Ye are not your own, ye are bought with a price....1 Cor. vi. 19, 20...

O, How dear is every believer to God the Father, to Jesus the Saviour, and to the Spirit the comforter? Each divine person claims propriety in them. The Father by election: the Son by redemption: the Holy Spirit by inhabitation. How should this, O soul, call forth love, excite gratitude, inflame with affection, and quicken thee to glorify thy Lord! Consider daily, thou art not thine own, but a ransomed captive of Jesus. Reflect on the price Jesus paid for thy redemption. Thou art bought with blood: with blood divine: blood, spilt on the accursed tree, in direful agony and shameful death, was the price of thy purchase. So thy Saviour bought thee, at the hands of justice. He paid the utmost farthing of thy debt to law. He redeemed thee from the power of satan; and snatched thee as a brand from the jaws of death and hell. And canst thou ever think thy redeeming Lord will leave the purchase of his blood to be the prey of the devil? After he hath bought thee at such an inestimable price, will he not claim thee as his own, and bring thee safe to glory? O, beware of indulging unbelief! Listen not to the suggestions of satan, nor to the voice of false teachers. Fly every thought which impeaches thy Lord's love, wisdom or power. Consider, thou art thy Lord's freeman. As a châste virgin thou art espoused to Jesus; in faith hast plighted thy troth; hast voluntarily given thyself, hand and heart, to be thy Lord's. What then is thy duty? what infinite obligations art thou under to forsake all other lovers, and to cleave to thy Lord alone, with full purpose of heart! Dost thou believe thy vile body shall shortly be sown in the silent grave? and that it shall certainly be raised a glorious body like unto thy Saviour's? How much doth it concern thee to devote that body to his service and glory on earth, which shall reign with Jesus in heaven! Is thy body the temple of the Holy Ghost? Canst thou reflect on its dignity, and debase and pollute it with filthy lusts? God forbid! Doth thy spirit enjoy sweet fellowship with the Father and his Son Jesus? Doth the Spirit itself bear witness with thy spirit, that thou art a child of God? Where is thy love to the truth as it is in Jesus? Where is thy zeal for his cause and interest? Remember whose thou art. Be concerned to live up to thy privilege and dignity. Be earnest in prayer for power to obey the obligations which infinite and eternal love hath laid thee under. "Glorify thy Lord in thy body and in thy spirit which are his."

What shall we pay th' eternal Son,
That left the heav'n of his abode,
And to this wretched earth came down
To bring us wand'rers back to God!

Our everlasting love is due
To him that ransom'd sinners lost,
And pity'd rebels when he knew
The vast expence his love would cost.

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And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed....Rom. xiii. 11.

IT is an affecting case, but a real truth, that wise virgins are apt to slumber and sleep as well as the foolish. Through the pressures of a body of sin and death, and the opiates of worldly ease and self-indulgence, they sometimes fall into a drowsy state, and a sleepy frame of soul. Hence, they lose their former delight in religious duties and spiritual exercises. Their love to God and their brethren in Christ grows cold; their zeal for the glory of Jesus and his precious truths decline. The enemy takes great advantages against them, and would triumph in their entire destruction. But that can never be, for the Lord prevents it. "He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps." Will the loving father suffer his dear children to sleep in their beds till devoured by raging flames? If we being evil, have such love for our children, how infinitely greater is the love of our heavenly Father? Therefore he alarms souls and awakens them to duty and watchfulness.

