I ought to look at my sins in the light of the holy law-in the light of God's countenance-in the light of the cross-in the light of the judgment-seat-in the light of hell—in the light of eternity. I ought to examine my dreams, my floating thoughts, my predilections, my often recurring actions, my habits of thought, feeling, speech and actionthe slanders of my enemies, and the reproofs and even banterings of my friends-to find out traces of my prevailing sin-matter for confession. I ought to have a stated day of confession, with fasting-say, once a month. I ought to have a number of Scriptures marked to bring sin to remembrance. I ought to make use of all bodily affliction, domestic trial, frowns of Providence on myself, house, parish, church, or country, as calls from God to confess sin. The sins and afflictions of other men should call me to the same. I ought, on Sabbath evenings, and on communion Sabbath evenings, to be especially careful to confess the sins of holy things. I ought to confess the sins of my confessionstheir imperfections, sinful aims, self-righteous tendency, etc.—and to look to Christ, as having confessed my sins perfectly over his own sacrifice.

"I ought to go to Christ for the forgiveness of each sin. In washing my body, I go over every spot, and wash it out. Should I be less careful in washing my soul? I ought to see the stripe that was made on the back of Jesus by each of my sins. I ought to see the infinite pang thrill through the soul of Jesus equal to an eternity of my hell for my sins, and for all of them. I ought to see that in Christ's bloodshedding, there is an infinite overpayment for all my sins. Although Christ did not suffer more than infinite justice demanded, yet he could not suffer at all without laying down an infinite ransom.

"I feel, when I have sinned, an immediate reluctance to go to Christ. I am ashamed to go. I feel as if it would do no good to goas if it were making Christ a minister of sin, to go straight from the swine-trough to the best robe-and a thousand other excuses; but I am persuaded they are all lies, direct from hell. John argues the opposite way, If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father; Jeremiah 3: 1, and a thousand other scriptures are against it. I am sure there is neither peace nor safety from deeper sin, but in going directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God's way of peace and holiness. It is folly to the world and the beclouded heart, but it is the way.

"I must never think a sin too small to need immediate application to the blood of Christ. If I put away a good conscience, concerning faith, I make shipwreck. I must never think my sins too great, too aggravated, too presumptuous, as when done on my knees, or in preaching, or by a dying bed, or during dangerous illness-to hinder me from fleeing to Christ. The weight of my sins should act like the weight of a clock; the heavier it is, it makes it go the faster.

"I must not only wash in Christ's blood, but clothe me in Christ's obedience. For every sin of omission in' self, I may find a divinelyperfect obedience ready for me in Christ. For every sin of commission in self, I may find not only a stripe or a wound in Christ, but also a perfect rendering of the opposite obedience in my place, so that the law is magnified-its curse more than carried-its demand more than answered.

"Often the doctrine of Christ for me appears common, well-known, having nothing new in it; and I am tempted to pass it by, and go to some Scripture more taking. This is the devil again. Christ for us is ever new, ever glorious, Unsearchable riches of Christ,'—an infinite object, and the only one for a guilty soul. I ought to have a number of Scriptures ready, which lead my blind soul directly to Christ, such as Is. 45, Rom. 3.

"2. To be filled with the Holy Spirit, I am persuaded that I ought to study more my own weakness. I ought to have a number of Scriptures ready to be meditated on, such as Rom. 7, John 15, to convince me that I am a helpless worm.

"I am tempted to think that I am now an established Christianthat I have overcome this or that lust so long-that I have got into the habit of the opposite grace-so that there is no fear; I may venture very near the temptation, nearer than other men. This is a lie of Satan. I might as well speak of gunpowder getting by habit a power of resisting fire, so as not to catch the spark. As long as powder is wet, it resists the spark; but when it becomes dry, it is ready to explode at the first touch. As long as the Spirit dwells in my heart, he deadens ine to sin, so that, if lawfully called through temptation, I may reckon upon God carrying me through. But when the Spirit leaves me, I am like dry gunpowder. O for a sense of this!

"I am tempted to think that there are some sins, for which I have no natural taste, such as strong drink, profane language, etc., so that I need not fear temptation to such sins. This is a lie a proud, presumptuous lie. The seeds of all sins are in my heart, and perhaps all the more dangerously that I do not see them.

