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And Israel said it is enough....Gen. xlv. 28.

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His soul seems fully satisfied with the Lord's dealings and dispensations: he could ask no more: there was a perfect calm in his mind he sings a sweet requiem to his soul, like David, when he says, "Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living."....Psalm cxvi. 7, 8, 9. Most precious resolution for such great bounties! Come, christian, canst thou say with the hoary-headed patriarch, to night, IT IS ENOUGH? What could God have done more for me, which he hath not done? Could that one word, sounded in the ears of Jacob, Joseph is yet alive," cause such transport of joy to rush so suddenly upon him as to be too impetuous to be resisted? How should that blessed word, Jesus is yet alive, transport thy soul? Was Joseph governor over all the land of Egypt? The government is upon the shoulders of your elder brother, Christ....Isa. ix. 6. All power in heaven and earth is committed to him....Matt. xxviii. 18. He saith, "I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen : and have the keys of hell and of death."....Rev. i. 18. Is not here cause for thee to cry out, SATIS, it is enough: I can desire no more. Surely, this is sufficient to cause thy dejected spirit to revive. Did Jacob believe when he saw the presents of his son? Did he say, "I will go and see him before I die?" O christian, is thy Saviour ascended into his kingdom? Has he received gifts for thee and poured down love-tokens upon thee? Has he given thee repentance to turn to him and faith to embrace him? What is thy language? It is enough: Jesus ever lives, eternally loves, incessantly prays. Then I shall surely see him, but not before I die: but I shall soon shake off these rags of mortality and sing victory in death. Then, O then I shall behold him eye to eye, and face to face. Then I shall say with highest rapture of soul, "It is enough." Then death shall be swallowed up of life and I shall cast down my crown before the Lamb. O then I shall eternally see him, "whom having not seen I love: in whom, though now I see him not, yet believing, I rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.".... Pet. i. 8. O, that in the same Spirit with Paul, may I ever say, "Doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord."....Phil. iii. 8.

Too oft my fooilsh heart,

To other loves incline,
And so from Jesus I depart,
Then grief and sorrow's mine.

Lord, let thy love still reign

O'er all my foes within:
Thee do I count my greatest gain,

O save me from ALL sin.

M.

He that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me....Matt.

x. 40.

Ir is very natural to think, if the Son of God were now upon earth, O how gladly would we receive him into our houses. If you really would, you now cordially receive the report of him into your hearts you now welcome it by faith as the most precious truth that ever saluted your ears. 1st. What is it to receive Christ? There is endless perplexity in the consciences of many poor sinners, whether they have received Christ, when they received him, what it is to receive him, how they received him, and whether they received him right, &c. Satan gets great advantage here over many. Therefore he stirs up many (who nevertheless may do it ignorantly) who sadly puzzle poor souls with nice and subtle refinements about receiving Christ. You would have no difficulty to tell whether you received a dear friend, how your heart stood affected towards him, and what reception you gave him. How is it between Christ and your soul? Do you see him, believe on him, and trust in him as a Saviour, just suited to your ruined, desperate, hopeless state? Bless the holy Spirit for this: you have received Christ. Now, 2d. Consider the blessedness of this. You have also received him who sent Christ, that is, God the Father: he gave Christ for us: he sent Christ to us. And therefore, 1st. God is now your loving Father in Christ: there is nothing but peace and love in his heart towards you: he is for ever reconciled to you all his attributes are engaged for you: he declares, "I will be merciful to your unrighteousness: your sins and your iniquities I will remember no more."....Heb. viii. 12. You are now as safe from the curse of sin, the condemnation of the law, and the power of satan, as though you were at his right hand; for your Father's right hand is your defence. If he stretch it forth to chastize and afflict you, it is all in love. O the joy of faith! For, 2d. You are his righteous child IN Christ. Though in yourself you are sin- ́ ful and miserable, have irksome thoughts, vile lusts, disagreeable feelings, the workings of unbelief, devilish injections, &c. these all spring from your flesh, in which dwells no good thing; these are common to all the children of God: therefore think it not strange that you are made to groan under a body of sin and death, from day to day; let not these mar your comfort, nor prevent your joy of being a perfectly righteous son or daughter of God in Christ. For, 3d. You ever have all free access to God and all holy boldness before him....Eph. iii. 12.

The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord....Job i. 21.

MEEK Moses, righteous Lot, patient Job, were as wicked by nature as any sinners that ever were born. True, they were eminent saints; but who made them so? The same Saviour who sanctifies you and me. Cease ye from man : look upon the most holy saint as a sinner in himself, but only distinguished by the grace of God. When any grace eminently shines in any sinner, remember it all comes out of the fulness of the Saviour; so look for grace for yourself. While Job suffers the loss of all, yet he glories in the possession of all: though he could not now say My children, MY possessions, MY health, &c. yet he could say, "My Redeemer liveth."....Job xix. 25. The belief of this sweetened every cross; made up every loss; kept his head from sinking in the deep waters of affliction, his heart from fainting under the greatest tribulations, and fortified his mind with the greatest patience under the severest calamities; he saw his Lord in all, therefore by his grace he submits to all. Job is here set before us as most eminent for his patience. To what end? That we might learn patience hereby? Remember patience is a grace: it is a gift from the God of all grace: we can no more derive patience from the example of Job, than we can get light and heat from a painted sun. View the saint, but look to the King of saints to be like-minded. "The Lord gave." Sweet consideration! Look upon all you enjoy as the free gift of a covenant God; hold the giver fast, but hold the gifts with a trembling hand. Perhaps ere to-morrow's sun, you may be constrained to say of some of your sweetest enjoyments, "The Lord hath taken away." Love saw they would do you harm and that it is best for you to be without them; therefore in love God takes them away. Love is always the same, in a giving as in a taking God; therefore, what good reason have we to say for both, "blessed be the name of the Lord?" Here you see the work of faith. It sees the Lord's name written upon every enjoyment: it owns the Lord's right to give or take away: it bows to the Lord's sovereign will, and says, Lord thou dost all things well though what thou doest I cannot now know, yet I shall know hereafter; I am sure there is a Father's love and wisdom in all: O that all may be sanctified to me, and I profited by all. Thus, as faith in Christ brings us to the knowledge of God, as our loving Father, to enjoy peace with him; so it teaches submission to his will, and to bless his name at all times. Rejoice in the Lord.

