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When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue fuileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them....Isa. xli. 17.

It is common to hear people say, 'such an one is a great believer.' What idea strikes one's mind of such a person? Are we not apt to think he is very rich in himself, having a vast stock of inherent righteousness? This is wrong: he is just the reverse: he is one who knows himself to be rooR and NEEDY: his great faith leads him out of himself to the great God and our Saviour, to receive out of his fulness grace upon grace: he confesses I am a poor and needy sinner, living upon the unsearchable riches of Christ. The sight of our poverty, and sense of our need, the holy Spirit keeps up in our minds all through life; this makes Christ and his riches of grace precious to us: some say such an one is only a SEEKER of the Lord: that is just what God's children are all their days: "they are poor and needy, and they seek water:" their souls are athirst; "and there is none;" they can find no water of consolation in the whole world; they have no spring of comfort in themselves; they can draw none from their own righteousness; "their tongue fails for thirst;" the sin of their nature like a scorching fever burns in them: this the hardened in sin and the self-righteous feel not: regenerate souls do; they thirst after the cooling streams of Christ's grace and salvation to refresh them; their tongue fails in uttering a word of their own works and faithfulness, &c. All their cry is about their poverty and need, and thirst after Jesus. Well says he, "I the Lord will hear them;" yea, and answer them too: "if any man thirst, let him come unto ME and drink."....John vii. 37. Well but I have been this poor needy, thirsty creature ever since the Lord first convinced me of sin and brought me to Christ for salvation. I hear others talk of their riches, goodness, perfection, &c. Let them talk on: bless the Spirit for what you are; expect to be poor and needy all your days; rejoice at what the LORD says, "I will not forsake them." Who? Poor needy, thirsty souls: such are the work of his Spirit, the glory of his Son, and the delight of the Father's soul. Christ upbraids those who say, "they are rich and increased in goods," &c....Rev. iii. 17. "He fills the hungry with good things, the rich he sends empty away."....Luke. i. 53. For Jesus says of all his people, "I know thy poverty, but thou art rich?"....Rev. ii. 9. Poor in themselves: rich in him.

God hath put a new song in my mouth....Psalm xl. 3.

SOME sing when they have cause to be sad: others are sad when they have reason to sing and rejoice: some go on merrily to hell; others go on sorrowing to heaven. When the grace of Jesus is in the heart, a new song is put into the mouth: this is a song of new covenant love; this we are to sing all our days on earth and for ever and ever in glory. In passing the streets, we meet with many occurrences which remind us of our beloved: it is sweet to spiri. tualize carnal things. I was much delighted with a carnal song which concludes thus:

All the time is thrown away,
But what is spent in love.

I thought this was very true of the love of our Saviour. This psalm is applied to Christ in his manhood state....Heb. x. A new song was put in his mouth on our accounts: he says, "many shall see it and fear and trust in the LORD." See hence our spiritual joy springs from seeing Christ's work in our salvation, knowing the experience he had of his Father's upholding power as man and mediator; and beholding his triumph over all his enemies and ours: look at this, yea look and look again till you can say, O Jesu, my whole sout loves thee; for hadst thou miscarried in thy work, my soul had been irrecoverably lost for ever: but now thou hast finished thy Father's work and my salvation, I am saved forever: I see it; I trust in the Lord: and having this confidence in my heart, this song is put into my mouth: "Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb."....Rev. vii. 10. Now I can adopt my Saviour's words, “Thou hast brought me up from an horrible pit out of miry clay, set my feet upon a rock and established my goings;" therefore, "I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being."....Psalm civ. 33. I charge thee, O my soul, never, never forget the horrors of dread, the terrors of fear, the agonies of pain, and conflicts of sufferings thy Lord endured from men and devils, and from his Father's fiery wrath and inexorable justice for thy sins and thy salvation. O, sing of his mighty conquests! rejoice for his glorious triumphs over all the powers of sin, death and hell. Well might the apostle exhort believers thus: "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the LORD."....Eph. "The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."....Isa. xxxv. 10.

V. 19.

Old songs of vain and carnal mirth,
No more delight my heart;
New songs of Jesu's life and love,

Spread joy through ev'ry part.

Thou loving Spirit, thee I praise,

For grace, of Christ to sing;
He is my joy, my righteousness,
My Saviour and my King. M.

O Lord thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived, thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed, I am in derision daily, and every one mocketh me....Jer. xx. 7.

A POOR deluded perfectionist lately made a great noise in London; he blasphemously pretended to be as holy as God himself, to have revelations from him, and peremptorily fixed upon a day when the world was to be destroyed: he deceived many and alarmed more: but time proved how awfully he had been deceived himself; and now what is most awful, he has cast off all sense of religion, ridicules it, charges all his delusion upon God, and quotes these very words of Jeremiah to prove that God had deceived him. One would not mention this by way of reflection or triumph over this unhappy man, but as a caution against this mad, wild-fire notion of sinless perfection which so spreads among us. But did God really deceive Jeremiah? Can we suppose he charges God with it? The very thought is daring and impious. After giving several senses upon the words, the learned Dr. Gill very judiciously says, it is best of all to translate them as they will bear: "O Lord, thou hast PERSUADED me, and I was PERSUADED." This sense he takes from Luther and others. The prophet did not run before he was sent, but was called, and effectually convinced of his mission by the power of the Spirit; just so is every believer. 1st. Divinely called and effectually per suaded to come to Christ and be his disciple. Christian, consider, do not you see somewhat here suited to your own case? Was not God stronger than you, and therefore prevailed? Will not you fall down to-night at the feet of sovereign grace and own its effectual power, and give the Lord of all grace all the glory from your whole heart? 2d. Are you like Jeremiah got into a complaining, unbelieving frame? Are you saying, O Lord, I should never have come to thee and been thy disciple if thy grace had not prevailed over me? being come, I encouraged my soul to hope for nothing but comfort all through life; but alas! I am disappointed and dejected: men laugh at me and deride me; one says I am an enthusiast; another my brain is turned: the world says I am only pursuing whims and chimeras of my own fancy; and satan mocks and derides me daily, crying, now where is your comfort? Where is now your God? Blessed christian, consider, 3d. and be not dismayed....It is your glory as it was the prophet's, to have a loving-hearted, covenant God, a compassionate Saviour, who is touched with our feelings, to go to. You can pour out your heart before him, appeal to him, tell him of your sorrows, treatment, and heart-felt distress. Though all the world derides you, God delights over you: though satan insults, "God shall bruise satan under your feet shortly."....Rom. xvi. 20.

