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Run with patience the race set before us. Heb. xii. 1. HE that runs, and wants patience, will never get to the end of his race; for in the race of God's commandments men have foul play; one comes and rails on him for his zeal, for running so fast, when he thinks himself too slow: another gives him a blow, and strikes him down; and up he gets and runs again. Every man will make room and give way to him that is in a race here; while he that runs the heavenly race may expect, and will find, many stand in his way, and stop him all they can, so that he will have great need of patience without it everything will offend him. What is a wise man, a zealous man, without patience? He will bear nothing, suffer nothing, and can do no great good. David had many enemies that spake mischievous things against him, and laid snares for his life; but he was as a deaf man that "heard not; and as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth." Saul was twice in his power, yet he would not avenge himself of him; he wanted neither courage nor wisdom; he had a stirring spirit, a working head, was sensible of wrongs, knew himself innocent, his adversaries malicious; his thoughts must needs be troubled, and yet he was his own man under all; he committed his cause to God, his patience was in exercise, and he waited God's time of deliverance. CHRIST'S active and passive obedience made him a complete Mediator: may thine, Reader, make thee a complete Christian.

Awake, my soul, dismiss thy fears,
The sword of truth gird on,

The Christian warfare boldly wage,

Nor think thou art alone;

For Christ, thy King, by his all-strengthening power,
Shall safely guide thee till thy conflict's o'er.

Whom God set forth to be a propitiation (mercyseat) through faith in his blood, &c. Rom. iii. 25. GOD hath set forth the propitiation. From all eternity he proposed CHRIST to be the mercyseat. The spring of all is from the Father, who is love; he proposed, revealed, and made CHRIST known to Adam, to Abraham, and to the Prophets; he proposed the mercy-seat as an object of faith in all the sacrifices that were types of CHRIST; this mercy-seat is clearly and fully set forth in the Gospel dispensation.

Whither shall I, a poor sinner, conscious of guilt, and apprehensive of wrath, flee for refuge? Where shall I find it? Where but under the covert of atoning blood! While others have recourse to refuges of lies, and would establish a righteousness of their own, in the Lord, my righteousness, I find rest and safety. Having fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before me, in CHRIST, my hope, I shall have strong consolation. Does Jehovah from this mercy-seat offer pardon to me, a rebel sinner? Shall I not hear this voice of mercy, and live, and joy in God, through CHRIST? Will God commune with me from this mercy-seat, and bless me with the manifestation of his love? O delightful interview, when most alone, retired from the world, but least alone when with my God! O the inexpressible pleasure of secret devotion, of " a life hid with CHRIST in God!" If the contemplation of divine love here below be so ravishing, O what shall I experience above! 66 My God, guide me here by thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory.'

Lord, while I live, my light, my truth,
My all-atoning Saviour be;

While here, me by thy counsel guide;
At death, take me to be with thee.

No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. Matt. vi. 24. If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. Gal. i. 10. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John ii. 15.

DOTH Satan tempt thee, either by pleasures, dignities, or profits? O my soul, stand upon thy guard, gird on thy strength with such thoughts as these:- -What can the world profit me, if the cares of it choke me? How can pleasures comfort me, if their sting poison me? or what advancement is this, to be triumphing in honour before the face of men here, and to be trembling with confusion before the throne of God hereafter? What are the delights of the world to the peace of my conscience, or the joy that is in the Holy Ghost? What are the applauses of men to the crown prepared by God? or, what is the gain of the world to the loss of my soul? The vanity of the creature is far beneath the excellency of my soul; and the things of time not worthy to be mentioned with the things of eternity. Two masters, of such opposite principles as God and Mammon, I cannot serve; therefore, Satan, upon the most deliberate consideration, I must give thee and thy service up, for thou biddest me to my loss.

Two masters are too much for me;
Nor can the world with God agree;
Then, tempting Mammon, get thee gone,
And let me serve my Christ alone.

O taste and see that the Lord is good! Ps. xxxiv. 8. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Heb. xiii. 8.

THERE is an infinite fulness of all spiritual bless-
ings treasured up in Christ Jesus for all his
people; and out of his fulness they do receive,
even grace for grace. But, alas! we are slow of
heart to believe the truth: we please ourselves
with small things, and come slowly forward to a
daily growth out of that fulness. Young con-
verts, enamoured with what they have in hand,
or living upon their feelings, are ready to flee
from knowledge, as something dangerous and
destructive of holiness; and mere professors are
apt to deny and even deride those precious feel-
ings, as though the affections had no share in the
Christian religion, and that the whole consisted
in having a crowded head. Come then, O my
soul, divest thyself from the pride of party and
the strife of tongues! Be thou an humble sup-
plicant at the feet of Jesus, for a live coal from
off the altar, to purge away thine iniquity, and to
warm thy affections; and likewise for the aid of
the Holy Spirit, to lead thee into "the know-
ledge of the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent." Then shalt thou not only
taste but see, not only see but taste, both sweetly
taste and clearly see that "the Lord is good."
O the rich depths of love divine!
Of bliss a boundless store;

Dear Saviour, let me call thee mine;
I cannot wish for more.

On thee alone my hope relies,
Beneath the cross I fall:

Thou art my life, my sacrifice,
My Saviour, and my All.

We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world to our glory. 1 Cor. ii. 7. Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints. Col. i. 26.

THERE are some things declared in the Gospel, which are absolutely its own, that are proper and peculiar unto it; such as have no footsteps in the law, or in the light of nature, but are of pure revelation, peculiar to the Gospel. Of this nature are all things concerning the love and will of God in Jesus Christ; the mystery of his Incarnation, of his Offices and whole Mediation, of the Dispensation of the Spirit and our Participation thereof, and our Union with Christ thereby; our Adoption, Justification and effectual Sanctification thence proceeding. In a word, everything that belongs unto the purchase and application of saving grace is of this sort. These tidings are properly evangelical, being peculiar to the Gospel alone. Hence the apostle Paul, unto whom the dispensation of it was committed, puts that eminency upon them, that (in comparison) he resolved to insist on nothing else in his preaching. 1 Cor. ii. 2. And to that purpose doth he describe his ministry. Eph. iii. 7-11.

Reader, observe these two things:-What God reveals in his word, let thy reason submit unto;-What he proposes as objects or matter of faith, beg of him to enable thee to believe

The hidden wisdom of God's grace

No reason can explore;

Then help me, by the Spirit's light,
To see, believe, adore.

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