TH HEN Herod when he faw that he was mocked of the wife Men, was exceeding wroth, and fent forth, and flew all the Children that were in Bethlehem, and all the Coafts thereof, from two Years old and under, according to the Time which he had diligently enquired of the wife Men, Matt. ii. 16. The ambitious Man is cruel, and always ready to facrifice every Thing, even Christ himself, to his Paffion. The World is more to be feared when it flatters, than when it perfecutes. It beftows Life at that very Time when it thinks it takes it away. The Difgraces of the World, contain in them great Graces for Those who know how to diftinguish and improve them. — Salvation, given fo freely to these Infants, teaches us that our own muft neceffarily be the Gift of God. Grace prevents all Merit in Those whose Will it difpofes, as well as in these Infants, who could not poffibly will any Thing freely. For thy Children's Sake arife, The Fears of all dispel, Only fhew the Kingdom ours, And on us loose thy Winds and Storms, Death we challenge, with its Powers, In all their dreadful Forms. GRACE be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in fincerity. Amen. Eph. vi. 24. Grace, which is the Effect of Chrift's Love towards us, becomes likewise the Reward of our Love towards him. We have Reason to expect all Things from Him, when we love him; and to fear all Things when we love him not. Whoever defires to know whether he really loves JESUS CHRIST, with a pure Love, let him examine. 1. Whether he efteems that which Chrift efteems, immortal and incorruptible good Things; and whether in ferving him he do not feek after those which perifh. 2. Whether he hates that which Chrift hates, the Corruption that is in his own Heart, and the Filthiness of Sin-Amen, fo be it, Lord Jesus; but do Thou vouchsafe to love me, to the End that I may love thee, and that thy Grace may produce in me that Love, which it will one Day crown, Amen. JESUS, thou dear redeeming Lord, Give all thy Saints to find in Thee, AND to wait for his Son from Heaven, whom he raised from the Dead, even Jefus which delivered us from the Wrath to come, 1 Theff. i. 10. To ferve God, and to expect or wait for his Son Jefus Chrift, is the whole Life of a Chriftian. He who expects, defires; and he who defires, is impatient of Delay; he who is impatient, groans: he who groans, is fenfible of his Mifery, and very far from feeking Pleafures and Diversions. Vouchfafe, O Lord, to teach us thyfelf, to wait for thee, as a Captive does for his Deliverer; an Exile, for his being recalled Home; a fick Perfon, for his Phyfician; a Child for his Father; a Bride for her Bridegroom; a Sheep for her Shepherd; a Debtor for his Ranfom; and an oppreffed Orphan for his Judge and Protector. Let us imitate him whom we expect, if we are unwilling to fall back into that Wrath from which he has delivered us. Jefus, God of my Salvation, Give us Eyes thyself to fee, Waiting for the Confolation, Longing to believe on thee; A a Now vouchfafe the facred Pow'r, Now the Faith divine impart, TH HIS is the Difciple which teftifieth of thefe Things, and wrote thefe Things; and we know that his Teftimony is true. --- And there are alfo many other Things which Jefus did, the which if they should be written every one, fuppofe that even the World it felf could not contain the Books that should be written. Amen. John xxi. 24, 25. We know only the leaft Part of thofe Things which Jefus did and taught upon Earth. If we do not make Ufe of that which is written, to what End would that which is not have ferved, but only to our greater Condemnation? Let us be content to adore that of which we know nothing; let us put in practice every Part of his Word which we do know; let us beg the Grace that we may be willing to perform what we are able, and that we may be able to perform what we are willing, and let us labour, without Intermiffion, defiring earnestly that Happiness which we expect. Yes, Lord Jefus, come quickly, for it is thou whom we expect, and we look not for another. Come,OThou greater than our Hearts, Take us into thy People's Reft, WHEN ye faft, be not as the Hypocrites, of a fad Countenance: for they disfigure their Faces, that they may appear unto Men to faft. Verily I say unto you, they have their Reward, Matt. vi. 16. It is difficult to avoid Hypocrify and Oftentation in external Mortifications, and chiefly in fafting. God turns from the Sinner the Eyes of hie Mercy in the fame Proportion that he endeavours to draw upon himself thofe of Men. When a Man affects a fad Countenance he has but little godly Sorrow in his Heart. The Love of God makes us do that with Joy, which we do for him. Our Heart is the fame in respect of God, that our Head and Face are in respect of Men. It is by the Heart that he knows and judges of us; it is by this that we please him. us, Let us not be afraid that our Heart will be conceal'd from God; but let us be afraid, left he should discover it to be greedy of the Glory which comes from Men, and little filled with Defire and Efteem of that Glory which he alone can confer. That true Remorfe, that Grief divine, Indulge me at thy Feet to grieve "Till Thou my mournful Soul receive, |