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Hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us....1 John iii. 24.

"THAT the soul be without knowledge, it is not good."....Prov. xix. 2. What knowledge is to be compared with the excellency of the knowledge of Christ? All other will perish; but "this is life eternal."....John xvii. 3. "For he is the true God and eternal life.... 1 John v. 20. Does he abide in us? Could we possess the whole world without this we only grasp a phantom. We may as well seek to fill our belly and satisfy our hunger with the east wind, as be happy without Christ abiding in us. 1st. What is implied in this? We know what it is to receive and entertain a friend in our dwelling according to our love to him and delight in him, so we treat him. Love will set the best things before him, give him the preeminence in all things, and accommodate him with the best room in our house; yea, love is jealous lest all things should not please, and will apologize. Now, is it so between Christ and our souls? Have we received him as the best and dearest friend into our hearts? Do we welcome him, delight in him, invite his stay, intreat him to forgive what he sees amiss in our poor accommodation? Then he abideth in us. But, 2d. can any one know and be sure that Christ abideth in him? Yes, blessed be God this is not confined to the first age of christianity, not limited to the apostles only, but it is the precious privilege of every believer in Christ: for it is our comfort, that Jesus being glorified, the Spirit is given to ALL his redeemed to testify of him. See, 3d. This knowledge is by the Spirit which he hath given us. Take heed and beware, that you do not grieve the Spirit, by ascribing that as common to nature which can only be effected by his grace. Do you see, and know and feel yourself to be a poor miserable sinner from day to day? Is sin your soul's grief and your conscience's burden? Do you delight in the sound of the gospel and welcome name of the Saviour of sinners? Is he the hope of your soul, the trust of your heart and the joy of your mind? Do you desire his company, love his presence and delight in his work of salvation? Were he now to appear to you in person, and ask what is the one wish of thy soul? ask and it shall be done unto thee. Could you reply'; Lord, that I may know thee as my own dear Saviour from sin and damnation into holiness and salvation. Is it so? Who gave thee this spirit? not satan. It springs not in the garden of nature. It is from the Spirit of Christ. You may truly say, I know Christ abideth in me, by the Spirit which he has given me....1 John iii. 24.

The Spirit makes known
What Jesus hath done,

By faith we it own,

Thee, Spirit, we praise,

Who in these last days,

Affections doth raise,

And choose him and glory of him alone. Jesus to love, and to live on his grace.

Ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light....Eph. v. 8.

NATURAL persons raised from indigence to opulence do not love to hear of their pedigree: they see not the hand of the Lord in it: what detracts from their person and merit hurts them: but disciples of Christ like to hear of, love to look back upon what they were by nature, that they may ascribe fresh praise to the Lord, who of his mere grace "raised their poor souls out of the dust, and lifted their needy souls from the dunghill, and has set them with the princes of his people."....Psalm cxiii. 7, 8. We are here reminded, "Ye were" ....what? dark, having some glimmering light of God, his truths, his ways, &c. Nay more, darkness itself; blind to them as if totally deprived of sight; ignorant of them as a beast; as dark about them as we should be about natural objects without the sun. We walked in darkness and knew not that we were in the high road to hell. But now, blessed Now, O wonder of grace! Ye are....what? enlightened by the Lord? have light from the Lord? Yes, this is true. But more, "we have a light in the Lord, like the angel which John saw, standing in the sun."....Rev. xix. 17. We have not only the light of life, but we are In Christ, who is the sun of righteousness and the light of the world. Here we see our Father's glory shining in the face of Christ; feel his love in him; behold his grace and truth which came by him; enjoy precious promises in him; know the glorious doctrines taught by him: all which lead to, and center in him. Hence we look down upon the world with contempt, upon sin with abhorrence, upon satan with defiance, upon carnal men with pity, and up to our Lord with love and praise; for "we have an unction from him, and know all things."....1 John ii. 20. His truths are our delight: "His commandments are not grievous."....1 John v. 3. He re is all comprized in one word, WALK AS CHILDREN OF THE But how shall I know I am a child of light? Strange ques tion! Just as odd as for a person with his eyes open in mid-day light, to ask how do I know I can see? But if you do not enjoy the comfort of light it is because you do not walk as a child of light: there are many such dark walkers. No marvel they are uncomfortable professors. Paul wept on account of such. See them described; "They mind earthly things."....Phil. iii. 19. They have a tongue for Christ, the world has their heart: beware of such: refrain from them; for "If we say that we have fellowship with Christ, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another," and "the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.".... 1 John i. 6, 7. VOL. II.

LIGHT.

H.

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