"I ought to pray and labor for the deepest sense of my utter weakness and helplessness that ever a sinner was brought to feel. I am helpless in respect of every lust that ever was, or ever will be in the human heart. I am a worm-a beast-before God. I often tremble to think that this is true. I feel as if it would not be safe for me to renounce all indwelling strength-as if it would be dangerous for me to feel, what is the truth, that there is nothing in me keeping me back from the grossest and vilest sin. This is a delusion of the devil. My only safety is to know, feel, and confess my helplesness, that I may hang upon the arm of Omnipotence. I daily wish that sin had been rooted out of my heart. I say, Why did God leave the roots of lasciviousness, pride, anger, etc., in my bosom? He hates sin, and I hate it; why did he not take it clean away? I know many answers to this which completely satisfy my judgment, but still I do not feel satisfied. This is wrong. It is right to be weary of the being of sin, but not right to quarrel with my present good fight of faith.'. . The falls of professors into sin make me tremble. I have been driven away from prayer, and burdened in a fearful manner, by hearing or seeing their sin. This is wrong. It is right to tremble, and to make every sin of every professor a lesson of my own helplessness; but it should lead me the more to Christ. If I were more deeply convinced of my utter helplessness, I think I would not be so alarmed when I hear of the falls of other men. . I should study those sins in which I am most helpless, in which passion becomes like a whirlwind, and I like a straw. No figure of speech can represent my utter want

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of power to resist the torrent of sin. I ought to study Christ's omnipotence more, Heb. 7: 25; 1 Thes. 5: 23; Rom. 6: 14; 5: 9, 10, and such Scriptures should be ever before me. Paul's thorn,

2 Cor. 12, is the experience of the greater part of my life. It should be ever before me. There are many subsidiary methods of seeking deliverance from sins, which must not be neglected,-thus, marriage, 1 Cor. 7: 2; fleeing, 1 Tim. 6: 11; 1 Cor. 6: 18; watch and pray, Mat. 26: 41; the word, It is written, it is written.' So Christ defended himself, Mat. 4. But the main defence is casting myself into the arms of Christ like a helpless child, and beseeching him to fill me with the Holy Spirit. This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,'-1 John 5: 4, 5,-a wonderful passage.

“I ought to study Christ as a living Saviour more-as a shepherd, carrying the sheep he finds-as a king, reigning in and over the souls he has redeemed-as a captain, fighting with those who fight with me, Ps. 35; as one who has engaged to bring me through all temptations and trials, however impossible to flesh and blood.

"I am often tempted to say, How can this man save us? How can Christ in heaven deliver me from lusts which I feel raging in me, and nets I feel enclosing me? This is the father of lies again. He is

able to save unto the uttermost.

"I ought to study Christ as an Intercessor. He prayed most for Peter, who was to be most tempted. I am on his breastplate. If I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room, I would not fear a million of enemies. Yet the distance makes no difference; he is praying for me.

I ought to study the Comforter more-his Godhead, his love, his almightiness. I have found by experience that nothing sanctifies me so much as meditating on the Comforter, as John 14: 16. And yet, how seldom I do this. Satan keeps me from it. I am often like those men who said, They knew not if there be any Holy Ghost. . . I ought never to forget that my body is dwelt in by the Third Person of the Godhead. The very thought of this should make me tremble to sin, 1 Cor. 6. . . I ought never to forget that sin grieves the Holy Spirit-vexes, and quenches him. If I would be filled with the Spirit, I feel I must read the Bible more, pray more and watch

more.

3. To gain entire likeness to Christ, I ought to get a high esteem of the happiness of it. I am persuaded that God's happiness is inseparably linked in with his holiness. Holiness and happiness are light and heat. God never tasted one of the pleasures of sin.

"Christ had a body such as I have, yet he never tasted one of the pleasures of sin. The redeemed, through all eternity, will never taste one of the pleasures of sin; yet their happiness is complete. It would be my greatest happiness to be, from this moment, entirely like them. Every sin is something away from my greatest enjoyment. . The devil strives night and day to make me forget this, or disbelieve it. He says, Why should you not enjoy this pleasure as much as Solomon or David? You may go to heaven also. I am persuaded that this is a lie that my true happiness is to go and sin no more.

"I ought not to delay parting with sins. Now is God's time. 'I 51*

VOL. XIII.NO. LII.

made haste and delayed not.' I ought not to spare sins because I have long allowed them as infirmities, and others would think it odd, if I were to change all at once. What a wretched delusion of Satan

that is!

"Whatever I see to be sin, I ought, from this hour, to set my whole soul against it, using all scriptural methods to mortify it-as, the Scriptures, special prayer for the Spirit, fasting, watching.

"I ought to mark strictly the occasions when I have fallen, and avoid the occasion, as much as the sin itself.