. Thus Paul, his faithful watchman, lifts up his voice of warning, cries the hour, and reproves disciples as acting unbecoming. It being both unreasonable and unseasonable for them who know the time of day to indulge sloth and heaviness. It is high time to awake out of sleep. Come, christian, look around thee, look up. The Saviour reigns. It is broad day. See the sun shining. Nay it is in its meridian. And thou art just got to thy journey's end. Just in sight of thy Father's house. Thy Lord is coming to meet thee. What! wilt thou sleep on and take thy rest? The Spirit speaks to thee in this word, "Now is thy salvation nearer than when thou first believed." The Lord is at hand. "Let thy moderation, in care after the things of this world, be known unto all men." What art thou grasping so much of perishing things for? Thou canst not hold them long. Off-hands, before death makes thee quit thy hold. Think what thou art spiritually born for, called to, and art just-going to take possession of. Verily, if thy soul is broad awake, thou seest things as they really are. TIME, with all its toys and pleasures, how short! ETERNITY, with all its rich glories and inestimable blessings, how long! Jesus, with all his endearing amiableness, in his adorable person, precious offices, blessed promises, and glorious work and finished salvation for thee, as the best object of all thy hope, love, peace, and joy. For shame, sleep not when the delightful presence and heavenly fellowship of such a friend may be enjoyed. If thou hast lost the sense of this by sleep, O resolve with the church, "I will give no sleep to mine eyes, until I find the Lord."....Psalm cxxxii. 4, 5.

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Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong....1 Cor. xvi. 13.

BELIEVERS in the Lord Jesus now partake of an everlasting salvation. No enemy can deprive them of the full enjoyment of it in glory; because "they are kept by the mighty power of God." But we are daily to consider, it is "through faith,".... Pet.i. 5. Do we believe in the atonement of Jesus' blood; do we rely on the perfection of his righteousness? Why so? Because the word of the Lord is the warrant for our faith. Hence, O soul, the exhortations from the same word to duty are equally binding on thy belief and practice. The same Lord who has saved us from our enemies, calls us to watch against them. Jesus, who is gone to prepare a place for us in glory, directs us how to demean ourselves in the way to it. Shall the christian soldier neglect the command of the captain of his salvation, when the glory of God and the peace and comfort of his own soul are equally concerned? Surely not.

Through watchfulness many evils are prevented, many blessings enjoyed. When a christian is off his guard, or asleep when he should watch, how is he exposed to the attacks and temptations of the enemy! It is for our good that the Lord commands it as our duty. It is through his power that hereby the good soldier of Jesus Christ is enabled to stand fast in the profession, power and comfort of faith. It was Paul's joy in the views of death, that he had kept the faith,"....2 Tim. iv.7. Would we enjoy the same comfort? Strive in the strength of the Lord to follow his example. Check the risings of unbelief. Oppose the workings of carnal reason. Resist stedfastly in the faith the subtle devices of satan. This is your duty and wisdom. So shall we quit ourselves like men of valour and courage : like victorious saints of old, "who overcame every enemy through the blood of the Lamb." Droop not, O believer, thy strength is the Lord's omnipotence. Lift up thy head with boldness, thine enemies are vanquished by thy conquering Jesus. Be strong. Look off thyself. Look to the strong for strength. Look unto Jesus continually. Rely only on the power of his might hourly. His arm is not shortened. The reliance of faith engages his power. The cry of faith obtains victory. There is an open and effectual door by which thou shalt enter into glory; but thou must fight thy way through. Consider daily this is our motto, "More than conquerors through JESUS who hath loved us."....Rom. viii. 37.

Dear Lord, my thankful heart receives
The hope thine invitation gives:
To thee my joyful lips shall raise

I am my love's, and he is mine, [join;
Our hearts, our hopes, our passions
Nor let a motion, or a word,

The voice of prayer, the voice of praise. Nor thought arise to grieve my Lord.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.... Matt. v. 8.

EVERY institution of purification under the law referred to Jesus, the purifier of his people. Old-Testament saints received inward purity of heart from the same fountain, Jesus; and through the same means, faith in him. Without this inward purity of heart, "without holiness, no man ever did or ever shall see the Lord." When Jesus comes to his temple, even the hearts of his people, he "sits as a refiner and purifier." Sinners are the objects of his love. Sin is the accursed thing his soul hates. From this he purifies them. In purity and holiness his soul delights: with this he blesses his disciples. He then pronounces them blessed. He tells them wherein their happiness consists blessed are you, whose hearts are pure: blessed are your eyes, for they shall see God. "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one" of fallen Adam's race....Job. xiv. 4. Such power belongs to God only. Man contributes nothing hereto. But man, every believing, regenerate man, is the blessed subject of purity and holiness of heart. He has no hand in purifying his heart. No glory is due to him. But holy, blessed effects flow from it, to God his Saviour's glory, to his present felicity, and to his eternal comfort and joy. To thy shame disciple, thou knowest, being a child of an apostate, sinful parent, naturally only sin was the delight of thine heart. It is thy present blessedness to be a child of the holy God, a member of the holy Jesus, a subject of the holy Spirit's new creating influence, and a partaker of holy faith.

