God is not a God of confusion. 1 Cor. xiv. 33. He has made every thing beautiful in its season. Also, no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end. Eccles. iii. 11. LORD, I am like a little child, knowing neither the beginning nor end of my ways; but thou being a wonderful Counsellor, I think it my only wisdom to be advised and ruled by thee. O show me then always thy way in all things, even in the least, that I may never miss to do thy work in due season and due order. Make me such a faithful steward, as not to go one inch from thy will, but on all occasions to act and suffer according to thy good pleasure. Whither, O whither shall I fly, But to my loving Saviour's breast! And safe beneath thy wings to rest. Show me the path I should decline! Which shall I leave, and which pursue? Thou only my Adviser be; My God, I know not what to do! But oh! mine eyes are fix'd on thee. Foolish, and impotent, and blind, Lead me a way I have not known; Bring me where I my Heaven may find, The Heaven of loving thee alone! Now he who stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; who hath also sealed us, and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Cor. i. 21, 22. Eph. i. 14. A SENSIBLE joy of faith, and great delight in prayer, are not the only evidences of this earnest and sealing of the Spirit; these sometimes are wanting when we know we are sealed by these marks; namely, when we receive Christ in all his offices, and have a sincere desire to do the will of God in all things; when we love the ordinances of Christ, and regard the children of God with a brotherly affection, and seek to do them good; when we hate sin, and watch and pray against it; and, lastly, when we are poor in spirit, vile in our own eyes, and are led into further acquaintanee with Christ himself, and with his gospel by the Spirit. These are constant marks even for the weakest. Why should the children of a King Go mourning all their days! Great Comforter descend, and bring Some tokens of thy grace. Dost thou not dwell in all thy saints, And seal the heirs of Heav'n? When wilt thou banish my complaints, And show my sins forgiv'n? Assure my conscience of her part In the Redeemer's blood; Thou art the earnest of his love, The pledge of joys to come; 1 2 God be merciful to me a sinner. Luke xviii. 13. Look upon my affiction and my pain, aud forgive all my sins. Ps. xxv. 18. Divine Answer:-The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, and of great mercy; the Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. Ps. exlv. 8, 9. Therefore, my Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. Matt. ix. 2. JUSTIFICATION or remission of sins before the tribunal of God, and the comfortable assurance of it in the heart, do not always go together. The pardon is past in Heaven at once, and in the most perfect manner; yet the sense of it may be wanting, for the assurance of that pardon is mostly given by degrees, as believers are able to receive it. Feeble glimpses appear now and then; and many love-tokens usually pass between Christ and a believing soul, before the Spirit gives a full and clear witness to his conscience. Therefore a penitent soul must converse much with the gospel, and pray continually for more light, and a greater degree of faith and peace. Delight thyself in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Ps. xxxvii. 4. IF [r thou desirest to delight thyself only in the Lord, and art more solicitous for the increase of faith, love, and holiness, than temporal happiness; and wouldst even part with some earthly good, provided it would enlarge thy spiritual welfare- this comes not from nature, but is an infallible mark of grace and regeneration; and the Lord shall give thee also the desires of thine heart, and even more than thou desirest. Nothing can be more foolish than to harbour one or more se◄ cret lusts in our hearts, after we have been once awakened. We must certainly suffer for it; our conscience will check us; we cannot enjoy it with half the pleasure as before; our course is hindered, and our peace disturbed. How much more prudent and profitable then would it be to forsake all and follow Christ straight, who only can satisfy the desires of our heart! Consider this, O my soul! act the wiser part; let thine eye be single, and cleave to Him alone; while others, seeking to serve two masters, God and Mammon, are wofully disappointed at last: avoid thou this folly; and be wholly for Christ. Thus thou wilt be able to taste the kisses of his mouth, and the crystal streams of his comfortable and heavenly love. Dear Saviour, let thy beauties be My soul's eternal food; And grace command my heart away, From all created good. -- - Divine Answer: I They that be whole need not I have seen his ways, and He healed all that were Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed. Jer. xvii. 14. CHRIST's healing all bodily sickness, was a token of his power and grace, to heal all spiritual diseases of our souls, though ever so desperate and dangerous. Therefore, give thyself only up to his cure, he understands thy distemper also, and will certainly restore thee. He has healed a great many already; nay, all those who ever desired it, of all their infirmities. Thou canst never be too miserable and bad for him; he is ever willing and able to help. The worse thy case is, the more he will pity thee and have patience. Before we can be made whole, his way is to make us thoroughly sensible of our sickness, and lay our wounds more and more open. But as the physician then is most wanted, we must be the more earnest to implore his help, and he will surely bind us up again and heal us; not at once, but by degrees; often slowly and wonderfully, yet thoroughly at last; for he heals All, even the most incurable diseases. Ps. ciii. 3. Bind up. O Lord, and cheer my soul With thy forgiving love; O make my broken spirit whole, And bid my pains remove. Let not thy spirit quite depart, |