"Satan often tempts me to go as near to temptation as possible, without committing the sin. This is fearful-tempting God and griev ing the Holy Ghost. It is a deep-laid plot of Satan.

"I ought to flee all temptation, according to Prov. 4: 15- Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.'

"I ought constantly to pour out my heart to God, praying for entire conformity to Christ-for the whole law to be written on my heart. . . I ought statedly and solemnly to give my heart to God-to surrender my all into his everlasting arms, according to the prayer, Ps. 31,Into thine hand I commit my spirit,'-beseeching him not to let any iniquity, secret or presumptuous, have dominion over me, and to fill me with every grace that is in Christ, in the highest degree that it is possible for a redeemed sinner to receive it, and, at all times, till death.

"I ought to meditate often on heaven, as a world of holinesswhere all are holy-where the joy is holy joy-the work, holy work; so that, without personal holiness, I never can be there. I ought to avoid the appearance of evil. God commands me, and I find that Satan has a singular art in linking the appearance and reality together.

"I find that speaking of some sin defiles my mind, and leads me into temptation; and I find that God forbids even saints to speak of the things that are done of them in secret. I ought to avoid this.

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Eve, Achan, David, all fell through the lust of the eye. I should make a covenant with mine and pray, 'Turn away mine eyes from vanity.' .. Satan makes unconverted men like the deaf adder to the sound of the gospel. I should pray to be made deaf by the Holy Spirit to all that would tempt me to sin.

One of my most frequent occasions of being led into temptation is this, I say, it is needful to my office that I listen to this, or look into this, or speak of this. So far this is true; yet I am sure Satan has his part in this argument. I should seek divine direction to settle how far it will be good for my ministry, and how far evil for my soul, that I may avoid the latter.

"I am persuaded that nothing is thriving in my soul, unless it is growing. Grow in grace.' Lord, increase our faith.' Forgetting the things that are behind.' I am persuaded that I ought to be inquiring at God and man what grace I want, and how I may become more like Christ. I ought to strive mility, meekness, patience under suffering, love. like in all things,' should be my constant prayer. Holy Spirit.'

for more purity, hu

Make me Christ

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Fill me with the

2. REFORMATION IN SECRET PRAYER.

"I ought not to omit any of the parts of prayer-confession, adoration, thanksgiving, petition and intercession.

"There is a fearful tendency to omit confession, proceeding from low views of God and his law-slight views of my heart and the sins of my past life. This must be resisted. There is a constant tendency to omit adoration, when forget to whom I am speaking-when I rush heedlessly into the presence of Jehovah, without remembering his awful name and character-when I have little eyesight for his glory, and little admiration of his wonders. 'Where are the wise? I have the native tendency of the heart to omit giving thanks. And yet it is specially commanded, Phil. 4: 6. Often when the heart is selfishdead to the salvation of others-I omit intercession. And yet it especially is the spirit of the great Advocate, who has the name of Israel always on his heart.

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Perhaps every prayer need not have all these; but surely a day should not pass without some space being devoted to each.

"I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, and then have family prayer, and breakfast, and forenoon callers, often it is eleven or twelve o'clock, before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ rose before day, and went into a solitary place. David says, Early will I seek thee; thou shalt early hear my voice.' Mary Magdalene came to the sepulchre while it was yet dark. Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness; and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp untrimmed. Then, when secret prayer comes, the soul is often out of tune. I feel it is far better to begin with God-to see his face first-to get my soul near him, before it is near another. When I awake, I am still with thee.'

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If I have slept too long, or am going an early journey, or my time is any way shortened, it is better to dress hurriedly, and have a few minutes alone with God, than to give it up for lost.

"But in general it is best to have at least one hour alone with God, before engaging in any thing else. At the same time, I must be careful not to reckon communion with God by minutes or hours, or by solitude. I have pored over my Bible, and on my knees for hours, with little or no communion; and my times of solitude have been often times of greatest temptation.

"As to intercession, I ought daily to intercede for my own family, connections, relatives, and friends; also for my flock-the believers, the awakened, the careless; the sick, the bereaved; the poor, the rich; my elders, Sabbath school teachers, day school teachers, children, tract distributors-that all means may be blessed-Sabbath day preaching and teaching; visiting of the sick, visiting from house to house, providences, sacraments. I ought daily to intercede briefly for the whole town, the Church of Scotland, all faithful ministers; for vacant congregations, students of divinity, etc.; for dear brethren by name; for missionaries to Jews and Gentiles; and for this end, I must read missionary intelligence regularly, and get acquainted with all that is doing throughout the world. It would stir me up to pray with the map