Hence it is natural to thy holy, new-born heart, to love holiness, as agreeable to the perfections of thy God and Saviour, and as it is suitable to thy present state of blessedness in Christ Jesus. Whence those sighs and sorrows at finding the Canaanites still in the land? Whence those groans and prayers because sin dwelleth in the flesh? Whence those importunate cries and longing requests to Jesus for total victory and perfect freedom from this troublesome inmate? Whence that holy joy and sweet complacency in bringing forth ❝the fruits of holiness?" These are indubitable evidences that thou art united to a holy Jesus, that thy heart is purified by faith, that thou hast a heart cleansed from all sin by Christ's blood. A new heart and right Spirit are put within thee. Thou dost see God in Christ Now as thy covenant-God. Thou hast received covenant blessings from him. Rejoice in him. Shortly, thou shalt see him and enjoy him to all eternity in his kingdom and glory.

Bless'd are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart:
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes,

Bless'd are the pure, whose hearts are
From the defiling pow'rs of sin; [clean,
With endless pleasure they shall see,
A God of spotless purity.

Righteousness delivereth from death....Prov. xi. 4.

WHEN a poor sinner is brought to judge of himself according to the word of truth, then is he truly wise. When he sees the exceeding sinfulness of sin, he is humbled before the Lord. When he considers "the wages of sin is death," he fears and trembles. But when he is enabled to believe he is righteous in the sight of God, then he is truly happy. His soul rejoiceth, because his eyes have seen the salvation of God; and he hath found a righteousness that delivers from death. It is never well with the soul, but when in simplicity and godly sincerity, it forms its judgment of sin and righteousness from the word of the Lord. For carnal reason and fleshly wisdom pervert and draw it aside from the truth as it is in Jesus. Sin is a transgression of the law, which is holy, just, and good. "Death has passed upon all men." Verily then I am a cursed sinner, and have need to cry daily, "God be merciful to me!" Lord, deliver my soul from death! What is righteousness, but a perfect obedience to the law of God? I have no righteousness in myself. I have sinned. A sinner righteous in himself is a contradiction in terms.

But here is our mercy; as by man sin entered into the world, and death as the curse of sin: so by man came righteousness; and as a blessing of it, deliverance from death. Where can we turn our eyes? to whom can we look for this righteousness, this blessing, this deliverance? To the man, Mediator, surety, and representative of his people, JESUS, ONLY. He is emphatically styled "the righteous, ".... 1 John ii. 1. This is the comfortable testimony the Spirit of truth bears of Jesus, "He was made to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we (who have no righteousness in ourselves) might be made the righteousness of God IN HIM."....2 Cor. v. 21. So the righteous Jehovah, who loveth righteousness, and whose countenance beholds the thing that is just, is well pleased with the members of Jesus: for they are clothed with his righteousness. The Lord laid their sins upon Jesus. The Lord imputes the righteousness of Jesus to them without any works of theirs. So he delivers them from deserved death; so he justifies them in righteousness unto eternal life: every believer is as perfectly righteous IN Christ as if he had never sinned. Here is thy happiness, O believer! it is thy joyful privilege thus to judge of thyself. To live in this view of thyself is agreeable to the truth of God's word: it is witnessed to thy soul by the comforter, through faith. This makes the soul joyful in truth. This animates to all holy obedience in love. This gives confidence in prayer, comfort in life, deliverance from death, and boldness, at the awful bar of judgment. Thus " grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord."..... Rom v. 21.