches, I must get more; I must love, court, and follow the ways of the world; there is nothing to be done without industry; we must rise early, late take rest, eat the bread of carefulness, and be all day long in pursuit of business." Very well: this is open and honest: the very language of the world. But do you not see gross infidelity stare you in the face? It is plain where your treasure is, there your heart is also. You know you cannot, you dare not say, the Lord is my portion: what is there upon earth I desire besides thee! Hear the apostle's decision and tremble: "If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him :" two such contrary loves cannot dwell in one heart. It matters not what profession such make: they may be deemed saints of God. What! without the love of God in their hearts? What other idea can we form of a devil, but that he is destitute of the love of God? St. James says, "a friend of this world is an enemy of God."....James iv. 4. Well might St. Paul say, "The love of money is the root of all evil;" for like a stinking weed it chokes the love of God in the heart. See the reason of this exhortation, love not the world; examine, whether your pursuits are most earnest after the world, to get more riches, or to enjoy more of the love of God in your heart: consider your calling: it is to be happy in the love of God in Christ: but the love of the world opposes this, and indisposes for this; there fore we must be crucified unto the world. Hard as this is to flesh and blood, yet faith in Christ makes all things possible: love to Christ makes all things easy: "This is the victory which overcometh the world, even our faith."....1 John. v. 4. "The love of Christ constraineth us."....2 Cor. v. 14.

Thy wondrous blood, dear dying Christ, O, might I now mount up and see
Can make this world of sin remove, The glories of th' eternal skies, [be,
And thou canst bear me where thou fly'st What little things these worlds would
On thy kind wings, celestial dove. How despicable to my eyes.

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A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, &c....Luke x. 30.

AN awful down-hill journey! Here is a true picture of the woeful backsliding of a believer from his Lord. 1st. "He went down from Jerusalem," which signifies the visions of peace: these are enjoyed by faith, in communion with Christ and close walking with God: when these are departed from, it is going down indeed; the way of sin is down hill; the descent is easy; the event dreadful: it is going down from the delectable mountains into the dreary vale of Jericho; this place was cursed by Joshua....vi. 26. It was very wicked in the days of Christ, so is this present world now. 2d. "He fell among thieves," so does the believer when he gives up' himself to sinful company, vain delights and carnal diversions: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, steal his heart from God and strip him of his raiment of purity and peace. 3d. "They wounded him :" O the dreadful stabs which sin and apos-* tacy give to the believer's heart and conscience! 4th. "Departed from him:" having robbed the believer of his comfort in God, now the sense of carnal joys also forsake him; he cannot find those mighty pleasures in sin which it promised him. 5th. "Leaving him half dead:" not totally dead to God, nor wholly alive to sin; he can be happy in neither: awful state! But there is still a spark of spiritual life in his soul: this, all the devils in hell nor all the men on earth' can never quench. But now, O what misery he feels! What wounds, pains, and griefs he groans under? What loss does he deplore? 6th. "The priest and the Levite pass by on the other side:" the law can neither ease nor cure him: it curses, condemns and leaves him: but lastly, who is he that says, "I will heal their backslidings, and love them freely?"....Hos. xiv. 4. O, it is the good Samaritan ;' the precious, ever loving friend of sinners. He came where he was; he saw him and had compassion on him; he bound up his wounds, pouring in the oil of his precious grace and the wine of his heavenly love, and took care of him. O my soul, dread the danger of such a journey highly esteem the visions of peace; remember Jericho; forget not the snares of this wicked world; beware of thieves; never, never forget the compassion of the good Samaritan; bless him for his sympathizing heart: he is "touched with a feeling of our infirmities."....Heb. iv. 15.

Sin's promis'd joys are turn'd to pain, Wretch that I am to wander thus
And I am drown'd in grief,

But my dear Lord returns again,

He flies to my relief.

In chase of false delight!
Let me be fasten'd to thy cross,
And never lose thy sight.

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