And confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth....Heb. xi. 13.

O YE worldly-minded professors, can ye read this without being ashamed and reproved? What will bring a man to this confession? Will sickness and a near approach to death? O no: men return from the most dangerous illness to greater love of the world and more ardent pursuit after the things of it. Look at a dying worldling; see him, like a drowning man, clenching the faster what he has grasped for his hope and help. Men not only live fools but die fools too: their senses beguile them; their reason befools them; they reject the plainest truths before them. Nothing will kill the love of a bewitching world, in a deceitful heart, but the view of heaven by faith: no man will confess himself a stranger to the world and a pilgrim on the earth, until he sees himself "a fellow-citizen with the saints and of the household of God."....Eph. ii. 19. As we say, we will not quit a certainty for an uncertainty: admire these ancient heroes of faith: view and imitate their conduct. What caused this confession? 1st. They had not received the promises: the Messiah was not then come from heaven with all the inestimable blessings of his kingdom; yet they believed in him, looked to him, and lived by faith upon him as promised to come. For, 2d. Though they saw the precious promises afar off, yet they were realized to their hearts by faith: the distance of them did not weaken their confidence in the existence of them: faith brought them nigh to their minds. For, 3d. they were persuaded of them and embraced them; they hugged and kissed the promises of God as the chief delight and greatest joy of their souls. Carnal men cry, O faith is to do all for you! No, not so: Christ has done all for us: by faith we enjoy all the comfort of it: hence we commence followers of Christ: "strangers and pilgrims on the earth," and travellers to our Father's kingdom. Have you had no respect paid by carnal men? Do they see nothing about you to laugh at and deride you for? No: then you have great reason to question whether you are a real follower of a despised, crucified Lord: the world will love its own. Are you striving to keep God and the world? Of all men upon earth you are most to be pitied, for you will be most miserable: most joyful to say, I am "a stranger and a sojourner as all my fathers were."....Psalm xxxix. 12.

My heart, my hope, my portion is
In Christ my Lord above:

I wander here, and find no bliss,
That's worthy of my love.
VOL. II.

Men think me strange that I can't join
With them to take my part,
In carnal joys, in mirth and wine;

U

But, Lord, thou hast my heart. M.

God be merciful to me a sinner....Luke xviii. 13.

I OFTEN think, what a perfectionist said to me, upwards of twenty years ago: "Do not go to hear such preaching, you will get such a notion of sinnership as though you are to be a poor sinner all your days." Truly, after being so long in Christ, when I look into the glass of God's law, I see myself just the same poor sinner I was at first, striving against sin and looking to Christ for salvation. I thank my Lord, I do not trust in myself that I am righteous; yet am as righteous in myself as any poor sinner on earth is, and as righteous in Christ as any saint in glory is. O, the humbling joy of faith! It brings boldness of access to God into the heart while it kills self-righteous confidence. Many poor souls are apt to say, I am afraid to approach God, I am such a sinner; I tremble to think what will become of me; I fear God will cast me off forever, and damn me eternally for my sins. No, saith the Lord, "my thoughts are not as your thoughts. Return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon you; and to our God for he will abundantly pardon."....Isa. lv. 7, 8. But what plea have I to make? As good an one as the best saint upon earth has: he is not a saint in Christ who dares make any other. Here it is: your Lord puts it into your mouth, and assures you that it is most prevailing before the throne of God: GOD BE MERCIFUL TO ME A SINNER. am I to bring no works, no faith? No: your faith brings you; faith leaves all works behind, it relies on God's gracious promises, it pleads God's rich mercy in Christ to poor, perishing sinners. Thus seek mercy: thus beseech God to be propitious to you. But must I not bring repentance? You cannot come without, if you have faith repentance flows from faith; is a change of mind concerning the object of hope for salvation; and a change of conduct towards that object. A cry for mercy to God in Christ, as miserable sinners, is the language of true repentance. But am I to live in sin and walk in sin, and yet cry, God be merciful to me a sinner? You cannot, if this cry comes from your heart, affected with the evil of sin; no more than you can cry to be delivered from devouring flames, and yet contentedly continue in the midst of them: but when we cast in our minds for a plea, we have the most blessed one, the full atonement and perfect righteousness of JESUS; therefore there is never any room for despair; "let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."....Heb. iv. 18.

I daily live by mercy free,

To me a sinner shew'd;

But,

Then let me take the lowest place,
Of deep humility,

I've nought to claim from God to me, And if I ever see Christ's face,
He gives, because he's good.

There's nothing due to me.

M.

But now in Christ Jesus, ye who were sometimes afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ....Ephes. ii. 13.

If one was asked, do you live near the court? Have you free access to his majesty? Did you ever kiss the king's hand? Who would hesitate one moment for an answer? Consciousness would instantly dictate one. Pray, is christian experience so dark and doubtful a matter, that if asked, are you brought nigh to God? Do you live near God? Have you free access to God? That we cannot answer with some degree of knowledge and certainty? O, my dear fellow-christians, though we are brought nigh to God, yet we do not live near him: hence our doubt and uncertainty: our, hearts and affections get roving in the high roads of earthly honor, riches or pleasures: here clouds of dust arise; they so dim our sight and cloud our views, that we can hardly see our way or tell where we are. Here we are reminded, 1st. That we "were sometimes afar off." Awful distance! As far as possible from God, because so far from original righteousness; as far off from God as a devil. Naturally, no more desire to draw nigh to him: nay, satan had possession of us, ruled in, and reigned over us: we loved our master, hated our God, and delighted at our distance from him. O, be covered with shame, be clothed with humility, yet lift up your head with joy. For, 2d. We are brought nigh to God. O, says one, I wish I was sure of this. It is true in the word, that sinners are brought nigh to God: you can only know this for yourself by experience. Therefore consider, 3d. How we are brought nigh by the blood of Christ: by faith in him we are reconciled to God, justified before God, and at peace with God. If you are brought nigh to God, 1st. Christ is precious to you; your heart is towards him; your hope is fixed on him. 2d. His blood is highly prized by you: you look to his atonement for the pardon of your sins, to cleanse your conscience from guilt, and to bring peace to your soul. 3d. By him you delight to draw nigh to God, making his blood and righteousness your only plea for salvation. And, 4th. You will live near to God in love and walk before him in holiness; you will hate the things you once loved, and love the things you once hated; in this way only you can enjoy fellowship and peace. with God, comfort from God, and assurance that you are a child of God. Says Christ," If ye love me, keep n.y commandments, and the comforter shall abide with you for ever."....John xiv. 15, 16.

Brought nigh to God by Jesu's blood,
Poor sinners here's good news!
O, bless your dear redeeming God,
And on him ever muse.

Live near to Christ, and daily prove,
Your fellowship divine,
Abide in his most precious love,
Till you in glory shine.

M.

As for me I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me....Psalm lv. 16.

I HAVE been often struck with the conduct of blind Bartimeus: when "many charged him to hold his peace, he cried the more a great deal, thou son of David, have mercy on me."....Mark x. 48. Why was this? Truly he had a feeling sense of his loss of sight, and by faith he saw Jesus able to restore it: see the consequence of this importunate cry. Did the sun stand still at the word of Joshua? Behold, at the cry of Bartimeus, the Lord and Creator of all the host of heaven, STOOD STILL. Jesus knows the cry of his own Spirit; he will hear it, and help the soul who utters it: "His ears are open to our prayers."....1 Pet. iii. 12. Look, 1st. At David's circumstances: was he now on the mount of joy, basking in the sunbeams of comfort? No; he is sighing out a doleful complaint in the vale of distress says he, "I mourn because of the voice of the enemy and the oppressions of the wicked; my heart is sore pained within me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me; fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me."....Psalm lv. 3, &c. 2d. What is his resolution? Does he give up hope in his God? Does he flee his presence and seek for comfort in the world, from its vain pleasure, sensual delights, and from the men of it? No; but says he, "I will call upon God." Here is a lesson of instruction for us: the more fears, terrors, pains, and oppressions beset us, they should excite more calls upon God from us: seek to no object to be eased from them, but God remember, not one of them but is by his appointment or permission; they are calls from God to call upon him: when they bring us to God, his loving will is answered; he will not suffer his dear people to live at a distance from him without calling upon him; he loves their souls; he delights in their prayers; and the "Lord's comforts delight their souls."....Psalm xciv. 49. Can you say so? Then, 3d. You may confidently take up David's conclusion; "The Lord shall save me." Is not this too bold? Yes, if founded upon any thing in yourself as the cause WHY God should save you, it is daring presumption; but, from the Lord's absolute declarations, full and free promises given us in Christ, we are divinely warranted thus to conclude. O, then take and prize the Lord's word as your blessed charter of salvation; plead it before him; expect all salvation from him, even victory over all sin, deliverance from every trouble, the comfort of holiness here, and the joys of glory in eternity: "All are yours, and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's."....1 Cor. iii. 23.

How bold is faith, to challenge thus
A claim upon the Lord;

O, 'tis because the Lord claims us,
His portion, in his word.

M.

To them who have obtained like precious faith with us through (in) the righteousness of God, and (even) our Saviour Jesus Christ....2 Pet. i. 1.

THERE may be strong faith where there is no true faith: persons may pretend to have the assurance of faith, may believe that their sins are forgiven, without one grain of precious faith. Who believes more than a deist does? he believes he has wisdom to guide and power to save himself, without either the word or the grace of Who has stronger faith than the self-righteous Pharisee had? He believed he had a right to go to God, to plead his works before God, and to assure his heart that he was accepted of God: he wanted no righteousness from God. This is just such a faith, which all unregenerate men have. It is not a PRECIOUS faith; it is not obtained through the precious righteousness of Christ; it doth not make his glorious person and everlasting righteousness precious to the heart; it does not cause such to renounce the filthy rags of their own righteousness, and to delight in God, as justifying the unholy through the righteousness of Christ, and sanctifying the ungodly through the Spirit of his grace. That faith is ever to be suspected, as only a rank weed which grows in the corrupt soil of human nature, if the possessors of it see not the evil of sin which is in them, the curse it has brought upon them, and that nothing can relieve their conscience, support their mind, bring hope to their heart and joy to their spirits, but the one spotless righteousness of Christ, in which sinners stand perfectly justified before God. He who dares open his mouth in objections against God's imputing the righteousness of his Son freely to sinners, and fully justifying them thereby, is shrewdly to be suspected, that so far from having obtained "like precious faith" with the apostles, his heart is not yet convinced of sin. Precious faith will shew itself by its fruits, inward as well as outward: the heart will bow to God's sovereign will, receive his doctrines of grace, in the love of them, and not carp and cavil against them; it will glory that salvation from first to last, is not of works, but of grace; and it will experience, that the grace of God which bringeth salvation, most sweetly and powerfully teaches, to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present evil world. Most sweetly says one, Surely, there can be no greater honor to Christ than this, in the sense of sin, wants, stains and blemishes, to wrap ourselves in the righteousness of Christ, and with boldness to go, clothed in the garments of this our elder brother, to the throne of grace." This is the glory of faith, Lord grant it may be ours.

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