HE E hath blinded their Eyes, and hardened their Heart; that they fhould not fee with their Eyes, nor understand with their Heart, and be converted, and I should heal them, John xii. 40.

The voluntary Inability of a blind and obdurate Heart has three Caufes. 1. The Devil who fuggefts. 2. Man who confents. 3. God, who either leaves the Sinner to his own corrupt Inclination, or heaps up Benefits upon him, which to him are no other than fresh Occasions of Sin, as both Admonitions and Miracles were to Pharoah, and here to the Jews.- Blindnefs and Obduracy have feveral Degrees; whoever either does not fee and understand the Truths, which are neceffary to his good Conduct and Behaviour, or is not directed by thofe he does understand, on fuch Occafions wherein they ought to be his Rule and Guide, is blind and hardened with Refpect to them. Let us take Care that these Words do not induce us to murmur against God, or to prefume to cenfure his Proceedings, instead of humbling ourselves, and adoring him with Fear and Trembling.

A

TAKE heed, Brethren, left there be in any of you an evil Heart of Unbelief, in departing from the living God, Heb. iii. 12.

Let every one fearch his own Heart, and examine his Faith. Some Perfons think they have a great deal, and yet fcarcely adhere to God. What fignifies it, as to Eternity, whether a Man reject the Doctrine, or the Life of Faith, if he fhall be damned by becoming unfaithful either to the one or to the other?

My JESUS, while in mortal Flesh
I hold my frail Abode,
Still would my Spirit reft on Thee,

Its Saviour and its God.
By hourly Faith in Thee I live, T
'Midft all my Griefs and Snares,
And Death, encounter'd in thy Sight,
No Form of Horror wears.

On thy dear Crofs I fix my Eyes,
Then raise them to thy Seat,
"Till Love diffolve my inmoft Soul

At its Redeemer's Feet.
Be dead my Heart to worldly Charms,
Be dead to every Sin,
And tell the boldeft Foes without
That JESUS reigns within.

Christmas Day. AND the brought forth her firft-born Son, and wrapped him in fwaddling Clothes, and laid him in a Manger, because there was no Room for them in the Inn. Luke ii. 7.

Jefus Chrift is the First-born of the bleffed Virgin. --His ftooping to the Weakness of Infancy is fo much the more worthy to be adored, as it appears unworthy of his Greatness and Wisdom. Rejected of Men, he borrows the Habitation of Beasts. Let human Pride blush as long as it will, to have a God become an Infant of a Day, of a Moment, reduced to the Confinement of fwaddling Clothes, to the Meannefs of a Manger, to the Mansion of Beafts, to have recourse to the Affiftance of his Creatures, and to be refused by them, it is the Chriftian's Glory that his God would do, and fuffer, all this for his Salvation; it is his Honour to adore him, to own him for his King, and to pay him Homage, in all his States and Conditions.

Rejoice in JESUS' Birth!

To us a Son is given,

Tous a Child is born on Earth,

Who made both Earth and Heaven!

His Shoulder props the Sky,

This Univerfe fuftains,

The God fupreme, the Lord most high,
The King MESSIAH reigns!

Dec. 26.

(361) St. Stephen's Mart. AND he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay

not this in to their Charge. And when he had faid this, he fell asleep, Acts vii. 60.

Neither a Shower of Stones, nor prefent Death, can hinder true Love fom being mindful of the real Wants of Men. --- St. Stephen's Prayer for his Enemies is humble, fervent, powerful, and conformableto, that of Chrift upon the Crofs. And could fuch a Prayer be ieffectual?--- How much would God have us love our Perfecuors, fince he gives us fo great Inftances of this Kind of Love in te Death of Christ, and in that of his firft Imitator! -The Deah of the Saints is, to themfelves, Reft or SLEEP, a Sacrifice in Respect to God, and Seed for the Church. Saul is the first Fruiof this Seed fown by the first Martyr. Prepare the So, Thou firft fhalt call, To own in Dith the pard'ning God, To die for Hin who dy'd for ALL, And feal the ecord with his Blood. Give him, befe he bows his Head,

The Sight to rvent Stephen giv'n,

The everlafting Doors difplay'd,
The Glories of a wide-spread Heaven.
Infpire him with thy tender Care,
For those who nail'dThee to the Wood,
And give to his expiring Prayer,
The Men that drive his Soul to God.

Dec. 27.

I

JOHN, who alfo am your Brother, and Companion in Tribulation, and in the Kingdom and Patience of Jefus Chrift, was in the Ifle that is called Patmos, for the Word of Gol, and for the Testimony of Jefus Chrift, Rev. i. 9.

See here what a true Chriftian is: A Man who has for others a true brotherly Charity, who counts it an Honour to partake in their Tribulations, who lives by the Belief of the Coming and of the Kingdom of Jefus Chrift, and who reigns himself beforehand, even in the midit, and by the Lov, of Afflictions, Amiable Banishment this, wherein St. John finds Heaven opned, instead of the Earth from which he is feparated; wherein Jefus Chrif pours forth fo many fweet Confolations; and where he himself becomes preint to his Mind, to fill it with the most lively Communications of his Light. The more we leave for His Sake, the more He imparts himself to us.

"Twas thus the Saints of GOD,
His Meffengers, and Seers,
The narrow Path of Sufferings trod,
And pafs'd the Vale of Tears,

Thro' fore Afflictions aft

To better Worlds above,
And more than conque'd all at laft,
In our Redeemer's Love.