He that hath received his testimony, kath set to his seal that God is true....John iii. 33.

WHEREIN Consists the essential difference between the righteous and the wicked? In this, the heart of the former receives the testimony of Christ and thereby honors the God of truth: the lat ter rejects it and thereby makes God a liar....1 John v. 10. No mar, vel then that it is declared, "He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."....John iii. 36. And that "God is angry with the wicked every day.”........Psalm vii. 11, Why? Because they every day live in this daring, provoking sin of unbelief of the testimony of the Son of God, and give God the lie to his face. This is the greatest sin under heaven. O the long suffering patience of God toward such stout-hearted rebels. Consider, 1st. What is this testimony? It is the witness which Christ bears to the children of men, that he is the Son of God: that he came forth from God that he came to fulfil the law of God: to honor the justice of God to bring glory to all the attributes of God, by saving sinners according to the TRUTH of God. 2d. What is it to receive this testimony? Simply to credit it; just as one does by a person who in a solemn mapner gives a plain and faithful evidence in court of what he knows of the cause on trial. Now here we see what a simple thing faith is: it is no other than receiving Christ's testimony; believing him to be what he declares he is, the Saviour of lost sinners; righteousness to us who have none of our own; an atonement for sins, which we must have been damned for without; redemption from the curse of the law, which we could never avert ; and the hope of eternal life, which we have forfeited. Thus we receive the testimony of Jesus as a reprieve for condemned malefactors, an act of grace for outlawed rebels, a report of mercy for miserable sinners. But alas! How do we puzzle our heads and perplex our hearts? For, instead of blessing Jesus for this precious testimony, looking at it, considering its suitableness, and deriving our comfort from it, we get to questioning our faith, whether we have received it and do believe aright. This is our folly. 3d. See the blessedness of receiving this testimony: "He hath set to his seal that God is true." Or, as some read it, God hath sealed him (by his Spirit) because he is true. As we set our seal to God's truth, he will seal our hearts with his comforts. We cannot honor God more, nor please him better, than to hear and believe his beloved Son.

The testimony of Christ's love
Is full of joy and peace,

By faith it lifts our souls above,
And doth from sin release.

M.

The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.... 2 Chron. xxv. 9.

THUS spoke the prophet to Amaziah king of Judah." He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart."....2 Chron. xxv. 2. His works were externally right, but he was destitute of uprightness of heart towards the Lord. Our Saviour forbids, "Judge not according to the appearance.".... John vii. 24. Be not hasty in judging of any one: nay, not of thy own state neither, merely from a few external actions. Look well to thy heart see that there is upright honesty and integrity at the bottom of thy conduct: if otherwise, it will soon be made manifest. So it was with Amaziah. This chapter records three abominable evils which he fell into: confidence in an arm of flesh....idolatry.... pride, which proved his destruction. As to the first, he hired one hundred thousand mighty men of valour, to strengthen his army against his enemies, for one hundred talents of silver, i. e. thirtyfive thousand three hundred pounds sterling. A prophet of the Lord is sent to forbid his going to war with these hired forces: he takes the warning, but is concerned at losing so large a sum of money: the prophet adds, "the Lord is able to give thee much more." Had he consulted the Lord upon his expedition, he had saved his money: but he asked not counsel from him. O christian, lean not to thine own understanding; seek to thy Lord; consult his will in his word; beg for his direction in every enterprize: otherwise, though the Lord may kindly send a messenger to thee, yet thou wilt suffer loss and gain vexation. If thou hast taken a wrong step do not obstinately pursue it; better suffer the loss of any thing than thy Lord's favor. Amaziah was wrought upon by the prophet's word: he sent back the hired forces and gave up the loss of his money. O sweet word! the Lord is able to give thee more than this: he can, and he will repay every loss thou sustainest in doing and suffering his will. Does thy enemy fret and teize thee from day to day? Are thy violent passions ready to break out against him and to revenge thyself upon him? O give up all; give way to none: be content to suffer for thy Lord's sake. Is not thy Lord able to make it up to thee? Remember he says, "Whatever ye give up for my sake, and the gospel's sake, ye shall receive an hundred fold now, and in the world to come eternal life."....Matt. xix. 29.

My soul, count Christ thy greatest gain, Not one good thing will he withold, Who gave up all for thee:

His love and grace do ever reign,

From sin to set thee free.

To make thee truly blest:

Against thy foes he makes thee bold :
O give up all for Christ. M.

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