...4..4.. he redeemed them; but they rebelled, and vexed his Holy Spirit." He complains that he is broken with their unfaithful conduct, and preffed with their fins, as a cart is preffed with fheaves. Among men it is very grievous, when a child, or a friend, on whom we have bestowed many, favours and kindneffes, behaves in a base, ungrateful and unworthy manner. We are ready to say, "If it had been an enemy, I could have borne it." Thus the Lord, in the paffages introduced above, addreffes us in a way which is very familiar and moving, and of which we are capable of judging by our own feelings.. T When Cafar faw Brutus, on whom he had conferred innumerable favours, engaged in the confpiracy against his life, he could refrain no longer, but cried out, " And thou too, Brutus !" So may the great Head of the church, the Father of his people, fay to us, "What thou too, my fon, my child, whom I have taken into fo near a relation to myself, on whom I have bestowed bleffings without number; to whom I have manifefted myself repeatedly, as I do not to the world, with whom I have dealt familiarly, and from whom I expected returns of love, of honour, and of grateful obedience; doft thou deal treacherously with me; doft thou withdraw thy affections from me, ....ར་་ར་ me, give thy heart to another, and trample on my laws and commands? Is this thy kindness to thy Father and thy Friend! I fay concerning others, I will eafe me of mine adverfaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; but what fhall I fay to thee? My thoughts, towards thee are thoughts of peace, and not of evil. Oh Ephraim, what fhall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? Do you thus requite me, O foolish people and un wife? I have made use of gentle means and methods with you. I have fought to win your love, and gain your hearts. But my kindness is difefteemed, and my love flighted. Behold I will melt thee, and try thee; for how shall I do to the daughter of my people? I will hedge up her way with thorns, and make a wall that the fhall not find her paths. I have seen her ways and I will heal her. I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her." Let this view of the favour and loving-kindness of the Lord towards you, and of your own unkindnefs towards him, affect your hearts as it ought to do. What hath the Moft High God, the poffeffor of heaven and earth, that he with-holds from you? The fun, the moon, and the ftars are ordained to give you light. The treafures of the fea and the land land are for your ufe. The angels are fervants to your heavenly Father; they difdain not to minifter to your comfort. They afford you protection by day, and watch round your beds in the night feafon. God has given his only begotten Son to redeem you, and his bleffed Spirit to guide and fanctify. you. Nay, he gives himself to you. He is your Father, your Portion, your Hufband, and your Friend. You fhall, by and by, dwell in the fame heaven where he resides. You fhall be fed at his table, and drink of his cup. "Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures." O what an honour is this! And yet no part of it is obtained by your works, or beftowed for your deferts. It is all freely given, through the meritorious death of him who hung upon the tree. But remember, that the tribute of grateful obedience is due from you. The Lord expects this at your hands. He has formed you for this very end. "This people have I formed for myself; they fhall fhew forth my praife." You are his work'manship, not only as men, but as chriftians, created in Chrift Jefus, unto good works, which God hath before ordained that you should walk in them. You are bleffed with exiftence, and with an intereft in Chrift Jefus, that you may be to him a name name and a praise, both in time and to eternity, in this world and that which is to come. O let a sense of his goodness to you, and of your unfuitable returns, humble your hearts before him, and quicken you to diligence, watchfulness and circumfpection, through the whole of your remaining days! Dear Saviour, when my thoughts recal Low at thy feet afham'd I fall, And hide my blushing face. Shall love like thine be thus repaid? By earth's low cares detain'd, betray'd, From Jefus, who alone can give True pleasure, peace, and reft: When wand'ring from my Lord, I live But he, for his own mercy's fake, My ftraying foul restores; He bids my mourning heart partake No. IX. 2, P Oh! Oh! while I breathe to thee, my Lord, The penitential figh, Fresh vigour to my foul afford, And raise my thoughts on high. Then fhall the mourner at thy feet, And grateful own how kind, how sweet ར་་ར་ར་་ར་ར་ར་་་་་་ར་ CHAP. ΧΙ. ་་ར་ར•རམ་uར The Subject improved by Way of Examination. IF the favour of God be the life of his people, it furely becomes us to inquire, with seriousness and folemnity, whether we ourselves are interested in this great privilege or not. Oh that this weighty concern might be cleared up to the fatisfaction of every attentive and folicitous reader! The inquiry of fuch will be, "How fhall I know that I am in a state of acceptance and favour with God?” In order to affift you a little in this cafe, through the divine bleffing, I would beg leave to ask you a few plain questions. |