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row, with them is rapidly terminating-Weeping may endure for the night; but joy cometh in the morning. Look-look, Christians! There is the shining pledge. It never failed yet. It cannot deceive. Now is your salvation nearer than when you believed. The NIGHT is far spent. The day is at hand. And then your sun shall no more go down.

Let this promise put mc, and keep me in a proper frame of mind. Let it raise me above the world. Let it teach me, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. Let it induce me to rejoice evermore; yea, and in every thing to give thanks. To the upright there ariseth light in the darkness. If in the world I have tribulation, in him I have peace. Many things are denied me; but I can dispense with them, since he is mine. Why should I envy others? They succeed; they gain; they have-But I have the morning star.

"What others value, I resign;

"Lord, 'tis enough that thou art mine :
"I shall behold thy blissful face;

"And stand, complete, in righteousness!"

OCT. 25.-"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." John x. 9.

A door is a very familiar and striking representation of the Lord Jesus. It seems hardly necessary to remark, that it must be a metaphor. Yet the Papists, from taking literally, what is spoken in a similar instance, have introduced the monstrous doctrine of transubstantiation. Because, when he took the bread and the wine, our Saviour said, "This is my body, and this is my blood; they believe that the disciples re

ceived his very body and blood; and that every communicant does the same now, when the priest has consecrated the elements: and, say they, we only take him at his word-nothing can be plainer. Upon the same principle, we may say, he is timber and nails: for he says-what can be clearer?-I am the door. But can any man of common sense-can a child suppose, that he means any thing more than that a door is an image of him?

And the design of the allusion is obvious. A door is the medium of passage-And Jesus stands between God and us. He is the mediator of the new covenant. God comes to us through him: and conveys all his blessings to us by him. And we approach God through him. I am the way, said he-No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. And as, with regard to our persons, we come unto God by him; so, with regard to our services, we offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. And, with regard to both, we have boldness and access, with confidence, by the faith of him.

-But how is the person described, who derives benefit from him? He makes use of him for this purpose" By me if any man enter in." This supposes a spiritual concern. Many are careless about their souls. They have never been convinced of sin: never induced, from an apprehension of their danger, to cry, What must I do to be saved? They are men of the world: and all their anxieties are confined within the narrow bound of time and sense. Others, if in a degree awakened, are not enlightened. Their concern is erroneously directed-for there is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but it ends in death. There is a refuge that cannot abide the storm. There is a hope that is like the spider's web-as curiously wrought, and as easily destroyed. The case is this. There is salvation in none other than in him, who was delivered for our offences, and

was raised again for our justification. In the Lord alone have we righteousness and strength. To him, therefore, must men come. And to him the Christian does come. He knows, not only that there is no salvation for him out of Christ, but that there is no salvation in him, without a dependence upon him, and an application to him. He knows that, as a medicine never taken, can never cure; and as food never eaten, can never nourish: so an unapplied Saviour is no Saviour to him. He therefore makes use of Christ for every end he is revealed to answer. He builds upon him, as a foundation. As a way, he walks in him. As a door, by him he enters in.

- And what are the advantages he obtains when admitted? Safety-"He shall be saved." Saved from the curse of the law, and the wrath to comeSaved from the roaring lion, who goeth about seeking whom he may devour-Saved from the King of Terrors-Saved from a world lying in wickednessSaved from an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God-Saved in the Lord, with an everlasting salvation.-Liberty-"He shall go in and out." A man is free in his own house. He goes in and out at his pleasure-and when he goes out, he is not shut out, like a stranger; and when he goes in, he is not shut in, like a criminal. This, too, is the privilege of sheep, under the care of a good shepherd. They go in; but if they could not go out, the fold would be a prison. They therefore, at night, go in for protection; and in the morning, go out for food. The expression, therefore, is used in the Scripture as significant of freedom: and the meaning is, that what is done for the Christian's safety, does not compromise his liberty. He knows the truth; and the truth makes him free: and he is free indeed -free, to go wherever he pleases in Immanuel's land-free, to partake of all the privileges of the sons of God.-Plenty-" And find pasture." Ah! said one of them, realizing this, "The Lord is my

shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters." So Isaiah-"They shall feed in the ways"-the ways of his commandments, ordinances, and dispensations-" and their pasture shall be in all high places"-where they cannot be hid: but where they may seem unlikely to find supplies; as elevations, especially in warm countries, are commonly barren-but He feeds them, while he lifts them up, for ever. Religion raises them; but not into regions of barren speculation-for it is added, "They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.”

Ост.

OCT. 26.-" O Jerusalem! wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved."

Jer. iv. 14.

THOUGH these words are addressed to Jerusalem; by a principle of the fairest reasoning, they extend to every individual who needs the same purification and deliverance. And who does not?-Yea, the circumstance strengthens the argument. Jerusalem was called the Holy City; the City of the living God. There stood his temple; there were his servants to make known his will; they had Moses and the Prophets. If they needed such an address; is it needless for us? With all their unbelief and ingratitude, disobedience, and perverseness, they were fair specimens of the human race. In Adam, all died; and from him we derive a mortal, and therefore a depraved nature-"What is man, that he should be clean; or he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?" All, therefore, need pardoning mercy,

and sanctifying grace-All need to be saved by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. But here are two difficulties.

First. God himself is represented as concerned for the success of the measure. "O Jerusalem! wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved." This interjection, with us, often implies weakness and grief, as well as desire. We must therefore take care how we apply such expressions to God, lest we degrade the perfections of his nature. He speaks to us after the manner of men; but his condescension must not rob him of his glory. Yet his language is not devoid of truth. However metaphorical it may be, there is in it a reality that more than justifies it. To which we may add, that even grief and weakness had better be ascribed to God, than insincerity. Let us be assured of this, hat he means what he says. While he hates our sins, he loves our souls; and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He is not only the righteous Governor, but the kind Father. This is the lovely character under which he delights to display himself. Hence his expostulation with himself "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim ? Mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together." Hence the oath he has taken"As I live, saith the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth; wherefore turn and live ye." Hence the sacrifice of the Cross-"He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Hence all the means he is incessantly employing to awaken and engage our attention to the things that belong to our peace. Hence he has established the ministry of reconciliation, and sends forth his servants to beseech us, in his Name, to be reconciled unto God.

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