Elther make the Tree good, and his Fruit good; or else make the Tree corrupt, and his Fruit corrupt: for the Tree is known by his Fruit. Mat. xii. 33.

The Fruit is always like the Tree; the Works like the Will: Nothing good can proceed from an evil Spirit, no good Fruit from a corrupt Heart, untill it is renewed and moved by the good Spirit, which only can render it good. --- If we would know our Hearts, let us view our Actions. That is good, if our Life be fo; That is devoted to the World, if This be conformable to the Maxims thereof.

Are Words the Proof of Sin forgiven? His Faith the pardon'd Sinner shows,
Then Satan might return to Heaven,
And every Antinomian Liar
Escape that everlasting Fire:
Miftaken Souls! that dream of Heav'n,

And make their empty Boaft Of inward Joys and Sins forgiv'n, While they are Slaves to Luft. (g)

While after Holiness he goes,
And loves throughout his Life t'exprefs
The genuine Fruits of Righteoufnefs.
"Tis Faith that changes all the Heart,

'Tis Faith that works by Love;
That bids all finful Joys depart,

And lifts the Thoughts above.

THE Kingdom of Heaven is like unto Leaven, which a Woman took and hid in three Measures of Meal, till the whole was leavened. Mat. xiii. 33.

Whatever Ufe we make of our Understanding, our Will and our Body, without the Leaven of Faith and Love, is difagreeable and naufeous to God. The Divinity united to the human Nature in Chrift, the Gofpel diffused throughout the World, the Spirit of God working in a Sinner's Heart, and the facramental Bread and Wine nourishing a Chriftian Soul: these are the different Sorts of Leaven which thy Wisdom, O my God, has found out, to render Man altogether fpiritual, to raise him to the Love of heavenly Things, and to make him bear fome Refemblance of thyself. How can a Heart, fo often filled with the wholesome Leaven of thy Body and Blood, O my dear Jesus, ftill retain its Heavinefs and Inclination towards the Earth? Let thy Holy Spirit, I beseech Thee, cause mine to rife, to be united, and to cleave infeparably to Thee.

Ah! give me, Lord, my Sins to mourn,
My Sins which have thy Body torn,
Give me, with broken Heart, to fee

Thy laft tremendous Agony,
To weep o'er an expiring God,
And mix my Sorrows with thy Blood.

Will

I open my Mouth in Parables, I will utter Things which have been kept fecret from the Foundation of the World. Mat. xiii. 35.

The Myfteries, which lay hid in God from all Eternity, and in Types and Prophecies from the Foundation of the World, are at length difclofed and fulfilled in and by JESUS CHRIST. How happy are Chriftians in being born in the Times of Manifeftation, if they make a good Ufe of this Bleffing by their Faith! Let us leave the covetous Wretch to dig to the Center, after Treasures of no Duration, and the Naturalift to lose himself in searching into the Secrets of Nature; the Treasures and Study of a Chriftian are JESUS CHRIST and his Myfteries, which he discovers to us by his Word. Thou, JESUS, openeft thy adorable Mouth, O, eternal Wifdom, do thou inftruct me in them; for this will be all in vain to me, unless Thou openeft my Heart, so as to make it throughly apprehend them.

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The Types bore witness to his Name, Predictions in Abundance meet
Obtain'd their chief Defign,and ceas'd To join their Bleffings on his Head:
The Incense, and the bleeding Lamb, JESUS, we worship at thy Feet,
The Ark, the Altar, and the Prieft. And Nations own the promis'd Seed.

HEN fhall the Righteous fhine forth as the Sun in the King dom of their Father. Who hath Ears to hear, let him hear. Mat. xiii. 43.

How will the Condition of the Children of God be changed in Heaven! Here they are in Obfcurity and Contempt, there they will fine forth as the Sun; here under Oppreffion, there upon the Throne of God himself; here in Poverty and Want, there in Poffeffion of the eternal Inheritance of their heavenly Father, and of all the Rights of the Children of God. --- To conceive and understand This, requires a very lively Faith; and all the Misfortunes of Men proceeds from their not conceiving it. The fmall Number of those who endeavour as they ought to attain it, fhews, that this Faith is very rare. Let us not cease to request it humbly of God.

Lord, we long to fee thy Glory

Made eternally our own,
Long, with all thy Saints, to adore Thee,

Bright as the Meridian Sun:

Come, MESSIAH,

Raife us to thy Father's Throne!

T HE Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a Merchant-man, seeking goodly Pearls; who when he had found one Pearl of great Price, he went and fold all that he had, and bought it. Mat. xiii. 45, 46.

The Sloth and Indolence of the greatest Part of Chriftians, with Respect to God and their own Salvation, are condemned by thofe Merchants who traverse the World and venture all upon the uncertain Prospect of temporal Advantage. --- We must feek if we would find: We muft prefer God before all Things, and be disposed to part with them all to fecure our own Salvation. to him, who expects to find any Thing more amiable than God, more worthy to fill his Heart, and more capable of making him happy.

Have I not found that Pearl divine,

That Treasure in the Field? Yet ftill it is not surely mine, My Pardon is not feal'd:

104

Woe

The afcertaining Terms I know,
And would with Joy approve,
Sell all, my felf, my Life forego,
To buy thy perfect Love.