Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

souls O what blessed lives should we live, did we so improve and husband what we got in one duty, that it might last us to another! that the life, and warmth, and refreshment of the last might be retained till the next, and so be carried on in a holy, lively, heavenly frame, from duty to duty, as Israel walked on from strength to strength, till they came and appeared before God in Sion.

That which holds us so low and barren in religion is, that whatever we have obtained of the Lord in duties or ordinances, we presently lose it when we have been sometimes weeping before the Lord, and wrestling with him, and pleading hard for some quickening or comforting influences of his Spirit upon our hearts, and the Lord has heard us and given us our desires, yet then as soon as duty is over we go away, and forget all, and bury all that we have thus obtained in a confused heap of worldly thoughts and business. We unbend, and let down our spirits, and lay aside all thoughts of God, till we come to duty again: we content ourselves to live in such an estrangement from God all the rest of our time, that sin and the world have a whole day's time to pull down what an hour's duty has been building; a whole week's time to destroy and steal away what a sabbath hath gotten in; and at the returns

of duty we find our hearts at the same loss, in the same deadness and hardness that they were before. In the Old Testament, though the sacrifices were offered but morning and evening, yet the fire that kindled them was not to go out night nor day there must be fire kept alive from the morning sacrifice, to kindle the evening sacrifice; and fire left from the evening to kindle the morning sacrifice. O! behold, how often it is that though at our morning sacrifice a fire is kindled, yet we let this fire lie all day under the ashes, and take so little care to keep it alive, that it is quite out before the evening; and when we come to offer our evening sacrifice, we have no fire to kindle it.

Brethren, hath the Lord visited you, and quickened you in duty? Oh! think with yourselves, what a sweet life should I live, might it be thus with me always! what pity it is that such light should ever go out: that such grace should be so short lived? If I do not Look to myself better, this sunshine will last but a little while: and how will the Lord take it, if I suffer such sparks that he hath kindled, so suddenly to be quenched? How is my soul like to prosper if I am to be for an hour in the mount with God, to be raised up to heaven for the time, and within a few minutes after to be sunk into the dirt of the

earth? What a sad change is this! When will your souls come to any thing if you have only some few such lucid intervals, and all the rest of your time covered over with clouds and darkness? Beloved, if ever you expect to prosper in grace, or be settled in peace, be careful of maintaining your praying comforts; do not think to make use of them to save you the labour of after care; but to help you to be more careful and fruitful: let your eye be much upon your hearts: observe diligently how they hold up or sink, that if there be the least damp or decay growing upon you, you may observe it before it is gone too far: it is no wonder if we lose all upon such a sudden, if, as soon as our duties are over, we go away, and think no more where we have been, or what we have been about, as if we were well content to take our leave of our duties and our God together! When you come from your closets still watch your hearts, see to it that the temptations you meet with do not so easily divert your thoughts from what you have been begging or wrestling for on your knees. Lift up your hearts often to the Lord in short ejaculations. No business, no company can hinder this duty, and this will be a special advantage to you; therefore, neglect it not. Every sigh or breathing of your soul heavenwards, will

fetch down fresh influences from heaven upon you!

Let us make present use of what we have obtained. God gives grace, and strength, and life, for use; and use will preserve it. Hath the Lord warmed thy heart? go warmthy brother's heart, and that will keep thine from cooling: Hath God spoken comfortably to thy soul? go and speak of thy God, and what he hath done for thee, to others: Hath God inclined and thereby fitted thee for action? take the season for doing good in which thou canst best shew thy love to that Saviour who loved us and gave himself for us.

Our God is love

HYMN.

and all his saints,

His image bear below;

The heart, with love to God inspir'd
With love to man will glow.

O may we love each other, Lord,
As we are lov'd of thee:

For none are truly born of God,
Who live in enmity.

Heirs of the same immortal bliss,
Our hopes and fears the same,

The cords of love our hearts should bind,
The law of love inflame.

So shall the vain contentious world
Our peaceful lives approve,
And wond'ring say, as they of old,
"See how these christians love."

PRAYER

For Monday Morning.

O Lord, merciful and gracious, thou hast commanded those that are weary and heavyladen with sin and suffering, to come unto thee; and hast promised, that thou wilt refresh them. Let us experience the refreshing influence of thy grace on our souls this morning. Remember not our offences, which are many and great; neither take thou vengeance of our sins; but spare us, good Lord, spare us whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for

ever.

Let not our minds be this day so taken up with our worldly business as to forget thee. But while we are diligent in business may we also be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. May our souls, through this day, often send up a word of prayer and praise. O that sin, wherever we discover it, may be hateful to us. If we hear thy holy name blasphemed, or see thy holy laws broken by our fellow-creatures,

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »