rate conflict with Christian, he taunts him with his fall into the Slough of Despond, and every successive deviation from his path, as blotting out his warrant of present favour with the king, and blasting all hopes of reaching the celestial city. Christian is neither able nor willing to conceal or palliate the charge. He knows it is all true, and much more besides; but he knows this is true also--" Where sin abounded, grace hath much more abounded.” "The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanseth from all sin.' Christian! are you harassed with these fiery darts? Remember the direction-the only direction, that meets your case, and provides for your help-" Above all, taking the shield of faith wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." If you are conscious of hating the sins with which you have been overtaken, and of earnestly longing for deliverance from their power; even while the recollections of their guilt and defilement humble you before the Lord, you have only to take fresh hold of the gospel, and you shall overcome by the blood of the Lamb.”3 Victory must come from the cross. And the soul that is directing its eye thither for pardon, strength, and consolation, may sigh out the prayer with acceptance "Turn away my reproach which I fear." Yet must we not forget, how deeply the guilt of apostacy or backsliding is aggravated by the acknowledgment that all are constrained to make-" Thy judgments are good." How affecting is the Lord's expostulation with us!" What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain ? O my people, what have I done unto thee, and wherein 2 Eph. vi, 16. 1 Romans v. 20. 1 John i. 7. have I wearied thee? testify against me. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense." 1 We have nothing to complain of our Master, of his work, or of his wages; but much, very much, to complain of ourselves, of our unwatchfulness, neglect, backsliding, and to humble ourselves account of the consequent reproach upon our profession. on But whatever allowed backsliding, or inconsistency may at any time have brought us the "reproach which we fear," let us cry with unceasing supplication, for the Lord's sake, for the Church's sake, that it may be "turned away from us." Meanwhile, "we may accept it as the punishment of our iniquity; and in the recollection of the "goodness of the Lord's judgments," we may still venture to hope and look for the best things to come out of it, from our good and gracious Lord. 40. Behold, I have longed after thy precepts: quicken me in thy righteousness. WE are sometimes unconsciously led to " long after the promises, more than “ after the precepts of God; forgetting that it is our privilege and safety to have an equal regard to both-to obey his precepts in dependence on his promises, and to expect the accomplishment of the promises, in the way of obedience to the precepts. The utmost extent of the service of the mere professor is the heavy yoke of outward conformity to the precepts of the gospel. He knows nothing of the believer's inward delight and longing after them." Of many of them his heart complains-" This is a hard saying: who can hear 66 1 Jer. ii. 5. Micah vi. 3. Isa. xliii. 23. 2 Lev. xxvi. 41. it?" 1 But is there not a reason for the believer's delight even in the most difficult and painful “precepts?" Are not the moments of his deepest repentance, his times of the sweetest "" refreshing from the presence of the Lord!" Whatever pleasure there may be in the indulgence of a sinful inclination, we cannot doubt that the ultimate enjoyment from the mortification of it is far more abundant.3 What more fruitful source of comfort is found than obedience to our Saviour's" precept"—" If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." By this wholesome discipline we lose our own perverse will; the power of sin is restrained; the pride of the heart humbled; and our real happiness fixed upon a solid and permanent basis. So that, whatever dispensation some might be disposed to desire for breaking the precept without forfeiting the promise, the Christian blesses God for the strictness, that binds him to a steady obedience to his will. To him it is grievous, not to keep it, but to break it. A longing" therefore "after the precepts," marks the character of a child of God; and may be considered as the pulse by which the health-if not the life-of the soul may be ascertained. 66 There are indeed times, when the violence of temptation or the paralyzing effect of indolence, hide the movements of the "hidden man of the heart." And yet even in these gloomy hours, when the mouth is shut and the heart dumb before God-" so troubled 1 John vi. 60. 2 Acts iii. 19. Luther says, the practice of repentance was ever sweeter to him, after hearing the expression of an old divinethat is kind repentance, which begins from the love of God.' 3 See David's lively expression of gratitude-first to his Godthen to the instrument employed by him (Abigal)—in restraining him from the gratification of most unjustifiable revenge.-1 Sam. xxv. 32, 33. 4 Luke ix. 23. 2 that it cannot speak "-acceptable incense is ascending before the throne of God. We have a powerful Intercessor "helping our infirmities"-interpreting our desires-and crying from within, "with groanings that cannot be uttered; yet such as, being indited by our Advocate within, and presented by our Advocate above, 3 are most consoling earnests of their fulfilment. "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry, and will save them." 4 3 Let the child of God then be encouraged to besiege the mercy-seat with incessant importunity; 5 and if he cannot conceal from himself the coldness and weakness of his spiritual affections, at least let him not be content with idle confessions and heartless complainings. Let him bewail his own deadness before God. Let him wrestle with God for a real desire-a longing desire. "Quicken me in thy righteousness." I plead thy righteousness-thy righteous promise for the reviving of my spiritual life. I long for more lively apprehensions of thy spotless righteousness. Oh! let it invigorate my delight, my obedience, my secret communion, my Christian walk and conversation.' Such longings poured out before the Lord, and accompanied with humble and earnest supplications for a fresh supply of quickening grace, are far different from "the desire of the slothful, which killeth him," and will not be forgotten before God. "Delight thyself in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." 7 O for a more enlarged expectation, and for a more abundant supply! 926 But it may be asked-What weariness in, and reluctancy to, duties is consistent with the principle and exercise of grace? Where it is only in the members, not in the mind-where it is only partial, not prevalent where it is only occasional, not habitualwhere it is lamented and resisted, and not allowedand where in spite of its influence the Christian still holds on the way of duty-grace reigns in the midst of conflict, and will ultimately and gloriously triumph over all hindrance and opposition. But in the midst of the humbling views of sin that present themselves on every side, let me diligently inquire-" Have I an habitual" hungering and thirsting after righteousness?" And since, at the best, I do but get my longings increased, and not satisfied; let heaven be much in my heart, where alone I shall be fully satisfied. "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."1 1 Psalm xvii. 15. |